The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Thursday, February 23, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Thursday, February 23, 2012

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Low levels of fallout from Fukushima, U.S. study finds (February 22, 2012) -- Fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power facility in Japan was measured in minimal amounts in precipitation in the United States in about 20 percent of 167 sites sampled in a nationwide U.S. study. ... > full story

Faster way to catch cells: New microfluidic device could be used to diagnose and monitor cancer and other diseases (February 22, 2012) -- Separating complex mixtures of cells, such as those found in a blood sample, can offer valuable information for diagnosing and treating disease. However, it may be necessary to search through billions of other cells to collect rare cells such as tumor cells, stem cells or fetal cells. Researchers have now demonstrated a new microfluidic device that can isolate target cells much faster than existing devices. Such technology could be used in applications such as point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine. ... > full story

'Miracle material' graphene is thinnest known anti-corrosion coating (February 22, 2012) -- New research has established the "miracle material" called graphene as the world's thinnest known coating for protecting metals against corrosion. ... > full story

World of Warcraft boosts cognitive functioning in older adults (February 22, 2012) -- For some older adults, the online video game World of Warcraft (WoW) may provide more than an opportunity for escapist adventure. Researchers have found that playing WoW boosted cognitive functioning for older adults – particularly those who had scored poorly on cognitive ability tests before playing the game. ... > full story

NASA's Spitzer finds solid buckyballs in space (February 22, 2012) -- Astronomers using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have, for the first time, discovered buckyballs in a solid form in space. Prior to this discovery, the microscopic carbon spheres had been found only in gas form in the cosmos. ... > full story

Tiny, implantable medical device can propel itself through bloodstream (February 22, 2012) -- For 50 years, scientists had searched for the secret to making tiny implantable devices that could travel through the bloodstream. Engineers have now demonstrated a wirelessly powered device that just may make the dream a reality. ... > full story

New twist on nanowires: Technology can control composition and structure of these tiny wires as they grow (February 22, 2012) -- Nanowires -- microscopic fibers that can be "grown" in the lab -- are a hot research topic today, with a variety of potential applications including light-emitting diodes and sensors. Now, researchers has found a way of precisely controlling the width and composition of these tiny strands as they grow, making it possible to grow complex structures that are optimally designed for particular applications. ... > full story

Observing single atoms during relaxation toward equilibrium (February 22, 2012) -- Scientists have succeeded for the first time in simulating the dynamic behavior of strongly correlated individual atoms in solids. They were able to string atoms in so-called optical lattices and observe their dynamic behavior, which is determined by complex interactions with other atoms. ... > full story

Off switch for pain? Chemists build light-controlled neural inhibitor (February 22, 2012) -- Pain? Just turn it off! It may sound like science fiction, but researchers have now succeeded in inhibiting pain-sensitive neurons on demand, in the laboratory. The crucial element in their strategy is a chemical sensor that acts as a light-sensitive switch. ... > full story

Fake drug sales are increasing on the Internet and turning up in legitimate supply chains, review finds (February 22, 2012) -- Criminal gangs are increasingly using the internet to market life-threatening counterfeit medicines and some have even turned up in legitimate outlets such as pharmacies, according to a newly published review. ... > full story

Recharge your cell phone with a touch? New nanotechnology converts body heat into power (February 22, 2012) -- Never get stranded with a dead cell phone again. A promising new technology called Power Felt, a thermoelectric device that converts body heat into an electrical current, soon could create enough juice to make another call simply by touching it. ... > full story

Stratospheric superbugs offer new source of power (February 21, 2012) -- Bacteria normally found 30 kilometers above Earth have been identified as highly efficient generators of electricity. Bacillus stratosphericus -- a microbe commonly found in high concentrations in the stratosphere -- is a key component of a new 'super' biofilm that has been engineered by a team of scientists from Newcastle University. ... > full story

How good cholesterol turns bad (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have found new evidence to explain how cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mediates the transfer of cholesterol from "good" high density lipoproteins (HDLs) to "bad" low density lipoproteins (LDLs). These findings point the way to the design of safer, more effective next generation CETP inhibitors that could help prevent the development of heart disease. ... > full story

Technique creates piezoelectric ferroelectric nanostructures (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a “soft template infiltration” technique for fabricating free-standing piezoelectrically active ferroelectric nanotubes and other nanostructures from PZT – a material that is attractive because of its large piezoelectric response. ... > full story

Injectable gel could repair tissue damaged by heart attack (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new injectable hydrogel that could be an effective and safe treatment for tissue damage caused by heart attacks. ... > full story

Gold coaxed into nanowires to allow inexpensive detection of poisonous industrial gases (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have coaxed gold into nanowires as a way of creating an inexpensive material for detecting poisonous gases found in natural gas. ... > full story

