ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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PET scanning probes reveal different cell function within the immune system (June 2, 2010) -- A commonly used probe for positron emission tomography (PET) scanning and a new probe reveal different functions in diverse cells of the immune system, providing a noninvasive and much clearer picture of an immune response in action. ... > full story
PET and SPECT biomedical imaging techniques combined, increasing resolution (June 2, 2010) -- Researchers in the Netherlands have succeeded in combining two forms of medical imaging techniques (microPET and microSPECT) into one piece of equipment. These techniques can be performed simultaneously and give a higher resolution than traditional microSPECT and microPET. The new device is designed for use in fundamental research into the functioning of cells and organs. It can show functional details smaller than half a millimeter. ... > full story
Software developers tackle child grooming on the net (June 2, 2010) -- Four out of five children can't tell when they are talking to an adult posing as a child on the internet, according to researchers working on software to track pedophiles online. Computer scientists in the UK have been working on a tool which can work out a person's age and gender using language analysis techniques. They hope it will eventually be used to help police and law enforcement agencies spot when an adult in a chatroom is masquerading as a child as part of the victim "grooming" process. ... > full story
Cancer information on Wikipedia is accurate, but not very readable, study finds (June 2, 2010) -- It is a commonly held that information on Wikipedia should not be trusted, since it is written and edited by non-experts without professional oversight. But researchers have found differently, according to new data. ... > full story
Microbe power as a green means to hydrogen production (June 1, 2010) -- Scientists have been hard at work harnessing the power of microbes as an attractive source of clean energy. Now, researchers have investigated a means for enhancing the efficiency of clean energy production by using specialized bacteria. ... > full story
New 'doubly magic' research reveals role of nuclear shell (June 1, 2010) -- Researchers have performed an unprecedented nuclear reaction experiment that explores the unique properties of the "doubly magic" radioactive isotope of 132Sn, or tin-132. The research is part of a broad scientific effort to understand nucleosynthesis, or the process by which the higher elements (those in the periodic table above iron) are created in the supernova explosions of stars. This research focused on the so-called r-process, responsible for the creation of about half of those heavy elements. This process involves interactions at very high energies of highly unstable and rare isotopes that do not naturally occur on Earth, but that can be created in the laboratory. ... > full story
Researchers offer solutions to poisonous well-water crisis in southern Asia (June 1, 2010) -- Researchers offer solutions to poisonous well-water crisis in southern Asia. They have reviewed what scientists understand about this groundwater contamination crisis and offer solutions for the region. ... > full story
Backwards black holes might make bigger jets (June 1, 2010) -- Going against the grain may turn out to be a powerful move for black holes. New research suggests supermassive black holes that spin backwards might produce more ferocious jets of gas. The results have broad implications for how galaxies change over time. ... > full story
Liquid method: pure graphene production (June 1, 2010) -- Researchers have unveiled a new method for producing bulk quantities of pure, one-atom-thick sheets of carbon called graphene. The research could lead to novel, flexible electronics, carbon composites and touch-screen displays. ... > full story
Scientists gain new 'core' understanding of nanoparticles (June 1, 2010) -- A research team has uncovered a mystery in the magnetic response of iron-oxide nanoparticles, one that may be a key to controlling nanoparticle magnetism for future applications. ... > full story
Particle chameleon caught in the act of changing (June 1, 2010) -- Researchers on the OPERA experiment at the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy have announced the first direct observation of a tau particle in a muon neutrino beam sent through the Earth from CERN, 730 kilometers away. This is a significant result, providing the final missing piece of a puzzle that has been challenging science since the 1960s, and giving tantalizing hints of new physics to come. ... > full story
Revealing the ancient Chinese secret of sticky rice mortar (June 1, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered the secret behind an ancient Chinese mortar made from sticky rice, that delicious "sweet rice" that is a modern mainstay in Asian dishes. They also concluded that the mortar -- a paste used to bind and fill gaps between bricks, stone blocks and other construction materials -- remains the best available material for restoring ancient buildings. ... > full story
Student uses pedal power to create novel machine (June 1, 2010) -- An innovative bicycle-powered water pump, created by a student in the UK, has proved a huge success and is now in regular production in Guatemala, transforming the lives of rural residents. ... > full story
