The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Monday, September 26, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Monday, September 26, 2011

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Hints of universal behavior seen in exotic three-atom states (September 26, 2011) -- A novel type of inter-particle binding predicted in 1970 and observed for the first time in 2006, is forming the basis for an intriguing kind of ultracold quantum chemistry. A new experiment observing the four 3-atom cesium states reports that the states' sizes are roughly the same. This has taken theorists by complete surprise. ... > full story

Hog waste producing electricity and carbon offsets (September 26, 2011) -- A pilot waste-to-energy system constructed by Duke University and Duke Energy this week garnered the endorsement of Google Inc., which invests in high-quality carbon offsets from across the nation to fulfill its own carbon neutrality goals. The system, on a hog finishing facility 25 miles west of Winston-Salem, converts hog waste into electricity and creates carbon offset credits. ... > full story

Rotating magnetic moments: Spin pumping effect demonstrated for first time (September 26, 2011) -- Physicists have demonstrated the spin pumping effect in magnetic layers for the first time experimentally. The behavior of the spin pumping had previously only been predicted theoretically. Scientists have now succeeded in measuring the effect using ultrafast X-ray scattering with picosecond resolution. Through their rotation of the magnetic moments, the so-called magnetic precession, single electrons can mutually influence each other's rotation (spin) through a non-magnetic intermediate layer. ... > full story

Ceramics researchers shed light on metal embrittlement (September 26, 2011) -- Liquid metal embrittlement, or LME, has baffled metallurgists for a century. Now, ceramics researchers have obtained atomic-scale images of unprecedented resolution of the grain boundaries, or internal interfaces, where LME occurs. ... > full story

Edible carbon dioxide sponge: All-natural nanostructures could address pressing environmental problem (September 25, 2011) -- A year ago chemists published a recipe for a new class of nanostructures made of sugar, salt and alcohol. Now, the same team has discovered the edible compounds can efficiently detect, capture and store carbon dioxide. The porous crystals -- known as metal-organic frameworks -- are made from all-natural ingredients and simple to prepare, giving them a huge advantage over other MOFs, which are usually prepared from materials derived from crude oil. ... > full story

Ultrasonic instrument may be helpful for rhinoplasty, study finds (September 25, 2011) -- The ultrasonic bone aspirator, which uses sound waves to remove bone without damage to surrounding soft tissue or mucous membranes, may be a useful tool for surgeons performing cosmetic rhinoplasty (cosmetic surgery of the nose), according to a new study. ... > full story

Racing against time: New tool available for rapidly rescuing those trapped beneath concrete (September 25, 2011) -- When the World Trade Center's Twin Towers collapsed on Sept. 11, 2011, one of the most critical challenges that first responders faced was cutting through concrete to get to victims trapped. A new tool has been developed to help rescue those trapped beneath concrete. ... > full story

From the comfort of home, web users may have found new planets (September 25, 2011) -- Since the online citizen science project Planet Hunters launched last December, 40,000 web users from around the world have been helping professional astronomers analyze the light from 150,000 stars in the hopes of discovering Earth-like planets orbiting around them. ... > full story

Amazing electrical properties in polymers discovered (September 25, 2011) -- Crystals and ceramics pale when compared to a material researchers discovered that has 10 times their piezoelectric effect, making it suitable for perhaps hundreds of everyday uses. ... > full story

Nature shows the way: Self-healing membranes (September 24, 2011) -- The plant liana, whose stabilization rings of woody cells heal spontaneously after suffering damage, serves as a natural example to bionic experts of self-repairing membranes. Such membranes could find use, for example, in rubber dinghies. Researchers have borrowed this trick from nature and developed a polymer foam surface coating with a closed cell construction which not only reduces the pressure loss after the membrane is damaged but also makes the inflatable structure more resistant and giving it a longer operational life. ... > full story

