ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Wednesday, January 26, 2011
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Van-der-Waals force up close: Physicists take new look at the atom (January 26, 2011) -- Physicists have discovered a new way to measure how single atoms interact with a surface. Their findings help develop nanotechnology and test new theories about the internal structure of atoms. ... > full story
Chemists document workings of key staph enzyme -- and how to block it (January 26, 2011) -- Researchers have determined the structure and mechanism of dehydrosqualene synthase (CrtM), an enzyme that performs the crucial first step in the formation of cholesterol and a key virulence factor in staph bacteria. The researchers already knew what CrtM looked like and its end product, but they didn't know how the enzyme did its job. Uncovering the mechanism of action will enable scientists to design better inhibitors, and even tailor them to other targets. ... > full story
Shining new light on air pollutants using entangled porous frameworks (January 26, 2011) -- Certain types of pollution monitoring may soon become considerably easier. Scientists have shown that a newly-formulated entangled framework of porous crystals (porous coordination polymers, or PCPs) can not only capture a variety of common air pollutants, but that the mixtures then glow in specific, easily-detected colors. ... > full story
'Green' chemistry extraction method developed for hot capsicum fruit (January 26, 2011) -- Used in processed foods and cosmetics, the red pigments in Capsicum (chile pepper) are important sources of non-toxic red dyes. The common method for extracting pigments from dried Capsicum uses hexane as the extraction solvent. Researchers have now developed a "green chemistry" process for extracting red pigments that recovers 85 percent or greater of the pigmented carotenoids from dried Capsicum and reduces hazardous waste and environmental risks associated with traditional extraction methods. ... > full story
No longer just a spectator, silicon oxide gets into the electronics action on computer chips (January 26, 2011) -- Scientists are documenting that one fundamental component of computer chips, long regarded as a passive bystander, can actually be made to act like a switch. That potentially allows it to take part in the electronic processes that power cell phones, iPads and other products. In a new report, the scientists document the multiple ways in which silicon dioxide, long regarded simply as an electric insulator, gets involved in the action. ... > full story
Human-made DNA sequences made easy: New method for rapidly producing protein-polymers (January 25, 2011) -- Bioengineers have developed a new method for rapidly producing an almost unlimited variety of human-made DNA sequences. ... > full story
'Breast on a chip': Researchers create 'engineered organ' model for breast cancer research (January 25, 2011) -- Researchers have reproduced portions of the female breast in a tiny slide-sized model dubbed "breast on-a-chip" that will be used to test nanomedical approaches for the detection and treatment of breast cancer. The model mimics the branching mammary duct system, where most breast cancers begin, and will serve as an "engineered organ" to study the use of nanoparticles to detect and target tumor cells within the ducts. ... > full story
Dynamic systems in living cells break the rules (January 25, 2011) -- There is considerable interest in understanding transport and information pathways in living cells. It is crucial for both the transport of, for example, medicine into cells, the regulation of cell life processes and their signaling with their environment. New research shows surprisingly that the transport mechanisms do not follow the expected pattern. ... > full story
Spiral galaxy: First Light for VIRUS-W spectrograph (January 25, 2011) -- A new observing instrument VIRUS-W saw "first light" on Nov. 10, 2010. Its first images of a spiral galaxy about 30 million light-years away where an impressive confirmation of the capabilities of the instrument, which can determine the motion of stars in near-by galaxies to a precision of a few kilometers per second. ... > full story
New materials may bring advanced optical technologies, cloaking (January 25, 2011) -- Researchers are developing a new class of "plasmonic metamaterials" as potential building blocks for advanced optical technologies, including ultrapowerful microscopes and computers, improved solar cells, and a possible invisibility cloak. ... > full story
New dishware sanitizers prove more effective at killing harmful bacteria (January 25, 2011) -- Researchers recently tested the merits of two new dishware sanitizers, and found them more effective at removing bacteria from restaurant dishes than traditional sanitizers. The two new sanitizers reflect the industry's recent efforts to develop more effective germ killers that are also environmentally friendly. ... > full story
