ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 2, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, August 2, 2011

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Artificial nanoparticles influence heart rate and rhythm, study finds (August 2, 2011) -- Artificial nanoparticles are becoming increasingly pervasive in modern life. However, their influences on our health remain largely shrouded in mystery. Using a so-called Langendorff heart, a team of scientists in Germany has now for the first time shown that selected artificial nanoparticles have a direct effect on heart rate and heart rhythm. ... > full story

Sugar doesn't melt -- it decomposes, scientists demonstrate (August 2, 2011) -- Flying in the face of years of scientific belief, researchers have demonstrated that sugar doesn't melt, it decomposes. This discovery is important to food scientists and candy lovers because it will give them yummier caramel flavors and more tantalizing textures. It even gives the pharmaceutical industry a way to improve excipients, the proverbial spoonful of sugar that helps your medicine go down. ... > full story

In the battle to relieve back aches, researchers create bioengineered spinal disc implants (August 1, 2011) -- Engineers and doctors have created a biologically based spinal implant that could someday spell relief for these countless back and neck pain sufferers. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn spacecraft begins science orbits of Vesta (August 1, 2011) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft, the first ever to orbit an object in the main asteroid belt, is spiraling towards its first of four intensive science orbits. That initial orbit of the rocky world Vesta begins Aug. 11, at an altitude of nearly 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) and will provide in-depth analysis of the asteroid. Vesta is the brightest object in the asteroid belt as seen from Earth and is thought to be the source of a large number of meteorites that fall to Earth. ... > full story

Nobel Prize winner’s unfinished symphony (August 1, 2011) -- When Robert Burns Woodward passed away in 1979 he left 699 pages of handwritten notes. Because R.B. Woodward was a Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 1965) his family had carefully preserved his notes for posterity. An extensive study has now uncovered hidden treasures in these notes. ... > full story

Oxygen molecules found in nearby star-forming cloud (August 1, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory has found molecules of oxygen in a nearby star-forming cloud. This is the first undisputed detection of oxygen molecules in space. It concludes a long search but also leaves questions unanswered. ... > full story

New composite material may restore damaged soft tissue (August 1, 2011) -- Biomedical engineers have developed a new liquid material that in early experiments in rats and humans shows promise in restoring damaged soft tissue relatively safely and durably. The material, a composite of biological and synthetic molecules, is injected under the skin, then "set" using light to form a more solid structure, like using cold to set gelatin in a mold. The researchers say the product one day could be used to reconstruct soldier's faces marred by blast injuries. ... > full story

Greenhouse gas impact of hydroelectric reservoirs downgraded (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have amassed the largest data set to date on greenhouse gas emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs. Their analysis posits that these human-made systems emit about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide and methane previously attributed to them. ... > full story

Cold electrons to aid better design of drugs and materials (August 1, 2011) -- A new source of very cold electrons will improve the quality and speed of nanoimaging for drug and materials development, to a trillionth of a second. ... > full story

Helping children learn to understand numbers: It's all in the way we speak to them (August 1, 2011) -- Most people know how to count, but the way we master this ability remains something of a puzzle. Now a formal model of the cognitive basis of counting has been developed. ... > full story

Manipulating light at will: Research could help replace electronic components with optical technology (August 1, 2011) -- Electrical engineers have developed a material that allows them to manipulate light in much the same way that electronics manipulate flowing electrons. The researchers say the results of their latest proof-of-concept experiments could lead to the replacement of electrical components with those based on optical technologies. Light-based devices would enable faster and more efficient transmission of information, much in the same way that replacing wires with optical fibers revolutionized the telecommunications industry. ... > full story

In the pursuit of dangerous clumps: Customized surfaces help reveal the causes of diseases (August 1, 2011) -- When normal proteins form protein clumps in the body, then alarm bells start ringing. Such clumps, called "amyloids," are closely associated with Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes. If doctors knew how these proteins form clumps, then they might be able to treat such diseases more efficiently. Researchers in Germany and Denmark have now succeeded in taking a major step in that direction. ... > full story

'Wonder material' graphene tapped for electronic memory devices (August 1, 2011) -- Hailed as the new "wonder material," graphene is being tapped to help overcome issues associated with increasing the storage density and speed of electronic memory devices. ... > full story

Chemists transform acids into bases: Research offers vast family of new catalysts for use in drug discovery, biotechnology (August 1, 2011) -- Chemists have accomplished in the lab what until now was considered impossible: transform a family of compounds which are acids into bases. Their research shows it is possible to replace phosphorus ligands in catalysts with boron ligands. While phosphorus is toxic, boron is not. The research makes possible a vast array of chemical reactions -- such as those used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, manufacturing new materials and research academic institutions. ... > full story

Scientists build battery in a nanowire: Hybrid energy storage device is as small as it can possibly get (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have packed an entire lithium ion energy storage device into a single nanowire. The researchers believe their creation is as small as such devices can possibly get, and could be valuable as a rechargeable power source for new generations of nanoelectronics. ... > full story

