ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Thursday, September 22, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Thursday, September 22, 2011

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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

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

Potential of new nanoparticle design for cancer therapy demonstrated (September 21, 2011) -- A new type of nanoparticle has shown potential for more effective delivery of chemotherapy to treat cancer. In laboratory studies, researchers developed and tested a new type of nanoparticle that can deliver larger amounts of a drug and will not leak the drug as the particle circulates through the blood stream on its way to the target. ... > full story

Microwave ovens a key to energy production from wasted heat (September 21, 2011) -- More than 60 percent of the energy produced by cars, machines, and industry around the world is lost as waste heat -- an age-old problem -- but researchers have found a new way to make "thermoelectric" materials for use in technology that could potentially save vast amounts of energy. ... > full story

Cassini presents Saturn moon quintet (September 21, 2011) -- With the artistry of a magazine cover shoot, NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured a new portrait of five of Saturn's moons poised along the planet's rings. ... > full story

Nanoparticles cause brain injury in fish (September 21, 2011) -- Scientists have shown, for the first time in an animal, that nanoparticles have a detrimental effect on the brain and other parts of the central nervous system. ... > full story

NASA's WISE mission captures black hole's wildly flaring jet (September 21, 2011) -- Astronomers using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have captured rare data of a flaring black hole, revealing new details about these powerful objects and their blazing jets. ... > full story

Vacuum-like device makes cellular exploration easier (September 21, 2011) -- Imagine a microscopic jet vacuum cleaner, the size of a pen nib that hovers over cell surfaces without ever touching them. Then imagine that the soap in the cleaning solution is replaced with various molecules that can be selectively delivered to the cells. This gives you a sense of a new device that researchers believe will serve as a powerful tool to study the behavior of living cells and a range of crucial cellular processes. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn collects a bounty of beauty from asteroid Vesta (September 21, 2011) -- A new video from NASA's Dawn spacecraft takes us on a flyover journey above the surface of the giant asteroid Vesta. The data obtained by Dawn's framing camera, used to produce the visualizations, will help scientists determine the processes that formed Vesta's striking features. It will also help Dawn mission fans all over the world visualize this mysterious world, which is the second most massive object in the main asteroid belt. ... > full story

Social media for dementia patients (September 21, 2011) -- Research scientists in Norway are developing a "Facebook Light" -- with a user interface suitable for the elderly and people with dementia -- to promote important social contact. Both research and experience show that social contact enables people with dementia to maintain their level of functioning longer. ... > full story

Sifting out genetic defects from mounds of data (September 21, 2011) -- Within a decade, a combination of advanced measurement techniques and statistics will enable scientists to develop methods to diagnose serious diseases caused by genetic defects. Ten years after that, there may be medicines available to repair these defects, researchers predict. ... > full story

New hybrid carbon material discovered (September 21, 2011) -- A new hybrid carbon material, which combines graphene and nanotubes in the form of graphene nanoribbons encapsulated into single-walled carbon nanotubes -- has been discovered by researchers in Finland and Sweden. ... > full story

Autonomous car navigates the streets of Berlin (September 20, 2011) -- Researchers from Berlin traveled 80 km in total as passengers during a test drive of their autonomous car "MadeInGermany" over the weekend. The car is driven by computers - the safety driver behind the steering wheel only monitors the car's behavior. The autonomous car is a conventional VW Passat modified for "drive by wire." Electronic commands from the computer are passed directly to the accelerator, the brakes, and the steering wheel of the vehicle. ... > full story

Lasers light the path to neuron regeneration (September 20, 2011) -- Lasers have been used to fabricate tiny scaffolds to be used as delivery vehicles to drop cells off at damaged locations and help treat diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. ... > full story

Shaping up: Controlling a stem cell's form can determine its fate (September 20, 2011) -- New research reinforces the idea that stem cells can be induced to develop into specific types of cells solely by controlling their shape. The results may be important to the design of materials to induce the regeneration of lost or damaged tissues in the body. ... > full story

Researchers create first human heart cells that can be paced with light (September 20, 2011) -- Researchers have for the first time engineered human heart cells that can be paced with light using a technology called optogenetics. In the near term, say the researchers, the advance will provide new insight into heart function. In the long term, however, the development could lead to an era of novel, light-based pacemakers and genetically matched tissue patches that replace muscle damaged by a heart attack. ... > full story

