ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Friday, August 22, 2008
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MRI Technology Developed That Non-invasively Locates, Quantifies Specific Cells In The Body (August 22, 2008) -- MRI isn't just for capturing detailed images of the body's anatomy. Thanks to new imaging reagents and technology, MRI can be used to visualize -- with "exquisite" specificity -- cell populations in the living body. The ability to non-invasively locate and track cells, will greatly aid the study and treatment of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, as well as provide a tool for advancing clinical translation of cellular regenerative medicine. ... > full story
Oil, Gas Seismic Work Not Affecting Gulf Sperm Whales, Study Shows (August 22, 2008) -- In recent years, there has been concern that man-made noise may be a cause of stress for dolphins, whales and other marine mammals, but the results of a five-year study show that noise pollution seems to have minimal effect on endangered sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico, say researchers from Texas A&M University who led the project and released their 323-page report today at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. ... > full story
Space Age Engineers To Verify Control Software For Future Robotic Inter-planetary Missions (August 22, 2008) -- An international team of engineers is to develop mission-critical control software for future European robotic space missions, it has been announced. ... > full story
Optical Computing Closer To Reality (August 22, 2008) -- Scientists have theorized a way to increase the speed of pulses of light that bound across chains of tiny metal particles to past the speed of light by altering the particle shape. Application of this theory would use nanosized metal chains as building blocks for novel optoelectronic and optical devices. ... > full story
True Properties Of Carbon Nanotubes Measured (August 21, 2008) -- Carbon nanotubes' atomic structure should, in theory, give them mechanical and electrical properties far superior to most common materials. Unfortunately, theory and experiments have failed to converge on the true mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. Researchers recently made the first experimental measurements of the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes that directly correspond to the theoretical predictions. They used a nanoscale material testing system based on MEMS technology. ... > full story
Earthquakes May Endanger New York More Than Thought; Nuclear Power Plant Seen As Particular Risk (August 21, 2008) -- Seismologists suggests that a pattern of subtle but active faults make the risk of earthquakes to the New York City area substantially greater than formerly believed. Among other things, they say that the controversial Indian Point nuclear power plants, 24 miles north of the city, sit astride the previously unidentified intersection of two active seismic zones. ... > full story
Eco-architecture Could Produce 'Grow Your Own' Homes (August 21, 2008) -- A bus stop that grows its own foliage as shade? A children’s playground, made entirely from trees? A shelter made from living tree roots that could provide natural protection against earthquakes in California? "Eco-architecture" may sound like a Buck Rogers vision of an ecologically-sustainable future, but that future is now thanks to the guidance of Tel Aviv University Professors Yoav Waisel and Amram Eshel. ... > full story
Breaking The 'Mucus Barrier' With A New Drug Delivery System (August 21, 2008) -- Chemical engineers have broken the "mucus barrier," engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus -- regarded by many as nearly impenetrable -- and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research say. ... > full story
Biodiesel Byproduct Converted Into Omega-3 Fatty Acids (August 21, 2008) -- The typical American diet often lacks omega-3 fatty acids despite clinical research that shows their potential human health benefits. Now researchers have found a way to grow these compounds using a byproduct of the emerging biodiesel industry. ... > full story
FBI Unveils Science Of Anthrax Investigation (August 21, 2008) -- Sandia researchers identified that the form of bacillus anthracis mailed in the fall of 2001 to several news media offices and to two US senators was a non-weaponized form of the spores. Five people were killed. Sandia's information was crucial in ruling out state-sponsored terrorism. ... > full story
Catalyst Mystery Unlocked (August 21, 2008) -- Different keys are not supposed to fit the same lock, but in biological systems multiple versions of a catalyst all make a reaction go, according to a new study that explains the phenomenon. The study challenges entrenched ideas about the workings of catalysts. A new model brings chemists closer to 'holy grail' of catalyst design. ... > full story
