ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Monday, June 13, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Monday, June 13, 2011

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A molecule that switches on and off (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers in France have developed a single molecule whose charge state and shape can be changed at will. The advance should prove a key advantage in the race for miniaturization. In addition to controlling its charge in a completely reversible way, the researchers have revealed a link between the molecule's charge and its geometrical shape, effectively making it usable as a bit of information or an electromechanical system on a nanometric scale. This perfectly controllable back-and-forth motion at the molecular level holds great promise for the creation of ultra-dense digital memory or nanomotors. ... > full story

What happens in the brain as it loses consciousness: 3-D movie constructed (June 13, 2011) -- For the first time, researchers have been able to watch what happens to the brain as it loses consciousness. Using sophisticated imaging equipment, they have constructed a 3-D movie of the brain as it changes while an anesthetic drug takes effect. ... > full story

Tuning 'metasurface' with fluid in new concept for sensing and chemistry (June 13, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated a unique fluid-tuned "metasurface," a concept that may be useful in biomedical sensors and microwave-assisted chemistry. ... > full story

New supernova remnant lights up: SN1987A shines again (June 13, 2011) -- Light from an exploding star in a neighboring galaxy has suddenly begun to glow brighter as the shock wave and X-rays hit surrounding debris. What we are witnessing the the change from an active supernova to a supernova remnant. ... > full story

Raising the International Space Station: ATV Johannes Kepler conducts the 'Big Boost' (June 13, 2011) -- It's the International Space Station's biggest increase in altitude to date, and, thanks to European Space Agency's ATV Johannes Kepler, it will significantly improve the 417-tonne Station's orbital mileage through the next decade of scientific research. During three intensive reboost manoeuvres, ATV Johannes Kepler is raising the ISS altitude from around 345 km to 380 km, where it will use far less fuel to maintain its orbit and cutting the amount of fuel that must be sent up in the coming years by almost half. ... > full story

Walking microdroplets collect viruses and bacteria (June 13, 2011) -- A barely visible, electric field-controlled droplet moves on an appropriately prepared surface, harvesting viruses, bacteria and protein molecules deposited on it. This is how a novel method of collecting bioparticles looks like in real life. The method has been for the first time successfully tested by a team of researchers Poland and France. The results of the tests have implications for the development of microsystems for chemical analyses, especially those dedicated to monitoring bioparticles present in the air. ... > full story

Chemistry with sunlight: Combining electrochemistry and photovoltaics to clean up oxidation reactions (June 12, 2011) -- Researchers can make the oxidation reactions used in the synthesis of organic molecules cleaner by hitching photovoltaics to electrochemistry. The idea is simple and yet it has huge implications. To underscore the simplicity of the idea, researchers used a solar cell sold on the Internet and intended to power toy cars to run a variety of chemical reactions. If their suggestion were widely adopted by the chemical industry, it would eliminate the toxic byproducts currently produced by a class of reactions commonly used in chemical synthesis -- and with them the environmental and economic damage they cause. ... > full story

Using waste heat from automobile exhaust (June 12, 2011) -- With the completion of a successful prototype, engineers have made a major step toward addressing one of the leading problems in energy use around the world today -- the waste of half or more of the energy produced by cars, factories and power plants. New technology is being developed to capture and use the low-to-medium grade waste heat that's now going out the exhaust pipe of millions of automobiles, diesel generators, or being wasted by factories and electrical utilities. ... > full story

Chasing EHEC via computer: Scientists in Germany provide free access to enteric pathogen's genetic regulation data (June 12, 2011) -- Just a few genes make enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) extremely dangerous to humans. If it were not for these genes, EHEC would hardly differ from harmless enteric bacteria. Bioinformatics scientists from Germany want to exploit this similarity to find starting points for effective drugs against the EHEC pathogen. In a very short time, the scientists have constructed EhecRegNet, a database and analysis platform that incorporates all known interactions between enteric E. coli genes. Using integrated simulations, genetic switches for the dangerous EHEC genes can be identified much faster and used medically. The virtual laboratory will thus help biomedical scientists and pharmacists all over the world to develop new drugs. ... > full story

An egalitarian Internet? Not so, study finds (June 12, 2011) -- The Internet is often thought of as a forum that enables egalitarian communication among people from diverse backgrounds and political persuasions, but a new study reveals that online discussion groups display the same hierarchical structure as other large social groups. ... > full story