Researchers make visible the structure of the smallest crystals (September 20, 2011) -- A radical new way of making structures visible at the nano level has now been developed. This new method makes it possible to determine with precision the arrangement of atoms and molecules in a diverse range of materials from cement to pharmaceuticals. The procedure, which is still in its infancy, comes from the field of electron microscopy and can resolve the structure of the tiniest crystals. ... > full story

Big step towards redefining the kelvin: Scientists find new way to determine Boltzmann constant (September 20, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have succeeded in re-determining the Boltzmann constant. Physicists expect that in the next two years they will be able to reduce the uncertainty to such an extent that a redefinition of the kelvin will be possible. The advance represents a major step toward basing the temperature unit on an unchangeable fundamental constant. ... > full story

NASA's WISE raises doubt about asteroid family believed responsible for dinosaur extinction (September 20, 2011) -- Observations from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission indicate the family of asteroids some believed was responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs is not likely the culprit, keeping open the case on one of Earth's greatest mysteries. ... > full story

New imaging technique visualizes cancer during surgery (September 20, 2011) -- Scientists have now deployed a new imaging technology using laser light to detect cancer based on molecular signatures, leading to the localization of even small cancer cell nests that surgeons might otherwise overlook during surgery. The technique has now been successfully tested on nine patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer. There are plans to apply this imaging concept also to minimally invasive and endoscopic procedures. ... > full story

Engineers use short ultrasound pulses to reach neurons through blood-brain barrier (September 20, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new technique to reach neurons through the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs safely and noninvasively. Up until now, scientists thought long ultrasound pulses, which can inflict collateral damage, were required. This new study shows that extremely short pulses of ultrasound waves can open the blood-brain barrier -- with the added advantages of safety and uniform molecular delivery -- and the molecule injected systemically could reach and highlight the targeted neurons noninvasively. ... > full story

Monitoring patients using intelligent T-shirts (September 20, 2011) -- Scientists in Spain have developed an 'intelligent' T-shirt that monitors the human body (temperature, heart rate, etc.) and locates patients within the hospital, as if it were a GPS system that works in closed spaces. It can even determine if the subject is seated, lying down, walking or running. ... > full story

Saving electricity while playing online game (September 20, 2011) -- The federal government of Germany has decided to accelerate change in energy policy. But the transition will succeed only with the help of the consumers. They are called upon to use the energy from renewable resources in a more efficient fashion. A new online game shows how energy can be saved. ... > full story

Researchers reinforce gas hydrate strategy: New study goes deeper in proving simple technique to pinpoint valuable energy source (September 20, 2011) -- A new study expands upon previous research to locate and quantify the amount of methane hydrates -- a potentially vast source of energy -- that may be trapped under the seabed by analyzing shallow core samples. The paper should silence the skeptics, the researchers said. ... > full story

Fast switching and printable transistor invented (September 20, 2011) -- A fully functional, fast switching and printable transistor in cheap plastic has just been invented. ... > full story

No safe level of radiation exposure? Researcher points to suppression of evidence on radiation effects by Nobel Laureate (September 20, 2011) -- Environmental toxicologist Edward Calabrese, whose career research shows that low doses of some chemicals and radiation are benign or even helpful, says he has uncovered evidence that one of the fathers of radiation genetics, Nobel Prize winner Hermann Muller, knowingly lied when he claimed in 1946 that there is no safe level of radiation exposure. ... > full story

NRL TacSat-4 spacecraft encapsulated (September 20, 2011) -- Encapsulated into the nose cone of an Orbital Sciences Corporation Minotaur-IV+ launch vehicle, TacSat-4 is scheduled to launch from the Alaska Aerospace Corporation's Kodiak Launch Complex into a highly elliptical orbit, providing multiple combatant commanders around the globe an additional outlet for data transmission and communications on the move. ... > full story

Scientists solve long-standing plant biochemistry mystery (September 19, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered how an enzyme "knows" where to insert a double bond when desaturating plant fatty acids. Understanding the mechanism may lead to new ways to engineer plant oils as a renewable replacement for petrochemicals. ... > full story