Hydrogels Provide Scaffolding For Growth Of Bone Cells (August 21, 2008) -- Hyaluronic hydrogels may provide a suitable scaffolding to enable bone regeneration. The hydrogels have proven to encourage the growth of preosteoblast cells, cells that aid the growth and development of bone. ... > full story
Large Hadron Collider Set To Unveil A New World Of Particle Physics (August 21, 2008) -- The field of particle physics is poised to enter unknown territory with the startup of a massive new accelerator -- the Large Hadron Collider -- in Europe this summer. On Sept. 10, LHC scientists will attempt to send the first beam of protons speeding around the accelerator. ... > full story
A Better Way To Make Hydrogen From Biofuels (August 21, 2008) -- Researchers here have found a way to convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen very efficiently. A new catalyst makes hydrogen from ethanol with 90 percent yield, at a workable temperature, and using inexpensive ingredients. The new catalyst is much less expensive than others being developed around the world, because it does not contain precious metals, such as platinum or rhodium. ... > full story
New 'Nano-positioners' May Have Atomic-scale Precision (August 21, 2008) -- Engineers have created a tiny motorized positioning device that has twice the dexterity of similar devices being developed for applications that include biological sensors and more compact, powerful computer hard drives. The device, called a monolithic comb drive, might be used as a "nanoscale manipulator" that precisely moves or senses movement and forces. ... > full story
New Instrument To Control The Size Of Nanoclusters Could Lead To Reduced Pollution From Petroleum Products (August 21, 2008) -- A new instrument enables researchers to make nanoclusters of 10 to 100 atoms with atomic precision. A new model of nanocatalysts of molybdenum sulfide is the first step in developing the next generation of materials to be used in hydrodesulfurization, a process that removes sulfur, a pollutant, from natural gas and petroleum products. ... > full story
Creating Unconventional Metals: Quantum Halfway House Between Magnet And Semiconductor Discovered (August 21, 2008) -- The semiconductor silicon and the ferromagnet iron are the basis for much of mankind's technology, used in everything from computers to electric motors. Scientists now report that they have combined these elements with a small amount of another common metal, manganese, to create a new material which is neither a magnet nor an ordinary semiconductor. ... > full story
Polymer Electric Storage, Flexible And Adaptable (August 21, 2008) -- The proliferation of solar, wind and even tidal electric generation and the rapid emergence of hybrid electric automobiles demands flexible and reliable methods of high-capacity electrical storage. Now materials scientists are developing ferroelectric polymer-based capacitors that can deliver power more rapidly and are much lighter than conventional batteries. ... > full story
Most Black Holes Might Come In Only Small And Large (August 21, 2008) -- Black holes are sometimes huge cosmic beasts, billions of times the mass of our sun, and sometimes petite with just a few times the sun's mass. But do black holes also come in size medium? A new study suggests that, for the most part, the answer is no. ... > full story
Tailor-made Functional Garments For Olympic Horses (August 21, 2008) -- When the horses and competitors go through their paces at the Summer Olympics in Hong Kong in 2008, it will be very hot and very humid -- just as it is every summer there. Three special blankets will offer the Swiss teams' tournament horses some respite from the elements. When the animals move from their air-conditioned stables to the tournament venue, they will be protected from the brilliant sunshine by cooling covers. ... > full story
Structure Of Gold Nanoparticles Solved (August 21, 2008) -- Researchers have solved the structure of gold nanoparticles. Results of the study may yield important advances in medicine, biomolecule research and nanoelectronics. ... > full story
Southampton Wind Tunnel Blows Gold In Beijing (August 21, 2008) -- Engineers using the University of Southampton's R J Mitchell wind tunnel have helped the British Cycling team win Gold in Beijing. ... > full story
New Way To Build Data Centers: Use Commodity Network Elements (August 21, 2008) -- Computer scientists have proposed a new way to build data centers that could save companies money and deliver more computing capability to end-users. ... > full story
Simple And Secure Networked Home (August 20, 2008) -- Most people will only start to control equipment remotely in their homes when they believe it is simple and safe to do so. A newly developed control system provides personalized answers. ... > full story
