ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Tuesday, May 24, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

New device could reduce surgical scarring (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a special wound dressing that they report was able to significantly reduced scar tissue caused by incisions. ... > full story

Ants give new evidence for interaction networks (May 24, 2011) -- Social networks may function differently than previously thought, researchers have discovered by taking clues from ant colonies. ... > full story

'Surrogates' aid design of complex parts and controlling video games (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have defined a new class of software, calling it "surrogate interaction," which enables designers and video gamers to more easily change features of complex objects like automotive drawings or animated characters. ... > full story

NASA's two lunar-bound spacecraft, vacuum-packed (May 24, 2011) -- NASA's two Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (Grail) spacecraft have completed all assembly and testing prior to shipment to Florida. ... > full story

Poorer reading skills following changed computer habits of children (May 24, 2011) -- Sweden and the US are two countries in which increased leisure use of computers by children can lead to poorer reading ability, according to a new analysis. ... > full story

World record in ultra-rapid data transmission (May 23, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have succeeded in encoding data at a rate of 26 terabits per second on a single laser beam, transmitting the data over a distance of 50 kilometers, and decoding the information successfully. This is the largest data volume ever transported on a laser beam. The process enables the transmission of 700 DVDs' worth of content in just one second. ... > full story

Used football faceshields are susceptible to breaking on impact (May 23, 2011) -- Game-worn football faceshields are more susceptible to breaking when subjected to high-velocity impact than are new faceshields, according to new research. Researchers shot baseballs at new and used polycarbonate faceshields. All of the new shields withstood the strongest impact tested, which was designed to match the force of a kick to the face. More than a third of the game-worn faceshields fractured in response to the testing, which included lower forces of impact as well. ... > full story

High performance electric motorcycle developed (May 23, 2011) -- Engineers have developed a prototype of a high-performance electric motorcycle, which has recently participated in the first electric motorcycle world championship. ... > full story

Just four percent of galaxies have neighbors like the Milky Way (May 23, 2011) -- How unique is the Milky Way? To find out, astrophysicists compared the Milky Way to similar galaxies and found that just four percent are like the galaxy Earth calls home. ... > full story

Portable hydrogen reactor for fuel cells (May 23, 2011) -- Chemical engineering students have developed a portable microreactor that converts liquid fuels into hydrogen for fuel cell batteries. ... > full story

Genomics and social network analysis team up to solve disease outbreaks (May 23, 2011) -- Combining the cutting-edge technology of whole genome sequencing of bacteria with social networking analysis, public health officials can get a more detailed picture of disease outbreaks that will better help track and stop them, say researchers say. ... > full story

Black holes spin faster and faster (May 23, 2011) -- Astronomers have found that the giant black holes in the center of galaxies are on average spinning faster than at any time in the history of the universe. Scientists made the new discovery by using radio, optical and X-ray data. ... > full story

Species reemergence after collapse: Possible but different, mathematical model shows (May 23, 2011) -- Species pairs that disappear through hybridization after human-induced changes to the environment can reemerge if the disturbance is removed, according to a new mathematical model that shows the conditions under which reemergence might happen. ... > full story

To bluff, or not to bluff? Modern-day game theory techniques sheds light on legendary military bluffs (May 23, 2011) -- In a new article, an economist has used game theory to explore two of the most famous military bluffs in history. ... > full story

New green technology for hydrogen production (May 23, 2011) -- A researcher has completed a proof-of-concept for a new and clean technology to produce high purity hydrogen from natural gas. This allows hydrogen to be produced in an elegant technique at much lower temperatures, and without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. ... > full story

Scientists present Large Hadron Collider findings at Quark Matter 2011 Conference (May 23, 2011) -- Scientists have presented findings from three Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments that study lead ion collisions at the annual Quark Matter conference, held this year in Annecy, France. The results are based on analysis of data collected during the last two weeks of the 2010 LHC run, when the LHC switched from protons to lead-ions. ... > full story

Engineers scale up process that could improve economics of ethanol production (May 22, 2011) -- Engineers have built a pilot plant to test a process designed to improve ethanol production. They're growing fungi on some of ethanol's leftovers to make a quality animal feed and to clean water so it can be recycled back into fuel production. The researchers think the fungi could also be developed into a low-cost nutritional supplement for people. ... > full story

Video game effects on kids: Not all black and white, expert argues (May 22, 2011) -- A new article argues that existing video game literature can't be classified in black and white terms. Instead, there's a vast gray area when considering the multiple dimensions of video game effects on kids -- with at least five dimensions on which video games can affect players simultaneously. ... > full story

New method of unreeling cocoons could extend silk industry beyond Asia (May 22, 2011) -- The development and successful testing of a method for unreeling the strands of silk in wild silkworm cocoons could clear the way for establishment of new silk industries not only in Asia but also in vast areas of Africa and South America. ... > full story

