ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Wednesday, March 30, 2011
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Household bleach can decontaminate food prep surfaces in ricin bioterrorist attack (March 30, 2011) -- Help for a bioterrorist attack involving ricin, one of the most likely toxic agents, may be as close at hand as the laundry shelf, according to a new report. It concluded that ordinary household bleach appears to be an effective, low-cost, and widely available way to decontaminate food preparation surfaces in homes, restaurants, and processing plants that are tainted with ricin. ... > full story
Heavy metals open path to high temperature nanomagnets (March 30, 2011) -- A chemistry student has discovered a path to making molecular magnets work at exceptionally high temperatures. The solution? Build magnets using just a few atoms of heavy non-iron metals. ... > full story
Imaging the paintings under the paintings of the Old Masters (March 30, 2011) -- Gaze upon Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee," or one of the great Dutch master's famous self-portraits. Scientists have taken art appreciation a step further and have now developed a technique to see the paintings under the paintings of Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Rubens, and other 17th Century Old Master painters. ... > full story
Deciphering hidden code reveals brain activity (March 29, 2011) -- By combining sophisticated mathematical techniques more commonly used by spies instead of scientists with the power and versatility of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a neurologist has developed a new approach for studying the inner workings of the brain. A hidden pattern is encoded in the seemingly random order of things presented to a human subject, which the brain reveals when observed with fMRI. ... > full story
Key plant traits yield more sugar for biofuels (March 29, 2011) -- New clues about plant structure are helping researchers narrow down a large collection of poplar tree candidates and identify winners for future use in biofuel production. ... > full story
Some ingredients in 'green' products come from petroleum rather than natural sources (March 29, 2011) -- With more and more environmentally conscious consumers choosing "green" products, scientists have now reported that the first reality check has revealed that the ingredients in those product may come from a surprising source -- petroleum, rather than natural plant-based sources. ... > full story
New 'nanodrug' breaks down barriers to attack breast cancer cells from the inside out (March 29, 2011) -- Unlike other drugs that target cancer cells from the outside with minimal effect, this "transport vehicle" carries multiple drugs that spare healthy cells, accumulate in tumor cells and strike cancer-specific molecular targets inside. ... > full story
Researchers make first perovskite-based superlens for the infrared (March 29, 2011) -- Researchers have fabricated a superlens from perovskite oxides that are ideal for capturing light in the mid-infrared range, opening the door to highly sensitive biomedical detection and imaging. It may also be possible to turn the superlensing effect on/off, opening the door to highly dense data writing and storage. ... > full story
New device uses submarine technology to diagnose stroke quickly (March 29, 2011) -- A medical device developed by retired US Navy sonar experts, using submarine technology, is a new paradigm for the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of stroke, says a team of interventional radiologists. ... > full story
Chemists' biosensor may improve food, water safety and cancer detection (March 29, 2011) -- A new nanotechnology-based biosensor under development may allow early detection of both cancer cells and pathogens, leading to increased food safety and reduced health risks. ... > full story
Next-generation chemical mapping on the nanoscale (March 29, 2011) -- Scientists have pioneered a new chemical mapping method that provides unprecedented insight into materials at the nanoscale. These new maps will guide researchers in deciphering molecular chemistry and interactions that are critical for artificial photosynthesis, biofuels production and light-harvesting applications such as solar cells. ... > full story
From crankcase to gas tank: New microwave method converts used motor oil into fuel (March 29, 2011) -- That dirty motor oil that comes out of your car or truck engine during oil changes could end up in your fuel tank, according to a new report. It described development of a new process for recycling waste crankcase oil into gasoline-like fuel -- the first, they said, that uses microwaves and has "excellent potential" for going into commercial use. ... > full story
Researchers close in on technology for making renewable petroleum (March 29, 2011) -- Researchers are a key step closer to making renewable petroleum fuels using bacteria, sunlight and carbon dioxide. ... > full story
Predicting serious drug side effects before they occur (March 29, 2011) -- All medications have side-effects from common aspirin to herbal remedies and from standard anticancer drugs to experimental immunosuppressants. However, predicting important side effects, serious adverse drug reactions, ADRs, is with current understanding almost impossible. However, a neural network technology trained with past data could give drug companies and healthcare workers a new tool to spot the potential for ADRs with any given medication. ... > full story
First applications of Europe's Galileo satellite nagivation system showcased (March 29, 2011) -- The first satellites of the the European navigation system Galileo are to be in position in the year 2012 and start their work. Fraunhofer Galileo Labs are showcasing the first applications that use new, improved possibilities provided by satellite navigation. ... > full story
First practical nanogenerator produces electricity with pinch of the fingers (March 29, 2011) -- After six years of intensive effort, scientists are reporting development of the first commercially viable nanogenerator, a flexible chip that can use body movements -- a finger pinch now en route to a pulse beat in the future -- to generate electricity. They described boosting the device's power output by thousands times and its voltage by 150 times to finally move it out of the lab and toward everyday life. ... > full story
