The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, June 15, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, June 15, 2011

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Baby stars born to 'napping' parents (June 15, 2011) -- Astronomers believe that a young star's long "napping" could trigger the formation of a second generation of smaller stars and planets orbiting around it. It has long been suspected that the build up of material onto young stars is not continuous but happens in episodic events, resulting in short outbursts of energy from these stars. However, this has been largely ignored in models of star formation. ... > full story

3-D tracking of single molecules inside cells using new multifocal plane microscopy method (June 15, 2011) -- Researchers are using a novel 3-D cell imaging method for studying the complex spatial-temporal dynamics of protein transport, providing a solution to this fundamental problem in cell biology. ... > full story

Rainwater harvest study finds roofing material affects water quality (June 15, 2011) -- Using rainwater from your roof to water plants seems simple enough, right? But a new study finds that the type of roofing material used can make a big difference in water quality. ... > full story

Two-state dynamics recorded in glassy silicon (June 14, 2011) -- Using high-resolution imaging technology, researchers have answered a question that had confounded semiconductor researchers: Is amorphous silicon a glass? The answer? Yes -- until hydrogen is added. For the first time, researchers directly observed two-state dynamics in a-Si, which disappears after hydrogenation. ... > full story

'Hidden' galaxies of the universe have lower amounts of heavier elements (June 14, 2011) -- A unique example of some of the lowest surface brightness galaxies in the universe have been found by an international team of astronomers. The galaxy has lower amounts of heavier elements than other known galaxies of this type. The discovery means that small low surface brightness galaxies may have more in common with the first galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang than previously thought. ... > full story

'Catch and release' program could improve nanoparticle safety assessment (June 14, 2011) -- Scientists have found a way to trap and release nanoparticles at will, a research technique useful for studying how the particles behave in biological systems. ... > full story

New insights on how solar minimums affect Earth (June 14, 2011) -- Since 1611, humans have recorded the comings and goings of black spots on the sun. The number of these sunspots waxes and wanes over approximately an 11-year cycle -- more sunspots generally mean more activity and eruptions on the sun and vice versa. Observations have shown, however, that magnetic effects on Earth due to the sun, effects that cause the aurora to appear, did not go down in synch with the cycle of low magnetism on the sun. Now, researchers report that these effects on Earth did in fact reach a minimum -- indeed they attained their lowest levels of the century -- but some eight months later. The scientists believe that factors in the speed of the solar wind, and the strength and direction of the magnetic fields embedded within it, helped produce this anomalous low. ... > full story

Nanotubes could pose health risk to production line staff, study suggests (June 14, 2011) -- Tiny fibers used to strengthen everyday products such as bicycle frames and hockey sticks could pose health hazards to those involved in their manufacture. Certain types of carbon nanotubes -- cylindrical molecules about one-thousandth of the width of a human hair -- could cause cancer in the lining of the lung, researchers have found. ... > full story

First telecommunications wavelength quantum dot laser grown on a silicon substrate (June 14, 2011) -- A new generation of high-speed, silicon-based information technology has been brought a step closer by researchers in the UK. The team's research provides the first demonstration of an electrically driven, quantum dot laser grown directly on a silicon substrate (Si) with a wavelength (1300-nm) suitable for use in telecommunications. ... > full story

New software 'hearing dummies' pave the way for tailor-made hearing aids (June 14, 2011) -- New software "hearing dummies" are part of cutting-edge research that promises to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of hearing impairments. The work could also be used in the long-term to develop a radical new type of hearing aid that can be customized using the hearing dummy to meet the different needs of individual patients. If the procedures gain clinical acceptance, a device could reach the market within four years. ... > full story

NASA spacecraft captures video of asteroid approach (June 14, 2011) -- Scientists working with NASA's Dawn spacecraft have created a new video showing the giant asteroid Vesta as the spacecraft approaches this unexplored world in the main asteroid belt. ... > full story

Ten-fold increase in open access scientific publishing during the last decade (June 14, 2011) -- A new study reports on the rapid growth of open access scientific publishing since the start of the World Wide Web. ... > full story