NASA's UARS satellite re-enters Earth's atmosphere (September 24, 2011) -- NASA's decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. Sept. 24, 20 years and nine days after its launch on a 14-year mission that produced some of the first long-term records of chemicals in the atmosphere. The precise re-entry time and location of debris impacts have not been determined. During the re-entry period, the satellite passed from the east coast of Africa over the Indian Ocean, then the Pacific Ocean, then across northern Canada, then across the northern Atlantic Ocean, to a point over West Africa. The vast majority of the orbital transit was over water, with some flight over northern Canada and West Africa. ... > full story

Nature offers key lessons on harvesting solar power, say chemists (September 24, 2011) -- Clean solutions to human energy demands are essential to our future. While sunlight is the most abundant source of energy at our disposal, we have yet to learn how to capture, transfer and store solar energy efficiently. According to a new study, the answers can be found in the complex systems at work in nature. ... > full story

NASA to demonstrate communications via laser beam (September 24, 2011) -- It currently takes 90 minutes to transmit high-resolution images from Mars, but NASA would like to dramatically reduce that time to just minutes. A new optical communications system that NASA plans to demonstrate in 2016 will lead the way and even allow the streaming of high-definition video from distances beyond the moon. ... > full story

Researchers pinpoint the cause of MRI vertigo: Machine's magnetic field pushes fluid in the inner ear's balance organ (September 23, 2011) -- A team of researchers says it has discovered why so many people undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially in newer high-strength machines, get vertigo, or the dizzy sensation of free-falling, while inside or when coming out of the tunnel-like machine. ... > full story

New source of super-chilled neutrons provides tools for understanding fundamental physics concepts (September 23, 2011) -- Research into fundamental constants of nature and the search for new particles will benefit from new production method for ultra-cold neutrons. ... > full story

Cloaking magnetic fields: First antimagnet developed (September 23, 2011) -- Spanish researchers have designed what they believe to be a new type of magnetic cloak, which shields objects from external magnetic fields, while at the same time preventing any magnetic internal fields from leaking outside, making the cloak undetectable. ... > full story

Producing flexible CIGS solar cells with record efficiency (September 23, 2011) -- New technology has yielded flexible solar cells with an 18.7% record efficiency. Key to the breakthrough is the control of the energy band gap grading in the copper indium gallium (di)selenide semiconductor, also known as CIGS, the layer that absorbs light and converts it into electricity. Scientists achieved this by controlling the vapor flux of elements during different stages of the evaporation process for growing the CIGS layer. ... > full story

Solar activity can affect re-entry of UARS satellite (September 23, 2011) -- The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is headed toward Earth, but it hasn't been easy to precisely determine the path and pace of UARS because space itself changes over time -- in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun. ... > full story

Particles appear to travel faster than light: OPERA experiment reports anomaly in flight time of neutrinos (September 23, 2011) -- Scientists with the OPERA experiment, which observes a neutrino beam from CERN 730 km away at Italy's INFN Gran Sasso Laboratory, are presenting surprising new results that show neutrinos traveling faster than light. The OPERA result is based on the observation of over 15,000 neutrino events measured at Gran Sasso, and appears to indicate that the neutrinos travel at a velocity 20 parts per million above the speed of light, nature's cosmic speed limit. Given the potential far-reaching consequences of such a result, independent measurements are needed before the effect can either be refuted or firmly established. ... > full story

New targets for the control of HIV predicted using a novel computational analysis (September 23, 2011) -- Over 25 years of intensive research have failed to create a vaccine for preventing HIV. A new computational approach has predicted numerous human proteins that the human immunodeficiency virus requires to replicate itself -- "a powerful resource for experimentalists who desire to discover new targets." ... > full story

New metal hydride clusters provide insights into hydrogen storage (September 23, 2011) -- A new study has shed light on a class of heterometallic molecular structures whose unique features point the way to breakthroughs in the development of lightweight fuel cell technology. The structures contain a previously-unexplored combination of rare-earth and d-transition metals ideally suited to the compact storage of hydrogen. ... > full story

Spiral constriction: How dynamin mediates cellular nutrient uptake (September 23, 2011) -- Researchers have determined the molecular structure of dynamin -- a "wire-puller" that mediates nutrient uptake into the cell. Since pathogens such as HIV can also enter the body's cells in this way, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms can potentially open up new approaches for medical applications. ... > full story