Chemists play important roles as advisers for science-based television shows, movies (March 28, 2011) -- Producers and writers for several popular medical and science fiction television shows like House, Breaking Bad, and Zula Patrol -- major sources of information about science and technology for millions of people -- say they do strive for scientific accuracy. ... > full story
Cancer risk of backscatter airport scanners is low, analysis suggests (March 28, 2011) -- Calculations by researchers estimate that the cancer risk associated with one type of airport security scanners is low based on the amount of radiation these devices emit, as long as they are operated and function correctly. ... > full story
Twinkle, twinkle, quantum dot: New particles can change colors and tag molecules (March 28, 2011) -- Engineers have invented a new kind of nano-particle that shines in different colors to tag molecules in biomedical tests. These tiny plastic nano-particles are stuffed with even tinier bits of electronics called quantum dots. Like little traffic lights, the particles glow brightly in red, yellow, or green, so researchers can easily track molecules under a microscope. ... > full story
New trash-to-treasure process turns landfill nuisance into plastic (March 28, 2011) -- With billions of pounds of meat and bone meal going to waste in landfills after a government ban on its use in cattle feed, scientists have described development of a process for using that so-called meat and bone meal to make partially biodegradable plastic that does not require raw materials made from oil or natural gas. ... > full story
Blocking ship-borne bioinvaders before they dock (March 28, 2011) -- The global economy depends on marine transportation. But in addition to cargo, the world's 50,000-plus commercial ships carry tiny stowaways that can cause huge problems for the environment and economy. A new model will facilitate accurate screening of vessels for dangerous species before they unload. ... > full story
Huge potential of nanocrystals to raise efficiency in fuel cells (March 28, 2011) -- The addition of extremely small crystals to solid electrolyte material has the potential to considerably raise the efficiency of fuel cells. ... > full story
'Green' cars could be made from pineapples and bananas (March 28, 2011) -- Your next new car hopefully won't be a lemon. But it could be a pineapple or a banana. Scientists in Brazil have developed a more effective way to use fibers from these and other plants in a new generation of automotive plastics that are stronger, lighter, and more eco-friendly than plastics now in use. Their work could lead to stronger and more sustainable materials for cars and other products. ... > full story
Debut of the first practical 'artificial leaf' (March 28, 2011) -- Scientists have claimed one of the milestones in the drive for sustainable energy -- development of the first practical artificial leaf. Researchers have developed an advanced solar cell the size of a poker card that mimics the process, called photosynthesis, that green plants use to convert sunlight and water into energy. ... > full story
Taming the flame: Electrical wave 'blaster' could provide new way to extinguish fires (March 28, 2011) -- An exciting discovery could underpin a new genre of fire-fighting devices, including sprinkler systems that suppress fires not with water, but with zaps of electric current, without soaking and irreparably damaging the contents of a home, business, or other structure. ... > full story
From cotton candy to rock: New evidence about beginnings of the solar system (March 28, 2011) -- The earliest rocks in our solar system were more like cotton candy than the hard rock that we know today, according to new research. ... > full story
'Nano-bricks' may help build better packaging to keep foods fresher longer (March 28, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting on a new material containing an ingredient used to make bricks that shows promise as a transparent coating for improving the strength and performance of plastic food packaging. Called "nano-bricks," the coating could help foods and beverages stay fresh and flavorful longer and may replace some foil packaging currently in use, they said. ... > full story
Black hole found in binary star system: More than five times greater in mass than our Sun (March 27, 2011) -- The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) has obtained the first spectroscopy data from the X-ray transient binary XTE J1859+226, which confirm the existence of a black hole. Only about 20 binary stellar systems are known to contain a black hole, out of an estimated population of around 5,000 in the Milky Way Galaxy. ... > full story
Smaller particles could make solar panels more efficient (March 27, 2011) -- New research could significantly improve the efficiency of solar cells. The size of light-absorbing particles -- quantum dots -- affects the particles' ability to transfer energy to electrons to generate electricity. ... > full story
NASA's venerable comet hunter Stardust spacecraft wraps up mission (March 27, 2011) -- On March 24, 2011, NASA's Stardust spacecraft finished its last transmission to Earth. The transmission came on the heels of the venerable spacecraft's final rocket burn, which was designed to provide insight into how much fuel remained aboard after its encounter with comet Tempel 1 in February. ... > full story
New lignin 'lite' switchgrass boosts biofuel yield by more than one-third (March 27, 2011) -- Bioethanol from new lines of native perennial prairie grass could become less costly because of recent plant engineering. ... > full story
New instrument keeps an 'eye' on nanoparticles (March 26, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new instrument capable of detecting individual nanoparticles with diameters as small as a few tens of nanometers. ... > full story
Universal property of music discovered (March 25, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a universal property of scales. Until now it was assumed that the only thing scales throughout the world have in common is the octave. The many hundreds of scales, however, seem to possess a deeper commonality: if their tones are compared in a two- or three-dimensional way by means of a coordinate system, they form convex or star-convex structures. Convex structures are patterns without indentations or holes, such as a circle, square or oval. ... > full story