Forecast: Tough times ahead for daily deal sites (June 14, 2011) -- Over the next few years, it is likely that daily deal sites will have to settle for lower shares of revenues from businesses compared with their current levels, and it will be harder and more expensive for them to find viable candidates to fill their pipelines of daily deals, according to new research. ... > full story

Under pressure, sodium, hydrogen could undergo a metamorphosis, emerging as superconductor (June 13, 2011) -- In the search for superconductors, finding ways to compress hydrogen into a metal has been a point of focus ever since scientists predicted many years ago that electricity would flow, uninhibited, through such a material. ... > full story

Entry, descent and surface science for 2016 Mars mission (June 13, 2011) -- The European Space Agency and NASA have announced the scientific investigations selected for their 2016 ExoMars lander demonstrator. They will probe the atmosphere during the descent, and return the first ever data on electrical fields at the surface of Mars. ... > full story

Faster computer graphics: Digitally mimicking photographic blur caused by moving objects (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers have developed new techniques for computing blur much more efficiently. The result could be more convincing video games and frames of digital video that take minutes rather than hours to render. ... > full story

Beam of X-ray laser light with shortest wavelength successfully produced (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers in Japan have successfully produced a beam of X-ray laser light with a wavelength of 1.2 Angstroms, the shortest ever measured. This record-breaking light opens a window into the structure of atoms and molecules at a level of detail never seen before. ... > full story

Single GFP-expressing cell is basis of living laser device (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a device in which a single cell genetically engineered to express green fluorescent protein is used to amplify the light particles called photons into nanosecond-long pulses of laser light. ... > full story

In very narrow spaces, liquids behave more like gels (June 13, 2011) -- Three molecules thick, or two, or one: how does an extremely thin layer of trapped liquid behave when we make it even thinner? Measurements made using the atomic force microscope show that the forces of friction increase with each step. Liquids begin to behave more like a gel, according to new research. ... > full story

New computer algorithm improves method for finding genetic mistakes that fuel cancer (June 13, 2011) -- A dramatically better computer tool for finding the genetic missteps that fuel cancer has been developed . Researchers are using the new algorithm to help identify the chromosomal rearrangements and DNA insertions or deletions unique to cancer. ... > full story

New 3-D tumor model: Step toward speeding cancer drug research (June 13, 2011) -- A team of scientists has developed a way to coax tumor cells in the lab to grow into 3-D spheres. Their discovery takes advantage of an earlier technique of producing spherical cavities in a common polymer and promises more accurate tests of new cancer therapies. ... > full story

Digital democracy? Study finds elite viewpoints dominate online content (June 13, 2011) -- Anyone with Internet access can generate online content and influence public opinion, according to popular belief. But a new study suggests that the social Web is becoming more of a playground for the affluent than a digital democracy. ... > full story

A molecule that switches on and off (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers in France have developed a single molecule whose charge state and shape can be changed at will. The advance should prove a key advantage in the race for miniaturization. In addition to controlling its charge in a completely reversible way, the researchers have revealed a link between the molecule's charge and its geometrical shape, effectively making it usable as a bit of information or an electromechanical system on a nanometric scale. This perfectly controllable back-and-forth motion at the molecular level holds great promise for the creation of ultra-dense digital memory or nanomotors. ... > full story

What happens in the brain as it loses consciousness: 3-D movie constructed (June 13, 2011) -- For the first time, researchers have been able to watch what happens to the brain as it loses consciousness. Using sophisticated imaging equipment, they have constructed a 3-D movie of the brain as it changes while an anesthetic drug takes effect. ... > full story

Tuning 'metasurface' with fluid in new concept for sensing and chemistry (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated a unique fluid-tuned "metasurface," a concept that may be useful in biomedical sensors and microwave-assisted chemistry. ... > full story

New supernova remnant lights up: SN1987A shines again (June 13, 2011) -- Light from an exploding star in a neighboring galaxy has suddenly begun to glow brighter as the shock wave and X-rays hit surrounding debris. What we are witnessing the the change from an active supernova to a supernova remnant. ... > full story

