ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Friday, April 22, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Friday, April 22, 2011

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Limit to nanotechnology mass-production? (April 22, 2011) -- A leading nanotechnology scientist has raised questions over a billion dollar industry by boldly claiming that there is a limit to how small nanotechnology materials can be mass produced. ... > full story

Why biggest stellar explosions often happen in tiniest galaxies: Ultraviolet probe sheds light on mystery (April 21, 2011) -- Astronomers using NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer may be closer to knowing why some of the most massive stellar explosions ever observed occur in the tiniest of galaxies. ... > full story

RNA nanoparticles constructed to safely deliver long-lasting therapy to cells (April 21, 2011) -- Though RNA is viewed as a promising tool in nanotherapy, the difficulties of producing stable and long-lasting therapeutic RNA have posed challenges to research. A biomedical engineering professor has detailed the successful production of large RNA nanoparticles from smaller RNA segments. The nanoparticles had a half life of between five and 10 hours in animal models and targeted cancer cells in vivo to release therapeutics. ... > full story

Does video game violence harm teens? New study weighs the evidence (April 21, 2011) -- How much scientific evidence is there for and against the assertion that exposure to video game violence can harm teens? Three researchers have developed a novel method to consider that question: they analyzed the research output of experts who filed a brief in a US Supreme Court case involving violent video games and teens. ... > full story

Material that if scratched, you can quickly and easily fix yourself, with light not heat (April 21, 2011) -- A team of researchers in the United States and Switzerland has developed a polymer-based material that can heal itself with the help of a widely used type of lighting. Called "metallo-supramolecular polymers," the material is capable of becoming a supple liquid that fills crevasses and gaps left by scrapes and scuffs when placed under ultraviolet light for less than a minute and then resolidifying. The paper will publish this week in journal Nature. ... > full story

Kids' 'screen time' linked to early markers for cardiovascular disease (April 21, 2011) -- Children who had the most hours of screen time, particularly in front of the television, had narrower arteries in the eyes -- a possible indicator for future heart disease risk, according to a new study. Children with the highest levels of physical activity had wider retinal arterioles. The magnitude of vessel narrowing for each hour of screen time was similar to a 10 millimeter of mercury rise in systolic blood pressure. ... > full story

Fat turns into soap in sewers, contributes to overflows (April 21, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered how fat, oil and grease can create hardened deposits in sewer lines: it turns into soap! The hardened deposits, which can look like stalactites, contribute to sewer overflows. ... > full story

CAPTCHAs with chaos: Strong protection for weak passwords (April 21, 2011) -- The passwords of the future could become more secure and, at the same time, simpler to use. Researchers have been inspired by the physics of critical phenomena in their attempts to significantly improve password protection. The researchers split a password into two sections. With the first, easy-to-memorize section they encrypt a CAPTCHA -- an image that computer programs have difficulty in deciphering. The researchers also make it more difficult for computers, whose task it is to automatically crack passwords, to read the passwords without authorization. They use images of a simulated physical system, which they additionally make unrecognizable with a chaotic process. ... > full story

Laser sparks revolution in internal combustion engines (April 21, 2011) -- For more than 150 years, spark plugs have powered internal combustion engines. Automakers are now one step closer to being able to replace this long-standing technology with laser igniters, which will enable cleaner, more efficient, and more economical vehicles. Researchers from Japan have developed the first multibeam laser system small enough to screw into an engine's cylinder head. ... > full story

Mega wind turbines of 20 MW (April 21, 2011) -- The present largest wind turbines have a capacity of 5-6 MW. Scientists have now presented the first design basis for developing mega wind turbines of 20 MW. One single wind turbine of this type in the North Sea would provide electricity for 15,000 to 20,000 dwellings. ... > full story

Beams of electrons link Saturn with its moon Enceladus (April 21, 2011) -- Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft have revealed that Enceladus, one of Saturn's diminutive moons, is linked to Saturn by powerful electrical currents -- beams of electrons that flow back and forth between the planet and moon. ... > full story

Researchers now one step closer to controlled engineering of nanocatalysts (April 21, 2011) -- Experts in material science and engineering have demonstrated a rational approach to producing nanocrystals with predictable shapes. The work could one day lead to the ability to rationally produce nanocatalysts with desired crystal surfaces and hence catalytic properties. ... > full story

