ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Monday, September 6, 2010
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New pump created for microneedle drug-delivery patch (September 5, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new type of pump for drug-delivery patches that might use arrays of "microneedles" to deliver a wider range of medications than now possible with conventional patches. ... > full story
Did Viking Mars landers find life's building blocks? Missing piece inspires new look at puzzle (September 5, 2010) -- Experiments prompted by a 2008 surprise from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander suggest that soil examined by NASA's Viking Mars landers in 1976 may have contained carbon-based chemical building blocks of life. ... > full story
NASA and ATK successfully test five-segment solid rocket motor (September 5, 2010) -- With a loud roar and mighty column of flame, NASA and ATK Aerospace Systems successfully completed a two-minute, full-scale test of the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight. The motor is potentially transferable to future heavy-lift launch vehicle designs. ... > full story
Magnetism's subatomic roots: Study of high-tech materials helps explain everyday phenomenon (September 4, 2010) -- Theoretical physicists have created a new model that helps define the subatomic origins of ferromagnetism -- the everyday "magnetism" of compass needles and refrigerator magnets. The model was created to explore the inner workings of ferromagnetic compounds that are related to high-temperature superconductors. ... > full story
Novel nanotechnology collaboration leads to breakthrough in cancer research (September 4, 2010) -- A multidisciplinary group of researchers has produced a 3.6-angstrom resolution structure of the human adenovirus. Scientists are working with adenovirus as a vector for gene therapy, but have needed better structural information. ... > full story
Helping corn-based plastics take more heat (September 4, 2010) -- A team of agricultural scientists are working to make corn-derived plastics more heat tolerant -- research that may broaden the range of applications for which these plastics could be used as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. ... > full story
Next step in evolution? A technical life form that passes on knowledge and experience (September 4, 2010) -- Dutch biologist Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis has developed the ‘operator hierarchy’ -- a system based on the complexity of particles and of organisms, which can predict the next step in evolution: a technical life form, that can pass on its knowledge and experience to the next generation. ... > full story
Many urban streams harmful to aquatic life following winter pavement deicing (September 4, 2010) -- The use of salt to deice pavement can leave urban streams toxic to aquatic life, according to a new study on the influence of winter runoff in northern US cities, with a special focus on eastern Wisconsin and Milwaukee. ... > full story
Chemists, engineers achieve world record with high-speed graphene transistors (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new fabrication process for high-speed graphene transistors using a nanowire as the self-aligned gate. This new technique does not produce any appreciable defects in the graphene during fabrication, so the carrier mobility is retained. Also, by using a self-aligned approach with a nanowire as the gate, the group was able to overcome alignment difficulties previously encountered and fabricate short channel devices with unprecedented performance. ... > full story
Computer technique could help partially sighted 'see' better (September 3, 2010) -- Thousands of people who are partially sighted following stroke or brain injury could gain greater independence from a simple, cheap and accessible training course which could eventually be delivered from their mobile phones or hand-held games consoles, according to a new study. ... > full story
Miniature auto differential helps tiny aerial robots stay aloft (September 3, 2010) -- Engineers have created a millionth-scale automobile differential to govern the flight of minuscule aerial robots that could someday be used to probe environmental hazards, forest fires, and other places too perilous for people. Their new approach is the first to passively balance the aerodynamic forces encountered by these miniature flying devices, letting their wings flap asymmetrically in response to gusts of wind, wing damage, and other real-world impediments. ... > full story
Experiment records ultrafast chemical reaction with vibrational echoes (September 3, 2010) -- To watch a magician transform a vase of flowers into a rabbit, it's best to have a front-row seat. Likewise, for chemical transformations in solution, the best view belongs to the molecular spectators closest to the action. Those special molecules comprise the "first solvation shell," and although it has been known for decades that they can sense and dictate the fate of nearly every chemical reaction, it has been virtually impossible to watch them respond -- until now. ... > full story
Laser-based missile defense for helicopters being developed (September 3, 2010) -- Protecting helicopters in combat from heat-seeking missiles is the goal of new laser technology. ... > full story
Chemists develop simple technique to visualize atomic-scale structures (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have devised a new technique -- using a sheet of carbon just one atom thick -- to visualize the structure of molecules. The technique, which was used to obtain the first direct images of how water coats surfaces at room temperature, can also be used to image a potentially unlimited number of other molecules, including antibodies and other biomolecules. ... > full story
Scientists listen to faint sounds inside insects using atomic force microscopy (September 3, 2010) -- Scientists are using atomic force microscopy to record sounds emanating from inside living insects like flies, mosquitoes and ladybugs. ... > full story
Researchers discover proton diode: Water is an active element in proteins (September 3, 2010) -- Biophysicists in Germany have discovered a diode for protons: just like the electronic component determines the direction of flow of electric current, the “proton diode” ensures that protons can only pass through a cell membrane in one direction. Water molecules play an important role here as active components of the diode. The researchers were able to observe this through a combination of molecular biology, X-ray crystallography, time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy and biomolecular simulations. ... > full story