Lessons to be learned from nature in photosynthesis (September 23, 2011) -- Lessons to be learned from nature could lead to the development of an artificial version of photosynthesis that would provide us with an absolutely clean and virtually inexhaustible energy source, say researchers. ... > full story

Scientists lay out plans for efficient harvesting of solar energy (September 23, 2011) -- Solar power could be harvested more efficiently and transported over long distances using tiny molecular circuits, according to research inspired by new insights into natural photosynthesis. ... > full story

Faster than light? Neutrino finding puzzles scientists (September 23, 2011) -- Neutrinos that travel faster than light? This seems to be the conclusion of the measurements performed by a team of researchers with the OPERA international experiment. ... > full story

Nanoscale nonlinear light source optical device can be controlled electronically (September 22, 2011) -- By harnessing plasmonics to intensify light, engineers have created an ultra-compact nonlinear light source that shrinks a large-scale, high-energy device to the nanoscale with research implications ranging from data communications to a better understanding of fundamental science. ... > full story

Scientists observe how superconducting nanowires lose resistance-free state (September 22, 2011) -- Physicists have measured the temperatures at which collections of electrons build up enough heat to force regions along superconducting aluminum nanowires to switch to a non-superconducting state. The information could help engineers build more reliable nanowires and more efficient nano-electronics. ... > full story

Carnivorous plant inspires coating that resists just about any liquids (September 22, 2011) -- Adopting the pitcher plant's slick prey-catching strategy, a group of applied scientists have created a material that repels just about any type of liquid, including blood and oil, and does so even under harsh conditions like high pressure and freezing temperatures. The bio-inspired liquid repellence technology should find applications in biomedical fluid handling, fuel transport, and anti-fouling and anti-icing technologies. It could even lead to self-cleaning windows and improved optical devices. ... > full story

Radiation boost for artificial joints (September 22, 2011) -- A blast of gamma radiation could toughen up plastic prosthetic joints to make them strong enough to last for years, according to researchers. ... > full story

Saturn's moon Enceladus spreads its influence (September 22, 2011) -- Chalk up one more feat for Saturn's intriguing moon Enceladus. The small, dynamic moon spews out dramatic plumes of water vapor and ice -- first seen by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2005. It possesses simple organic particles and may house liquid water beneath its surface. Its geyser-like jets create a gigantic halo of ice, dust and gas around Enceladus that helps feed Saturn's E ring. Now, thanks again to those icy jets, Enceladus is the only moon in our solar system known to influence substantially the chemical composition of its parent planet. ... > full story

Bionic bacteria may help make new drugs, biofuels: Artificially enhanced bacteria capable of producing new kinds of synthetic chemicals (September 22, 2011) -- A strain of genetically enhanced bacteria developed by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may pave the way for new synthetic drugs and new ways of manufacturing medicines and biofuels, according to a new paper. ... > full story

Could the Higgs boson explain the size of the universe? (September 22, 2011) -- The race to identify the Higgs boson is on at CERN. This Holy Grail of particle physics would help explain why the majority of elementary particles possess mass. The mysterious particle would also help us understand the evolution of the universe from the moment of its birth, according to a group of physicists. If their theory is verified with data from the Planck satellite, it would clear up several questions about the universe, past and future. ... > full story

Information technologies foster freedom or reinforce repression (September 22, 2011) -- The media may portray text messaging and social networks as powerful new weapons for freedom fighters, but these new communication tools may not be as uniformly beneficial or as robust as suggested, according to researchers. ... > full story

Scientists play ping-pong with single electrons (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers have moved an individual electron along a wire, batting it back and forth over 60 times, rather like the ball in a game of ping-pong. ... > full story

From protein to planes and pigskin: Discovery in insects' skin points to improved pest control, new bioplastics technology (September 22, 2011) -- The discovery that a protein in insect skin is responsible for protecting the insect as it molts its skin opens the possibilities for selective pest control and new biomaterials like football padding or lightweight aircraft components. It also debunks a more than 50-year-old belief about the protective shell of insects. ... > full story

