ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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Action recommended for indoor radon below current guidelines (December 1, 2009) -- With radon-caused lung cancer deaths averaging 20,000 per year, the Health Physics Society asks the public to consider taking action even at measured levels below current guidelines. ... > full story
Protein engineering advancing Alzheimer’s research (December 1, 2009) -- No one has yet found a cure or a way to prevent people from developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers are breaking new ground in biotechnology to find new tools that can help provide new solutions. A newly constructed protein has yielded experimental results that are promising when it comes to stopping the disease. And for the first time, using protein engineering, it seems researchers have successfully created the oligomer that is believed to trigger the disorder. ... > full story
Molecular architecture of Treponema pallidum, bacterium that causes syphilis (November 30, 2009) -- A team of scientists has used state-of-the-art technology to elucidate the molecular architecture of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium which causes syphilis. The previously unknown detailed structure of the bacteria can now be shown in three dimensions. This provides the first real image of the pathogen and reveals previously unknown features, which may help fight the spread of syphilis. ... > full story
Black hole caught zapping galaxy into existence? (November 30, 2009) -- Which come first, the supermassive black holes that frantically devour matter or the enormous galaxies where they reside? A brand new scenario has emerged from a recent set of outstanding observations of a black hole without a home: black holes may be "building" their own host galaxy. This could be the long-sought missing link to understanding why the masses of black holes are larger in galaxies that contain more stars. ... > full story
Climate studies to benefit from 12 years of satellite aerosol data (November 30, 2009) -- Aerosols, very small particles suspended in the air, play an important role in the global climate balance and in regulating climate change. They are one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate change models. ESA's GlobAerosol project has been making the most of European satellite capabilities to monitor them. ... > full story
Vibrations key to efficiency of green fluorescent protein (November 30, 2009) -- Green fluorescent protein has invaded thousands of research labs around the world, thanks to its versatility in labeling cells and organisms. Now, chemists have discovered why GFP is such an efficient emitter of green light. A new technique, femtosecond stimulated Ramon spectroscopy, could provide snapshots of reactions in other light-capturing molecules and allow redesign for improved photon absorption in solar cells. ... > full story
Texus-46's flight to the weightless world (November 30, 2009) -- The Texus-46 sounding rocket was launched on Nov. 22 from the Esrange space center in Swedish Lapland to provide 388 seconds of microgravity for its two experiment payloads. ... > full story
Large Hadron Collider sets new world record as highest energy particle accelerator (November 30, 2009) -- CERN's Large Hadron Collider has become the world's highest energy particle accelerator, having accelerated its twin beams of protons to an energy of 1.18 TeV in the early hours of the morning. This exceeds the previous world record of 0.98 TeV, which had been held by the US Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's Tevatron collider since 2001. It marks another important milestone on the road to first physics at the LHC in 2010. ... > full story
Smart phones allow quick diagnosis of acute appendicitis (November 30, 2009) -- Radiologists can accurately diagnose acute appendicitis from a remote location with the use of a hand-held device or mobile phone equipped with special software, according to a new study. ... > full story
New transparent insulating film could enable energy-efficient displays (November 30, 2009) -- Materials scientists have found a way to transform a chemical long used as an electrical conductor a thin film insulator potentially useful in transistor technology and in devices such as electronic books. ... > full story
Scientists explain puzzling lake asymmetry on Saturn's moon Titan (November 30, 2009) -- Researchers suggest that the eccentricity of Saturn's orbit around the sun may be responsible for the unusually uneven distribution of methane and ethane lakes over the northern and southern polar regions of the planet's largest moon, Titan. On Earth, similar "astronomical forcing" of climate drives ice-age cycles. ... > full story
Virtual reality offers solution to driving phobias (November 30, 2009) -- Nervous drivers are being helped to overcome their road phobias by donning Cyclops-style goggles that transport them to a three-dimensional virtual world. Researchers have recruited volunteers with a variety of driving phobias to test whether virtual reality can be used alongside conventional psychological therapies to help tackle their fears. ... > full story
Computer program uses interactive genetic algorithm to help witnesses remember criminals (November 30, 2009) -- Criminals are having a harder time hiding their faces, thanks to new software that helps witnesses recreate and recognize suspects using principles borrowed from the fields of optics and genetics. ... > full story
Spinons -- confined like quarks: Phenomenon seen in condensed matter for first time (November 30, 2009) -- The concept of confinement is one of the central ideas in modern physics. The most famous example is that of quarks which bind together to form protons and neutrons. Now for the first time an experimental realization and a proof of confinement phenomenon has been observed in a condensed matter system. The finding, in a well-described magnetic system, may offer new ways to explore quantum chromodynamics, the theory that describes the fundamental interactions of quarks. ... > full story
World’s largest working hydro-electric wave energy device launched (November 30, 2009) -- The global wave energy industry has taken a major stride forward with the launch of the world's largest working hydro-electric wave energy device by Aquamarine Power. ... > full story
