ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

---

• Off the shelf, on the skin: Stick-on electronic patches for health monitoring
• New U.S. time standard: Atomic clock will neither gain nor lose one second in about 300 million years
• Quantum computing: Quantum photon properties revealed in another particle -- the plasmon
• Researchers probe the next generation of 2-D materials
• Researchers design trees that make it easier to produce paper
• Gravity measurements confirm subsurface ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus
• Monster 'El Gordo' galaxy cluster is bigger than thought
• Meet space station’s small satellite launcher suite
• Computer models soybean crop with 8.5 percent more productivity, using 13 percent less water
• Energy breakthrough uses sun to create solar energy materials
• Quantum cryptography for mobile phones
• 'Unbreakable' security codes inspired by nature
• Tiny wireless sensing device alerts users to telltale vapors remotely
• New approach to detecting changes in GM foods
• Fermi data tantalize with new clues to dark matter: Gamma rays from center of Milky Way galaxy
• Tiny power generator runs on spit
• Nanoparticles cause cancer cells to self-destruct
• Pocket-size ultrasonic nebulizer employing a novel nozzle improves inhalers
• Structural insights into inner workings of viral nanomachine
• Tiny biomolecular tweezers studying force effect of cells
• How electrodes charge and discharge: Analysis probes charge transfer in porous battery electrodes for first time
• Ultrathin collagen matrix biomaterial tool for 3-D microtissue engineering
• Bruising detection system can distinguish between accident, real harm in child injuries
• Remotely operated aircraft successfully tested as tool for measuring changes in polar ice sheets
• Researchers open path to finding rare, polarized metals
• Driving: Intelligent warning systems may make 'dilemma zone' safer
• Strain can alter materials' properties
• Ocean-going freighter without crew
• Detecting diamonds with X-ray technology
• Making the most of carbon nanotube-liquid crystal combos
• Improving the reliability of ice friction assessment
• New type of cement from ceramic waste
• Understanding the physics of turbulent flows inside turbines

Off the shelf, on the skin: Stick-on electronic patches for health monitoring Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:26 PM PDT Wearing a fitness tracker on your wrist or clipped to your belt is so 2013. Engineers have demonstrated thin, soft stick-on patches that stretch and move with the skin and incorporate off-the-shelf electronics for sophisticated wireless health monitoring. The patches stick to the skin like a temporary tattoo and incorporate a unique microfluidic construction with wires folded like origami to allow the patch to bend and flex.

New U.S. time standard: Atomic clock will neither gain nor lose one second in about 300 million years Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:26 PM PDT National Institute of Standards and Technology has officially launched a new atomic clock, called NIST-F2, to serve as a new US civilian time and frequency standard, along with the current NIST-F1 standard. NIST-F2 would neither gain nor lose one second in about 300 million years, making it about three times as accurate as NIST-F1, which has served as the standard since 1999. Both clocks use a 'fountain' of cesium atoms to determine the exact length of a second.

Quantum computing: Quantum photon properties revealed in another particle -- the plasmon Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:26 PM PDT One approach to make qubits for quantum computing relies on the creation of two single photons that interfere with one another in a device called a waveguide. Results from a recent applied science study support the idea that waveguides coupled with another quantum particle -- the surface plasmon -- could also become an important piece of the quantum computing puzzle.

Researchers probe the next generation of 2-D materials Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:25 PM PDT As the properties and applications of graphene continue to be explored in laboratories all over the world, a growing number of researchers are looking beyond the one-atom-thick layer of carbon for alternative materials that exhibit similarly captivating properties.

Researchers design trees that make it easier to produce paper Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:20 AM PDT Researchers have genetically engineered trees that will be easier to break down to produce paper and biofuel, a breakthrough that will mean using fewer chemicals, less energy and creating fewer environmental pollutants.

Gravity measurements confirm subsurface ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:20 AM PDT In 2005, NASA's Cassini spacecraft sent pictures back to Earth depicting an icy Saturnian moon spewing water vapor and ice from fractures, known as "tiger stripes," in its frozen surface. It was big news that tiny Enceladus -- a mere 500 kilometers in diameter -- was such an active place. Since then, scientists have hypothesized that a large reservoir of water lies beneath that icy surface, possibly fueling the plumes. Now, using gravity measurements collected by Cassini, scientists have confirmed that Enceladus does in fact harbor a large subsurface ocean near its south pole, beneath those tiger stripes.