Fastest wind from stellar-mass black hole (February 21, 2012) -- Astronomers have clocked the fastest wind yet discovered blowing off a disk around a stellar-mass black hole. This result has important implications for understanding how this type of black hole behaves. ... > full story

Seven adult-sized humanoid robots together for first time in the U.S. (February 21, 2012) -- Seven adult-sized humanoid robots took the stage during Drexel University's celebration of National Engineers Week in a first-of-its-kind assembly of robotic technology. Their presence -- together in one place -- is a unique event. ... > full story

Plant toughness: Key to cracking biofuels? (February 21, 2012) -- Along with photosynthesis, the plant cell wall is one of the features that most set plants apart from animals. A structural molecule called cellulose is necessary for the manufacture of these walls. Cellulose is synthesized in a semi-crystalline state that is essential for its function in the cell wall function, but the mechanisms controlling its crystallinity are poorly understood. New research reveals key information about this process. ... > full story

Rare element, tellurium, detected for the first time in ancient stars (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers has detected the element tellurium for the first time in three ancient stars. Tellurium is rare on Earth. ... > full story

Gases drawn into smog particles stay there (February 21, 2012) -- Airborne gases get sucked into stubborn smog particles from which they cannot escape, according to new findings. These finding could explain why air pollution models underestimate organic aerosols. ... > full story

Implantable, wireless sensors share secrets of healing tissues (February 21, 2012) -- A new implantable sensor can wirelessly transmit data from the site of a recent orthopedic surgery. Inexpensive to make and highly reliable, this new sensor holds the promise of more accurate, more cost-effective, and less invasive post-surgery monitoring and diagnosis. ... > full story

Robotic dinosaurs on the way for next-gen paleontology (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers are bringing the latest technological advancements in 3-D printing to the study of ancient life. Using scale models of real fossils, for the first time, they will be able to test hypotheses about how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals moved and lived in their environments. ... > full story

Hubble reveals a new class of extrasolar planet (February 21, 2012) -- Observations by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have come up with a new class of planet, a waterworld enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere. It’s smaller than Uranus but larger than Earth. ... > full story

Sheep in Wolf-Rayet's clothing: New image of planetary nebula Hen 3-1333 (February 20, 2012) -- It's well known that the universe is changeable: even the stars that appear static and predictable every night are subject to change. A new image from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows planetary nebula Hen 3-1333. Planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets -- they actually represent the death throes of mid-sized stars like the sun. As they puff out their outer layers, large, irregular globes of glowing gas expand around them, which appeared planet-like through the small telescopes that were used by their first discoverers. ... > full story

Preparations continue for launching engine icing research (February 20, 2012) -- NASA scientists are making progress in their preparations to mount a detailed research campaign aimed at solving a modern-day aviation mystery involving the unlikely combination of fire and ice inside a running jet engine. ... > full story

Taking Earth's pulse: Scientists unveil a new economic and environmental index (February 20, 2012) -- A growing world population, mixed with the threat of climate change and mounting financial problems, has prompted researchers to measure the overall "health" of 152 countries around the world. ... > full story

NASA spacecraft reveals recent geological activity on the moon (February 20, 2012) -- New images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft show the moon's crust is being stretched, forming minute valleys in a few small areas on the lunar surface. Scientists propose this geologic activity occurred less than 50 million years ago, which is considered recent compared to the moon's age of more than 4.5 billion years. ... > full story

Pulsars: The universe's gift to physics (February 20, 2012) -- Pulsars, which already have produced two Nobel Prizes, are providing scientists with unique insights on topics from particle physics to General Relativity. ... > full story

One step closer to a new kilogram (February 20, 2012) -- Researchers have produced technology capable of accurate measurements of Planck's constant, which is a significant step towards changing the international definition of the kilogram -- currently based on a lump of platinum-iridium metal kept in Paris, France. ... > full story

Never forget your keys, phone or lipstick ever again (February 20, 2012) -- RFID tags are becoming ubiquitous, shops, warehouses, libraries and others use them for stock and inventory control and to reduce the risk of theft. Now, a team in Dubai has developed the concept of an IPURSE, a mobile platform that keeps track of tiny RFID tags you stick to or insert into your personal possessions, mobile phone, camera, laptop, keys other gadgets and even mundane objects such as notebooks and cosmetics. ... > full story

Tongue drive system goes inside the mouth to improve performance and user comfort (February 20, 2012) -- The Tongue Drive System is getting less conspicuous and more capable. The newest system prototype allows people with high-level spinal cord injuries to wear an inconspicuous dental retainer embedded with sensors to operate a computer and electric wheelchair simply by moving their tongues. ... > full story