Engineers image nanostructure of a solid acid catalyst and boost its catalytic activity (November 30, 2009) -- The catalytic processes that facilitate the production of many chemicals and fuels could become much more environmentally friendly, thanks to a new breakthrough. ... > full story
'Cosmic fruit machine' matches galactic collisions (November 29, 2009) -- A new website will give everyone the chance to contribute to science by playing a 'cosmic fruit machine' and compare images of colliding galaxies with millions of simulated images of galactic pile-ups. ... > full story
Tough yet stiff, deer antler is materials scientist's dream (November 29, 2009) -- It is almost impossible to make materials that are tough yet stiff: stiff materials tend to break easily and cannot absorb impacts. But not so dry deer antlers. Surviving impacts that are six times greater than crashes that shatter wet femur, deer antler is stiff enough to endure the dueling animals' pushing contests and could teach us how to make stiff, yet tough, materials. ... > full story
Solar power from your windows, awnings, even clothing? (November 29, 2009) -- New research could one day lead to photovoltaic materials thin enough, flexible enough and inexpensive enough to go not only on rooftops but in windows, outdoor awnings and even clothing. ... > full story
Free e-samples of prescription drugs: At what cost? (November 29, 2009) -- An analysis of Web coupons and vouchers for free or discounted prescription medications found the value of such introductory offers is low compared to costs to continue to take the medication. Many such Web sites also de-emphasize risks and provide little quantitative data on indications for use and effectiveness. Many sites also collect personal information as a condition of the free offer. ... > full story
New nanocrystalline diamond probes overcome wear (November 29, 2009) -- Researchers have developed, characterized, and modeled a new kind of probe used in atomic force microscopy, which images, measures, and manipulates matter at the nanoscale. Using diamond, researchers made a much more durable probe than the commercially available silicon nitride probes, which are typically used in AFM to gather information from a material, but can wear down after several uses. ... > full story
Nuclear waste reduction: Polymers designed to mop up radioactive isotopes (November 28, 2009) -- Nuclear power could solve our energy problems but it has rather nasty by-products: radioactive waste. Not only the disposal of the old core rods but also reactor operation results in a large amount of low-level waste, especially contaminated cooling water. Scientists have now developed a new method to reduce the amount of this radioactive waste considerably. They use small beads consisting of a special polymer which “fishes” the radioactivity out of the water. ... > full story
24-carat gold 'snowflakes' improve graphene's electrical properties (November 28, 2009) -- In an effort to make graphene more useful in electronics applications, engineers have made a golden discovery -- gold "snowflakes" on graphene. ... > full story
Small hairy balls hide foul-tasting healthful enzymes (November 28, 2009) -- A Dutch researcher has discovered a new way to package enzymes by causing charged polymers to form a 'ball of hair' around them. Her approach significantly increases the utility of the enzymes. For example, healthy enzymes with a foul taste can be packaged in such a way that they are released in the stomach without being tasted. ... > full story
Volunteers wanted for simulated 520-day Mars mission (November 28, 2009) -- Starting in 2010, an international crew of six will simulate a 520-day round-trip to Mars, including a 30-day stay on the martian surface. In reality, they will live and work in a sealed facility in Moscow, Russia, to investigate the psychological and medical aspects of a long-duration space mission. ESA is looking for European volunteers to take part. ... > full story
With first neutrino events, physicists closer to answering why only matter in universe (November 27, 2009) -- Physicists have just announced that they have detected the first neutrino events generated by the newly built neutrino beam at the J-PARC accelerator laboratory in Tokai, Japan. Neutrino oscillations, which require neutrinos to have mass and therefore were not allowed in previous theoretical understanding of particle physics, probe new physical laws and are of great interest in the study of the fundamental constituents of matter. ... > full story
Nano-scale drug delivery developed for chemotherapy (November 27, 2009) -- Bioengineers have developed a simple and inexpensive method for loading cancer drug payloads into nano-scale delivery vehicles and demonstrated in animal models that this new nanoformulation can eliminate tumors after a single treatment. ... > full story
Plasma-in-a-bag for sterilizing devices (November 27, 2009) -- The practice of sterilizing medical tools and devices helped revolutionize health care in the 19th century because it dramatically reduced infections associated with surgery. Through the years, numerous ways of sterilization techniques have been developed, but the old mainstay remains a 130-year-old device called an autoclave, which is something like a pressure steamer. Now researchers in the Netherlands are developing a new way to sterilize medical devices by sealing them inside plastic bags and then using electromagnetic fields to create plasmas -- partially ionized gasses that contain free electrons and reactive ions. ... > full story
Building real security with virtual worlds (November 27, 2009) -- Advances in computerized modeling and prediction of group behavior, together with improvements in video game graphics, are making possible virtual worlds in which defense analysts can explore and predict results of possible military and policy actions, say computer science researchers. ... > full story
3-D software gives doctors, students a view inside the body (November 27, 2009) -- Researchers have developed technology that turns flat medical scans into vibrant 3-D images that can be shifted, adjusted, zoomed and replayed at will. ... > full story