A galactic rose highlights Hubble's 21st anniversary (April 21, 2011) -- In celebration of the 21st anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's deployment into space, astronomers pointed Hubble at an especially photogenic group of interacting galaxies called Arp 273. ... > full story

Electronic healthcare at the click of a mouse (April 21, 2011) -- Health literacy is a prerequisite for well being in the developed world with five out of five ailments being treatable by patients themselves given access to appropriate information. However, when symptoms appear, it is often difficult for a patient to make the right decision even given access to suitable health information and deciding whether their ailment is the one out of five that requires a health professional becomes a difficult task. ... > full story

Protein-patterned fibers: Researchers combine active proteins with material derived from fruit fly (April 20, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a way to pattern active proteins into bio-friendly fibers. The "eureka" moment came about because somebody forgot to clean up the lab one night. The new work simplifies the process of making materials with fully functional proteins. Such materials could find extensive use as chemical catalysts and biosensors and in tissue engineering, for starters. ... > full story

Mining data from electronic records: Faster way to get genetic clues to disease (April 20, 2011) -- Recruiting thousands of patients to collect health data for genetic clues to disease is expensive and time consuming. But a study shows that process could be faster and cheaper by mining patient data that already exists in electronic medical records. Researchers were able to cull patient information in electronic medical records from routine doctors' visits at five national sites. This allowed researchers to accurately identify patients with five different diseases and reproduce previous genetic findings. ... > full story

Primordial weirdness: Did the early universe have one dimension? Scientists outline test for theory (April 20, 2011) -- Did the early universe have just one spatial dimension? That's the mind-boggling concept at the heart of a new theory. Researchers now describe a test that could prove or disprove the "vanishing dimensions" hypothesis. ... > full story

Nanomedicine one step closer to reality (April 20, 2011) -- A class of engineered nanoparticles -- gold-centered spheres smaller than viruses -- has been shown safe when administered by two alternative routes in a new mouse study. ... > full story

Ends of chromosomes protected by stacked, coiled DNA caps (April 20, 2011) -- Researchers are delving into the details of the complex structure at the ends of chromosomes. Recent work describes how these structures, called telomeres, can be protected by caps made up of specialized proteins and stacks of DNA called G-quadruplexes, or "G4 DNA." ... > full story

Another universe tugging on ours? Maybe not: Data from exploding stars contradicts earlier study (April 20, 2011) -- In 2008, researchers announced a startling discovery: Clusters of galaxies far apart from one another appeared to be traveling in the same direction. Maybe another universe existed beyond the bounds of ours, dragging our stars ever closer through the pull of gravity. Then again, maybe not. A new study contradicts the dark flow theory, showing that exploding stars in different parts of the universe do not appear to be moving in sync. ... > full story

'3-D towers' of information double data storage areal density (April 20, 2011) -- Using well-known patterned media, a team of researchers in France has figured out a way to double the areal density of information by essentially cutting the magnetic media into small pieces and building a "3-D tower" out of it. ... > full story

'Impossible' feat: Certain materials can exhibit ferromagnetism and superconductivity at same time (April 20, 2011) -- It actually seems impossible: Scientists in Germany were able to verify with an intermetallic compound of bismuth and nickel that certain materials actually exhibit the two contrary properties of superconductivity and ferromagnetism at the same time. A phenomenon that had only been demonstrated around the globe on a small number of materials and which might provide highly interesting technological opportunities in future. ... > full story

Miniature invisibility 'carpet cloak' hides more than its small size implies (April 20, 2011) -- Invisibility cloaking techniques have come with a significant limitation -- they need to be orders of magnitude larger than the object being cloaked. A team of physicists may have overcome this size limitation by using a technology known as a "carpet cloaks," which can conceal a much larger area than other cloaking techniques of comparable size. ... > full story

Propeller turbulence may affect marine food webs, study finds (April 20, 2011) -- A new study shows that turbulence from boat propellers can and does kill large numbers of copepods -- tiny crustaceans that are an important part of marine food webs. ... > full story

