ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Friday, May 28, 2010
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Bursting 'bubbles' the origin of galactic gas clouds, astronomers find (May 28, 2010) -- Like bubbles bursting on the surface of a glass of champagne, "bubbles" in our galaxy burst and leave flecks of material in the form of clouds of hydrogen gas, researchers using CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope in eastern Australia have found. Their study explains the origin of these clouds for the first time. ... > full story
Scaffold gradients: Finding the right environment for developing cells (May 28, 2010) -- A research team has developed a way to offer cells a 3-D scaffold that varies over a broad range of degrees of stiffness to determine where they develop best. Their technique is a way to rapidly optimize 3-D cell growth media to meet the developmental needs of specific cell types for a wide variety of potential tissue-replacement therapies. ... > full story
Computers can effectively detect diabetes-related eye problems, analysis finds (May 28, 2010) -- People with diabetes have an increased risk of blindness, yet nearly half of the approximately 23 million Americans with diabetes do not get an annual eye exam to detect possible problems. But it appears that cost-effective computerized systems to detect early eye problems related to diabetes can help meet the screening need, a new analysis shows. ... > full story
X-51 Waverider makes historic ramjet-powered hypersonic flight (May 27, 2010) -- An X-51A Waverider flight-test vehicle successfully made the longest supersonic combustion ramjet-powered hypersonic flight May 26 off the southern California Pacific coast. ... > full story
Secrets of a chiral gold nanocluster unveiled (May 27, 2010) -- Researchers have resolved the structural, electronic and optical properties of a chiral gold nanocluster that remained a mystery for 10 years. ... > full story
Ultrasound could boost tissue implant success (May 27, 2010) -- New research shows low-intensity ultrasound stimulation would be able to enhance the survival of implanted tissue graft, which could vastly increase the rates of success of a broad range of tissue-graft therapies. ... > full story
Oil spill threatens toothy marine predator that is cultural and historic icon (May 27, 2010) -- The BP oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico threatens the existence of a critically endangered sawfish and its relative that recently has been proposed to join it as the only two marine fish in United States waters to receive such federal protection. ... > full story
Electron ‘spin’ in silicon will lead to revolutionary quantum chips (May 27, 2010) -- A silicon-based nanoscale system which aims to harness the 'spin' of electrons to boost the processing power of future computer systems is being developed. ... > full story
Astronomers discover new star-forming regions in Milky Way (May 27, 2010) -- Newly-discovered star-forming regions are revealing new view of Milky Way's structure and promise new clues about the Galaxy's chemical composition ... > full story
Household detergents, shampoos may form harmful substance in wastewater (May 27, 2010) -- Scientists are reporting evidence that certain ingredients in shampoo, detergents and other household cleaning agents may be a source of precursor materials for formation of a suspected cancer-causing contaminant in water supplies that receive water from sewage treatment plants. The study sheds new light on possible environmental sources of this poorly understood water contaminant, called NDMA, which is of ongoing concern to health officials. ... > full story
Graphane yields new potential: Physicists dig theoretical wells to mine quantum dots (May 27, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered the strategic extraction of hydrogen atoms from a 2-D sheet of graphane naturally opens up spaces of pure graphene that look -- and act -- like quantum dots. ... > full story
WISE telescope has Heart and Soul (May 27, 2010) -- NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, has captured a huge mosaic of two bubbling clouds in space, known as the Heart and Soul nebulae. The space telescope, which has completed about three-fourths of its infrared survey of the entire sky, has already captured nearly one million frames like the ones making up this newly released mosaic. ... > full story
Outstanding in their field effect: Researchers print field-effect transistors with nano-infused ink (May 27, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered thin films of nanotubes created with ink-jet printers offer a new way to make field-effect transistors, the basic element in integrated circuits. ... > full story
NASA's Swift Survey finds 'smoking gun' of black hole activation (May 27, 2010) -- Data from an ongoing survey by NASA's Swift satellite have helped astronomers solve a decades-long mystery about why a small percentage of black holes emit vast amounts of energy. ... > full story
Computer model for locating and forecasting sunken oil following spills (May 27, 2010) -- A team of researchers has developed a computer model for finding and projecting in time sunken oil masses on the bottom of bays, after an oil spill. The unique model can be used in oil spill planning, response, and recovery applications. ... > full story
Physicists pin down proton-halo state in Flourine-17 (May 27, 2010) -- A halo may be difficult to acquire in terms of virtue, but it can also be tough to calculate in terms of physics. Physicists have managed to do just that, however. A halo nucleus differs from the more traditional nuclei because it has one or more nucleons (protons or neutrons) that are only weakly bound to the nuclear core. Consequently, they drift far away from it, forming, in effect, a halo. These nuclei are difficult to study because their lives are both short (often lasting only milliseconds) and fragile. ... > full story
Elderly drivers' ability to detect hazards doesn't degrade with age, study suggests (May 27, 2010) -- Advanced age does not affect older drivers' ability to perceive hazards according to a new study. The study also found that older drivers are more sensitive to potential hazards than young-inexperienced drivers. ... > full story
