ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, November 2, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, November 2, 2011

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UV light controls antibodies, improves biosensors (November 2, 2011) -- From detecting pathogens in blood samples to the study of protein synthesis, Quartz Crystal Microbalance sensors have many uses in modern biology. Now researchers have found a way to increase the number of right-side-up antibodies in this well-established molecule detection process -- using light. ... > full story

Finest silk made of the purest nanometer-thin gold woven into ties and handkerchiefs (November 2, 2011) -- True luxury has only one color -- gold. A nanometer-thin layer of pure gold now lends ties and pocket handkerchiefs that authentic gold sheen, thanks to a new process. The yarn, which is coated using a high-tech plasma process, is soft and easy to weave. It is also washing machine compatible. A limited number of gold ties will be placed on the market before Christmas. Further fashion accessories will follow in 2012. ... > full story

How to unbalance nothingness: Physicists calculate the time development of the vacuum decay (November 2, 2011) -- Physicists around the world are hoping to witness a particularly spectacular characteristic in a few years' time: the spontaneous decay of the vacuum into pairs of particles of matter and antimatter in super strong electric fields. Thanks to new research results of an Austro-German team of physicists, this goal has come a few steps closer. ... > full story

New tool developed for the study of spatial patterns in living cells (November 1, 2011) -- By embedding fixed arrays of gold nanoparticles into fluid lipid bilayers, scientists can study with unprecedented detail how the spatial patterns of chemical and physical properties on membranes can determine the fate of a cell -- whether it lives or dies, remains normal or turns cancerous. ... > full story

U.S. Navy researchers fire 1,000th shot on laboratory electromagnetic railgun (November 1, 2011) -- Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory hit a materials research milestone in the Office of Naval Research's Electromagnetic Railgun program when they fired a laboratory-scale system for the 1,000th time Oct. 31. ... > full story

Doctors can learn empathy through a computer-based tutorial (November 1, 2011) -- Cancer doctors want to offer a sympathetic ear, but sometimes miss the cues from patients. To help physicians better address their patients' fears and worries, a researcher has developed a new interactive training tool. ... > full story

Boeing to build commercial spacecraft at Kennedy, create 550 jobs (November 1, 2011) -- The Boeing Co. will set up Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to manufacture and assemble its CST-100 spacecraft for launches to the International Space Station under a newly signed agreement with NASA and Space Florida. And that deal could provide a glimpse of how Kennedy's unique facilities will be used in the future. ... > full story

Could social media be used to detect disease outbreaks? (November 1, 2011) -- New research has looked at whether social media could be used to track an event or phenomenon, such as flu outbreaks and rainfall rates. ... > full story

New algorithm could substantially speed up MRI scans (November 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new algorithm that could substantially speed up MRI scans from 45 to 15 minutes. ... > full story

Large asteroid to pass by Earth Nov. 8, but what if it didn't? (November 1, 2011) -- An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will fly near Earth on Nov. 8, 2011. While there is no danger of it hitting the planet, an asteroid impact expert says a similar-sized object hitting Earth would result in a 4,000-megaton blast, magnitude 7.0 earthquake and, should it strike in the deep ocean, 70-foot-high tsunami waves 60 miles from the splashdown site. ... > full story

Boosting LED efficiency: Zinc oxide microwires improve performance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) through the piezo-phototronic effect (November 1, 2011) -- Researchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light. The devices are believed to be the first LEDs whose performance has been enhanced by the piezo-phototronic effect. ... > full story

Fighting violent gang crime with math (November 1, 2011) -- Mathematicians working with the Los Angeles Police Department to analyze crime patterns have designed a mathematical algorithm to identify street gangs involved in unsolved violent crimes -- the first scholarly study of gang violence of its kind. ... > full story

Relief from 'parking wars': Computer software to revamp city parking (November 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a traffic simulator that takes into account real parking policies, the habits of urban drivers, and the movements of traffic inspectors to identify strategies for improvement and test the impact of parking policy changes before they're implemented. ... > full story

Rethinking equilibrium: In nature, large energy fluctuations may rile even 'relaxed' systems (November 1, 2011) -- Scientists have shown that large energy fluctuations can rile even a "relaxed" system, raising questions about how energy might travel through structures ranging from the ocean to DNA. ... > full story

Mathematically detecting stock market bubbles before they burst (November 1, 2011) -- From the dotcom bust in the late nineties to the housing crash in the run-up to the 2008 crisis, financial bubbles have been a topic of major concern. Identifying bubbles is important in order to prevent collapses that can severely impact nations and economies. A mathematical model has now been proposed for the detection of financial bubbles in order to prevent their collapse. ... > full story

World's most efficient flexible organic light-emitting diodes created on plastic (November 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the world's most efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) on plastic. This result enables a flexible form factor, not to mention a less costly, alternative to traditional OLED manufacturing, which currently relies on rigid glass. ... > full story

Technical aptitude: Do women score lower because they just aren't interested? (November 1, 2011) -- Boys do better on tests of technical aptitude (for example, mechanical aptitude tests) than girls. The same is true for adults. A new study describes a theory explaining how the difference comes about: the root cause is that boys are just more interested in technical things, like taking apart a bike, than girls are. ... > full story