Engineering innovative hand-held lab-on-a-chip could streamline blood testing worldwide (August 1, 2011) -- Biomedical engineering professors have developed an innovative strategy for an integrated microfluidic-based diagnostic device that can perform complex laboratory assays, with such simplicity that these tests can be carried out in the most remote regions of the world. Successfully tested in Rwanda, the mChip diagnoses diseases like HIV and syphilis at patients' bedsides. ... > full story

Elliptical galaxies are not dead (August 1, 2011) -- Initial results from research carried out as part of the Atlas3D project on two elliptical galaxies could, if they are confirmed, call into question the current model of the formation of galaxies. ... > full story

Electronic tongue identifies cava wines (August 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an electronic tongue which can identify different types of cava wines, thanks to a combination of sensor systems and advanced mathematical procedures. The device automatically produces classifications similar to those of a sommelier and can be useful in detecting defects during the elaboration of these wines. ... > full story

Possible association between maternal exposure to magnetic fields and development of asthma in children (August 1, 2011) -- Children whose mothers had high exposure to magnetic fields (MF) during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of developing asthma, according to a new study. ... > full story

Debating the safety of cell phone use (August 1, 2011) -- The dangers of cell phones have led to preventive policies in France, Israel, Finland and India, and there are simple ways to minimize the health risks associated with exposure to the radiation energy they emit, according to researchers. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn spacecraft views dark side of Vesta (August 1, 2011) -- Dawn took a new image over Vesta's northern hemisphere after the spacecraft completed its first passage over the dark side of the giant asteroid. It is northern hemisphere winter on Vesta now, so its north pole is in deep shadow. ... > full story

Herschel telescope detects oxygen molecules in space (August 1, 2011) -- The Herschel Space Observatory's large telescope and state-of-the-art infrared detectors have provided the first confirmed finding of oxygen molecules in space. The molecules were discovered in the Orion star-forming complex. Individual atoms of oxygen are common in space, particularly around massive stars. But molecular oxygen, which makes up about 20 percent of the air we breathe, has eluded astronomers until now. ... > full story

Discovery of Alfvén waves in the corona of the Sun (August 1, 2011) -- For the very first time, powerful Alfvén waves -- magnetic plasma waves -- have been observed in the Sun’s corona. The plasma in the observed waves moves at speeds of 20 km/s and the waves themselves propagate at high speeds of 200 to 250 km/s. The discovery of these powerful Alfvén waves is important because they may explain the high temperatures in the sun’s corona and the high speeds of solar wind. ... > full story

Sun-free photovoltaics: Materials engineered to give off precisely tuned wavelengths of light when heated (July 31, 2011) -- A new photovoltaic energy-conversion system can be powered solely by heat, generating electricity with no sunlight at all. While the principle involved is not new, a novel way of engineering the surface of a material to convert heat into precisely tuned wavelengths of light -- selected to match the wavelengths that photovoltaic cells can best convert to electricity -- makes the new system much more efficient than previous versions. ... > full story

Warmed-up organic memory transistor has larger memory capacity (July 30, 2011) -- Scientists show that non-volatile memory made from a sandwich of silver nanoparticle-laced plastic retains its on/off state over a wider voltage range when operating at toasty temperatures. ... > full story

Motorcycle helmets hard on hearing (July 30, 2011) -- Motorcycle helmets, while protecting bikers' brains, may also be contributing to hearing loss. Scientists mapped the airflow and noise patterns to find out why. ... > full story

Averting bridge disasters: New technology could save hundreds of lives (July 30, 2011) -- Millions of US drivers cross faulty or obsolete bridges every day, highway statistics show, but it's too costly to fix these spans or adequately monitor their safety, says a researcher who's developed a new, affordable early warning system. This wireless technology could avert the kind of fatal disaster along Minneapolis' I-35W on Aug. 1, 2007, he says -- and do so at one-one-hundredth the cost of current wired systems. ... > full story

Powerful fluorescence tool lights the way to new insights into RNA of living cells (July 30, 2011) -- The ability to tag proteins with a green fluorescent light to watch how they behave inside cells so revolutionized the understanding of protein biology that it earned the scientific teams who developed the technique Nobel Prizes in 2008. Now, researchers have developed a similar fluorescent tool that can track the mysterious workings of the various forms of cellular RNA. ... > full story

Study of golf swings pinpoints biomechanical differences between pros and amateurs (July 30, 2011) -- When it comes to hitting a golf ball hard, researchers have identified several biomechanical factors that appear to separate the duffers from the pros. ... > full story