Undersea forces from hurricanes may threaten Gulf pipelines (May 27, 2010) -- Hurricanes could snap offshore oil pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico and other hurricane-prone areas, since the storms whip up strong underwater currents, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Discovery may lead to safer drinking water, cheaper medicine (May 27, 2010) -- A discovery that may pave the way to helping reduce health hazards such as E. coli in water could also make chemicals and drugs such as insulin cheaper to produce and their production more environmentally friendly. By creating a three-dimensional model, biochemists discovered exactly how the AceK protein acts as a switch in some bacteria to bypass the energy-producing cycle that allows bacteria like E. coli and salmonella to go into a survival mode and adapt to low-nutrient environments, such as water. ... > full story
Love it or hate it, PowerPoint shapes strategy-making, says new paper (May 27, 2010) -- It's a staple presentation tool in most businesses. Its been banned as a productivity killer. Say what you like about PowerPoint, the computer software that presents business cases like a slide show, but one researcher at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management says that such critiques ignore the ways the technology is used to shape idea generation and build corporate strategies. ... > full story
Virtual Romanesque monuments being created (May 26, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have created full color plans in 3-D of places of cultural interest, using laser scanners and photographic cameras. The technique has been used to virtually recreate five churches in the Merindad de Aguilar de Campoo, a region between Cantabria, Palencia and Burgos which boasts the highest number of Romanesque monuments in the world. ... > full story
Changing 'channels' to eliminate chronic pain: Researcher maps drug target to wipe pain away (May 26, 2010) -- Researchers are developing new computer-derived models of drugs that might affect chronic pain -- such as pain from backaches, sore limbs and arthritis -- which are targeted for calcium channels. ... > full story
Quantum communication in random networks: Theorists find surprising behaviours in quantum random networks (May 26, 2010) -- The Internet, networks of connections between Hollywood actors, etc., are examples of complex networks, whose properties have been intensively studied in recent times. The 'small-world' property (that everyone has a few-step connection to celebrities), for instance, is a famous example. Scientists have now introduced complex networks in the quantum realm. ... > full story
Could humans be infected by 'computer viruses?' (May 26, 2010) -- A scientist at the University of Reading has become the first person in the world to be infected by a computer virus. He contaminated a computer chip which had been inserted into his hand as part of research into human enhancement and the potential risks of implantable devices. ... > full story
Supermassive black holes may frequently roam (May 26, 2010) -- The supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of the most massive local galaxy (M87) is not where it was expected. Research, conducted using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), concludes that the SMBH in M87 is displaced from the galaxy center. ... > full story
Major step ahead for cryptography (May 26, 2010) -- Scientists have taken a step towards a fully practical system to compute on encrypted data. This work could have wide ranging impact on areas as diverse as database access, electronic auctions and electronic voting. ... > full story
NASA develops enhanced search and rescue technologies (May 26, 2010) -- NASA, which pioneered the technology used for the satellite-aided search and rescue capability that has saved more than 27,000 lives worldwide since its inception nearly three decades ago, has developed new technology that will more quickly identify the locations of people in distress and reduce the risk of rescuers. ... > full story
Criminals have their own distictive 'local haunts' when committing crimes (May 26, 2010) -- Research conducted by psychologists and the police has found that criminals have their own distinctive "local haunts" when committing crime. ... > full story
Grin and bear it: Texas dentists to test students' portable suction device (May 26, 2010) -- A group of university students has created a portable dental suction device, an inexpensive, battery-powered version of the vacuum system commonly used in dentists' offices to remove blood and saliva from a patient's mouth. ... > full story
Nearby black hole is feeble and unpredictable (May 25, 2010) -- A decade-long study by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals that the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Andromeda galaxy was in a very dim, or quiet, state before 2006. However, on January 6, 2006, the black hole became more than a hundred times brighter, suggesting an outburst of X-rays. This was the first time such an event had been seen from a supermassive black hole in the nearby, local universe. ... > full story
Perennial grass Miscanthus shows promise as energy crop while lowering atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> (May 25, 2010) -- A new article reveals that Miscanthus x giganteus, a perennial grass, could effectively reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, while lowering atmospheric carbon dioxide. ... > full story
Weird orbits of neighbors can make 'habitable' planets not so habitable (May 25, 2010) -- New findings from computer modeling indicate some exoplanets might fluctuate between being habitable and being inhospitable to life because of forces exerted by giant neighbors with eccentric orbits. ... > full story
Preventing cells from getting the kinks out of DNA (May 25, 2010) -- Some of the most common antibiotics and anticancer drugs block topoisomerases that snip the tangles out of DNA. If a cell cannot remove the tangles, it dies. Researchers investigating the structure of these enzymes have found that Type II topoisomerases, which snip double-stranded DNA, use their metal catalysts in a novel way that could help drug designers improve antimicrobials and cancer poisons and make them less toxic to the host. ... > full story
