The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Tuesday, July 3, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, July 3, 2012

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See, feel, hear and control your environment, virtually (July 3, 2012) -- Scientists have transformed vast amounts of data into applications and systems that are able to analyze crowd behavior, allow remote energy management or even tell where some of the windiest spots in the city center are. ... > full story

Scientists create 'rubber-band electronics' (July 2, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new way to make highly stretchable electronics. The technology could pave the way for bendable laptops and medical devices that can be integrated into the human body. ... > full story

Sounding rocket mission to observe magnetic fields on the sun (July 2, 2012) -- On July 5, NASA will launch a mission called the Solar Ultraviolet Magnetograph Investigation or SUMI, to study the intricate, constantly changing magnetic fields on the sun in a hard-to-observe area of the sun's low atmosphere called the chromosphere. ... > full story

'Next-generation digital Earth' charted (July 2, 2012) -- The world has gotten smaller and more accessible since applications like Google Earth became mainstream, says an expert. However, there is still a long way to go, and there are important steps to take to get there. ... > full story

Tapping into genetic reservoir of heat-loving bacteria (July 2, 2012) -- The identification of key proteins in a group of heat-loving bacteria could help light a fire under next-generation biofuel production. ... > full story

Breaking the skin barrier: Drugs topically deliver gene therapy via commercial moisturizers for skin disease treatment (July 2, 2012) -- "Getting under your skin" takes on new meaning thanks to research that could transform gene therapy. A team from the fields of dermatology and nanotechnology is the first to demonstrate the use of commercial moisturizers to deliver gene therapy with great potential for life-saving therapies for skin cancers. The drug -- consisting of novel spherical arrangements of nucleic acids -- penetrates the skin's layers and can selectively target disease-causing genes while sparing normal genes. ... > full story

Scientists Unlock Some Key Secrets of Photosynthesis (July 2, 2012) -- New research is seeking to detail the individual steps of highly efficient reactions that convert sunlight into chemical energy within plants and bacteria. ... > full story

Higher energies for laser-accelerated particles possible (July 2, 2012) -- Physicists have demonstrated for the first time that laser-accelerated protons follow the direction of the laser light. By incorporating this new data into a conventional model describing the laser particle acceleration, high proton energies which have not been realized so far might become achievable. This is important for developing laser particle acceleration for cancer therapy. ... > full story

Naturally adhesive: New glues from renewable raw materials (July 2, 2012) -- Until now most adhesives have been manufactured from petroleum-based materials. However, they can also be obtained from renewable raw materials -- for example from proteins, natural rubber, starch, or cellulose. Researchers are working on new formulas for industrial applications. ... > full story

Electronic medical record improves physician compliance of reviewing portal images, study suggests (July 2, 2012) -- The use of an electronic medical record for reviewing portal images dramatically improves compliance with timeliness and record keeping, according to a new study. Portal images are used to verify the positioning of patients during daily radiation treatments to improve the accuracy of the radiation field placement, to reduce exposure to normal tissue and to deliver accurate dose to tumor volumes. ... > full story

Censoring social media fans flames of social unrest (July 2, 2012) -- Is social media censorship a means to quell a modern uprising? Some politicians and law enforcers during the political turbulence of 2011 thought so but recent research suggests that uncensored citizens experience less violence and longer periods of peace between outbursts than communities subject to censorship. ... > full story

Tevatron scientists announce their final results on the Higgs particle (July 2, 2012) -- After more than 10 years of gathering and analyzing data produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Tevatron collider, scientists from the CDF and DZero collaborations have found their strongest indication to date for the long-sought Higgs particle. Squeezing the last bit of information out of 500 trillion collisions produced by the Tevatron for each experiment since March 2001, the final analysis of the data does not settle the question of whether the Higgs particle exists, but gets closer to an answer. ... > full story

New light shed on explosive solar activity (July 2, 2012) -- The first images of an upward surge of the sun's gases into quiescent coronal loops have been identified by an international team of scientists. The discovery is one more step towards understanding the origins of extreme space storms, which can destroy satellite communications and damage power grids on Earth. ... > full story

Physics confirms sprinters are performing better than ever before (July 2, 2012) -- Experts reveal that the men’s 100 m sprint will be one event not to miss this summer. ... > full story

'Trophy molecule' breakthrough may result in cleaner, cooler nuclear energy (July 2, 2012) -- Experts have created a stable version of a ‘trophy molecule’ that has eluded scientists for decades. They have prepared a terminal uranium nitride compound which is stable at room temperature and can be stored in jars in crystallized or powder form. The breakthrough could have future implications for the nuclear energy industry — uranium nitride materials may potentially offer a viable alternative to the current mixed oxide nuclear fuels used in reactors since nitrides exhibit superior high densities, melting points, and thermal conductivities and the process the scientists used to make the compound could offer a cleaner, low temperature route than methods currently used. ... > full story

Inspired by nature: Paints and coatings containing bactericidal agent nanoparticles combat marine fouling (July 2, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered that tiny vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles can inhibit the growth of barnacles, bacteria, and algae on surfaces in contact with water, such as ship hulls, sea buoys, or offshore platforms. Their experiments showed that steel plates to which a coating containing dispersed vanadium pentoxide particles had been applied could be exposed to seawater for weeks without the formation of deposits of barnacles, bacteria, and algae. ... > full story