Wii key to helping kids balance (May 21, 2011) -- By cleverly linking five Wii Balance Boards, a team of university undergraduates has combined the appeal of a video game with the utility of a computerized motion-tracking system that can enhance patient progress. ... > full story

First macro-scale thin-film solid-oxide fuel cell: Strong, nanostructured membrane enables scaling for clean-energy applications (May 21, 2011) -- Materials scientists have demonstrated the first macro-scale thin-film solid-oxide fuel cell. While SOFCs have previously worked at the micro-scale, this is the first time any research group has overcome the structural challenges of scaling the technology up to a practical size with a proportionally higher power output. ... > full story

Pharmacies' software systems miss potentially dangerous interactions, study finds (May 21, 2011) -- Only 28 percent of pharmacies' clinical decision support software systems -- the computer programs that are in place to alert pharmacists to possible medication problems -- correctly identified potentially dangerous drug-drug interactions, according to a new study. ... > full story

Artificial tissue promotes skin growth in wounds (May 21, 2011) -- Improved tissue grafts designed by scientists that promote vascular growth could hasten healing, encourage healthy skin to invade the wounded area and reduce the need for surgeries. ... > full story

Smooth single-molecule layers of materials: Expanding the degrees of surface freezing (May 21, 2011) -- As part of the quest to form perfectly smooth single-molecule layers of materials for advanced energy, electronic, and medical devices, researchers have discovered that the molecules in thin films remain frozen at a temperature where the bulk material is molten. ... > full story

Radio telescopes capture best-ever snapshot of black hole jets (May 20, 2011) -- An international team, using radio telescopes located throughout the Southern Hemisphere, has produced the most detailed image of particle jets erupting from a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy. ... > full story

Buying 'legal highs' from the Internet is risky business (May 20, 2011) -- Many drugs sold as "legal highs" on the Internet do not contain the ingredients they claim. Some instead contain controlled substances and are illegal to sell over the internet. These are findings of a doctor, who bought a range of tablets from different websites to see what each contained. ... > full story

Researchers create nanopatch for the heart (May 20, 2011) -- Engineers have a promising new approach to treating heart-attack victims. The researchers created a nanopatch with carbon nanofibers and a polymer. In laboratory tests, natural heart-tissue cell density on the nanoscaffold was six times greater than the control sample, while neuron density had doubled. ... > full story

Laser modules in matchbox size (May 20, 2011) -- Miniaturized laser beam sources which are suitable for a variety of applications, from material processing to display technology have recently been developed. ... > full story

Record efficiency of 18.7 percent for flexible solar cells on plastics, Swiss researchers report (May 20, 2011) -- Swiss scientists have further boosted the energy conversion efficiency of flexible solar cells made of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (also known as CIGS) to a new world record of 18.7 percent -- a significant improvement over the previous record of 17.6 percent achieved by the same team in June 2010. The measurements have been independently certified. ... > full story

Wireless sensor network monitors microclimate in the forest (May 20, 2011) -- During a forest monitoring operation, forestry scientists measure various environmental values. This is how they obtain indications about how the forests are changing and what can be done to preserve them. However, installing and maintaining the wired measuring stations is complex: Researchers developed a wireless alternative. ... > full story

It's not easy being green: Scientists grow understanding of how photosynthesis is regulated (May 19, 2011) -- The seeds sprouting in your spring garden may still be struggling to reach the sun. If so, they are consuming a finite energy pack contained within each seed. Once those resources are depleted, the plant cell nucleus must be ready to switch on a "green" photosynthetic program. Researchers recently showed a new way that those signals are relayed. ... > full story

Looking deep into a huge storm on Saturn (May 19, 2011) -- The atmosphere of the planet Saturn normally appears placid and calm. But about once per Saturn year (about thirty Earth years), as spring comes to the northern hemisphere of the giant planet, something stirs deep below the clouds that leads to a dramatic planet-wide disturbance. This is only the sixth of these huge storms to be spotted since 1876. It is the first ever to be studied in the thermal infrared -- to see the variations of temperature within a Saturnian storm -- and the first ever to be observed by an orbiting spacecraft. ... > full story

Neutrons provide first sub-nanoscale snapshots of Huntington's disease protein (May 19, 2011) -- Scientists have for the first time successfully characterized the earliest structural formation of the disease type of the protein that causes Huntington's disease. The researchers have used a small-angle neutron scattering instrument, called Bio-SANS, to explore the earliest aggregate species of the protein that are believed to be the most toxic. ... > full story

Microscope: Handy, quick and flat (May 19, 2011) -- In the future, doctors can pull out a new type of microscope to get to the bottom of suspicious changes in the skin that may indicate melanoma. The new device provides a high-resolution image of skin areas of any size -- and so quickly that you can hold it in your hand without blurring the resulting picture. ... > full story