Mathematicians use cell 'profiling' to detect abnormalities -- including cancer (January 25, 2011) -- Mathematicians are finding ways to tell the difference between healthy cells and abnormal cells, such as cancer cells, based on the way the cells look and move. They are creating mathematical equations that describe the shape and motion of single cells for laboratory analysis. ... > full story
Voiding defects: New technique makes LED lighting more efficient (January 25, 2011) -- Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are an increasingly popular technology for use in energy-efficient lighting. Researchers have now developed a new technique that reduces defects in the gallium nitride (GaN) films used to create LEDs, making them more efficient. ... > full story
Accelerated evolution used to develop enzymes that provide protection against nerve gas (January 25, 2011) -- Protection against nerve gas attack is a significant component of the defense system of many countries around the world. Nerve gases are used by armies and terrorist organizations, and constitute a threat to both the military and civilian populations, but existing drug solutions against them have limited efficiency. Scientists have now succeeded in developing an enzyme that breaks down nerve agents efficiently before damage to nerves and muscles is caused. ... > full story
Mathematical model explains how complex societies emerge, collapse (January 25, 2011) -- The instability of large, complex societies is a predictable phenomenon, according to a new mathematical model that explores the emergence of early human societies via warfare. Capturing hundreds of years of human history, the model reveals the dynamical nature of societies, which can be difficult to uncover in archaeological data. ... > full story
New microscopy method opens window on previously unseen cell features (January 25, 2011) -- Researchers have pioneered a new technique capable of peering into single cells and even intracellular processes with unprecedented clarity. ... > full story
Nanoscale transistors used to study single-molecule interactions (January 25, 2011) -- Researchers have figured out a way to study single-molecule interactions on very short time scales using nanoscale transistors. Researchers show how, for the first time, transistors can be used to detect the binding of the two halves of the DNA double helix with the DNA tethered to the transistor sensor. ... > full story
New mortgage design would minimize home foreclosures (January 25, 2011) -- With mortgage loan defaults on the rise yet again, two mortgage researchers are proposing a new type of mortgage contract that automatically resets the balance and the monthly payment based on the mortgaged home's market value. ... > full story
Sensors to detect explosives, monitor food being developed (January 25, 2011) -- Monitoring everything from explosives to tainted milk, materials for use in creating sensors for detection devices have been developed by a team of chemists. ... > full story
Runaway star plows through space (January 24, 2011) -- A massive star flung away from its former companion is plowing through space dust. The result is a brilliant bow shock, seen as a yellow arc in a new image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. The star, named Zeta Ophiuchi, is huge, with a mass of about 20 times that of our sun. In this image, in which infrared light has been translated into visible colors we see with our eyes, the star appears as the blue dot inside the bow shock. ... > full story
Nanoworld in color: Tiny lens arrays can record or project sharp images (January 24, 2011) -- Researchers in Germany have developed microscopically small nanostructured arrays of lenses that can record or project amazingly sharp images in brilliant colors. ... > full story
Salty evolution: Previously unknown central metabolic pathway in microorganisms discovered (January 24, 2011) -- Microbiologists in Germany have discovered a previously unknown central metabolic pathway in microorganisms. The life forms use this pathway to survive under extremely salty conditions, such as in the Dead Sea. ... > full story
Curved carbon for electronics of the future (January 24, 2011) -- A new scientific discovery could have profound implications for nanoelectronic components. Researchers have shown how electrons on thin tubes of graphite exhibit a unique interaction between their motion and their attached magnetic field -- the so-called spin. The discovery paves the way for unprecedented control over the spin of electrons and may have a big impact on applications for spin-based nanoelectronics. ... > full story
New math theories reveal the nature of numbers (January 24, 2011) -- Mathematicians are unveiling new theories that answer famous old questions about partition numbers, the basis for adding and counting. They have devised the first finite formula to calculate the partitions of any number. ... > full story
Light touch transforms material into a superconductor (January 24, 2011) -- A non-superconducting material has been transformed into a superconductor using light, researchers report. ... > full story