Unzipping DNA mysteries: Physicists discover how a vital enzyme works (September 19, 2011) -- With an eye toward understanding DNA replication, researchers have learned how a helicase enzyme works to actually unzip the two strands of DNA. ... > full story

Black hole, star collisions may illuminate universe's dark side (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have unveiled a ready-made method for detecting the collision of stars with an elusive type of black hole that is on the short list of objects believed to make up dark matter. Such a discovery could serve as observable proof of dark matter and provide a much deeper understanding of the universe's inner workings. ... > full story

Catching a breath -- wirelessly: Noninvasive method to watch for SIDS, help surgery patients (September 19, 2011) -- Engineers who built wireless networks that see through walls now are aiming the technology at a new goal: noninvasively measuring the breathing of surgery patients, adults with sleep apnea and babies at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). ... > full story

Self-steering automated tractor offers more precision in the field (September 19, 2011) -- A farmer rising at the crack of dawn to till his fields in a tractor all day? This could soon become a thing of the past. Scientists have now engineered a fully automated, self-steering robotic tractor. ... > full story

Brightest gamma ray on Earth -- for a safer, healthier world (September 19, 2011) -- The brightest gamma ray beam ever created -- more than a thousand billion times more brilliant than the sun -- has been produced in research that could open up new possibilities for medicine. Physicists have discovered that ultra-short duration laser pulses can interact with ionized gas to give off beams that are so intense they can pass through 20 cm of lead and would take 1.5 m of concrete to be completely absorbed. The ray could have several uses, such as in medical imaging, radiotherapy and radioisotope production for PET (positron emission tomography) scanning. The source could also be useful in monitoring the integrity of stored nuclear waste. ... > full story

Volcanic ash and aircraft safety (September 19, 2011) -- A pioneering technology to study volcanic ash will help advise the aircraft industry as to whether it is safe to fly following an explosive volcanic eruption. ... > full story

'Inexhaustible' source of hydrogen may be unlocked by salt water, engineers say (September 19, 2011) -- A grain of salt or two may be all that microbial electrolysis cells need to produce hydrogen from wastewater or organic byproducts, without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere or using grid electricity, according to engineers. ... > full story

Why carbon nanotubes spell trouble for cells (September 19, 2011) -- Carbon nanotubes and other long nanomaterials can spell trouble for cells. The reason: Cells mistake them for spheres and try to engulf them. Once they start, cells cannot reverse course, and complete ingestion never occurs. Researchers detail for the first time how cells interact with carbon nanotubes, gold nanowires and asbestos fibers. ... > full story

Sequencing 'dark matter' of life: Elusive genomes of thousands of bacteria species can now be decoded (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new method to sequence and analyze the 'dark matter' of life -- the genomes of thousands of bacteria species previously beyond scientists' reach, from microorganisms that produce antibiotics and biofuels to microbes living in the human body. ... > full story

Colloidal quantum dots: Performance boost next-generation solar cell technology (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have created the most efficient solar cell ever made based on colloidal quantum dots (CQD). Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductors that capture light and convert it into an energy source. Because of their small scale, the dots can be sprayed on to flexible surfaces, including plastics. This enables the production of solar cells that are less expensive to produce and more durable than the more widely known silicon-based version. In a new study, the researchers demonstrate how the wrappers that encapsulate the quantum dots can be shrunk to a mere layer of atoms. ... > full story

Put down that game controller: Researcher suggests video games may not boost cognition (September 19, 2011) -- Wouldn't it be nice if all those hours kids spent glued to their PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo DS video games actually resulted in something tangible? Better grades, perhaps? Improved concentration? Superior driving skills? Over the past decade, many studies and news media reports have suggested that action video games such as Medal of Honor or Unreal Tournament improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities. But in a new paper, psychologists critically reevaluate those claims. ... > full story

Gamers succeed where scientists fail: Molecular structure of retrovirus enzyme solved, doors open to new AIDS drug design (September 19, 2011) -- Online gamers have solved the structure of a retrovirus enzyme whose configuration had stumped scientists for over a decade. This is the first instance that researchers are aware of in which gamers solved a longstanding scientific problem. The discovery was achieved through Foldit, which allows players to collaborate and compete in predicting protein molecule structures. Foldit is an example of engaging the public in scientific discovery by using games to solve hard problems that can't be solved by either people or computers alone. ... > full story