ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Thursday, July 28, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Thursday, July 28, 2011

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Wave power can drive sun's intense heat (July 28, 2011) -- A new study sheds light on why the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is more than 20 times hotter than its surface. The research may bring scientists a step closer to understanding the solar cycle and the sun's impacts on Earth. ... > full story

Children and adolescent cell phone users at no greater risk of brain cancer than non-users, study suggests (July 28, 2011) -- Children and adolescents who use mobile phones are not at a statistically significant increased risk of brain cancer compared to their peers who do not use mobile phones, according to a new study. ... > full story

Graphene nanocomposite a bridge to better batteries (July 28, 2011) -- Researchers have built a high-capacity energy storage device for lithium ion batteries by constructing a unique nanoscale sandwich of graphene and tin. The device is engineered to improve electrochemical cycling of the battery, which reduces charging time and allows repeated recharging without degrading battery performance. ... > full story

New X-ray camera will reveal big secrets about how chemistry works (July 28, 2011) -- Designed to record bursts of images at an unprecedented speed of 4.5 million frames per second, an innovative X-ray camera being built by engineers in the UK will help a major new research facility shed light on the structure of matter. ... > full story

Speed cameras in urban areas save millions in cash, analysis finds (July 28, 2011) -- The deployment of speed cameras in urban areas saves vast amounts of money as well as lives, reveals a two-year financial analysis. ... > full story

Computer-aided detection does not improve mammogram accuracy, study suggests (July 28, 2011) -- Using computer-aided detection software to help analyze and interpret mammograms does not improve accuracy, according to a new study. ... > full story

Closer look at cells: Fluorescence microscopy lets scientists observe exchanges across cell membranes (July 28, 2011) -- Many substances and nutrients are exchanged across the cell membrane. Scientists in Switzerland have developed a method to observe these exchanges, by taking a highly accurate count of the number of proteins found there. ... > full story

VST looks at the Leo Triplet -- and beyond (July 27, 2011) -- A huge image, from the new VLT Survey Telescope (VST) and its camera OmegaCAM at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory, shows a triplet of bright galaxies in the constellation of Leo (the Lion). But the faint objects in the background, rather than the foreground galaxies, are what may capture an astronomer's attention. The VST's sharp view of these dim objects hints at the power of the telescope and OmegaCAM for mapping the distant universe. ... > full story

CT shows changes in lungs associated with COPD flare-ups (July 27, 2011) -- Using computed tomography, researchers have identified two types of structural changes in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that are associated with frequent exacerbations, or episodes when symptoms suddenly worsen. ... > full story

NASA tests future deep space vehicle for water landings (July 27, 2011) -- As NASA closes the chapter on the Space Shuttle Program, a new era of exploration vehicles is beginning to take off. Testing began this month at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in the new Hydro Impact Basin to certify the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) for water landings. The Orion MPCV will carry astronauts into space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure safe re-entry and landing. ... > full story

More powerful 'lab-on-a-chip' made for genetic analysis (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have invented a silicone chip that could make genetic analysis far more sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective by allowing individual cells to fall into place like balls in a pinball machine. The device -- about the size of a nine-volt battery -- allows scientists to simultaneously analyze 300 cells individually by routing fluid carrying cells through microscopic tubes and valves. By facilitating such "single-cell analysis," the device could accelerate genetic research and hasten the use of far more detailed tests for diagnosing cancer. ... > full story

New material lets electrons 'dance' and form new state (July 27, 2011) -- Scientists have successfully created an ultrapure material that captures new states of matter and could have applications in high-speed quantum computing. The material, gallium arsenide, is used to observe states in which electrons no longer obey the laws of single-particle physics, but instead are governed by their mutual interactions. ... > full story

Researchers graft olfactory receptors onto nanotubes (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a nanotech device that combines carbon nanotubes with olfactory receptor proteins, the cell components in the nose that detect odors. ... > full story

Researchers mimic nature to create a 'bio-inspired brain' for robots (July 27, 2011) -- Engineers are developing bio-inspired integrated circuit technology which mimics the neuron structure and operation of the brain. ... > full story

Nano sensor detects minute traces of plastic explosives: Scientists enable inexpensive, reliable checks for explosives (July 27, 2011) -- Materials scientists in Germany have developed an extremely sensitive explosives sensor that is capable of detecting even slight traces of the high-explosive chemical compound pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Terrorists had employed PETN in several attacks on commercial aircraft. ... > full story

Self-healing, self-cooling, metamaterials: Vascular composites enable dynamic structural materials (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have developed vascularized structural composites, creating materials that are lightweight and strong with potential for self-healing, self-cooling, stealth and more. The team developed a class of sacrificial fibers that degrade after composite fabrication, leaving hollow vascular tunnels that can transport liquids or gases through the composite. ... > full story

Got flow cytometry? All you need is five bucks and a cell phone (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated the integration of an imaging cytometry and florescent microscopy on a cell phone using a compact, light-weight and cost-effective optofluidic attachment. The cell phone enabled optofluidic imaging flow cytometer could be used for rapid and sensitive imaging of bodily fluids for conducting various cell counts or rare cell analysis. ... > full story

