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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News


Sorting cells with sound waves

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 05:57 PM PDT

Researchers have devised a new way to separate cells by exposing them to sound waves as they flow through a tiny channel. Their device, about the size of a dime, could be used to detect the extremely rare tumor cells that circulate in cancer patients' blood, helping doctors predict whether a tumor is going to spread.

Glucose meter of a different color provides continuous monitoring

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:28 PM PDT

Engineers are bringing a touch of color to glucose monitoring. The researchers developed a new continuous glucose monitoring material that changes color as glucose levels fluctuate, and the wavelength shift is so precise that doctors and patients may be able to use it for automatic insulin dosing -- something not possible using current point measurements like test strips.

Competition for graphene: Researchers demonstrate ultrafast charge transfer in new family of 2-D semiconductors

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:25 AM PDT

The first experimental observation of ultrafast charge transfer in photo-excited MX2 materials, the graphene-like two-dimensional semiconductors, has been conducted. Charge transfer time clocked in at under 50 femtoseconds, comparable to the fastest times recorded for organic photovoltaics.

Existing power plants will spew 300 billion more tons of carbon dioxide during use

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:24 AM PDT

Existing power plants around the world will pump out more than 300 billion tons of carbon dioxide over their expected lifetimes, significantly adding to atmospheric levels of the climate-warming gas, according to scientists.

Best view yet of merging galaxies in distant universe

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:11 AM PDT

Astronomers have obtained the best view yet of a collision between two galaxies when the Universe was only half its current age. To make this observation, the team also enlisted the help of a gravitational lens, a galaxy-size magnifying glass, to reveal otherwise invisible detail.

Symphony of nanoplasmonic and optical resonators produces laser-like light emission

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 09:11 AM PDT

By combining plasmonics and optical microresonators, researchers have created a new optical amplifier (or laser) design, paving the way for power-on-a-chip applications.

Do we live in a 2-D hologram? Experiment will test the nature of the universe

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 09:10 AM PDT

A unique experiment called the Holometer has started collecting data that will answer some mind-bending questions about our universe -- including whether we live in a hologram.

An inconvenient truth: Does responsible consumption benefit corporations more than society?

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 08:29 AM PDT

Are environmental and social problems such as global warming and poverty the result of inadequate governmental regulations or does the burden fall on our failure as consumers to make better consumption choices? According to a new study, responsible consumption shifts the burden for solving global problems from governments to consumers and ultimately benefits corporations more than society.

Nuclear legacy of Hiroshima is a global issue, but the challenge is: How much of it is a trauma for everybody?

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 08:29 AM PDT

Speaking in Hiroshima of the bombing of the city, Yoko Ono stood up for peace declaring that 'No More Hiroshima' is a global issue. In light of the continued legacy of the event, a new study  looks at how the Hiroshima story penetrated into the realm of Japanese public memory and investigates whether the trauma became a truly national one. Crucially, the research questions if the transformation from a circumscribed experience to a society-encompassing one was a natural experience or a constructed phenomenon instead.

Introducing the multi-tasking nanoparticle

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 08:26 AM PDT

Dynamic nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed that could provide an arsenal of applications to diagnose and treat cancer. Built on an easy-to-make polymer, these particles can be used as contrast agents to light up tumors for MRI and PET scans or deliver chemo and other therapies to destroy tumors. In addition, the particles are biocompatible and have shown no toxicity.

Key to speed? Elite sprinters unlike other athletes, deliver forceful punch to ground

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 07:08 AM PDT

The world's fastest sprinters have a distinctive ability unlike other runners to attack the ground and attain faster speeds, according to new research. The new findings indicate that sprinters use a combined limb motion and foot-strike mechanism that enhances speed by elevating foot-ground impact forces. "The sprinters we tested all used the same mechanism for maximizing force application and sprinting performance," said the study's lead author.