Inspired by a cotton candy machine, engineers put a new spin on creating tiny nanofibers (May 25, 2010) -- Hailed as a "cross between a high-speed centrifuge and a cotton candy machine," a new, practical technology for fabricating tiny nanofibers has been developed by bioengineers. The reference to the fairground treat of spun sugar is deliberate, as the device literally -- and just as easily -- spins, stretches and pushes out 100 nanometer-diameter polymer-based threads using a rotating drum and nozzle. ... > full story
Chott el Jerid, Tunisia: Closest thing to Mars on Earth? (May 25, 2010) -- Scientists are analyzing one of the most Mars-like places on Earth -- Chott el Jerid in South West Tunisia -- in preparation for future missions to the Red Planet. ... > full story
Self-healing concrete: Research yields cost-effective system to extend life of structures (May 25, 2010) -- Efforts to extend the life of structures and reduce repair costs have led engineers to develop "smart materials" that have self-healing properties, but many of these new materials are difficult to commercialize. A new self-healing concrete, however, may prove to be cost-effective. ... > full story
To attack H1N1, other flu viruses, gold nanorods deliver potent payload (May 25, 2010) -- Future pandemics of seasonal flu, H1N1 and other drug-resistant viruses may be thwarted by a potent, immune-boosting payload that is effectively delivered to cells by gold nanorods, scientists report. ... > full story
Pollution dispersion research aids understanding of 2002 break-up of Antarctic ozone hole (May 25, 2010) -- Researchers report findings on the flow of particles that will aid in understanding and controlling global-scale phenomena, such as pollution dispersion in the atmosphere and the ocean. For instance, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico might be modeled to provide greater insight into how the particles might be dragged into the Loop Current. ... > full story
Phoenix Mars Lander is silent, new image shows damage (May 25, 2010) -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ended operations after repeated attempts to contact the spacecraft were unsuccessful. A new image transmitted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows signs of severe ice damage to the lander's solar panels. ... > full story
Comet dives into Sun: STEREO, SOHO spacecraft catch crash (May 25, 2010) -- Solar physicists have used STEREO data to track the path of a sun-grazing comet and have caught it crashing through the corona and chromosophere to evaporate in the photosphere. ... > full story
First realistic simulation of DNA unfolding (May 25, 2010) -- The separation of the two DNA strands occurs in millionths of a second. Consequently, it is extremely difficult to study this phenomenon experimentally and researchers must rely on computational simulations. After four years of fine-tuning an effective physical model and massive use of the supercomputer Mare Nostrum, researchers have managed to produce the first realistic simulation of DNA opening at high resolution. ... > full story
Nile delta natural gas potential is significant (May 25, 2010) -- An estimated 223 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas are in the Nile Delta Basin Province, located in the Eastern Mediterranean region. This is the first U.S. Geological Survey assessment of this basin to identify potentially extractable resources. ... > full story
Tissue engineering technique yields potential biological substitute for dental implants (May 25, 2010) -- A pioneering tissue engineering technique can orchestrate stem cells to migrate to a 3-D scaffold infused with growth factor, holding the translational potential to yield an anatomically correct tooth in as soon as nine weeks once implanted. ... > full story
Antibacterial silver nanoparticles are a blast (May 25, 2010) -- In a new article, researchers explain how blasting silver nitrate solution with an electron beam can generate nanoparticles that are more effective at killing all kinds of bacteria, including gram-negative species that are not harmed by conventional antibacterial agents. ... > full story
GATOR approach can help surfers to evaluate web-based health information (May 25, 2010) -- Patients researching health conditions on the Internet should use reputable and frequently updated websites and not see online research as a replacement for consulting healthcare professionals. A research review has found that 86% of adult patients use the internet to get answers to health-related questions, but only 28 to 41% consult primary healthcare providers about the information they find out. The discrepancy suggests that the majority of users accept web-based health recommendations in lieu of professional advice. That’s why the team have come up with an acronym - GATOR (genuine, accurate, trustworthy, origin and readability) - to encourage healthy surfing. Short for alligator, it provides a reminder of the dangers that people can face if they surf for health advice without sufficient safeguards in place. ... > full story
Ribbon at edge of our solar system: Will the Sun enter a million-degree cloud of interstellar gas? (May 24, 2010) -- Is the Sun going to enter a million-degree galactic cloud of interstellar gas soon? A U.S.-Polish team of scientists suggests that the ribbon of enhanced emissions of energetic neutral atoms, discovered last year by the NASA Small Explorer satellite IBEX, could be explained by a geometric effect due to the approach of the Sun to the boundary between the Local Cloud of interstellar gas and another cloud of a very hot gas called the Local Bubble. If this hypothesis is correct, IBEX is catching matter from a hot neighboring interstellar cloud, which the Sun might enter in a hundred years. ... > full story
New method for producing 'libraries' of important carbohydrate molecules (May 24, 2010) -- A team of scientists has created a method for the rapid chemical synthesis of complex carbohydrates, and that method could dramatically change the availability of such molecules for research. ... > full story
Intelligent therapies with virtual reality for the psychological treatment of patients suffering from fibromyalgia (May 24, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have developed a new therapy based on the use of mobile devices and virtual reality for the psychological treatment of patients suffering from fibromyalgia. ... > full story
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