Physicists apply Einstein's general theory of relativity to superconducting circuits (June 11, 2011) -- Using Einstein's general theory of relativity, scientists have demonstrated that the Josephson junction could be reproduced. The Josephson junction, a device that was first discovered by Brian David Josephson in the early 1960's, is a main ingredient in applications of superconductivity. ... > full story

Photosynthesis mechanics: Tapping into plants is the key to combat climate change, says scientist (June 11, 2011) -- The mechanics behind photosynthesis in plants could be used in the fight against climate change, according to one scientist. ... > full story

Nearby galaxy boasts two monster black holes, both active (June 11, 2011) -- A study using NASA's Swift satellite and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory has found a second supersized black hole at the heart of an unusual nearby galaxy already known to be sporting one. The galaxy, which is known as Markarian 739 or NGC 3758, lies 425 million light-years away toward the constellation Leo. Only about 11,000 light-years separate the two cores, each of which contains a black hole gorging on infalling gas. ... > full story

Ultrathin copper-oxide layers behave like quantum spin liquid (June 11, 2011) -- Magnetic studies of ultrathin slabs of copper-oxide materials reveal that at very low temperatures, the thinnest, isolated layers lose their long-range magnetic order and instead behave like a "quantum spin liquid" -- a state of matter where the orientations of electron spins fluctuate wildly. This unexpected discovery may offer support for the idea that this novel condensed state of matter is a precursor to the emergence of high-temperature superconductivity -- the ability to carry current with no resistance. ... > full story

Communicating in a crisis: Researchers devise new technique to help rescuers communicate after terrorist attacks (June 11, 2011) -- In the aftermath of the London bombings mobile phones and radios stopped working making the already tricky rescue operation even more difficult. Now experts have developed a solution to ensure breakdowns in communication are a thing of the past for emergency workers responding to disasters. ... > full story

Nanotechnology circuits for wireless devices: First wafer-scale graphene integrated circuit smaller than a pinhead (June 11, 2011) -- Scientists have achieved a milestone in creating a building block for the future of wireless devices. In a new paper, IBM researchers announced the first integrated circuit fabricated from wafer-size graphene, and demonstrated a broadband frequency mixer operating at frequencies up to 10 gigahertz (10 billion cycles/second). ... > full story

Physicists hit on mathematical description of superfluid dynamics (June 10, 2011) -- A century after the discovery of superfluids, scientists using a powerful supercomputer have devised a theoretical framework that explains the real-time behavior of superfluids. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn spacecraft approaches protoplanet Vesta (June 10, 2011) -- NASA's Dawn mission to the doughnut-shaped asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is approaching Vesta, some 220 million miles from Earth. Many surprises are likely awaiting the spacecraft. ... > full story

Fighting oil-spills with air-bubbles (June 10, 2011) -- Curtains of air-bubbles are turning out to be a new method of fighting oil-spills. The bubbles gather up the oil efficiently, even in winds and strong currents, and keep it together in a "pool". ... > full story

New parallelization technique boosts computers' ability to model biological systems (June 10, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new technique for using multi-core chips more efficiently, significantly enhancing a computer's ability to build computer models of biological systems. The technique improved the efficiency of algorithms used to build models of biological systems more than seven-fold, creating more realistic models that can account for uncertainty and biological variation. This could impact research areas ranging from drug development to the engineering of biofuels. ... > full story

Engineers envision 'two-dimensional' graphene metamaterials and one-atom-thick optical devices (June 10, 2011) -- Engineers have proposed the possibility of 'two-dimensional' metamaterials. These one-atom-thick metamaterials could be achieved by controlling the conductivity of sheets of graphene, which is a single layer of carbon atoms. ... > full story

Meteorite holds clues to organic chemistry of early Earth (June 10, 2011) -- Carbonaceous chondrites are organic-rich meteorites that contain samples of the materials that took part in the creation of our planets nearly 4.6 billion years ago. The complex suite of organic materials found in carbonaceous chondrites can vary substantially. New research shows that most of these variations are the result of hydrothermal activity that took place within a few million years of the solar system's formation, when the meteorites were still part of larger bodies. ... > full story

New imaging technology promising for diagnosing cardiovascular disease, diabetes (June 10, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new type of imaging technology to diagnose cardiovascular disease and other disorders by measuring ultrasound signals from molecules exposed to a fast-pulsing laser. ... > full story