Hubble Sees Magnetic Monster In Erupting Galaxy (August 20, 2008) -- The Hubble Space Telescope has found the answer to a long-standing puzzle by resolving giant but delicate filaments shaped by a strong magnetic field around the active galaxy NGC 1275. It is the most striking example of the influence of these immense tentacles of extragalactic magnetic fields, say researchers. ... > full story
Dirty Smoke From Ships Found To Degrade Air Quality In Coastal Cities (August 20, 2008) -- Chemists have measured for the first time the impact that dirty smoke from ships cruising at sea and generating electricity in port can have on the air quality of coastal cities. The scientists report that the impact of dirty smoke from ships burning high-sulfur fuel can be substantial, on some days accounting for nearly one-half of the fine, sulfur-rich particulate matter in the air known to be hazardous to human health. ... > full story
New 'Catch-and-tell' Molecules Send Out Light Signals When They Catch Chemicals In Blood (August 20, 2008) -- Scientist have created 'intelligent' molecules. The new 'catch and tell' sensor molecules send out light signals when they catch chemicals in blood. ... > full story
Microorganisms That Convert Hydrocarbons To Natural Gas Isolated (August 20, 2008) -- When a group of University of Oklahoma researchers began studying the environmental fate of spilt petroleum, a problem that has plagued the energy industry for decades, they did not expect to eventually isolate a community of microorganisms capable of converting hydrocarbons into natural gas. ... > full story
Chemist Travels World To Study Mysterious Properties Of Neutrinos (August 20, 2008) -- In the quest to better understand one of nature's most "ghostly" elementary particles -- the neutrino -- scientists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory are spreading their expertise from the mines of Canada to the mountains of China. ... > full story
Key Advance Toward 'Micro-spacecraft' (August 20, 2008) -- Fleets of inexpensive, pint-sized spacecraft are one giant leap closer to lift off. Researchers describe a new, razor thin temperature-regulating film that brings this sci-fi vision of "micro-spacecraft" weighing barely 50 pounds and 10-pound "nano-spacecraft" closer to reality. ... > full story
Silver Is Key To Reducing Pneumonia Associated With Breathing Tubes (August 20, 2008) -- People have long prized silver as a precious metal. Now, silver-coated endotracheal tubes are giving critically ill patients another reason to value the lustrous metal. Researchers now report that the silver-coated tubes led to a 36 percent reduction of ventilator-associated pneumonia. ... > full story
Can Biofuels Be Sustainable? (August 20, 2008) -- With oil prices skyrocketing, the search is on for efficient and sustainable biofuels. Research published this month in Agronomy Journal examines one biofuel crop contender: corn stover. Corn stover is made up of the leaves and stalks of corn plants that are left in the field after harvesting the edible corn grain. Corn stover could supply as much as 25 percent of the biofuel crop needed by 2030. ... > full story
Calculators Okay In Math Class, If Students Know The Facts First, Study Finds (August 20, 2008) -- Calculators are useful tools in elementary mathematics classes, if students already have some basic skills, new research has found. The findings shed light on the debate about whether and when calculators should be used in the classroom. ... > full story
'Point Of Care Diagnostics' In The Starting Blocks (August 20, 2008) -- Tracking down cancer at a very early stage, studying cell growth, developing new medicines: future lab-on-a-chip systems will use nanoscale electrical fields to enable the detection and manipulation of cells and biomolecules. ... > full story
New Speed Record For Magnetic Memories (August 20, 2008) -- An experiment carried out at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) has realized spin torque switching of a nanomagnet as fast as the fundamental speed limit allows. Using this so-called ballistic switching future non-volatile magnetic memories could operate as fast as the fastest non-volatile memories. The experiments are described in the next issue of Physical Review Letters (22 August, 2008). ... > full story
Green Catalysts Provide Promise For Cleaning Toxins And Pollutants (August 20, 2008) -- Tetra-Amido Macrocyclic Ligands are environmentally friendly catalysts with a host of applications for reducing and cleaning up pollutants, and a prime example of "green chemistry." Carnegie Mellon University's Terry Collins, the catalyst's inventor, believes that the small-molecule catalysts have the potential to be even more effective than previously proven. ... > full story