Raising the International Space Station: ATV Johannes Kepler conducts the 'Big Boost' (June 13, 2011) -- It's the International Space Station's biggest increase in altitude to date, and, thanks to European Space Agency's ATV Johannes Kepler, it will significantly improve the 417-tonne Station's orbital mileage through the next decade of scientific research. During three intensive reboost manoeuvres, ATV Johannes Kepler is raising the ISS altitude from around 345 km to 380 km, where it will use far less fuel to maintain its orbit and cutting the amount of fuel that must be sent up in the coming years by almost half. ... > full story

Walking microdroplets collect viruses and bacteria (June 13, 2011) -- A barely visible, electric field-controlled droplet moves on an appropriately prepared surface, harvesting viruses, bacteria and protein molecules deposited on it. This is how a novel method of collecting bioparticles looks like in real life. The method has been for the first time successfully tested by a team of researchers Poland and France. The results of the tests have implications for the development of microsystems for chemical analyses, especially those dedicated to monitoring bioparticles present in the air. ... > full story

'Networking' turns up flu viruses with close ties to pandemic of 2009 (June 13, 2011) -- Scientists using new mathematical and computational techniques have identified six influenza A viruses that have particularly close genetic relationships to the H1N1 "swine" flu virus that swept through the United States beginning in the spring of 2009. That virus eventually killed almost 18,000 people worldwide. Biological studies focused on these strains of influenza virus could shed light on how the 2009 pandemic strain of influenza emerged, aiding in efforts to forestall another pandemic, the researchers say. ... > full story

Glowing 'Cornell Dots': Potential cancer diagnostic tool set for human trials (June 13, 2011) -- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first clinical trial in humans of a new technology: Cornell Dots, brightly glowing nanoparticles that can light up cancer cells in PET-optical imaging. ... > full story

Chemistry with sunlight: Combining electrochemistry and photovoltaics to clean up oxidation reactions (June 12, 2011) -- Researchers can make the oxidation reactions used in the synthesis of organic molecules cleaner by hitching photovoltaics to electrochemistry. The idea is simple and yet it has huge implications. To underscore the simplicity of the idea, researchers used a solar cell sold on the Internet and intended to power toy cars to run a variety of chemical reactions. If their suggestion were widely adopted by the chemical industry, it would eliminate the toxic byproducts currently produced by a class of reactions commonly used in chemical synthesis -- and with them the environmental and economic damage they cause. ... > full story

Using waste heat from automobile exhaust (June 12, 2011) -- With the completion of a successful prototype, engineers have made a major step toward addressing one of the leading problems in energy use around the world today -- the waste of half or more of the energy produced by cars, factories and power plants. New technology is being developed to capture and use the low-to-medium grade waste heat that's now going out the exhaust pipe of millions of automobiles, diesel generators, or being wasted by factories and electrical utilities. ... > full story

Chasing EHEC via computer: Scientists in Germany provide free access to enteric pathogen's genetic regulation data (June 12, 2011) -- Just a few genes make enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) extremely dangerous to humans. If it were not for these genes, EHEC would hardly differ from harmless enteric bacteria. Bioinformatics scientists from Germany want to exploit this similarity to find starting points for effective drugs against the EHEC pathogen. In a very short time, the scientists have constructed EhecRegNet, a database and analysis platform that incorporates all known interactions between enteric E. coli genes. Using integrated simulations, genetic switches for the dangerous EHEC genes can be identified much faster and used medically. The virtual laboratory will thus help biomedical scientists and pharmacists all over the world to develop new drugs. ... > full story

An egalitarian Internet? Not so, study finds (June 12, 2011) -- The Internet is often thought of as a forum that enables egalitarian communication among people from diverse backgrounds and political persuasions, but a new study reveals that online discussion groups display the same hierarchical structure as other large social groups. ... > full story

Physicists apply Einstein's general theory of relativity to superconducting circuits (June 11, 2011) -- Using Einstein's general theory of relativity, scientists have demonstrated that the Josephson junction could be reproduced. The Josephson junction, a device that was first discovered by Brian David Josephson in the early 1960's, is a main ingredient in applications of superconductivity. ... > full story

Photosynthesis mechanics: Tapping into plants is the key to combat climate change, says scientist (June 11, 2011) -- The mechanics behind photosynthesis in plants could be used in the fight against climate change, according to one scientist. ... > full story