Temperature tracking device for packages may have climate metrology applications (June 10, 2011) -- Researchers are working to reduce the uncertainty associated with climate change measurements using a mobile temperature-sensing technology made for tracking delicate or perishable, high-value packages in transit. ... > full story

New way to make lighter, stronger steel -- in a flash (June 10, 2011) -- A Detroit entrepreneur surprised university engineers recently when he invented a heat-treatment that makes steel 7 percent stronger than any steel on record -- in less than 10 seconds. In fact, the steel has tested stronger and more shock-absorbing than the most common titanium alloys used by industry. ... > full story

Chemists devise better way to prepare workhorse molecules (June 10, 2011) -- Scientists report a new environmentally friendly way to make substituted aromatic molecules that can be customized for different industrial needs. ... > full story

Mars Exploration Rover heads toward 'Spirit Point' (June 10, 2011) -- When NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity reaches the rim of a large crater it is approaching, its arrival will come with an inspiring reminder. This crater, Endeavour, became the rover's long-term destination nearly three years ago. Opportunity has driven about 11 miles (18 kilometers) since climbing out of Victoria crater in August 2008, with Endeavour crater beckoning to the southeast. The rover has about 2 miles (about 3 kilometers) to go before reaching the rim of Endeavour. ... > full story

The downside -- and surprising upside –- of microcredit (June 10, 2011) -- Microcredit, which involves giving small loans to very small businesses in an effort to promote entrepreneurship, has been widely touted as a way to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. But in a new study, researchers find that the practice may not be an efficient tool in promoting business growth or improving the lives of its beneficiaries, but could instead have just the opposite effect. However, they did discover other surprising advantages. ... > full story

New driving force for chemical reactions (June 9, 2011) -- Chemists have shown for the first time that a mechanism called tunneling control may drive chemical reactions in directions unexpected from traditional theories. ... > full story

Unique 'portrait' of shuttle and International Space Station released (June 9, 2011) -- Newly-released portraits show the International Space Station together with the space shuttle, the vehicle that helped build the complex during the last decade. The pictures are the first taken of a shuttle docked to the station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. ... > full story

Magnetic bubbles reside at solar system edge, NASA probes suggest (June 9, 2011) -- Observations from NASA's Voyager spacecraft, humanity's farthest deep space sentinels, suggest the edge of our solar system may not be smooth, but filled with a turbulent sea of magnetic bubbles. ... > full story

'Biological circuit' components developed; New microscope technique for measuring them (June 9, 2011) -- Electrical engineers have long been toying with the idea of designing biological molecules that can be directly integrated into electronic circuits. Researchers have developed a way to form these structures so they can operate in open-air environments, and, more important, have developed a new microscope technique that can measure the electrical properties of these and similar devices. ... > full story

Historic first images of rod photoreceptors in the living human eye (June 9, 2011) -- Scientists have reported that the tiny light-sensing cells known as rods have been clearly and directly imaged in the living eye for the first time. Using adaptive optics, scientists can see through the murky distortion of the outer eye, revealing the eye's cellular structure with unprecedented detail. This innovation will help doctors diagnose degenerative eye disorders sooner. ... > full story

Researchers discover superatoms with magnetic shells (June 9, 2011) -- A team of scientists has discovered a new class of 'superatoms' -- a stable cluster of atoms that can mimic different elements of the periodic table -- with unusual magnetic characteristics. ... > full story

First Images from the VLT Survey Telescope with with huge 268-megapixel camera (June 9, 2011) -- The VLT Survey Telescope (VST), the latest addition to the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory, has made its first release of impressive images of the southern sky. The VST is a state-of-the-art 2.6-metre telescope, with the huge 268-megapixel camera OmegaCAM at its heart, which is designed to map the sky both quickly and with very fine image quality. It is a visible-light telescope that perfectly complements ESO's VISTA infrared survey telescope. New images of the Omega Nebula and the globular cluster Omega Centauri demonstrate the VST's power. ... > full story

Aircraft systems in the environmental chamber (June 9, 2011) -- How can air transport be made more environmentally compatible, economical and sustainable? A flight test facility in Germany is soon to be expanded with the installation of a thermal test bench for aircraft systems, with the aim of achieving efficient energy management onboard. ... > full story