'Brain cap' technology turns thought into motion; Mind-machine interface could lead to new life-changing technologies for millions of people (July 29, 2011) -- "Brain cap" technology now being developed allows users to turn their thoughts into motion. Researchers have created a noninvasive, sensor-lined cap with neural interface software that soon could be used to control computers, robotic prosthetic limbs, motorized wheelchairs and even digital avatars. ... > full story

Scary driving? Put the brakes on using your brain power (July 29, 2011) -- Researchers have used drivers' brain signals, for the first time, to assist in braking, providing much quicker reaction times and a potential solution to the thousands of car accidents that are caused by human error. ... > full story

Chandra X-ray Observatory images gas flowing toward black hole (July 29, 2011) -- The flow of hot gas toward a black hole has been clearly imaged for the first time in X-rays. The observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory will help tackle two of the most fundamental problems in modern astrophysics: understanding how black holes grow and how matter behaves in their intense gravity. ... > full story

SOHO watches a comet fading away (July 29, 2011) -- On Nov. 4, 2010, NASA's EPOXI spacecraft came within 450 miles of Comet Hartley 2, a small comet not even a mile in diameter, which takes about six and a half years to orbit the sun. Designated officially as 103P/Hartley 2, the comet thus became the fifth for which scientists have collected close-up images. ... > full story

Emulating nature for better engineering (July 29, 2011) -- Researchers in the UK describe a novel approach to making porous materials, solid foams, more like their counterparts in the natural world, including bone and wood. ... > full story

Common Korean surname tells tale of nationhood (July 29, 2011) -- The most common surname in Korea -- Kim -- has been traced back 1,500 years using a statistical model, providing evidence of a strong, stable culture that has remained intact to this day. ... > full story

Unexpected clue to thermopower efficiency: Uneven temperature can lead to electronic whirlpools and sideways magnetic fields (July 28, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new relation among electric and magnetic fields and differences in temperature, which can result in swirling vortices of electrons and holes in semiconductor devices and emit sideways magnetic fields. Understanding the unusual new effect may lead to more efficient thermoelectric devices, which convert heat into electricity or electricity into heat. ... > full story

Fundamental matter-antimatter symmetry confirmed (July 28, 2011) -- An international collaboration has set a new value for the antiproton mass relative to the electron with unprecedented precision. ... > full story

Protecting networks is just a game (July 28, 2011) -- Information technologists have used game theory to develop a defense mechanism for networks that is more effective than previous approaches. ... > full story

New invisibility cloak hides objects from human view (July 28, 2011) -- For the first time, scientists have devised an invisibility cloak material that hides objects from detection using light that is visible to humans. The new device is a leap forward in cloaking materials. ... > full story

Research reveals why hedge funds are an unlikely large source of systemic risk (July 28, 2011) -- A new study finds that hedge funds are moderately leveraged, leverage is counter-cyclical to the leverage of banks and the finance sector, and hedge fund leverage was at its lowest during the financial crisis in 2008. ... > full story

Artificial cilia open new nanotech possibilties; One step closer to learning how cilia movement is coordinated (July 28, 2011) -- Cilia -- tiny hair-like structures that perform feats such as clearing microscopic debris from the lungs and determining the correct location of organs during development -- move in mysterious ways. Researchers have created artificial cilia-like structures that offers a new approach for cilia study. ... > full story

NASA's WISE finds Earth's first 'trojan' asteroid (July 28, 2011) -- Astronomers studying observations taken by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission have discovered the first known "Trojan" asteroid orbiting the sun along with Earth. ... > full story

Pigment discovery expanding into new colors (July 28, 2011) -- Chemists have discovered that the same crystal structure they identified two years ago to create what may be the world's best blue pigment can also be used with different elements to create other colors, with significant potential in the paint and pigment industries. ... > full story

Social media poised to drive disaster preparedness and response (July 28, 2011) -- Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare may be an important key to improving the public health system's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, according to a new article. ... > full story

Wave power can drive sun's intense heat (July 28, 2011) -- A new study sheds light on why the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is more than 20 times hotter than its surface. The research may bring scientists a step closer to understanding the solar cycle and the sun's impacts on Earth. ... > full story

Children and adolescent cell phone users at no greater risk of brain cancer than non-users, study suggests (July 28, 2011) -- Children and adolescents who use mobile phones are not at a statistically significant increased risk of brain cancer compared to their peers who do not use mobile phones, according to a new study. ... > full story

Graphene nanocomposite a bridge to better batteries (July 28, 2011) -- Researchers have built a high-capacity energy storage device for lithium ion batteries by constructing a unique nanoscale sandwich of graphene and tin. The device is engineered to improve electrochemical cycling of the battery, which reduces charging time and allows repeated recharging without degrading battery performance. ... > full story

New X-ray camera will reveal big secrets about how chemistry works (July 28, 2011) -- Designed to record bursts of images at an unprecedented speed of 4.5 million frames per second, an innovative X-ray camera being built by engineers in the UK will help a major new research facility shed light on the structure of matter. ... > full story