German wind farms can kill bats from near and far, research suggests (July 2, 2012) -- Wind turbines may have large-scale negative effects on distant ecosystems. New research demonstrates that bats killed at German wind turbines originate mostly from northeastern Europe. ... > full story

Achieve Olympic feet with barefoot running (July 2, 2012) -- British Olympic runners could run more economically by just taking off their shoes, say researchers. ... > full story

Mapping research with WikiMaps (July 2, 2012) -- An international research team has developed a dynamic tool that allows you to see a map of what is "important" on Wikipedia and the connections between different entries. The tool, which is currently in the "alpha" phase of development, displays classic musicians, bands, people born in the 1980s, and selected celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Barack Obama, and Justin Bieber. A slider control, or play button, lets you move through time to see how a particular topic or group has evolved over the last 3 or 4 years. The desktop version allows you to select any article or topic. ... > full story

Falling lizards use tail for mid-air twist, inspiring lizard-like 'RightingBot' (July 1, 2012) -- Lizards, just like cats, have a knack for turning right side up and landing on their feet when they fall. But how do they do it? Unlike cats, which twist and bend their torsos to turn upright, lizards swing their large tails one way to rotate their body the other, according to new research. A lizard-inspired robot, called "RightingBot," replicates the feat. ... > full story

Printing living tissues: 3-D printed vascular networks made of sugar (July 1, 2012) -- New advances in tissue engineering could one day make a replacement liver from a patient's cells, or animal muscle tissue that could be cut into steaks. One problem with making 3-D tissue structures, however, is keeping the interior cells from suffocating. Now, researchers have developed an innovative solution: they've shown that 3-D printed templates of filament networks can be used to rapidly create vasculature and improve the function of engineered living tissues. ... > full story

New spin on old method to develop more efficient electronics (July 1, 2012) -- With the advent of semiconductor transistors -- invented in 1947 as a replacement for bulky and inefficient vacuum tubes -- has come the consistent demand for faster, more energy-efficient technologies. To fill this need, researchers are proposing a new spin on an old method: a switch from the use of silicon electronics back to vacuums as a medium for electron transport -- exhibiting a significant paradigm shift in electronics. ... > full story

New fuel cell keeps going after the hydrogen runs out (June 29, 2012) -- Materials scientists have demonstrated a solid-oxide fuel cell that converts hydrogen into electricity but can also store electrochemical energy like a battery. This fuel cell can continue to produce power for a short time after its fuel has run out. ... > full story

First successful 'spoofing' of unmanned aerial vehicles (June 29, 2012) -- Scientists demonstrated for the first time that the GPS signals of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, can be commandeered by an outside source -- a discovery that could factor heavily into the implementation of a new federal mandate to allow thousands of civilian drones into the US airspace by 2015. ... > full story

Skin contact breast tumor detection (June 29, 2012) -- A simple and cost effective imaging device for breast tumor detection based on a flexible and wearable antenna system has been developed. Researchers point out that their system holds the promise of much earlier detection than mammography. ... > full story

Clothing the body electric: Cotton T-shirt fabric can store electricity, maybe keep your cell phone charged (June 29, 2012) -- The fabric in a cotton T-shirt was converted into a material that can store electricity. A flexible source of electrical power made from this kind of material might one day be able to charge your cell phone, or any number of other mobile electronic devices. ... > full story

New technique controls graphite to graphene transition (June 29, 2012) -- Physicists have found a way to systematically study and control the transition of graphite, the “lead” found in pencils, to graphene, one of the strongest, lightest and most conductive materials known. ... > full story

Making the shortest light bursts leads to better understanding of nature (June 29, 2012) -- An attosecond is a ridiculously brief sliver of time – a scant billionth of a billionth of a second. This may seem too short to have any practical applications, but at the atomic level, where electrons zip and jump about, these vanishingly short timescales are crucial to a deeper understanding of science. ... > full story

Stealthy microscopy method visualizes E. coli sub-cellular structure in 3-D (June 29, 2012) -- A sub-cellular world has been opened up for scientists to study E. coli and other tissues in new ways, thanks to a microscopy method that stealthily provides 3-D, high-quality images of the internal structure of cells without disturbing the specimen. ... > full story

Scientists help create an extra second of summer: Leap second to be added on July 1, 2012 (June 29, 2012) -- Scientists will be adding a leap second at 00:59 BST on July 1 to its atomic clocks, to ensure UK time remains synchronized with international time. ... > full story

Cloud computing: Same weakness found in seven cloud storage services (June 29, 2012) -- Cloud storage services allow registration using false e-mail addresses – experts see the possibility for espionage and malware distribution. ... > full story

How to bend it like Beckham: Physics students calculate perfect soccer ball kicking formula (June 29, 2012) -- Now that David Beckham won't be appearing at the London 2012 Olympics, other members of Team GB wanting to brush up on their free-kicks can rest easy. A physics students has figured out the optimum way of kicking a soccer ball in order to make it bend into the goal. The ex-England captain's curling free-kicks became legendary, and even inspired the title of the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham. ... > full story