Antibody production gets confused during long-term spaceflight (May 19, 2011) -- The trip to Mars just got more difficult since researchers discovered that antibodies that fight off disease might become compromised during long-term space flights. A new report shows that antibodies produced in space are less effective than those produced on Earth. This reduced effectiveness of antibodies makes astronauts more susceptible to illness, increasing the danger posed by bacteria and viruses likely to coexist with wayfaring astronauts. ... > full story

Cell phone use may reduce male fertility, Austrian-Canadian study suggests (May 19, 2011) -- Men who have been diagnosed with poor sperm quality and who are trying to have children should limit their cell phone use, a new study suggests. Researchers in Austria and Canada have found that while cell phone use appears to increase the level of testosterone circulating in the body, it may also lead to low sperm quality and a decrease in fertility. ... > full story

Ensuring the safety of radiation therapy (May 19, 2011) -- Radiation oncologists took a blow in a series of front-page newspaper stories published last year on injuries that occurred nationwide in the delivery of radiation treatment. Radiation oncologists have now responded to the public charge with a series of steps that will ensure that patients are protected at all points in the treatment process. Researchers have designed a new program that seeks to improve the quality of complex processes by identifying and removing the causes of errors, and reducing variables that increase the risk of mistakes. ... > full story

Liquid crystal droplets discovered to be exquisitely sensitive to an important bacterial lipid (May 19, 2011) -- In the computer displays of medical equipment in hospitals and clinics, liquid crystal technologies have already found a major role. New research suggests that micrometer-sized droplets of liquid crystal, which have been found to change their ordering and optical appearance in response to the presence of very low concentrations of a particular bacterial lipid, might find new uses in a range of biological contexts. ... > full story

Dark energy is driving universe apart: NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer finds dark energy repulsive (May 19, 2011) -- A five-year survey of 200,000 galaxies, stretching back seven billion years in cosmic time, has led to one of the best independent confirmations that dark energy is driving our universe apart at accelerating speeds. ... > full story

'Critical baby step' taken for spying life on a molecular scale (May 19, 2011) -- The ability to image single biological molecules in a living cell is something that has long eluded researchers. However, a novel technique -- using the structure of diamond -- may well be able to do this and potentially provide a tool for diagnosing, and eventually developing a treatment for, hard-to-cure diseases such as cancer. ... > full story

Virtual workout partners spur better results, study finds (May 19, 2011) -- Can't find anyone to exercise with? Don't despair: New research reveals working out with a virtual partner improves motivation during exercise. The study is the first to investigate the Kohler effect on motivation in health video games; that phenomenon explains why inferior team members perform better in a group than they would by themselves. ... > full story

New technique sheds light on the mysterious process of cell division (May 19, 2011) -- A new technique that constructs models of primitive cells has demonstrated that the structure of a cell's membrane and cytoplasm may be as important to cell division as a cell's enzymes, DNA, or RNA. The study may provide important clues to how life originated from non-life and how modern cells came to exhibit complex behaviors. ... > full story

Carbon black nanoparticles can cause cell death, inflammation in lungs, researchers find (May 19, 2011) -- Inhaled carbon black nanoparticles create a double source of inflammation in the lungs, according to new research. ... > full story

Autonomous robot for underwater intervention tasks successfully tested (May 19, 2011) -- Researchers in Spain have successfully tested the autonomy of the robot for developing underwater intervention tasks. The robot has managed to recover an object similar to an aircraft black box without the direction of any operator. ... > full story

Rainbows without pigments offer new defense against fraud (May 19, 2011) -- Scientists have developed pigment-free, intensely colored polymer materials, which could provide new, anti-counterfeit devices on passports or banknotes due to their difficulty to copy. ... > full story

What electric car convenience is worth (May 19, 2011) -- A U.S. nationwide survey asked consumers what changes to the common complaints of charging time and limited range are worth. For longer range, they'd pay -/mile. For faster charging, they'd pay up to ,250/hour. A second study showed longer range isn't absolutely necessary for many. The current 100-mile range could work for 32 percent of people. ... > full story

Potentially toxic flame retardants detected in baby products (May 19, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting detection of potentially toxic flame retardants in car seats, bassinet mattresses, nursing pillows, high chairs, strollers and other products that contain polyurethane foam and are designed for newborns, infants and toddlers. In a new study, they describe hints that one flame retardant, banned years ago in some areas, actually remains in use. ... > full story

Video game playing increases food intake in teens, study confirms (May 19, 2011) -- A new study provides preliminary evidence that male teens playing video games for one hour consume more calories in the short-term than they do after one hour of rest. ... > full story

This message was sent to ranggomas.techdeck@blogger.com from:

ScienceDaily | 1 Research Court, Suite 450 | Rockville, MD 20850

Email Marketing by