Biologically inspired catalysts being developed (April 20, 2011) -- A research team is developing biologically-inspired catalysts. The work is based on organic catalytic framework made sturdy by the replacement of carbon-hydrogen bonds with a combination of aromatic and aliphatic carbon-fluorine bonds. ... > full story

Nanoparticles with honeycomb cavities containing drugs blast cancer cells (April 20, 2011) -- Melding nanotechnology and medical research, researchers have produced an effective strategy that uses nanoparticles to blast cancerous cells with a melange of killer drugs. The researchers made silica nanoparticles honeycombed with cavities that can store large amounts and varieties of drugs. ... > full story

Collecting the sun's energy: Novel electrode for flexible thin-film solar cells (April 20, 2011) -- Conventional silicon-based rigid solar cells generally found on the market are not suitable for manufacturing moldable thin-film solar cells, in which a transparent, flexible and electrically conductive electrode collects the light and carries away the current. A new woven polymer electrode has now produced first results which are very promising, indicating that the new material may be a substitute for indium tin oxide coatings. ... > full story

New biosensor microchip could speed up drug development, researchers say (April 20, 2011) -- A new biosensor microchip that could hold more than 100,000 magnetically sensitive nanosensors could speed up drug development markedly, researchers say. The nanosensors analyze how proteins bond -- a critical step in drug development. The ultrasensitive sensors can simultaneously monitor thousands of times more proteins than existing technology, deliver results faster and assess the strength of the bonds. ... > full story

New MRI methodology revolutionizes imaging of the beating heart (April 20, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have developed a highly efficient approach for imaging the beating human heart. The images produced in one of the world's most powerful MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) systems whose power is equivalent to 150,000 times Earth's magnetic field are of a much higher detail than cardiac images commonly generated in current clinical practice. The ultra-high field approach permits a superb delineation between blood and heart muscle. Even subtle anatomical structures are made clearly visible. The new procedure holds the promise to advance the capabilities of cardiac research and care as cardiac malfunctions can be diagnosed, treated and monitored at a much earlier point in disease progression. ... > full story

New kid on the plasmonic block: Researchers find plasmonic resonances in semiconductor nanocrystals (April 20, 2011) -- Researchers have achieved plasmonic properties in the semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots. Until now, plasmonic properties, which hold promise for superfast computers and ultrapowerful optical microscopes among many other possibilities, have been limited to nanostructures featuring interfaces between noble metals and dielectrics. This new discovery should make the already hot field of plasmonic technology even hotter. ... > full story

LED efficiency puzzle solved by theorists using quantum-mechanical calculations (April 19, 2011) -- Researchers say they've figured out the cause of a problem that's made light-emitting diodes (LEDs) impractical for general lighting purposes. Their work will help engineers develop a new generation of high-performance, energy-efficient lighting that could replace incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. ... > full story

Zoom-up star photos poke holes in century-old astronomical theory (April 19, 2011) -- The hottest stars in the universe spin so fast that they get a bit squished at their poles and dimmer around their middle. The 90-year-old theory that predicts the extent of this "gravity darkening" phenomenon has major flaws, according to a new study. ... > full story

Probing the laws of gravity: A gravity resonance method (April 19, 2011) -- Quantum mechanical methods can now be used to study gravity. Scientists in Austria have developed a new measurement method that allows them to test the fundamental theories of physics. ... > full story

Could black trees blossom in a world with two suns? (April 19, 2011) -- A sky with two suns is a favorite image for science fiction films, but how would a binary star system affect life evolving on an orbiting planet? A researcher suggests what plants might be like on an Earth-like planet with two or three suns and found that they may appear black or grey. ... > full story

Accelerate data storage by several orders of magnitude? Ultra-fast magnetic reversal observed (April 19, 2011) -- A newly discovered magnetic phenomenon could accelerate data storage by several orders of magnitude. With a constantly growing flood of information, we are being inundated with increasing quantities of data, which we in turn want to process faster than ever. Oddly, the physical limit to the recording speed of magnetic storage media has remained largely unresearched. In experiments performed on a particle accelerator, researchers have now achieved ultrafast magnetic reversal and discovered a surprising phenomenon. ... > full story

Sugar helping map new ground against deadly bug (April 19, 2011) -- A potential vaccine against bacteria that cause serious gastric disorders including stomach cancer may be a step closer following a pioneering study. ... > full story