Help for cardiac arrest patients -- fast and without electricity (June 29, 2012) -- Textile cooling pads are to be used in future to prevent neurological damage after successful resuscitation. The system requires no electric power, making it ideal especially for first aid in case of cardiac arrest. ... > full story

Multiple mergers generate ultraluminous infrared galaxy (June 29, 2012) -- Ultraluminous infrared galaxies are the most luminous class of galaxies in the relatively near or local Universe. Most of their energy output is in the infrared range, suggesting that they contain a large amount of dust, an indication of immense star formation. ... > full story

Colorful light at the end of the tunnel for radiation detection (June 29, 2012) -- Nanomaterials researchers have developed a new technique for radiation detection that could make radiation detection in cargo and baggage more effective and less costly for homeland security inspectors. ... > full story

Evidence of life on Mars could come from Martian moon Phobos (June 29, 2012) -- A mission to a Martian moon could return with alien life, according to experts, but don't expect the invasion scenario presented by summer blockbusters like "Men in Black 3" or "Prometheus." A sample from the moon Phobos, scientists believe, would almost surely contain Martian material blasted off from large asteroid impacts. If life on Mars exists or existed within the last 10 million years, a mission to Phobos could yield our first evidence of life beyond Earth. ... > full story

First-ever changes in an exoplanet atmosphere detected (June 29, 2012) -- Astronomers have using data made an unparalleled observation, detecting significant changes in the atmosphere of a planet located beyond our solar system. ... > full story

Has the speediest pulsar been found? (June 29, 2012) -- The fastest moving pulsar may have been found about 30,000 light years from Earth. This object is known as IGR J1104-6103 and may be racing away from a supernova remnant at about 6 million miles per hour. If confirmed, this would challenge theorists to create models that explain such super speeds out of supernova explosions. ... > full story

Improving efficiencies in fuel, chemical and pharmaceutical industries (June 28, 2012) -- Engineering researchers have made a major breakthrough in developing a catalyst used during chemical reactions in the production of gasoline, plastics, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals. The discovery could lead to major efficiencies and cost-savings in these multibillion-dollar industries. ... > full story

Plasma startup creates high-energy light to make smaller microchips (June 28, 2012) -- A pair of aeronautical engineers working on fusion energy -- harnessing the energy-generating mechanism of the sun -- may have found a way to etch the next generation of microchips. ... > full story

Programmable DNA scissors found for bacterial immune system (June 28, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a programmable RNA complex in the bacterial immune system that guides the cleaving of DNA at targeted sites. This discovery opens a new door to genome editing with implications for the green chemistry microbial-based production of advanced biofuels, therapeutic drugs and other valuable chemical products. ... > full story

Cassini finds likely subsurface ocean on Saturn's moon Titan (June 28, 2012) -- Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed Saturn's moon Titan likely harbors a layer of liquid water under its ice shell. Researchers saw a large amount of squeezing and stretching as the moon orbited Saturn. They deduced that if Titan were composed entirely of stiff rock, the gravitational attraction of Saturn would cause bulges, or solid "tides," on the moon only 3 feet (1 meter) in height. Spacecraft data show Saturn creates solid tides approximately 30 feet (10 meters) in height, which suggests Titan is not made entirely of solid rocky material. ... > full story

Study on fungi helps explain coal formation and may advance future biofuels production (June 28, 2012) -- The evolution of white rot fungi might have helped bring an end to the geologic period characterized by the formation of large coal deposits, and may help lay the groundwork for the future production of biofuels. ... > full story

Milky Way struck 100 million years ago, still rings like a bell (June 28, 2012) -- Astronomers have discovered evidence that our Milky Way had an encounter with a small galaxy or massive dark matter structure perhaps as recently as 100 million years ago, and as a result of that encounter it is still ringing like a bell. ... > full story

Not-so-precious: Stripping gold from AFM probes allows better measurement of picoscale forces (June 28, 2012) -- Researchers found that removing an AFM probe's gold coating -- until now considered helpful -- greatly improved force measurements performed in a liquid, the medium favored for biophysical studies such as stretching DNA or unfolding proteins. ... > full story

NIST goes the distance for the Olympics (June 28, 2012) -- In yet another Olympian feat of measurement, researchers recently calibrated a tape that will be used to measure out the distance of this summer's Olympic marathon -- a distance of 26 miles 385 yards -- to one part in 1,000. ... > full story

Pollutants could pose health risks for five sea turtle species (June 28, 2012) -- Researchers have measured for the first time concentrations of 13 compounds in five different endangered species of sea turtles that approach the amounts known to cause adverse health effects in other animals. ... > full story

Competitive swimmers can have movements tracked wirelessly through water (June 28, 2012) -- Training sessions for Team GB's swimmers have been getting a helping hand from a new system incorporating cutting-edge movement tracking and sensor technologies. From starting dives to tumble turns the state-of-the-art coaching aid is the first of its kind to be able to track movement wirelessly through water. ... > full story