Discovery Of Plant Protein Holds Promise For Biofuel Production (August 20, 2008) -- Scientists have identified a new protein necessary for chloroplast development. The discovery could ultimately lead to plant varieties tailored specifically for biofuel production. ... > full story
Federally Managed Dams Need Better Security, Report Finds (August 20, 2008) -- Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, the Bureau of Reclamation, which operates and manages dams that provide water and power to millions of people, has invested significant resources in security and is better able to protect its facilities and personnel, says a new report from the National Research Council. ... > full story
Chemists Make Beds With Soft Landings: Researchers Create Stable, Highly Pure Helical Peptide Arrays (August 20, 2008) -- Bedsprings aren't often found in biology. Now, chemists have secured a layer of tiny protein coils onto a thin surface, much like miniature bedsprings in a frame. This thin film made of stable and very pure helices can help researchers develop molecular electronics or solar cells, or to divine the biology of proteins. The physical chemists pulled off this design trick using a "soft-landing" technique with a specially designed mass-selected ion deposition instrument. ... > full story
Algae: Biofuel Of The Future? (August 19, 2008) -- Researchers have a plan to greatly increase algae oil yields by feeding the algae extra carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) and organic material like sewage, meaning the algae could simultaneously produce biofuel and clean up environmental problems. ... > full story
Experts Urge Industry To Broaden Carbon Footprint Calculations (August 19, 2008) -- Carnegie Mellon University researchers are urging companies to embrace new methods for following trail of dangerous carbon emissions. ... > full story
Urologists Report Success Using Robot-assisted Surgery For Urinary Abnormality (August 19, 2008) -- Urologic surgeon have reported success using robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery to repair abnormal openings between the bladder and vagina known as fistulas. This type of fistula can result in frequent urinary tract infections and the leakage of urine from the vagina and can be mistaken for continence. ... > full story
Computer Users Are Digitizing Books Quickly And Accurately With New Method (August 19, 2008) -- Millions of computer users collectively transcribe the equivalent of 160 books each day with better than 99 percent accuracy, despite the fact that few spend more than a few seconds on the task and that most do not realize they are doing valuable work, Carnegie Mellon University researchers report. ... > full story
Astronomers Find Unusual New Denizen Of The Solar System (August 19, 2008) -- A "minor planet" with the prosaic name 2006 SQ372 is just over two billion miles from Earth, a bit closer than the planet Neptune. But this lump of ice and rock is beginning the return leg of a 22,500-year journey that will take it to a distance of 150 billion miles, nearly 1,600 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun, according to a team of researchers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-II). ... > full story
Light Finds A Way -- Even Through White Paint: Specially-prepared Light Moves Through 'Open Channels' (August 19, 2008) -- Materials such as milk, paper, white paint and tissue are opaque because they scatter light, not because they absorb it. But no matter how great the scattering, light is always able to get through the material in question. At least, according to the theory. Researchers have now confirmed this with experiments. By shaping the waveform of light, they have succeeded in finding the predicted 'open channels' in material along which the light is able to move. ... > full story
Self-assembling Polymer Arrays Improve Data Storage Potential (August 19, 2008) -- A new manufacturing approach holds the potential to overcome the technological limitations currently facing the microelectronics and data-storage industries, paving the way to smaller electronic devices and higher-capacity hard drives. ... > full story
Vegetable Scales With A Mind Of Their Own (August 19, 2008) -- What was the number you were supposed to enter for the chili-pepper on the self-service scales? Was it 67 or 76? And the number for the bananas? The latest self-service scales automatically recognize what the customer has placed on them. ... > full story
New 'Electrifying' Theory: Analysis To Improve Superconducting Fault-current Limiters (August 19, 2008) -- A new theory could help build future superconducting alternating-current fault-current limiters for electricity transmission and distribution systems. The work identifies design strategies that can reduce costs and improve efficiency in a bifilar fault-current limiter, a new and promising type of superconducting fault-current limiter. ... > full story
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