Molecules involved in 'touch' identified: Could lead to new treatments for pain, deafness and cardiac function (September 3, 2010) -- Scientists have identified two proteins with potential to be important targets for research into a wide range of health problems, including pain, deafness, and cardiac and kidney dysfunction. ... > full story
The perfect nanocube: Precise control of size, shape and composition (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a simple process for producing near-perfect nanocrystals that will enable studies of physical and chemical properties that affect how nanoparticles interact with the world around them. ... > full story
Model for implantable artificial kidney to replace dialysis unveiled (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have unveiled a prototype model of the first implantable artificial kidney, in a development that one day could eliminate the need for dialysis. ... > full story
Edible nanostructures: Compounds made from renewable materials could be used for gas storage, food technologies (September 3, 2010) -- Sugar, salt, alcohol and a little serendipity led researchers to discover a new class of nanostructures that could be used for gas storage and food and medical technologies. And the compounds are edible. The porous crystals are the first known all-natural metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that are simple to make. Most other MOFs are made from petroleum-based ingredients, but the new MOFs you can pop into your mouth and eat, and the researchers have. ... > full story
Strain-gating piezotronics: New class of piezoelectric logic devices created using zinc oxide nanowires (September 2, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new class of electronic logic device in which current is switched by an electric field generated by the application of mechanical strain to zinc oxide nanowires. ... > full story
Microsoft Excel-based algorithm predicts cancer prognosis (September 2, 2010) -- Using readily available computer programs, researchers have developed a system to identify genes that will be useful in the classification of breast cancer. The algorithm will enable researchers to quickly generate valuable gene signatures without specialized software or extensive bioinformatics training. ... > full story
New app shows 2-D structure of thousands of RNA molecules (September 2, 2010) -- For the first time, it's possible to experimentally capture a global snapshot of the conformation of thousands of RNA molecules in a cell. The finding is important because this scrappy little sister of DNA has recently been shown to be much more complex than previously thought. ... > full story
Hubble observations of supernova reveal composition of 'star guts' pouring out (September 2, 2010) -- Observations made with NASA's newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope of a nearby supernova are allowing astronomers to measure the velocity and composition of "star guts" being ejected into space following the explosion, according to a new study. ... > full story
Computer scientists leverage dark silicon to improve smartphone battery life (September 2, 2010) -- A new smartphone chip prototype under development will improve smartphone efficiency by making use of "dark silicon" -- the underused transistors in modern microprocessors. ... > full story
Recipe for water: Just add starlight (September 2, 2010) -- The European Space Agency's Herschel infrared space observatory has discovered that ultraviolet starlight is the key ingredient for making water in space. It is the only explanation for why a dying star is surrounded by a gigantic cloud of hot water vapor. ... > full story
New infrared light may open new frontier in fighting cancer, Tay Sachs (September 2, 2010) -- A "game-changing" technique using near infrared light enables scientists to look deeper into the guts of cells, potentially opening up a new frontier in the fights against cancer and many other diseases. ... > full story
'Smart materials' process promises to revolutionize manufacturing of medical devices, other products (September 2, 2010) -- A new "smart materials" process -- Multiple Memory Material Technology -- promises to revolutionize the manufacture of diverse products such as medical devices, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), printers, hard drives, automotive components, valves and actuators. The breakthrough technology will provide engineers with much more freedom and creativity by enabling far greater functionality to be incorporated into medical devices such as stents, braces and hearing aids than is currently possible. ... > full story
Researchers create 'quantum cats' made of light (September 2, 2010) -- Researchers have created "quantum cats" made of photons, boosting prospects for manipulating light in new ways to enhance precision measurements as well as computing and communications based on quantum physics. ... > full story
Probing for principles underlying animal flock patterns: A model system for group behavior of nanomachines (September 2, 2010) -- A team of physicists from Germany has developed a versatile biophysical model system that opens the door to studying phenomena such as the seemingly choreographed motion of hundreds or thousands of fish, birds, or insects, and probing their underlying principles. Using a combination of an experimental platform and theoretical models, more complex systems can now be described and their properties investigated. ... > full story
Researchers discover how to conduct first test of 'untestable' string theory (September 2, 2010) -- Researchers have planned how to carry out the first experimental test of string theory. String theory was originally developed to describe the fundamental particles and forces that make up our universe. The new research describes the unexpected discovery that string theory also seems to predict the behavior of entangled quantum particles. As this prediction can be tested in the laboratory, researchers can now test string theory. ... > full story
Metal-mining bacteria are green chemists (September 2, 2010) -- Microbes could soon be used to convert metallic wastes into high-value catalysts for generating clean energy, say scientists. ... > full story