Research sheds light on workings of anti-cancer drug (November 27, 2009) -- The copper sequestering drug tetrathiomolybdate (TM) has been shown in studies to be effective in the treatment of Wilson disease, a disease caused by an overload of copper, and certain metastatic cancers. That much is known. Very little, however, is known about how the drug works at the molecular level. A new study now has provided an invaluable clue: the three-dimensional structure of TM bound to copper-loaded metallochaperones. ... > full story
New computer virus disguised as social security administration download (November 27, 2009) -- A new spam campaign using false e-mails made to look like messages from the Social Security Administration is capable of stealing Social Security numbers and downloading malware onto victims' home computers, says a computer forensics expert. ... > full story
Overcoming barriers for organic electronics (November 27, 2009) -- Electronic devices can't work well unless all of the transistors, or switches, within them allow electrical current to flow easily when they are turned on. Engineers have now determined why some transistors made of organic crystals don't perform well, yielding ideas about how to make them work better. ... > full story
New tool for helping pediatric heart surgery (November 27, 2009) -- A team of researchers has developed a way to simulate blood flow on the computer to optimize surgical designs. It is the basis of a new tool that may help surgeons plan for a life-saving operation called the "Fontan" surgery, which is performed on babies born with severe congenital heart defects. ... > full story
RFID Chips: Intelligence inside metal components (November 27, 2009) -- Up to now, extreme production temperatures made it impossible to equip metallic components with RFID chips during the operating process. Researchers present a variation on a process that makes the non-destructive integration of radio chips a reality. ... > full story
Predicting the effectiveness of metal catalysts (November 27, 2009) -- Catalysis is a process that is widely used in industry to synthesize molecules or materials. However, determining catalytic mechanisms is a major challenge for modern chemistry. Researchers have now used numerical simulation methods to show how the selectivity of reaction mechanisms at the surface of a metal catalyst can be understood far more simply. ... > full story
Search engines are source of learning (November 27, 2009) -- Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to researchers. ... > full story
New nano color sorters from molecular foundry (November 27, 2009) -- Researchers have created bowtie-shaped antennae that function as the first tunable nano color sorters, able to capture, filter and steer light at the nanoscale. ... > full story
Technique finds gene regulatory sites without knowledge of regulators (November 27, 2009) -- A new statistical technique allows scientists to scan a genome for specific gene-regulatory regions without requiring prior knowledge of the relevant transcription factors. The technique has been experimentally validated in both the mouse genome and the fruit fly genome. ... > full story
Cassini captures ghostly dance of Saturn's northern lights (November 26, 2009) -- In the first video showing the auroras above the northern latitudes of Saturn, Cassini has spotted the tallest known "northern lights" in the solar system, flickering in shape and brightness high above the ringed planet. ... > full story
Chemists get custom-designed microscopic particles to self-assemble in liquid crystal (November 26, 2009) -- Chemists and physicists have succeeded in getting custom-shaped particles to interact and assemble in a controlled way in a liquid crystal. ... > full story
Virtual streams created to help restore real ones (November 26, 2009) -- Researchers have developed a unique new computer model called the Virtual StreamLab, designed to help restore real streams to a healthier state. The Virtual StreamLab demonstrates the physics of natural water flows at an unprecedented level of detail and realism. ... > full story
Biology, training and profit sharing make best traders (November 26, 2009) -- Researchers have identified a group of traders consistently able to outperform the market, even during the credit crisis. The study offers a rare glimpse into how biology, experience and compensation schemes work together to make a profitable and -- crucially -- a prudent risk taker. ... > full story
Bioengineers succeed in producing plastics without the use of fossil fuels (November 26, 2009) -- Scientists have succeeded in producing the polymers used for everyday plastics through bioengineering, rather than through the use of fossil fuel based chemicals, heralding the creation of environmentally conscious plastics. ... > full story
Scientists watch as peptides control crystal growth with 'switches, throttles and brakes' (November 26, 2009) -- By producing some of the highest resolution images of peptides attaching to mineral surfaces, scientists have a deeper understanding how biomolecules manipulate the growth crystals. This research may lead to a new treatment for kidney stones using biomolecules. ... > full story
Unique micronail chip makes electronics and bio cells communicate (November 26, 2009) -- A unique microchip with microscopic nail structures enable close communication between the electronics and biological cells. The new chip is a mass-producible, easy-to-use tool in electrophysiology research, for example for fundamental research on the functioning and dysfunctioning of the brain. Each micronail structure serves as a close contact-point for one cell, and contains an electrode that can very accurately record and trigger in real-time the electrical activity of an individual electrogenic cell in a network. ... > full story
Cause behind the characteristic shape of a long leaf revealed (November 26, 2009) -- Applied mathematicians dissected the morphology of the plantain lily, a characteristic long leaf with a saddle-like arc midsection and closely packed ripples along the edges. The simple cause of the lily's fan-like shape -- elastic relaxation resulting from bending during differential growth -- was revealed by using an equally simple technique, stretching foam ribbons. ... > full story
New imagining technique could lead to better antibiotics and cancer drugs (November 26, 2009) -- A recently devised method of imaging the chemical communication and warfare between microorganisms could lead to new antibiotics, antifungal, antiviral and anti-cancer drugs. ... > full story
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