Monster 'El Gordo' galaxy cluster is bigger than thought Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:18 AM PDT Astronomers have weighed the largest known galaxy cluster in the distant universe and found that it definitely lives up to its nickname: El Gordo (Spanish for "the fat one"). By precisely measuring how much the gravity from the cluster's mass warps images of far-more-distant background galaxies, a team of astronomers has calculated the cluster's mass to be as much as 3 million billion times the mass of our Sun. The Hubble data show that the cluster is roughly 43 percent more massive than earlier estimates based on X-ray and dynamical studies of the unusual cluster.

Meet space station’s small satellite launcher suite Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:49 AM PDT It used to be that building and launching a working satellite was an enormously expensive and complex undertaking, feasible only for governmental and military agencies. But the CubeSat revolution of the past decade has placed satellite technology within reach of private companies, universities and even unaffiliated individuals. That revolution has been boosted by the existence of the International Space Station, which provides an additional launching platform enabled through regular commercial cargo flights.

Computer models soybean crop with 8.5 percent more productivity, using 13 percent less water Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:23 AM PDT Crops that produce more while using less water seem like a dream for a world with a burgeoning population and already strained resources. This dream is closer to reality for researchers who developed a new computer model to help plant scientists breed better soybean crops. The model predicts a soybean crop with 8.5 percent more productivity, but using 13 percent less water, by breeding for slightly different leaf distribution, angles and reflectivity.

Energy breakthrough uses sun to create solar energy materials Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:23 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a way to tap the sun not only as a source of power, but also to directly produce the solar energy materials that make this possible. This breakthrough could make the sun almost a 'one-stop shop' that produces both the materials for solar devices and the eternal energy to power them.

Quantum cryptography for mobile phones Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:23 AM PDT An ultra-high security scheme that could one day get quantum cryptography using Quantum Key Distribution into mobile devices has been developed and demonstrated. Secure mobile communications underpin our society and through mobile phones, tablets and laptops we have become online consumers. The security of mobile transactions is obscure to most people but is absolutely essential if we are to stay protected from malicious online attacks, fraud and theft.

'Unbreakable' security codes inspired by nature Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:21 AM PDT A revolutionary new method of encrypting confidential information has been patented by scientists inspired by their discoveries from human biology, which model how the heart and lungs coordinate their rhythms by passing information between each other.

Tiny wireless sensing device alerts users to telltale vapors remotely Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:19 AM PDT Researchers have developed a small electronic sensing device that can alert users wirelessly to the presence of chemical vapors in the atmosphere. The technology, which could be manufactured using familiar aerosol-jet printing techniques, is aimed at myriad applications in military, commercial, environmental, healthcare and other areas.

New approach to detecting changes in GM foods Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:19 AM PDT Does genetic manipulation causes unintended changes in food quality and composition? Are genetically modified (GM) foods less nutritious than their non-GM counterparts, or different in unknown ways? Despite extensive cultivation and testing of GM foods, those questions still linger in the minds of many consumers. A new study demonstrates a potentially more powerful approach to answering them.

Fermi data tantalize with new clues to dark matter: Gamma rays from center of Milky Way galaxy Posted: 03 Apr 2014 09:36 AM PDT A new study of gamma-ray light from the center of our galaxy makes the strongest case to date that some of this emission may arise from dark matter, an unknown substance making up most of the material universe. Using publicly available data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, independent scientists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Chicago have developed new maps showing that the galactic center produces more high-energy gamma rays than can be explained by known sources and that this excess emission is consistent with some forms of dark matter.

Tiny power generator runs on spit Posted: 03 Apr 2014 07:58 AM PDT Saliva-powered micro-sized microbial fuel cells can produce minute amounts of energy sufficient to run on-chip applications, according to engineers. Biomedical devices using micro-sized microbial fuel cells would be portable and have their energy source available anywhere.

Nanoparticles cause cancer cells to self-destruct Posted: 03 Apr 2014 07:58 AM PDT Using magnetically controlled nanoparticles to force tumor cells to 'self-destruct' sounds like science fiction, but could be a future part of cancer treatment, according to research. "The clever thing about the technique is that we can target selected cells without harming surrounding tissue. There are many ways to kill cells, but this method is contained and remote-controlled," said one researcher.

Pocket-size ultrasonic nebulizer employing a novel nozzle improves inhalers Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:55 AM PDT Inhalation is an increasingly important route for non-invasive drug delivery for both systemic and local applications. Control of particle size and output plays a critical role in the efficient and effective delivery of often expensive medications to the lung. Drugs designed to treat pulmonary diseases or for systemic absorption through the alveolar capillary bed require optimum particle sizes for effective delivery.

