ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Wednesday, October 13, 2010
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Wild 'teenage' galaxies booming with star births (October 13, 2010) -- Scientists in Denmark have been studying distant galaxies, which are among the most active star-forming galaxies in the Universe. They form around 1,000 new stars a year -- a 1,000 times more than our own galaxy, the Milky Way. The galaxies are located in the far distant Universe -- when the Universe was 3 billion years old. It is a period when the galaxies were very active, almost teenager-like and out of control. ... > full story
Second-generation device more effective in capturing circulating tumor cells (October 13, 2010) -- A redesigned version of the CTC-Chip -- a microchip-based device for capturing rare circulating tumor cells -- appears to be more effective and should be easier to manufacture than the original. Called the HB-(herringbone) Chip, the new device also may provide more comprehensive and easily accessible data from captured tumor cells. ... > full story
Better way to study proteins in the body: Could streamline development of drugs (October 13, 2010) -- Using a combination of high-powered computers and advanced experimental magnetic resonance data, a biophysical chemist has developed techniques that improve the way scientists can study and predict the structure and dynamics of proteins found in the human body. His innovations could ultimately shorten the time it takes researchers to develop new, more effective drugs and better understand biomedical processes that underlie a variety of health conditions. ... > full story
Struggling for breath: Videogame technology documents abnormal breathing patterns in patients with sunken chest (October 13, 2010) -- Patients with a common chest deformity known as sunken chest exhibit abnormal breathing patterns. The findings were the result of a side-by-side comparison of patients with normal chests and patients who suffer from the chest wall deformity known as pectus excavatum. ... > full story
Nanoscopic particles resist full encapsulation, simulations show (October 12, 2010) -- It may seem obvious that dunking relatively spherical objects in a sauce -- blueberries in melted chocolate, say -- will result in an array of completely encapsulated berries. Relying on that concept, fabricators of spherical nanoparticles have similarly dunked their wares in protective coatings in the belief such encapsulations would prevent clumping and unwanted chemical interactions with solvents. Unfortunately, reactions in the nanoworld are not logical extensions of the macroworld, researchers have found. ... > full story
Pediatric hospitalizations for ATV-related injuries more than double (October 12, 2010) -- All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are associated with a significant and increasing number of hospitalizations for children in the US, according to a new report. Over a nine-year period (1997-2006) hospitalizations for ATV injuries increased 150 percent among youth younger than 18 years, with important demographic variations. ... > full story
Giant star goes supernova and is smothered by its own dust (October 12, 2010) -- A giant star in a faraway galaxy recently ended its life with a dust-shrouded whimper instead of the more typical bang. Researchers suspect that this odd event -- the first one of its kind ever viewed by astronomers -- was more common early in the universe. ... > full story
Large Hadron Collider used to recreate miniature version of beginning of Universe (October 12, 2010) -- Researchers used Einstein's famous E=mc2 equation and the Large Hadron Collider to recreate a miniature version of the event at the origins of our Universe, and the first findings from their work have just been published. ... > full story
NASA mission to asteroid gets help from Hubble Space Telescope (October 12, 2010) -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured images of the large asteroid Vesta that will help scientists refine plans for the Dawn spacecraft's rendezvous with Vesta in July 2011. ... > full story
Why it's hard to crash the electric grid (October 12, 2010) -- A new study shows why it would be hard for terrorists to bring down the US electric grid. ... > full story
Bacteria grow electrical hair: Specialized bacterial filaments shown to conduct electricity (October 12, 2010) -- Some bacteria grow electrical hair that lets them link up in big biological circuits, according to a study in PNAS. The finding suggests that microbial colonies may survive, communicate and share energy in part through electrically conducting hairs known as bacterial nanowires. ... > full story
Universe likes to form galaxies similar to the Milky Way (October 12, 2010) -- Galaxies like our own Milky Way formed easily and have also been the largest spiral galaxies in the universe for almost 4 billion years. ... > full story
Future of electric cars? Running fuel cells on biodiesel (October 12, 2010) -- A smart diesel reformer and a tolerant fuel cell are the core components of a new type of electric power supply unit. Environmentally friendly and flexible, the unit could be a serious contender in the market for generators in electric vehicles and other applications. The power supply unit can run on biodiesel as well as regular diesel. ... > full story
Ultra-precise optical systems for space (October 12, 2010) -- Metal mirrors made with extremely high precision and exactly positioned are the key elements of modern telescopes. A new production technique enables complex optical surfaces to be manufactured with excellent trueness of shape and hitherto unattained positional accuracy. The mirrors have been built for an infrared sounder telescope. ... > full story
Car manufacturers can get vehicles to market more quickly using new simulation model (October 12, 2010) -- A new simulation model is set to significantly reduce the time and costs required to calibrate a new engine, enabling car manufacturers to get new vehicles to market much more quickly. ... > full story
Research reveals likely housing winners and losers (October 12, 2010) -- There is a great deal of uncertainty and speculation about the direction of the housing market in the UK and the USA -- both for home-owners and renters. Researchers have devised a mathematical model to provide some foresight into changes into the housing market. The model could be beneficial to central banks and ministries of finance that have an interest in the effects of the housing market on their economies. ... > full story