Thwarting attacks on cell phone mesh networks (January 24, 2011) -- A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) or cell phone mesh network uses software to transparently hook together numerous active cell phones in a location to provide greater bandwidth and better network connections by allowing users to share "spare" resources while they use their phones, making data transfers faster and smoother. However, the usefulness of such ad hoc networks can be offset by vulnerabilities. Now researchers have developed a computer algorithm that runs on the network and rapidly identifies when a DDoS is initiated based on the new, unexpected pattern of data triggered by an attack. ... > full story
Real-world graphene devices may have a bumpy ride (January 24, 2011) -- New measurements by researchers may affect the design of devices that rely on the high mobility of electrons in graphene -- they show that layering graphene on a substrate transforms its bustling speedway into steep hills and valleys that make it harder for electrons to get around. ... > full story
NASA's first solar sail NanoSail-D deploys in low-Earth orbit (January 24, 2011) -- Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., have confirmed that the NanoSail-D nanosatellite deployed its 100-square-foot polymer sail in low-Earth orbit and is operating as planned. Actual deployment occurred on Jan. 20 at 10 p.m. EST and was confirmed with beacon packets data received from NanoSail-D and additional ground-based satellite tracking assets. NanoSail-D is designed to demonstrate deployment of a compact solar sail boom technology. This research demonstration could lead to further advances of this alternative solar sail propulsion and the critical need for new de-orbit technologies. ... > full story
NASA's salt-seeking instrument gets a silvery blanket (January 24, 2011) -- Technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., completed the installation of thermal blankets on NASA's Aquarius instrument last week, as the Aquarius/Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-D) spacecraft continued functional performance tests at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (Laboratório de Integração e Testes -- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, or LIT-INPE) in Sáo José dos Campos. ... > full story
Light controls a worm's behavior: Scientists commandeer organism's nervous system without wires or electrodes (January 23, 2011) -- Physicists and bioengineers have developed an optical instrument allowing them to control the behavior of a worm just by shining a tightly focused beam of light at individual neurons inside the organism. ... > full story
Unlikely there will ever be a pure 'cyber war,' study suggests (January 23, 2011) -- Heavy lobbying, lurid language and poor analysis are inhibiting government planning for cyber protection, according to a new report. ... > full story
How to tame hammering water droplets (January 23, 2011) -- A water hammer can occur when a valve is suddenly opened or closed in a pipe carrying water or steam, causing a pressure wave to travel down the pipe with enough force that it can sometimes cause the pipes to burst. Now, new research shows that a similar effect takes places on a tiny scale whenever a droplet of water strikes a surface. ... > full story
New device may revolutionize computer memory (January 22, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new device that represents a significant advance for computer memory, making large-scale "server farms" more energy efficient and allowing computers to start more quickly. ... > full story
With cloud computing, the mathematics of evolution may get easier to learn (January 22, 2011) -- An innovative, educational computing platform hosted by the cloud (remote, high-capacity, scalable servers) is helping university students understand parts of evolutionary biology on an entirely new level. Soon, high-school and middle-school students will benefit from the same tool as well. ... > full story
Single photon management for quantum computers (January 21, 2011) -- The quantum computers of tomorrow might use photons, or particles of light, to move around the data they need to make calculations, but photons are tricky to work with. Two new papers point to ways to build reliable sources of single photons for use in photon-based quantum computers. ... > full story
Swift survey finds 'missing' active galaxies (January 21, 2011) -- Seen in X-rays, the entire sky is aglow. Even far away from bright sources, X-rays originating from beyond our galaxy provide a steady glow in every direction. Astronomers have long suspected that the chief contributors to this cosmic X-ray background were dust-swaddled black holes at the centers of active galaxies. The trouble was, too few of them were detected to do the job. An international team of scientists using data from NASA's Swift satellite confirms the existence of a largely unseen population of black-hole-powered galaxies. ... > full story