Single-atom transistor is end of Moore's Law; may be beginning of quantum computing (February 19, 2012) -- The smallest transistor ever built -- in fact, the smallest transistor that can be built -- has been created using a single phosphorus atom by an international team of researchers. ... > full story

NuSTAR Mated to its Rocket (February 19, 2012) -- NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) was mated, or attached, to its Pegasus XL rocket Feb. 17, 2012 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California. The mission's launch is now scheduled for no earlier than March 21 to allow the launch vehicle team an additional week to complete necessary engineering reviews. NuSTAR will probe the hottest, densest and most energetic objects in space, including black holes and the remnants of exploded stars. It will be the first space telescope to capture sharp images in high-energy X-rays, giving astronomers a new tool for understanding the extreme side of our universe. ... > full story

Toward better electronics: Researchers develop new way to oxidize promising graphene (February 19, 2012) -- Many experts think graphene could change the face of electronics -- especially if the scientific community can overcome a major challenge intrinsic to the material. Oxidation could be the answer. ... > full story

X-rays illuminate the interior of the Moon (February 19, 2012) -- Unlike Earth, the moon has no active volcanoes. This is surprising as liquid magma is believed to exist deep inside the Moon. Scientists have now found that this hot, molten rock could actually be so dense that it is too heavy to rise to the surface. For this experiment, microscopic reproductions of moon rock were put at the extremely high pressures and temperatures found inside the moon and their densities measured with powerful X-rays. ... > full story

How the tiger got its stripes: Proving Turing's tiger stripe theory (February 19, 2012) -- Researchers have provided the first experimental evidence confirming a great British mathematician's theory of how biological patterns such as tiger stripes or leopard spots are formed. ... > full story

A classic model for ecological stability revised, 40 years later (February 19, 2012) -- A famous mathematical formula which shook the world of ecology 40 years ago has been revisited and refined. ... > full story

'Duet of one' possible with hand-controlled voice synthesizer (February 19, 2012) -- New technology makes it possible for a person to speak or sing just by using their hands to control a speech synthesizer. The new gesture-to-voice-synthesizer technology mirrors processes that human use when they control their own vocal apparatus. ... > full story

Building blocks of early Earth survived collision that created moon (February 18, 2012) -- Unexpected new findings by geochemists show that some portions of the Earth's mantle (the rocky layer between Earth's metallic core and crust) formed when the planet was much smaller than it is now, and that some of this early-formed mantle survived Earth's turbulent formation, including a collision with another planet-sized body that many scientists believe led to the creation of the moon. ... > full story

Who goes there? Verifying identity online (February 17, 2012) -- We are all used to logging into networks where we have a unique identity, verified by the network server and associated with our account for other members of the network to see. Such an identity-based network system is useful because it is relatively simple. However, there are three major drawbacks including loss of anonymity of communicating users, misplaced trust and identity theft. ... > full story

Researchers develop better control for DNA-based computations (February 17, 2012) -- A chemist has found a way to give DNA-based computing better control over logic operations. His work could lead to interfacing DNA-based computing with traditional silicon-based computing. ... > full story

New braille-like texting app lets you text without looking (February 17, 2012) -- Researchers have designed a texting solution that could become a modern substitute for passing notes under the table. BrailleTouch is a prototype texting app that requires only finger gestures to key in letters on touch screen devices – no sight required. ... > full story

Revealed in accurate detail, the underground world of plants (February 17, 2012) -- Plant and computer scientists can now study the underground world of plants with more accuracy and clarity. The revolutionary technique will improve our chances of breeding better crop varieties and increasing yields. ... > full story

A robot sketches portraits (February 17, 2012) -- An industrial robot as artist? A painter made of metal really can sketch faces. Its artistic genius only emerges if someone takes a seat on the model’s stool positioned in front of the robot: first, its camera records an image of its model; then it whips out its pencil and traces a portrait of the individual on its easel. After around ten minutes have passed, it grabs the work and proudly presents it to its public. ... > full story

3-D microscopy to aid in cell analysis (February 17, 2012) -- The understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's is set to take a step forward following groundbreaking technology which will enable cell analysis using automated 3D microscopy. ... > full story

Nano-technology uses virus' coats to fool cancer cell (February 17, 2012) -- While there have been major advances in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of tumors within the brain, brain cancer continues to have a very low survival rate in part to high levels of resistance to treatment. New research has used Sendai virus to transport Quantum Dots (Qdots) into brain cancer cells and to specifically bind Qdots to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is often over-expressed and up-regulated in tumors. ... > full story

Geoscientists use numerical model to better forecast forces behind earthquakes (February 17, 2012) -- Researchers have devised a numerical model to help explain the linkage between earthquakes and the powerful forces that cause them. Their findings hold implications for long-term forecasting of earthquakes. ... > full story