Super lasers: Raman amplification compressed laser pulses 1000 times shorter, 300 times more intense (October 11, 2010) -- More brilliant X-rays, more cost-effective methods for developing new energy sources and advanced manufacturing processes are just some of the benefits which may come from a novel technology. ... > full story
Study details structure of potential target for HIV and cancer drugs (October 11, 2010) -- In a technical tour de force, structural biologists have determined the three-dimensional structure of a molecule involved in HIV infection and in many forms of cancer. The high-resolution structure sheds light on how the molecule functions and could point to ways to control its activity, potentially locking out HIV and stalling cancer's spread. ... > full story
Using buildings for flood protection (October 11, 2010) -- Buildings, car parks and roads could, alongside their 'regular' functions, have a role to play in protecting the rest of the city from flooding. This concept could be very useful for the Dutch cities along the River Rhine, for example. ... > full story
New method to identify people by their ears (October 11, 2010) -- Scientists working on biometrics in the UK have found a way to identify ears with a success rate of almost 100 percent. ... > full story
Efficient, inexpensive plastic solar cells coming soon (October 11, 2010) -- Physicists have discovered new properties in a material that could result in efficient and inexpensive plastic solar cells. The discovery reveals that excitons, or energy-carrying particles generated by photons, can travel on the order of a thousand times farther in organic semiconductors than scientists previously observed. This boosts scientists' hopes that organic solar cells may one day overtake silicon in cost and performance. ... > full story
Oral delivery system to treat inflammatory bowel diseases developed (October 11, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a novel approach for delivering small bits of genetic material into the body to improve the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. The researchers encapsulated short pieces of RNA into engineered particles called thioketal nanoparticles and orally delivered the genetic material directly to the inflamed intestines of animals. ... > full story
Neptune could not have knocked planetoids in Cold Classical Kuiper Belt to edge of solar system (October 11, 2010) -- New research is challenging popular theory about how part of our solar system formed. Contrary to popular belief, new evidence suggests the planet Neptune can't have knocked a collection of planetoids known as the Cold Classical Kuiper Belt to its current location at the edge of the solar system. ... > full story
Better synchronization helps fish deal with predator threat (October 11, 2010) -- Fish alter their movements when under threat from predators to keep closer together and to help them to blend into the crowd, according to new research. Scientists used a combined computer simulation and experimental study of group behavior to discover that shoaling fish coordinate their movements more frequently when under threat. ... > full story
The secret of the 'Unicorn' revealed (October 11, 2010) -- A new infrared image from ESO's VISTA survey telescope reveals an extraordinary landscape of glowing tendrils of gas, dark clouds and young stars within the constellation of Monoceros (the Unicorn). This star-forming region, known as Monoceros R2, is embedded within a huge dark cloud. The region is almost completely obscured by interstellar dust when viewed in visible light, but is spectacular in the infrared. ... > full story
Artificial white light becomes eye-friendly (October 11, 2010) -- A new class of organic substances emits white light with continuous spectrum. This achievement provides experimental evidence that only single component luminophore will be necessary to construct eye-friendly light sources and displays. ... > full story
Breakthrough e-display means electronics with high speed, high readability and low power usage (October 11, 2010) -- Until today, electronic devices could never have it all: high readability in bright sunlight and the ability to display high-speed content -- then hold that image indefinitely with absolutely zero electrical power usage. A new e-Display design changes that picture. ... > full story
Monitoring your health with your mobile phone (October 11, 2010) -- Researchers in Belgium have developed a mobile heart monitoring system that allows to view your electrocardiogram on an Android mobile phone. The innovation is a low-power interface that transmits signals from a wireless ECG (electrocardiogram or heart monitoring)-sensor system to an android mobile phone. ... > full story
Brightest galaxies tend to cluster in busiest parts of universe, study finds (October 11, 2010) -- For more than a decade, astronomers have been puzzled by bright galaxies in the distant universe that appear to be forming stars at phenomenal rates. What prompted the prolific star creation, they wondered. And what kind of spatial environment did these galaxies inhabit? ... > full story
Saturn's icy moon Enceladus may keep oceans liquid with wobble (October 10, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft discovered a giant plume of water gushing from cracks in the surface near the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus in 2005, indicating that there was a reservoir of water beneath the ice. Cassini data also suggest that the south polar has been continuously releasing about 13 billion watts of energy. But how does Enceladus stay warm enough to maintain liquid water underground? ... > full story
Researchers design, fabricate innovative energy harvesting device (October 10, 2010) -- Electrical engineers have reported success in designing and fabricating a device that allows microscale electronic devices to harvest their own wasted energy. ... > full story
Technique allows researchers to examine how materials bond at the atomic level (October 10, 2010) -- An new approach gives scientists insight into the way silicon bonds with other materials at the atomic level. The technique could lead to improved understanding of and control over bond formation at the atomic level, and opportunities for the creation of new devices and more efficient microchips. ... > full story