To diagnose heart disease, visualization experts recommend a simpler approach (November 1, 2011) -- A team of computer scientists, physicists, and physicians has developed a simple yet powerful method of visualizing human arteries that may result in more accurate diagnoses of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The prototype tool, called "HemoVis," creates a 2D diagram of arteries that performs better than the traditional 3D, rainbow-colored model. In a clinical setting, the tool has been shown to increase diagnostic accuracy from 39% to 91%. ... > full story

New method in spectral analysis: Measuring the distance of processes (November 1, 2011) -- A milestone in the description of complex processes -- for example the ups and downs of share prices -- has been reached by mathematicians. Researchers have developed a new method in spectral analysis, which allows a classical mathematical model assumption, so-called stationarity, to be precisely measured and determined for the first time. The approach also makes it possible to construct statistical tests that are considerably better and more accurate than previous methods. ... > full story

Landsat's TIRS instrument comes out of first round of thermal vacuum testing (November 1, 2011) -- The Thermal Infrared Sensor that will fly on the next Landsat satellite came out of its first round of thermal vacuum testing recently at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. ... > full story

Structure, not scientists to blame for Los Alamos failings, article says (November 1, 2011) -- Policy decisions and poor management have substantially undermined the US Los Alamos National Laboratory — and, consequently, U.S. national security, according to a new article. The article calls into question media and government stereotypes that have blamed Los Alamos’s scientists for the decline. ... > full story

A SHARP new microscope for the next generation of biochips (October 31, 2011) -- Scientists are building the world's most advanced extreme-ultraviolet microscope to study and design the photolithography masks, materials, patterns, and architectures essential to the next generation of integrated circuits. ... > full story

One step closer to dark matter in universe (October 31, 2011) -- Scientists all over the world are working feverishly to find the dark matter in the universe. Now researchers have taken one step closer to solving the enigma with a new method. ... > full story

CSI-style investigation of meteorite hits on Earth (October 31, 2011) -- Volcanologists have forensically reconstructed the impact of a meteorite on Earth and how debris was hurled from the crater to devastate the surrounding region. ... > full story

Internet privacy tools are confusing, ineffective for most people (October 31, 2011) -- Internet users who want to protect their privacy by stopping advertisers and other companies from tracking their online behavior will have great difficulty doing so with commonly available "opt-out" tools, researchers report. User testing found that privacy options in popular browsers, as well as online tools or plug-ins for blocking access by certain websites or otherwise opting out of tracking, were hard for the typical user to understand or to configure successfully. ... > full story

Highly efficient oxygen catalyst found: Rechargeable batteries and hydrogen-fuel production could benefit (October 31, 2011) -- A team of researchers has found one of the most effective catalysts ever discovered for splitting oxygen atoms from water molecules -- a key reaction for advanced energy-storage systems, including electrolyzers, to produce hydrogen fuel and rechargeable batteries. This new catalyst liberates oxygen at more than 10 times the rate of the best previously known catalyst of its type. ... > full story

New hybrid technology could bring 'quantum information systems' (October 31, 2011) -- The merging of two technologies under development -- plasmonics and nanophotonics -- is promising the emergence of new "quantum information systems" far more powerful than today's computers. ... > full story

Planets smashed into dust near supermassive black holes (October 31, 2011) -- Fat doughnut-shaped dust shrouds that obscure about half of supermassive black holes could be the result of high speed crashes between planets and asteroids, according to a new theory from an international team of astronomers. ... > full story

Speedy 3-D X-rays in the operating room (October 30, 2011) -- Having an operation always places strain on patients, and this is especially true of complicated operations. Surgeons use 3-D X-rays to check the results before the patient has left the operating room. This does help to avoid possible complications, but it also means interrupting the surgery. Researchers are now developing a 3-D X-ray system that can be integrated seamlessly into operating procedure – with no more forced interruptions. ... > full story

Asteroid lutetia: Primitive body from solar system's planet-forming period (October 30, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft has revealed asteroid Lutetia to be a primitive body, left over as the planets were forming in our Solar System. Results from Rosetta's fleeting flyby also suggest that this mini-world tried to grow a metal heart. ... > full story

'New paradigm' in the way drugs can be manufactured: New method to build important heparin drug (October 30, 2011) -- Researchers working to change forever the way some of the most widely used drugs in the world are manufactured have announced an important step toward making this a reality. ... > full story

A 3-D reconstructed image of neural dendritic trees using the advanced electron microscope technology (October 29, 2011) -- Scientists have revealed the minute properties of dendritic trees by reconstructing 3-D images using the advanced electron microscope technology. The research team demonstrated the principle that "neurons normalize receiving signals, making it easier to receive farther signals because of the morphological characteristics of dendritic trees." ... > full story

Laser polishes components to a high-gloss finish (October 29, 2011) -- At present, components used in areas such as tool and die making generally have to be painstakingly polished by hand -- but a recently developed automated process could soon offer a much faster solution. ... > full story