Astronomers can tune in to radio auroras to find exoplanets (April 19, 2011) -- Detecting exoplanets that orbit at large distances from their star remains a challenge for planet hunters. Now, scientists have shown that emissions from the radio aurora of planets like Jupiter should be detectable by radio telescopes such as LOFAR, which will be completed later this year. ... > full story

X‑rays shed new light on regulation of muscle contraction (April 19, 2011) -- More than 200 years ago, Luigi Galvani discovered that the muscles of a frog's leg twitch when a voltage is applied. Scientists from Italy, the UK and France have brought this textbook classic into the era of nanoscience. They used a new synchrotron X-ray technique to observe for the first time at the molecular scale how muscle proteins change form and structure inside an intact and contracting muscle cell. ... > full story

Super-small transistor created: Artificial atom powered by single electrons (April 19, 2011) -- A single-electron transistor with a central component -- an island only 1.5 nanometers in diameter -- that operates with the addition of only one or two electrons has been developed. The transistor, named SketchSET, provides a building block for new, more powerful computer memories, advanced electronic materials, and the basic components of quantum computers that could solve problems so complex that all of the world's computers working together for billions of years could not crack them. ... > full story

Portable devices' built-in motion sensors improve data rates on wireless networks (April 19, 2011) -- For most of the 20th century, the paradigm of wireless communication was a radio station with a single high-power transmitter. As long as you were within 20 miles or so of the transmitter, you could pick up the station. With the advent of cell phones, however, and even more so with Wi-Fi, the paradigm became a large number of scattered transmitters with limited range. When a user moves out of one transmitter's range and into another's, the network has to perform a "handoff." And as anyone who's lost a cell-phone call in a moving car or lost a Wi-Fi connection while walking to the bus stop can attest, handoffs don't always happen as they should. Researchers have now developed new protocols that can often, for users moving around, improve network throughput (the amount of information that devices could send and receive in a given period) by about 50 percent. ... > full story

Virtual surgery shows promise in personalized treatment of nasal obstruction (April 19, 2011) -- A preliminary report suggests that virtual nasal surgery has the potential to be a productive tool that may enable surgeons to perform personalized nasal surgery using computer simulation techniques. ... > full story

Did a supernova mark the birth of the Merry Monarch? (April 19, 2011) -- The supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is the relic of the explosion of a massive star that took place around 11,000 years ago and is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky. Oddly, although the light from the explosion should have reached the Earth in the seventeenth century and been easily visible in the sky, it appears to have gone unnoticed. Now astronomers and historians argue that the supernova was seen -- as a 'new' star visible during the day at the birth of the future King Charles II of Great Britain. ... > full story

Learn to run a biorefinery in a virtual control room (April 19, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a virtual biorefinery control room based on ethanol and biodiesel plants in Iowa. The system is designed to teach students and workers to efficiently run a biorefinery. The simulations take into account more than 20 production attributes including moisture, starch content, contaminants, temperature and particle size. The virtual control room can be modified to offer training and experience when new feedstocks and technologies are developed. ... > full story

Students develop thought-controlled, hands-free computer for the disabled (April 19, 2011) -- Software engineering students have developed innovative technology that could enable people to operate a computer without using a keyboard or mouse -- only their brainwaves. ... > full story

Watching the birth of a sunspot (April 18, 2011) -- Researchers have monitored the birth of a sunspot over a period of eight hours using observations from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). ... > full story

Neutral atoms made to act like electrically charged particles (April 18, 2011) -- Completing the circuit they started by creating synthetic magnetic fields, scientists have made atoms act as if they were charged particles in electric fields. ... > full story

Shocking environment of hot Jupiters (April 18, 2011) -- Jupiter-like worlds around other stars push shock waves ahead of them, according to astronomers. Just as Earth's magnetic "bow-shock" protects us from the high-energy solar wind, these planetary shocks protect their atmospheres from their star's damaging emissions, according to new research. ... > full story

Scientists finely control methane combustion to get different products (April 18, 2011) -- Scientists find that combustion of methane using two gold atoms at room temperature yields ethylene, while at lower temperatures it yields formaldehyde. ... > full story