Faster computers with nanotechnology (June 1, 2010) -- The silicon transistors in your computer may be replaced in ten years by transistors based on carbon nanotubes. This is what scientists in Sweden are hoping: they have developed a method to control the nanotubes during production. ... > full story
Breakthrough in nano-optics: Researchers develop plasmonic amplifier (June 1, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated net optical amplification in a plasmonic waveguide. The results represent an important breakthrough in the field of plasmonics. Optical amplification is the only feasible strategy to make light travel over sizable distances when it is bound in a plasmonic mode. Achieving such a macroscopic propagation of surface plasma waves is critical for many applications of the emerging plasmonics technology, which range from compact communication devices and optical computing to the detection and characterization of cells, virus particles or even single molecules. ... > full story
Scientists decipher structure of nature's 'light switch' (June 1, 2010) -- Opening a window into the process by which plants turn on the greenery and unleash a floral profusion of color, scientists have deciphered the structure of a molecular "switch" much like the one plants use to sense light. Their findings help explain how the switch works and could be used to design new ways to modify plant growth. ... > full story
Better animal-free test for chemicals that can cause contact dermatitis (June 1, 2010) -- Scientists are reporting development of a fast, simple, inexpensive method for determining whether chemicals in consumer products and workplaces may cause skin allergies in people -- a method that does not involve use of animals. ... > full story
Classic grammar model can be used for computerized parsing (June 1, 2010) -- A classic Nordic grammar model can be used for computerized grammatical analyses and technical applications of modern Swedish text, new research reveals. One such application enables queries answered by a digital text to be generated when it is opened, and then used to search for specific information in the text. ... > full story
NASA completes critical design review of Landsat data continuity mission (June 1, 2010) -- The Landsat Data Continuity Mission reached a major milestone when it successfully completed its Mission Critical Design Review. ... > full story
Air traffic poised to become a major factor in global warming, scientists predict (May 31, 2010) -- The first new projections of future aircraft emissions in 10 years predict that carbon dioxide and other gases from air traffic will become a significant source of global warming as they double or triple by 2050. ... > full story
NASA's airborne infrared observatory sees 'first light' (May 31, 2010) -- The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a joint program by NASA and the German Aerospace Center, achieved a major milestone May 26, with its first in-flight night observations. ... > full story
From butterflies' wings to bank notes: How nature's colors could cut bank fraud (May 31, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a way of mimicking the stunningly bright and beautiful colors found on the wings of tropical butterflies. The findings could have important applications in the security printing industry, helping to make bank notes and credit cards harder to forge. ... > full story
New technology will make election voting more efficient (May 31, 2010) -- Did you stay up all night to hear your local result during the recent election? Time-consuming manual vote-counts and ballot boxes could soon be consigned to the history books, thanks to innovative new secure voting technology. ... > full story
Scientists design a more efficient democratic voting system (May 31, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have developed a relatively simple democratic voting system which improves the efficiency of the usual common plurality voting system, and that protects minorities better and takes them more into consideration. ... > full story
Computational model being developed for estimating populations of large carnivores (May 31, 2010) -- Finnish researchers are developing a computational method for estimating populations of large carnivores. The new method will provide a quicker and more cost-effective way of keeping track of the number of large carnivores. ... > full story
Precise trace gas analysis, without the noise (May 30, 2010) -- Analyzing trace atmospheric gases can now be considerably more precise with the help of a device that delivers stable and reliable power to the lasers used in gas sensors. ... > full story
Improved carbon sponges to strip carbon dioxide from power plant exhausts (May 29, 2010) -- A new class of materials with a record-shattering internal surface area may have the right stuff to efficiently strip carbon dioxide from a power plant's exhaust. ... > full story
Researcher decodes Rembrandt's 'magic' (May 29, 2010) -- A researcher using computer-rendering programs has uncovered what makes Rembrandt's masterful portraits so appealing. Rembrandt may have pioneered a technique that guides the viewer's gaze around a portrait, creating a special narrative and "calmer" viewing experience. ... > full story
Clue to origin of Milky Way gas clouds discovered (May 29, 2010) -- A study of hydrogen gas clouds in two different regions of the Milky Way shows that they are much more abundant above areas of intense star formation, indicating they are blown away from the Galaxy's plane by stellar winds and supernova explosions. ... > full story