New solar prediction system gives time to prepare for the storms ahead (September 2, 2010) -- A new method of predicting solar storms that could help to avoid widespread power and communications blackouts costing billions of pounds has been launched by researchers in the UK. ... > full story
Economic theory suggests symbiosis is driven by simple self-interest, not rewards or punishment (September 2, 2010) -- Applying employment contract theory to symbiosis, a new paper suggests mutually beneficial relationships are maintained by simple self-interest, with partners benefiting from healthy hosts much as employees benefit from robust employers. The new work discounts the theory that host species have evolved to promote symbiosis by promising rewards or threatening punishment. ... > full story
Less waste with shelf-life indicator for food (September 2, 2010) -- Norwegian food retailers discard over 50,000 tonnes of food annually – much of it of perfectly good quality. New technology the TimeTemp company in cooperation with Norwegian research institutions could substantially reduce this wastefulness. TimeTemp has developed a new method of more precisely measuring the freshness of food items: a shelf-life indicator attached directly to the product. In addition to time, the company’s device also factors in the temperatures to which the item has been exposed. ... > full story
Adding value to data: BioMed Central calls for greater researcher sharing (September 2, 2010) -- BMC Research Notes has now shed further light on science's "dark data". The journal is commissioning a large, ongoing collection of educational articles which outline procedures for sharing data that enable the data to be readily re-used by others, which will provide researchers with best practice guidance for exposing their dark data to the light. ... > full story
Navigation satellites contend with stormy Sun (September 1, 2010) -- Just as we grow used to satellite navigation in everyday life, media reports argue that a coming surge in solar activity could render satnav devices useless, perhaps even frying satellites themselves. Is it true? No. ... > full story
New material may reveal inner workings of hi-temp superconductors (September 1, 2010) -- New measurements may help physicists develop a clearer understanding of high-temperature superconductors, whose behavior remains in many ways mysterious decades after their discovery. A new copper-based compound exhibits properties never before seen in a superconductor and could be a step toward solving part of the mystery. ... > full story
Airline passengers in developing countries face 13 times crash risk as US (September 1, 2010) -- Passengers who fly in Developing World countries face 13 times the risk of being killed in an air accident as passengers in the First World. The more economically advanced countries in the Developing World have better overall safety records than the others, but even their death risk per flight is seven times as high as that in First World countries. ... > full story
Ultraviolet source helps NASA spacecraft measure the origins of space weather (September 1, 2010) -- With a brilliant, finely tuned spark of ultraviolet light, a physicist has helped NASA scientists successfully position a crucial UV sensor inside a space-borne instrument to observe a "hidden" layer of the Sun where violent space weather can originate. ... > full story
Astronomers find potassium in giant planet's atmosphere (September 1, 2010) -- Astronomers have analyzed light passing through the upper atmosphere of the giant planet HD 80606 b, about 190 light years from Earth, and determined that its atmosphere contains the element potassium. ... > full story
High-speed filter uses electrified nanostructures to purify water at low cost (September 1, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a water-purifying filter that makes the process more than 80,000 times faster than existing filters. The key is coating the filter fabric -- ordinary cotton -- with nanotubes and silver nanowires, then electrifying it. The filter uses very little power, has no moving parts and could be used throughout the developing world. ... > full story
Nanobiotechnology advances point to medical applications (September 1, 2010) -- Scientists have demonstrated the synthesis of nanosize biological particles with the potential to fight cancer and other illnesses. The research introduces new approaches that are considered "green" nanobiotechnology because they use no artificial compounds. ... > full story
Researchers develop simulation to better understand the effects of sound on marine life (September 1, 2010) -- A combination of the biology of marine mammals, mechanical vibrations and acoustics has led to a breakthrough discovery allowing scientists to better understand the potential harmful effects of sound on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. ... > full story
Off-the-shelf dyes improve solar cells (September 1, 2010) -- Scientists report success in boosting the ability of zinc oxide solar cells to absorb visible light simply by applying a blended mixture of various off-the-shelf dyes commonly used in food and medical industries -- in a soak-then-dry procedure not unlike that used to color a tee-shirt in a home washing machine. ... > full story
Location determines social network influence, study finds; Number of connections less important than proximity to core (September 1, 2010) -- A team of researchers has shed new light on the way that information and infectious diseases proliferate across complex networks. They report that, contrary to conventional wisdom, persons with the most connections are not necessarily the best spreaders. ... > full story
IceCube neutrino observatory nears completion (September 1, 2010) -- In December 2010, IceCube -- the world's first kilometer-scale neutrino observatory, located beneath the Antarctic ice -- will finally be completed after two decades of planning. A new article provides a comprehensive description of the observatory, its instrumentation, and its scientific mission ... > full story
Silicon oxide circuits break barrier: Nanocrystal conductors could lead to massive, robust 3-D storage (September 1, 2010) -- Scientists have created the first two-terminal memory chips that use only silicon, one of the most common substances on the planet, in a way that should be easily adaptable to nanoelectronic manufacturing techniques and promises to extend the limits of miniaturization subject to Moore's Law. ... > full story
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