Flow-Induced Self-Assembly (FISA) is the phenomena of particle chaining in viscoelastic fluids while experiencing shear flow. FISA has a large number of applications across many fields including material science, food processing and biomedical engineering. Nonetheless, this phenomena is currently not fully understood and little has been done in literature so far to investigate the possible effects of the shear-induced elastic instability. In this work, a bespoke cone and plate shear cell is used to provide new insights on the FISA dynamics. In particular, we have fine tuned the applied shear rates to investigate the chaining phenomenon of micron-sized spherical particles suspended into a viscoelastic fluid characterised by a distinct onset of elastic instability. This has allowed us to reveal three phenomena never reported in literature before, i.e.: (I) the onset of the elastic instability is strongly correlated with an enhancement of FISA; (II) particle chains break apart when a constant shear is applied for `sufficiently' long-time (i.e. much longer than the fluids' longest relaxation time). This latter point correlates well with the outcomes of parallel superposition shear meas
Despite extensive research, open-vocabulary segmentation methods still struggle to generalize across diverse domains. To reduce the computational cost of adapting Vision-Language Models (VLMs) while preserving their pre-trained knowledge, most methods freeze the VLMs for mask classification and train only the mask generator. However, our comprehensive analysis reveals a surprising insight: open-vocabulary segmentation is primarily bottlenecked by mask classification, not mask generation. This discovery prompts us to rethink the existing paradigm and explore an alternative approach. Instead of freezing the VLM, we propose to freeze the pre-trained mask generator and focus on optimizing the mask classifier. Building on the observation that VLMs pre-trained on global-pooled image-text features often fail to capture fine-grained semantics necessary for effective mask classification, we propose a novel Fine-grained Semantic Adaptation (FISA) method to address this limitation. FISA enhances the extracted visual features with fine-grained semantic awareness by explicitly integrating this crucial semantic information early in the visual encoding process. As our method strategically optimiz
A team at the University of Minnesota discovered that changing a metal film's thickness by just a few nanometers can dramatically alter how it behaves electronically。 The finding reveals a surprising new way to control metals and could help power future advances in electronics, catalysis, and quantum technology
Researchers have discovered how microscopic imperfections and atomic vibrations can be used to control a powerful quantum effect in an advanced material。 The effect can turn alternating electrical signals from the environment directly into the kind of current electronic devices need, without traditional components。 As temperature changes, the signa
A remarkable crystal called molybdenum oxychloride could help make futuristic technologies like smart contact lenses and ultrathin AR glasses a reality。 Scientists have created the first detailed experimental map of its optical properties, revealing the strongest light-bending effect ever measured in a natural material。 The crystal can act either l
The mysterious Amaterasu particle may not be a proton at all。 New research suggests that some of the most extreme cosmic rays could be ultraheavy atomic nuclei, heavier than iron, which are better able to retain their energy while traveling through space。 This idea could help explain how these rare particles reach Earth and provide new clues about
New studies suggest consciousness can't be judged solely by behavior, whether it's a chatbot discussing philosophy or a bee searching for nectar。 Researchers are increasingly focusing on the internal mechanisms of brains and computers, concluding that today's AI is likely not conscious while leaving open the possibility for both conscious insects a
NASA’s futuristic X-59 jet is about to face its biggest challenge yet: breaking the sound barrier for the first time。 After a successful series of test flights that pushed the aircraft to near-supersonic speeds, engineers are preparing to fly it faster than Mach 1 and eventually up to Mach 1。6 at 60,000 feet
June's night sky delivers several must-see events, starting with a close encounter between Venus and Jupiter after sunset。 Mercury joins the pair to form a rare three-planet lineup, while the Moon puts on a special show by passing in front of Venus for viewers in parts of the Americas。 The month also marks the start of astronomical summer and the r
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong have created a remarkable new type of brain-inspired chip that can function just above absolute zero, one of the coldest environments imaginable。 By using a standard silicon carbide transistor in a completely new way, the team made a single device behave like an energy-efficient neuron, firing electrical “s
Astronomers have spent years searching for a possible hidden giant planet far beyond Neptune。 Unusual orbits among distant Kuiper Belt objects have fueled the Planet Nine theory, but recent discoveries are challenging the idea by showing more stable motion than expected。 If Planet Nine exists, it may be much farther away than originally thought
Scientists have successfully tested an AI-designed universal coronavirus vaccine in humans for the first time, finding it to be safe and well tolerated。 The vaccine generated immune responses against multiple coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS, and related bat viruses with pandemic potential。 By targeting features shared across an entire vir