BrainGate neural interface system reaches 1,000-day performance milestone (March 25, 2011) -- An investigational implanted system being developed to translate brain signals toward control of assistive devices has allowed a woman with paralysis to accurately control a computer cursor at 2.7 years after implantation, providing a key demonstration that neural activity can be read out and converted into action for an unprecedented length of time. ... > full story
Exploding stars and stripes: Pattern of X-ray 'stripes' in supernova remnant could explain how cosmic rays are produced (March 25, 2011) -- The discovery of a pattern of X-ray "stripes" in the remains of an exploded star may provide the first direct evidence that a cosmic event can accelerate particles to energies a hundred times higher than achieved by the most powerful particle accelerator on Earth. This result comes from a very long observation of the Tycho supernova remnant with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. It could explain how some of the extremely energetic particles bombarding Earth, called cosmic rays, are produced. ... > full story
Conch shell gives nano insights into composite materials (March 25, 2011) -- Researchers use the conch shell as an example of 'toughness-by-architecture' in the quest for new synthetic materials for engineering, construction and aerospace applications. ... > full story
First student-developed mission in which satellites orbit and communicate (March 25, 2011) -- Two satellites designed and constructed by engineering students in Texas successfully separated in space March 22, completing the most crucial goal of the mission since its Nov. 19 launch and making them the first student-developed mission in the world in which satellites orbit and communicate with each other in real-time. ... > full story
Matter spotted a millisecond from black hole -- but is it really doomed? (March 25, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's Integral gamma-ray observatory has spotted extremely hot matter just a millisecond before it plunges into the oblivion of a black hole. But is it really doomed? These unique observations suggest that some of the matter may be making a great escape. ... > full story
In vivo systems biology: Using computer models, systems biologists can predict complicated behavior of cells in living animals (March 25, 2011) -- Researchers report that they have created a new computational model that describes how intestinal cells in mice respond to a natural chemical called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). ... > full story
High-temperature superconductor spills secret: A new phase of matter? (March 25, 2011) -- Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that a puzzling gap in the electronic structures of some high-temperature superconductors could indicate a new phase of matter. Understanding this "pseudogap" has been a 20-year quest for researchers who are trying to control and improve these breakthrough materials, with the ultimate goal of finding superconductors that operate at room temperature. ... > full story
Suzaku shows clearest picture yet of Perseus Galaxy Cluster (March 24, 2011) -- X-ray observations made by the Suzaku observatory provide the clearest picture to date of the size, mass and chemical content of a nearby cluster of galaxies. The study also provides the first direct evidence that million-degree gas clouds are tightly gathered in the cluster's outskirts. ... > full story
New model predicts the optical properties of nano-structures (March 24, 2011) -- Chemists have developed a new model to predict the optical properties of non-conducting ultra-fine particles. ... > full story
Robot-assisted prostate surgery is safe, long-term study finds (March 24, 2011) -- In the first study of its kind, urologists and biostatisticians have found that robot-assisted surgery to remove cancerous prostate glands is safe over the long term, with a major complication rate of less than one percent. The findings follow an earlier Henry Ford study that found nearly 87 percent of patients whose cancerous prostates were removed by robot-assisted surgery had no recurrence of the disease after five years. ... > full story
Chemist develops technique to use light to predict molecular crystal structures (March 24, 2011) -- Chemists have developed a way to use very low frequency light waves to study the weak forces (London dispersion forces) that hold molecules together in a crystal. ... > full story
Neutron analysis yields insight into bacteria for solar energy (March 24, 2011) -- Structural studies of some of nature's most efficient light-harvesting systems are lighting the way for new generations of biologically inspired solar cell devices. ... > full story
Sticking power: New adhesive could find place in space (March 24, 2011) -- A new adhesive peptide becomes stronger as more moisture is removed. This property could allow it to be used in a low-moisture environment like outer space. Also, the adhesion is mechanical rather than chemical. It develops nanoscale fibrils that become entangled, similar to Velcro. ... > full story
Coldest known star: Brown dwarf about as hot as a cup of tea (March 24, 2011) -- Observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, along with two other telescopes, have shown that there is a new candidate for the coldest known star: a brown dwarf in a double system with about the same temperature as a freshly made cup of tea -- hot in human terms, but extraordinarily cold for the surface of a star. This object is cool enough to begin crossing the blurred line dividing small cold stars from big hot planets. ... > full story
Health information technology 'control tower' could improve earthquake response (March 24, 2011) -- A new study foresees improvements in patient outcomes after a major earthquake through more effective use of information technology. A control tower-style telemedicine hub to manage electronic traffic between first responders and remote medical experts could boost the likelihood that critically injured victims will get timely care and survive, according to the team's computer simulation model. ... > full story
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