Researchers use liquid crystal to replace space motors (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers in Northern Ireland have devised a way to eliminate the need for motors in space borne radiometers by incorporating liquid crystals in their Frequency Selective Surface (FSS) antenna arrays. ... > full story

Super-sized heart valve provides clues to blood flow (September 22, 2011) -- Researchers in Ireland have developed a super-sized model of a heart valve which may lead to a new generation of cardiovascular devices. Every year, mechanical valves are inserted into approximately 125,000 patients with heart valve disease around the world. However, the valves can lead to unnatural blood flows, which can trigger a clotting reaction. Because of this, patients with prosthetic heart valves must take medication daily, which can lead to side effects. ... > full story

Electrical stimulation of brain boosts birth of new cells: Animal study suggests deep brain stimulation improves memory (September 22, 2011) -- Stimulating a specific region of the brain leads to the production of new brain cells that enhance memory, according to an animal study. The findings show how deep brain stimulation -- a clinical intervention that delivers electrical pulses to targeted areas of the brain -- may work to improve cognition. ... > full story

Toward an improved test for adulterated heparin (September 22, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting refinement of a new test that promises to help assure the safety of supplies of heparin, the blood thinner taken by millions of people worldwide each year to prevent blood clots. The test can quickly and economically detect adulterants, including the substance responsible for hundreds of illnesses and deaths among patients taking heparin in 2008. ... > full story

YouTube videos can inaccurately depict Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, study finds (September 22, 2011) -- After reviewing the most frequently watched YouTube videos about movement disorders, a group of neurologists found that the people in the videos often do not have a movement disorder. ... > full story

Development of a new chip for characterizing ultrafast optical pulses (September 22, 2011) -- Boosting up microprocessors -the heart of modern computers- at the speed of light, reducing consumptions and costs, may now be a reality thanks to the development of a new high-performance chip. ... > full story

The key to lower dose CT fluoroscopy for spine injections is reducing the dose of the planning CT (September 22, 2011) -- The radiation dose for a CT fluoroscopy is about half that for conventional fluoroscopy to guide epidural steroid injections, however, the dose is substantially more than conventional fluoroscopy when a full lumbar planning CT scan is performed as part of the CT-guided procedure, a new study shows. ... > full story

Catching molecular motion at just the right time: Theorists overcome loss of entropy and friction in computational simulations (September 21, 2011) -- Researchers have devised a mathematically rich analytic approach to account for often-missing thermodynamic and molecular parameters in molecular dynamic simulations. The new approach returns atomistic-level data into the time frame of the macroscopic world. ... > full story

New theory explains collapse of World Trade Center's Twin Towers (September 21, 2011) -- According to a theory advanced by a materials scientist in Norway, a mixture of water from sprinkler systems and molten aluminum from melted aircraft hulls created explosions that led to the collapse of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. ... > full story

New 'smart window' system with unprecedented performance (September 21, 2011) -- A new "smart" window system has the unprecedented ability to inexpensively change from summer to winter modes, darkening to save air conditioning costs on scorching days and returning to crystal clarity in the winter to capture free heat from the sun, scientists are reporting. ... > full story

An angry bird in the sky: Lambda Centauri Nebula (September 21, 2011) -- A new image from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope reveals the Lambda Centauri Nebula, a cloud of glowing hydrogen and newborn stars in the constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur). The nebula, also known as IC 2944, is sometimes nicknamed the Running Chicken Nebula, from a bird-like shape some people see in its brightest region. ... > full story

Crystal structure shows how motor protein works (September 21, 2011) -- The crystal structure of the dynamin protein -- one of the molecular machines that makes cells work -- has been revealed, bringing insights into a class of molecules with a wide influence on health and disease. ... > full story

Proton-based transistor could let machines communicate with living things (September 21, 2011) -- Human devices, from light bulbs to iPods, send information using electrons. Human bodies and all other living things, on the other hand, send signals and perform work using ions or protons. Materials scientists have built a novel transistor that uses protons, creating a key piece for devices that can communicate directly with living things. ... > full story