Laser pulse turns glass into a metal: New effect could be used for ultra-fast logical switches

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 07:08 AM PDT

For tiny fractions of a second, quartz glass can take on metallic properties, when it is illuminated be a laser pulse. This has been shown by new calculations. The effect could be used to build logical switches which are much faster than today's microelectronics.

New implanted sensor could reduce heart failure admissions

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 07:06 AM PDT

Unexpected trips to the hospital are inconvenient and worrisome for anyone, but for congestive heart failure sufferers, they can be all too frequent. Cardiologists can now implant a new tiny, wireless monitoring sensor to help doctors and patients manage heart failure while eliminating the need for frequent surprise hospital visits.

Eye implant could lead to better glaucoma treatments

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 06:10 AM PDT

Lowering internal eye pressure is currently the only way to treat glaucoma. A tiny eye implant recently developed could pair with a smartphone to improve the way doctors measure and lower a patient's eye pressure. Daily or hourly measurements of eye pressure could help doctors tailor more effective treatment plans.

Duality principle is 'safe and sound'

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 06:10 AM PDT

Decades of experiments have verified the quirky laws of quantum theory again and again. So when scientists in Germany announced in 2012 an apparent violation of a fundamental law of quantum mechanics, physicists were determined to find an explanation.

Flu outbreak provides rare study material

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 06:10 AM PDT

Five years ago this month, one of the first U.S. outbreaks of the H1N1 virus swept through the Washington State University campus, striking some 2,000 people. A university math and biology professor has used a trove of data gathered at the time to gain insight into how only a few infected people could launch the virus's rapid spread across the university community.

U.S. has seen widespread adoption of robot-assisted cancer surgery to remove the prostate

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 06:10 AM PDT

The US has experienced widespread adoption of robot-assisted prostate removal surgery to treat prostate cancer in recent years, a new study reveals. The study also found that while such surgeries are more expensive than traditional surgeries, their costs are decreasing over time.

Wii Balance Board induces changes in brains of people with multiple sclerosis

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 06:10 AM PDT

A balance board accessory for a popular video game console can help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) reduce their risk of accidental falls, according to new research. Magnetic resonance imaging scans showed that use of the Nintendo Wii Balance Board system appears to induce favorable changes in brain connections associated with balance and movement.

Student designs soccer video game adapted to people with cerebral palsy

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 05:58 AM PDT

A soccer game adapted for people with cerebral palsy has been designed that is operated with a foot switch, a push rod head switch and a hand switch. A new tool allows any player to have equal access with different physical conditions.

Hotels with smart bracelets

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 05:57 AM PDT

Scientists have developed smart bracelets - the Smart VIB (Very Important Bracelet) that enables clients access hotel rooms without the need for a card, make payments using the PayPal system, share experiences on social networks via the numerous tactile screen, and receive completely personalized services, while at all times guaranteeing protection of information.

Razor-sharp TV images with 4K definition

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 05:57 AM PDT

The future of movie, sports and concert broadcasting lies in 4K definition, which will bring cinema quality TV viewing into people's homes. 4K Ultra HD has four times as many pixels as today's Full HD. And thanks to the new HEVC video compression standard, broadcasters can now transmit live video in the 4K digital cinema standard.

Lignin: New process helps overcome obstacles to produce renewable fuels and chemicals

Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT

There's an old saying in the biofuels industry: 'You can make anything from lignin except money.' But now, a new study may pave the way to challenging that adage. The study demonstrates a concept that provides opportunities for the successful conversion of lignin into a variety of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials for a sustainable energy economy.

Better than CAPTCHA: Improved method to let computers know you are human

Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:55 PM PDT

Researchers are investigating game-based verification that may improve computer security and reduce user frustration compared to typical "type-what-you-see" CAPTCHA tools that use static images.

Combining math and music to open new possibilities

Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT

The power of mathematics to open new possibilities in music has been demonstrated by scientists for years. Modern experiments with computer music are just the most recent example.

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