Biological interface using piezotronics: Nanowires allow electrical signals to be produced from mechanical actions (July 27, 2011) -- Taking advantage of the unique properties of zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have demonstrated a new type of piezoelectric resistive switching device in which the write-read access of memory cells is controlled by electromechanical modulation. ... > full story

Hubble constant: A new way to measure the expansion of the universe (July 27, 2011) -- Using a measurement of the clustering of the galaxies surveyed, plus other information derived from observations of the early universe, researchers have measured the Hubble constant with an uncertainly of less than 5 percent. The new work draws on data from a survey of more than 125,000 galaxies. ... > full story

Scientists complete final scan of space shuttle heat shield (July 27, 2011) -- After Columbia's debris-damaged heat shield failed in 2003, causing the tragic accident that took the lives of all seven on board, researchers in the U.S. developed a laser dynamic range imager, or LDRI, which generates 3-D images from 2-D video. ... > full story

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spots extra energy in the sun's corona (July 27, 2011) -- Like giant strands of seaweed some 32,000 miles high, material shooting up from the sun sways back and forth with the atmosphere. In the sun's corona, magnetic field ripples called Alfvén waves cause the swaying. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is now able to track the movements of this solar "seaweed" and measure how much energy is carried by the Alfvén waves. ... > full story

Electronic publishing 'goes live': News from the International Botanical Congress in Melbourne (July 27, 2011) -- The International Botanical Congress in Melbourne approved changes to the way scientists name new plants, algae, and fungi. To demonstrate the efficiency of electronic publishing, the open access journal PhytoKeys published a correspondence note by botanists from various institutions (Smithsonian Institution, Missouri Botanical Garden, Chicago Botanical Garden), led by Dr James Miller from the New York Botanical Garden. The correspondence was submitted, edited, proofread, and published by PhytoKeys during the congress in just four days. ... > full story

Heavy metal hardens battle: Body armor hindered Medieval warriors (July 26, 2011) -- The French may have had a better chance at the Battle of Agincourt had they not been weighed down by heavy body armor, say researchers. A new study shows that soldiers carrying armor in Medieval times would have been using more than twice the amount of energy had they not been wearing it. This is the first clear experimental evidence of the limitations of wearing Medieval armor on a soldier's performance. ... > full story

Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. ... > full story

Newly developed fluorescent protein makes internal organs visible (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first fluorescent protein that enables scientists to clearly "see" the internal organs of living animals without the need for a scalpel or imaging techniques that can have side effects or increase radiation exposure. ... > full story

Scientists design nano-sized drug transporter to fight disease (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists seeking to improve cancer treatments have created a tiny drug transporter that maximizes its ability to silence damaging genes by finding the equivalent of an expressway into a target cell. The transporter, called a nanocarrier, is a lipid-based structure containing a piece of RNA. Lipids are fatty molecules that help maintain the structure of cell membranes. ... > full story

Modeling plant metabolism to optimize oil production (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a computational model for analyzing the metabolic processes in rapeseed plants -- particularly those related to the production of oils in their seeds. Their goal is to find ways to optimize the production of plant oils that have widespread potential as renewable resources for fuel and industrial chemicals. ... > full story

Enceladus rains water onto Saturn (July 26, 2011) -- The Herschel space observatory has shown that water expelled from the moon Enceladus forms a giant torus of water vapor around Saturn. The discovery solves a 14-year mystery by identifying the source of the water in Saturn's upper atmosphere. ... > full story

Unique volcanic complex discovered on Moon's far side (July 26, 2011) -- Analysis of new images of a curious "hot spot" on the far side of the Moon reveal it to be a small volcanic province created by the upwelling of silicic magma. The unusual location of the province and of the surprising composition of the lava that formed it offer tantalizing clues to the Moon's thermal history. ... > full story

Cancer-causing mineral found in U.S. road gravel: Erionite in roads may increase risk of mesothelioma (July 26, 2011) -- Vehicles traveling along gravel roads in Dunn County, North Dakota stir up clouds of dust containing high levels of the mineral erionite. Those who breathe in the air every day are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, new research shows. Erionite shares similar physical similarities with asbestos and when airborne, its fibers can lodge in people's lungs. Over time, the embedded fibers can lead to mesothelioma, a lung cancer most often associated with asbestos. ... > full story

Biofuels: Novel gene increases yeast's appetite for plant sugars (July 26, 2011) -- For thousands of years, bakers and brewers have relied on yeast to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yet, researchers eager to harness this talent for brewing biofuels have found when it comes to churning through sugars, these budding microbes can be picky eaters. ... > full story

Making biological images sharper, deeper and faster (July 26, 2011) -- For modern biologists, the ability to capture high-quality, three-dimensional (3-D) images of living tissues or organisms over time is necessary to answer problems in areas ranging from genomics to neurobiology and developmental biology. Looking to improve upon current methods of imaging, researchers have developed a novel approach that could redefine optical imaging of live biological samples by simultaneously achieving high resolution, high penetration depth, and high imaging speed. ... > full story