Go figure: Math model may help researchers with stem cell, cancer therapies (January 21, 2011) -- Researchers have devised an algorithm to track the rates at which somatic and cancer stem cells divide. The method may rev up efforts to develop stem cell therapies for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases. It may also help get to the root of the cancer-stem cell theory, which puts forth the idea that a tiny percentage of loner cancer cells gives rise to tumors. ... > full story
Learning science : Actively recalling information from memory beats elaborate study methods (January 21, 2011) -- Put down those science text books and work at recalling information from memory. That's the shorthand take away message of new research that says practicing memory retrieval boosts science learning far better than elaborate study methods. ... > full story
For robust robots, let them be babies first (January 21, 2011) -- In a first-of-its-kind experiment, a scientist created robots that, like tadpoles becoming frogs, change their body forms while learning how to walk. These evolving robots learned to walk more rapidly than robots with fixed bodies and developed a more robust gait. The research suggests that the quest for adaptive and resilient robots will arrive at better designs by encouraging co-evolution of a robot's body and "brain" (controller) at the same time. ... > full story
Simple, ingenious way to create lab-on-a-chip devices could become a model for teaching and research (January 21, 2011) -- With little more than a conventional photocopier and transparency film, anyone can build a functional microfluidic chip. A high school physics teacher invented the process; now, students will be able explore microfluidics and its applications. ... > full story
Unexpected properties unveiled in superconducting material (January 21, 2011) -- Researchers report that an exotic new superconductor based on ytterbium appears to be the first material to exhibit quantum criticality in its natural state, without tuning. It could also be the first example of what physicists describe as a "strange" metallic phase of matter, manifesting itself intrinsically, without any tuning of the material's properties. It could change how scientists understand and create materials for superconductors and electronics. ... > full story
Highly ordered artificial spin ice created using nanotechnology (January 21, 2011) -- Scientists have created artificial spin ice in a state of thermal equilibrium for the first time, allowing them to examine the precise configuration of this important nanomaterial. ... > full story
Stretching the truth: Biophysicists help unravel DNA stretching mystery (January 21, 2011) -- Using a new experimental test structure, biophysicists have unraveled part of a 15-year mystery in the mechanics of DNA -- just how the molecule manages to suddenly extend to almost twice its normal length. ... > full story
NASA prepares to launch next Earth-observing satellite mission (January 21, 2011) -- NASA's newest Earth-observing research mission is nearing launch. The Glory mission will improve our understanding of how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect Earth's climate. Glory also will extend a legacy of long-term solar measurements needed to address key uncertainties about climate change. ... > full story
Video games with imaginary steering wheel as the controller (January 21, 2011) -- Scientists have designed a communication system based on hand movement and position for virtual control of a videogame through a flight time camera, and are investigating applications for this sensor in medicine, biometrics, sports and emotional intelligence. ... > full story
Orion Nebula: Still full of surprises (January 21, 2011) -- This ethereal-looking image of the Orion Nebula was captured using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory, Chile. This nebula is much more than just a pretty face, offering astronomers a close-up view of a massive star-forming region to help advance our understanding of stellar birth and evolution. ... > full story
Data matrix codes used to catalogue archaeological heritage (January 21, 2011) -- Researchers in Spain have implemented an innovative system to register archaeological artifacts that eliminates problems in manual markings, such as errors in writing or erosion of data. The system, based on direct labeling using bi-dimensional data matrix (DM) codes, has been used by the research team over the past two years, during which numerous artifacts and bone remains from sites in Spain and Africa were registered. ... > full story
No direct link between black holes and dark matter, scientists find (January 20, 2011) -- Massive black holes have been found at the centers of almost all galaxies, where the largest galaxies -- which are also the ones embedded in the largest halos of dark matter -- harbor the most massive black holes. This led to the speculation that there is a direct link between dark matter and black holes, i.e. that exotic physics controls the growth of a black hole. Scientists have now conducted an extensive study of galaxies to prove that black hole mass is not directly related to the mass of the dark matter halo but rather seems to be determined by the formation of the galaxy bulge. ... > full story
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