Nearby galaxy boasts two monster black holes, both active (June 11, 2011) -- A study using NASA's Swift satellite and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory has found a second supersized black hole at the heart of an unusual nearby galaxy already known to be sporting one. The galaxy, which is known as Markarian 739 or NGC 3758, lies 425 million light-years away toward the constellation Leo. Only about 11,000 light-years separate the two cores, each of which contains a black hole gorging on infalling gas. ... > full story

Ultrathin copper-oxide layers behave like quantum spin liquid (June 11, 2011) -- Magnetic studies of ultrathin slabs of copper-oxide materials reveal that at very low temperatures, the thinnest, isolated layers lose their long-range magnetic order and instead behave like a "quantum spin liquid" -- a state of matter where the orientations of electron spins fluctuate wildly. This unexpected discovery may offer support for the idea that this novel condensed state of matter is a precursor to the emergence of high-temperature superconductivity -- the ability to carry current with no resistance. ... > full story

Communicating in a crisis: Researchers devise new technique to help rescuers communicate after terrorist attacks (June 11, 2011) -- In the aftermath of the London bombings mobile phones and radios stopped working making the already tricky rescue operation even more difficult. Now experts have developed a solution to ensure breakdowns in communication are a thing of the past for emergency workers responding to disasters. ... > full story

Nanotechnology circuits for wireless devices: First wafer-scale graphene integrated circuit smaller than a pinhead (June 11, 2011) -- Scientists have achieved a milestone in creating a building block for the future of wireless devices. Researchers have announced the first integrated circuit fabricated from wafer-size graphene, and demonstrated a broadband frequency mixer operating at frequencies up to 10 gigahertz (10 billion cycles/second). ... > full story

Physicists hit on mathematical description of superfluid dynamics (June 10, 2011) -- A century after the discovery of superfluids, scientists using a powerful supercomputer have devised a theoretical framework that explains the real-time behavior of superfluids. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn spacecraft approaches protoplanet Vesta (June 10, 2011) -- NASA's Dawn mission to the doughnut-shaped asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is approaching Vesta, some 220 million miles from Earth. Many surprises are likely awaiting the spacecraft. ... > full story

Fighting oil-spills with air-bubbles (June 10, 2011) -- Curtains of air-bubbles are turning out to be a new method of fighting oil-spills. The bubbles gather up the oil efficiently, even in winds and strong currents, and keep it together in a "pool". ... > full story

New parallelization technique boosts computers' ability to model biological systems (June 10, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new technique for using multi-core chips more efficiently, significantly enhancing a computer's ability to build computer models of biological systems. The technique improved the efficiency of algorithms used to build models of biological systems more than seven-fold, creating more realistic models that can account for uncertainty and biological variation. This could impact research areas ranging from drug development to the engineering of biofuels. ... > full story

Engineers envision 'two-dimensional' graphene metamaterials and one-atom-thick optical devices (June 10, 2011) -- Engineers have proposed the possibility of 'two-dimensional' metamaterials. These one-atom-thick metamaterials could be achieved by controlling the conductivity of sheets of graphene, which is a single layer of carbon atoms. ... > full story

Meteorite holds clues to organic chemistry of early Earth (June 10, 2011) -- Carbonaceous chondrites are organic-rich meteorites that contain samples of the materials that took part in the creation of our planets nearly 4.6 billion years ago. The complex suite of organic materials found in carbonaceous chondrites can vary substantially. New research shows that most of these variations are the result of hydrothermal activity that took place within a few million years of the solar system's formation, when the meteorites were still part of larger bodies. ... > full story

New imaging technology promising for diagnosing cardiovascular disease, diabetes (June 10, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new type of imaging technology to diagnose cardiovascular disease and other disorders by measuring ultrasound signals from molecules exposed to a fast-pulsing laser. ... > full story

Temperature tracking device for packages may have climate metrology applications (June 10, 2011) -- Researchers are working to reduce the uncertainty associated with climate change measurements using a mobile temperature-sensing technology made for tracking delicate or perishable, high-value packages in transit. ... > full story