Water's surface not all wet: Some water molecules split the difference between gas and liquid (June 9, 2011) -- At any one time, one quarter of water molecules in the uppermost layer have one hydrogen atom in water and the other vibrating freely above. Such molecules straddle gas and liquid phases, according to a new study that bears on atmospheric chemistry and raises the question of how exactly to define the air-water boundary. ... > full story

Rosetta comet probe starts years-long space hibernation (June 9, 2011) -- The final command placing the European Space Agency's Rosetta comet-chaser into deep-space hibernation was sent June 8, 2011. With virtually all systems shut down, the probe will now coast for 31 months until waking up in 2014 for arrival at its comet destination. ... > full story

Asteroid served up 'custom orders' of life's ingredients (June 9, 2011) -- Some asteroids may have been like "molecular factories" cranking out life's ingredients and shipping them to Earth via meteorite impacts, according to scientists who've made discoveries of molecules essential for life in material from certain kinds of asteroids and comets. Now it appears that at least one may have been less like a rigid assembly line and more like a flexible diner that doesn't mind making changes to the menu. ... > full story

Astronomers find a new class of stellar explosions (June 8, 2011) -- They're bright and blue -- and a bit strange. They're a new type of stellar explosion that was recently discovered by a team of astronomers. Among the most luminous in the cosmos, these new kinds of supernovae could help researchers better understand star formation, distant galaxies, and what the early universe might have been like. ... > full story

New method to make sodium ion-based battery cells could lead to better, cheaper batteries for the electrical grid (June 8, 2011) -- By adding the right amount of heat, researchers have developed a method that improves the electrical capacity and recharging lifetime of sodium ion rechargeable batteries, which could be a cheaper alternative for large-scale uses such as storing energy on the electrical grid. Researchers have used nanomaterials to make electrodes that can work with sodium. ... > full story

Ordered fear plays a strong role in market chaos (June 8, 2011) -- When the current financial crisis hit, the failure of traditional economic doctrines to provide any sort of early warning shocked not only financial experts worldwide, but also governments and the general public, and we all began to question the effectiveness and validity of those doctrines. A research team based in Israel decided to investigate what went awry, searching for order in an apparently random system. ... > full story

Research creates nanoparticles perfectly formed to tackle cancer (June 8, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a way to load up nanoparticles with large numbers of light-sensitive molecules to create a more effective form of photodynamic therapy for treating cancer. ... > full story

Using magnets to help prevent heart attacks: Magnetic field can reduce blood viscosity, physicist discovers (June 8, 2011) -- Blood viscosity can be reduced 20-30 percent by subjecting it to a small magnetic field, lowering potential damage to blood vessels and the risk of heart attack, according to a new study. ... > full story

GPS stations can detect clandestine nuclear tests (June 8, 2011) -- At the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization meeting, American researchers are unveiling a new tool for detecting illegal nuclear explosions: the Earth's global positioning system (GPS). Even underground nuclear tests leave their mark on the part of the upper atmosphere known as the ionosphere, the researchers discovered, when they examined GPS data recorded the same day as a North Korean nuclear test in 2009. ... > full story

Finding answers century-old questions about platinum's catalytic properties (June 8, 2011) -- Researchers now understand more about why platinum is so efficient at producing power in hydrogen fuel cells. ... > full story

Near infrared fluorescence lights up hidden blood clots (June 8, 2011) -- New research may mark the expansion of a novel imaging agent for an optical technique called near-infrared fluorescence, which uses light energy to glean information about cells and tissues. NIRF combined with the newly synthesized agent can image dangerous blood clots hiding inside elusive veins, most commonly within the deep tissues of the thighs and pelvis, but potentially also in the coronary arteries. The agent uses a biomarker that seeks out a peptide (the building blocks of proteins) called fibrin that is actively involved in the formation of blood clots. ... > full story

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory catches 'surfer' waves on the sun (June 8, 2011) -- Scientists have spotted the iconic surfer's wave rolling through the atmosphere of the sun. The waves hold clues as to how energy moves through that atmosphere, known as the corona. Since scientists know how these kinds of waves -- initiated by a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability if you're being technical -- disperse energy in the water, they can use this information to better understand the corona. This in turn, may help solve an enduring mystery of why the corona is thousands of times hotter than originally expected. ... > full story