Zeroing in on quantum effects: New materials yield clues about high-temperature superconductors (May 29, 2010) -- US and Chinese physicists are zeroing in on critical effects at the heart of the newest high-temperature superconductors, the family of iron-based compounds called "pnictides." The scientists used similarly structured materials called "oxychalcogenides" to investigate the effect of expanding the distance between iron atoms in the crystal lattice. ... > full story
'Law-like' mathematical patterns in human preference behavior discovered (May 28, 2010) -- Scientists have found mathematical patterns underlying the way individuals unconsciously distribute their preferences regarding approaching or avoiding objects in their environment. These patterns appear to meet the strict criteria used to determine whether something is a scientific law and, if confirmed in future studies, could potentially be used to guide diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. ... > full story
Toward a useful quantum computer: Researchers design and test microfabricated planar ion traps (May 28, 2010) -- Researchers are designing, fabricating and testing planar ion traps that can be more readily combined into large, interconnected trap arrays. In the future, these arrays may be used to create a useful quantum computer. ... > full story
Novel 'cuckoo search algorithm' beats particle swarm optimization in engineering design (May 28, 2010) -- The familiar early summer call of the cuckoo has inspired composer and poet alike, but the sound belies the bird's true parasitic nature. Now, researchers have taken the cuckoo's wont to deposit its eggs in the nests of other birds as inspiration for a new approach to engineering design. ... > full story
Planetary scientists solve 40-year-old mysteries of Mars' northern ice cap (May 28, 2010) -- Scientists have reconstructed the formation of two curious features in the northern ice cap of Mars -- a chasm larger than the Grand Canyon and a series of spiral troughs -- solving a pair of mysteries dating back four decades while finding new evidence of climate change on Mars. ... > full story
Electric supercar team aims for UK first in lead-up to world record attempt across the Americas (May 28, 2010) -- Students driving an electric supercar are attempting to be the first to drive an all-electric vehicle around the M25 twice on one battery charge, in the lead-up to the team's attempt to cross the Americas in July this year and break a world record. ... > full story
Electric ash found in Eyjafjallajokull's plume, say UK researchers (May 28, 2010) -- In the first peer-reviewed scientific paper to be published about the Icelandic volcano since its eruption in April 2010, UK researchers write that the ash plume which hovered over Scotland carried a significant and self-renewing electric charge. ... > full story
Advances made in walking, running robots (May 28, 2010) -- Researchers have made an important fundamental advance in robotics, in work that should lead toward robots that not only can walk and run effectively, but use little energy in the process. By achieving an optimal approach with robotic mechanisms, studies are moving closer to robots that could take on dangerous missions in the military, create prosthetic limbs for humans that work much better, or even help some people who use wheelchairs to gain "walking" abilities. ... > full story
Solar panels can attract breeding water insects ... but scientists propose a simple fix (May 28, 2010) -- Solar power might be nature's most plentiful and benign source of energy, but shiny dark solar cells can lure water insects away from critical breeding areas, scientists warn. Applying white grids or other methods to break up the polarized reflection of light, however, makes mayflies and other aquatic insects far less likely to deposit eggs on the panels thinking that they are water, the group discovered. ... > full story
Optical Legos: Building nanoshell structures (May 28, 2010) -- Imagine creating novel devices with amazing and exotic optical properties not found in nature -- by simply evaporating a droplet of particles on a surface. Scientists have created a way to use light-activated nanoshells as building blocks for 2-D and 3-D structures that could be useful for making chemical sensors, nanolasers and bizarre light-absorbing metamaterials. Much as a child might use Lego blocks to build 3-D models of complex buildings or vehicles, the scientists are using the new chemical self-assembly method to build complex structures that can trap, store and bend light. ... > full story
Nondestructive methods for evaluating ancient coins could be worth their weight in gold (May 28, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated that sensitive nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques can be used to determine the elemental composition of ancient coins, even coins that generally have been considered too corroded for such methods. ... > full story
Largest supercomputers to simulate life on Earth, including economies and whole societies (May 28, 2010) -- Scientists are planning to use the largest supercomputers to simulate life on Earth, including the financial system, economies and whole societies. The project is called "Living Earth Simulator" and part of a huge EU research initiative named FuturIcT. ... > full story
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
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