Printed protection: Low-cost paper-based wireless sensor could help detect explosive devices (October 28, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a prototype wireless sensor capable of detecting trace amounts of a key ingredient found in many explosives. The device, which employs carbon nanotubes, is printed on paper or paper-like material. ... > full story

Astronomers pin down galaxy collision rate with Hubble data (October 28, 2011) -- A new analysis of Hubble surveys, combined with simulations of galaxy interactions, reveals that the merger rate of galaxies over the last 8 billion to 9 billion years falls between the previous estimates. ... > full story

Shaken, not stirred: Scientists spy molecular maneuvers (October 28, 2011) -- By shaking not stirring their solutions, researchers have been able to engineer two-dimensional, biomimetic nanosheets with atomic precision for a wide range of applications, including the creation of platforms for sensing molecules or membranes for filtration. To enable this self-assembly of 2D nanosheets they have developed a programmable vial rocking device they call a "SheetRocker." ... > full story

Celestial compass obscured by urban light pollution for some nocturnal animals (October 28, 2011) -- Urban light pollution has been shown to reduce the visibility of not only the stars, but also of an important navigational signal for some nocturnal animals. During clear moonlit nights, a compass-like pattern of polarized light that is invisible to the human eye stretches across the sky. The nighttime skyglow over major cities renders this celestial compass unobservable over large areas, according to a new study. ... > full story

Graphene grows better on certain copper crystals (October 28, 2011) -- New observations could improve industrial production of high-quality graphene, hastening the era of graphene-based consumer electronics. By combining data from several imaging techniques, engineers found that the quality of graphene depends on the crystal structure of the copper substrate it grows on. Copper with higher index numbers tends to have lower-quality graphene growth. Two common crystal structures, numbered (100) and (111), have the worst and the best growth, respectively. ... > full story

Quantum computer components 'coalesce' to 'converse' (October 28, 2011) -- A team of physicists has shown for the first time how very different types of photons can be made to share "quantum state" information. Such unlike photon links are likely to be an important feature of future quantum computers, where different types of components will need to share information with one another, just like the memory and logic circuits in today's computers. ... > full story

Starburst captured: Students photograph exploding star in pinwheel galaxy (October 28, 2011) -- In the Pinwheel Galaxy some 21 million light years from Earth, a supernova beams brightly, out-shining its cosmic neighbors and causing a stir among starwatchers. ... > full story

Restraint improves dielectric performance, lifespan (October 28, 2011) -- Just as a corset improves the appearance of its wearer by keeping everything tightly together, rigidly constraining insulating materials in electrical components can increase their energy density and decrease their rates of failure. Engineers have demonstrated that rigidly constraining dielectric materials can greatly improve their performance and potentially lengthen their lifespans. This insight follows their discovery earlier this year of the exact mechanism that causes soft dielectric materials to break down in the presence of electricity. ... > full story

Europe's top microscope for creating tomorrow's materials (October 28, 2011) -- Europe's most precise electron microscope is now in use in Sweden. The 80-300 transmission electron microscope has been adjusted so it now provides a resolution of less than 0.7 Å (about half the distance between two atoms in a silicon crystal). ... > full story

Quantum dots cast light on biomedical processes (October 27, 2011) -- The light emitted by quantum dots is both more intense and longer lasting than that produced by the fluorescent markers commonly used in medical and biological applications. Yet these nano-scale light sources still suffer from one major drawback: they do not dissolve in water. Researchers in the Netherlands and Singapore have found a way to remedy this. They have developed a coating which allows quantum dots to be used inside the human body, even inside living cells. ... > full story

Three new planets and a mystery object discovered outside our solar system (October 27, 2011) -- Three planets -- each orbiting its own giant, dying star -- have now been discovered by a team led by Alexander Wolszczan, the discoverer of the first planets ever found outside our solar system. One of these stars has another mystery object orbiting it. The research is expected to shed light on the evolution of planetary systems around dying stars and the influence of metal content on the behavior of dying stars. ... > full story

High-quality white light produced by four-color laser source; Diode lasers could challenge LEDs for home and industrial lighting supremacy (October 27, 2011) -- The human eye is as comfortable with white light generated by diode lasers as with that produced by increasingly popular light-emitting diodes, according to new tests. Both technologies pass electrical current through material to generate light, but the simpler LED emits lights only through spontaneous emission. Diode lasers bounce light back and forth internally before releasing it. ... > full story

New approach to overcome key hurdle for next-generation superconductors (October 27, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new computational approach to improve the utility of superconductive materials for specific design applications -- and have used the approach to solve a key research obstacle for the next-generation superconductor material yttrium barium copper oxide. ... > full story

Astronomers discover complex organic matter exists throughout the universe (October 27, 2011) -- Researchers from Hong Kong report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. They indicate that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic and aliphatic components. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars. ... > full story

'Magnetic tongue' ready to help produce tastier processed foods (October 27, 2011) -- The "electronic nose," which detects odors, has a companion among emerging futuristic "e-sensing" devices intended to replace abilities that once were strictly human-and-animal-only. It is a "magnetic tongue" -- a method used to "taste" food and identify ingredients that people describe as sweet, bitter, sour, etc. Scientists report on use of the method to taste canned tomatoes. ... > full story