Using a complex systems approach to study educational policy (October 10, 2010) -- Educational policy is controversial: positions on achievement gaps, troubled schools and class size are emotionally charged, and research studies often come to very different conclusions. Researchers propose a new way of looking at it: treat education as a complex system (taking into account all interactions) and use computer modeling and network analysis to provide a comprehensive look at the outcomes of policy choices. This could help integrate insights and better inform educational policy. ... > full story
Early lung cancer detection: Optical technology shows potential for prescreening patients at high risk (October 9, 2010) -- Early detection is critical for improving cancer survival rates. Yet, one of the deadliest cancers in the United States, lung cancer, is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages. Now, researchers have developed a method to detect lung cancer by merely shining diffuse light on cells swabbed from patients' cheeks. ... > full story
Microfluidic devices advance 3-D tissue engineering (October 9, 2010) -- A new method that generates three-dimensional (3-D) tissue models for studying bacterial infection of orthopedic implants has been developed. ... > full story
Blind inventors develop free software to enable the blind to use computers (October 9, 2010) -- Inventors have developed free, open-source software to enable blind people to use computers. For many blind people, computers are inaccessible. It can cost upwards of 00 to purchase "screen reader" software, but two blind computer programmers have solved this problem. ... > full story
Cassini catches Saturn moons in paintball fight (October 9, 2010) -- Scientists using data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have learned that distinctive, colorful bands and splotches embellish the surfaces of Saturn's inner, mid-size moons. The reddish and bluish hues on the icy surfaces of Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione and Rhea appear to be the aftermath of bombardments large and small. ... > full story
Voice phishing: System to trace telephone call paths across multiple networks developed (October 9, 2010) -- Phishing scams are making the leap from email to the world's voice systems, and researchers have found a way to tag fraudulent calls with a digital "fingerprint" that will help separate legitimate calls from phone scams. ... > full story
Effects of hydrogen on growing carbon nanotubes (October 9, 2010) -- Carbon nanotubes have many potential uses in nanotechnology, optics, electronics, and many other fields. Their exact properties depend on their structure, but controlling that structure, which is determined during their initial formation, is difficult, and scientists do not know precisely how they grow. Researchers now shed new light on the process. ... > full story
Haze on Saturn's moon Titan may hold ingredients for life (October 8, 2010) -- Simulating possible chemical processes in the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, a planetary research team found amino acids and nucleotide bases in the mix -- the most important ingredients of life on Earth. ... > full story
Measurements of CO<sub>2</sub> and CO in China's air indicate sharply improved combustion efficiency (October 8, 2010) -- A collaborative, six-year study of carbon dioxide levels in Beijing and surrounding provinces suggests that combustion efficiency, a component of overall energy efficiency, is improving in the region. The findings are generally consistent with official Chinese government statistics and could bolster their credibility as international negotiations proceed on commitments of China and other nations to combat climate change. ... > full story
Half-time gamblers give stock market insight (October 8, 2010) -- Computer-modeled comparison of online football gamblers' behavior during play and during half-time shows distinct real-time differences, raising the question: What motivates betting behavior when play is not underway? ... > full story
NASA's WMAP project completes satellite operations: Mission observed universe's oldest light (October 8, 2010) -- After nine years of scanning the sky, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) space mission has concluded its observations of the cosmic microwave background, the oldest light in the universe. The spacecraft has not only given scientists their best look at this remnant glow, but also established the scientific model that describes the history and structure of the universe. ... > full story
Bacteria can stand-up and 'walk' (October 8, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that bacteria are capable of "standing up" and moving while vertical. Apart from being an extraordinary insight into the behavior of bacteria, the findings have important biomedical implications. ... > full story
Tracking device fits on the head of a pin: Mini-gyroscopes to guide smartphones and medical equipment (October 8, 2010) -- A researcher in Israel has developed nano-sized optical gyroscopes that can fit on the head of a pin -- and, more usefully, on an average-sized computer chip -- without compromising the device's sensitivity. These gyroscopes will have the ability to pick up smaller rotation rates, delivering higher accuracy while maintaining smaller dimensions. ... > full story
Chemists simplify biodiesel conversion (October 8, 2010) -- Chemists have streamlined the conversion of waste vegetable oil into biodiesel, eliminating the need for corrosive chemicals to perform the reactions. The researchers were able to pull off the waste vegetable oil-to-biodiesel conversion in a single reaction vessel using environmentally friendly catalysts and making the conversion six times faster than current methods. ... > full story
'Living dinosaurs' in space: Galaxies in today's Universe thought to have existed only in distant past (October 8, 2010) -- An astronomy student in Australia has found 'living dinosaurs' in space: galaxies in today's Universe that were thought to have existed only in the distant past. ... > full story
Can you analyze me now? Cell phones bring spectroscopy to the classroom (October 8, 2010) -- A chemistry professor has developed a method using a few basic, inexpensive supplies and a cell phone camera to build a spectrometer, an important analytical chemistry instrument, for high school classes. Students can see its workings and play with its components, encouraging critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. ... > full story
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