Saving fuel while plowing (July 26, 2011) -- Less friction, less power, less fuel -- plowshares coated with diamond-like carbon slide through the soil like a hot knife through butter. As a result, the tractors pulling them need less power and fuel. In some tests the power required has been reduced by more than 30 percent. ... > full story

New software protects water utilities from terrorist attacks and contaminants (July 26, 2011) -- Americans are used to drinking from the kitchen tap without fear of harm, even though water utilities might be vulnerable to terrorist attacks or natural contaminants. Now, thanks to new open-source software -- public water systems can be protected through enhanced detection of such threats. ... > full story

Eat, prey, rain: New model of dynamics of clouds and rain is based on a predator-prey population model (July 25, 2011) -- A new model for the dynamics of clouds and rain, based on a predator-prey population model, may help us understand how clouds fit into the big climate picture. This model may help climate scientists understand, among other things, how human-produced aerosols affect rainfall patterns. ... > full story

Rare coupling of magnetic and electric properties in a single material: New multiferroic mechanism could lead to next-generation memory and sensing devices (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers have observed a new way that magnetic and electric properties -- which have a long history of ignoring and counteracting each other -- can coexist in a special class of metals. These materials, known as multiferroics, could serve as the basis for the next generation of faster and energy-efficient logic, memory and sensing technology. ... > full story

How to tell real whiskey from fake, faster (July 25, 2011) -- Methods for distinguishing between authentic and counterfeit Scotch whiskey brands have now been devised by scientists. ... > full story

Nanoplasmonic 'whispering gallery' breaks emission time record in semiconductors (July 25, 2011) -- Renaissance architects demonstrated their understanding of geometry and physics when they built whispering galleries into their cathedrals. These circular chambers were designed to amplify and direct sound waves so that, when standing in the right spot, a whisper could be heard from across the room. Now, scientists have applied the same principle on the nanoscale to drastically reduce emission lifetime, a key property of semiconductors, which can lead to the development of new ultrafast photonic devices. ... > full story

Nanomechanics: New test measures key properties of polymer thin films and membranes (July 25, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated a measurement technique that reliably determines three fundamental mechanical properties of near-nanoscale films. The technique, which highlights the challenge of making mechanical measurements on an object with at least one dimension comparable to the size of a virus, should enable better design and engineering for a variety of thin-film technologies, particularly reverse-osmosis membranes for water purification. ... > full story

Major step toward creating faster electronics using graphene (July 25, 2011) -- Physicists have taken a major step forward towards creating electronics using the wonder material graphene. They have studied in detail the effect of interactions between electrons on the electronic properties of graphene. ... > full story

Pocket chemistry: DNA helps glucose meters measure more than sugar (July 25, 2011) -- Glucose meters aren't just for diabetics anymore. Thanks to a team of chemists, they can be partnered with functional DNA sensors as simple, portable, inexpensive meters for a number of target molecules in blood, serum, water or food. The researchers demonstrated using functional DNA with glucose meters to detect cocaine, the disease marker interferon, adenosine and uranium. The two-step method could be used to detect any kind of molecule that a functional DNA or RNA can bind. ... > full story

Arrays of long nanotubes may help measure terahertz laser power (July 25, 2011) -- Terahertz radiation can penetrate numerous materials -- plastic, clothing, paper and some biological tissues -- making it an attractive candidate for applications such as concealed weapons detection, package inspection and imaging skin tumors. There is now no standard method for measuring the absolute output power of terahertz lasers, but researchers have found that dense arrays of extra-long carbon nanotubes are promising coatings for prototype terahertz laser power detectors. ... > full story

Key early skills for later math learning discovered (July 25, 2011) -- Psychologists have identified the beginning of first grade math skills that teachers and parents should target to effectively improve children's later math learning. ... > full story

Hydrogen may be key to growth of high-quality graphene (July 25, 2011) -- A new approach to growing graphene greatly reduces problems that have plagued researchers in the past and clears a path to the crystalline form of graphite's use in sophisticated electronic devices of tomorrow. ... > full story

New photonic crystals have both electronic and optical properties (July 25, 2011) -- In an advance that could open new avenues for solar cells, lasers, metamaterials and more, researchers have demonstrated the first optoelectronically active 3-D photonic crystal. ... > full story

Computer program could 'revolutionise the world's healthcare' (July 25, 2011) -- A massive network of computer programs could revolutionize healthcare around the world, saving countless lives and billions of pounds. ... > full story

Wiedemann-Franz Law: Physicists break 150-year-old empirical laws of physics (July 24, 2011) -- A violation of one of the oldest empirical laws of physics has been observed by scientists. The experiments on purple bronze, a metal with unique one-dimensional electronic properties, indicate that it breaks the Wiedemann-Franz Law. ... > full story

Shining a light on the elusive 'blackbody' of energy research: Designer material has potential applications for thermophotovoltaics (July 23, 2011) -- A designer metamaterial can engineer emitted "blackbody" radiation, a feat that transcends many of the limits governing natural materials and an advance that could potentially lead to the development of new thermophotovoltaic technologies, researchers report. ... > full story