Structural insights into inner workings of viral nanomachine Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:55 AM PDT Researchers are using new nanoscale imaging approaches to shed light on the dynamic activities of rotaviruses, important pathogens that cause life-threatening diarrhea in young children. Once a rotavirus enters a host cell, it sheds its outermost protein layer, leaving behind a double-layered particle (DLP). These DLPs are the form of the virus that produces messenger RNA molecules, which are critical for launching the infection.

Tiny biomolecular tweezers studying force effect of cells Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:55 AM PDT A new type of biomolecular tweezers could help researchers study how mechanical forces affect the biochemical activity of cells and proteins. The devices -- too small to see without a microscope -- use opposing magnetic and electrophoretic forces to precisely stretch the cells and molecules, holding them in position so that the activity of receptors and other biochemical activity can be studied.

How electrodes charge and discharge: Analysis probes charge transfer in porous battery electrodes for first time Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT A new analysis probes charge transfer in porous battery electrodes for the first time. The electrochemical reactions inside the porous electrodes of batteries and fuel cells have been described by theorists, but never measured directly. Now, scientists have figured out a way to measure the fundamental charge transfer rate -- finding some significant surprises.

Ultrathin collagen matrix biomaterial tool for 3-D microtissue engineering Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT A novel ultrathin collagen matrix assembly allows for the unprecedented maintenance of liver cell morphology and function in a microscale 'organ-on-a-chip' device that is one example of 3D microtissue engineering. This technology allows researchers to provide cells with the precise extracellular matrix cues that they require to maintain their differentiated form and liverspecific functions, including albumin and urea production.

Bruising detection system can distinguish between accident, real harm in child injuries Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT A novel sensing skin adapted to a child surrogate is capable of capturing and recording potential bruising locations and impact force when used in simulated injurious events. "The presence, distribution and location of bruising on a child's body provide a roadmap documenting a child's exposure to impact; this information can be critical in a forensic analysis of a child's injuries," states the senior author.

Remotely operated aircraft successfully tested as tool for measuring changes in polar ice sheets Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT Scientists studying the behavior of the world's ice sheets -- and the future implications of ice sheet behavior for global sea-level rise -- may soon have a new airborne tool that will allow radar measurements that previously would have been prohibitively expensive or difficult to carry out with manned aircraft.

Researchers open path to finding rare, polarized metals Posted: 02 Apr 2014 09:15 AM PDT Researchers are turning some of the basic tenets of chemistry and physics upside down to cut a trail toward the discovery of a new set of materials. They're called 'polar metals' and, according to many of the scientific principles that govern the behavior of atoms, they probably shouldn't exist.

Driving: Intelligent warning systems may make 'dilemma zone' safer Posted: 02 Apr 2014 09:14 AM PDT Most drivers have experienced a traffic signal that turns yellow just as they approach an intersection, which makes it difficult for them to decide whether to stop or proceed through it. The wrong choice in this critical situation, known as the "dilemma zone," may lead to crashes, especially at high-speed intersections. A new study examines how intelligent warning systems help drivers negotiate the dilemma zone and encourage safer driving behavior.

Strain can alter materials' properties Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:16 AM PDT In the ongoing search for new materials for fuel cells, batteries, photovoltaics, separation membranes, and electronic devices, one newer approach involves applying and managing stresses within known materials to give them dramatically different properties.

Ocean-going freighter without crew Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:56 AM PDT Ships of the future will soon be steered across 'the Seven Seas' – autonomously. A new simulator is helping propel these plans forward. The core of the autonomous freighter is served by a centralized software application. It analyzes the data from all sensors and determines, for example, if and how the ship changes its course in order to avoid collisions with, for example, a loose container floating around that may have fallen from another freighter.

Detecting diamonds with X-ray technology Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT X-rays penetrate objects and reveal information about its contents. Using two X-ray spectra, you can identify different materials. And now, a new algorithm is making it possible to find diamonds in the rock.

Making the most of carbon nanotube-liquid crystal combos Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT Physical response of combination materials made of nanotubes with ferroelectric liquid crystals could lead to new applications. Dispersions of carbon nanotubes with liquid crystals have attracted much interest because they pave the way for creating new materials with added functionalities. Now, a new study focuses on the influence of temperature and nanotube concentration on the physical properties of such combined materials.

Improving the reliability of ice friction assessment Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT Sliding speed and ice temperature affect the surface friction of ice more than had previously been thought. A new thermodynamic model shows that under certain conditions ice warms and melts when an item of material slides across its surface. The ice then becomes more slippery. Conversely, the friction coefficient can rise a hundredfold when sliding speed reduces and the temperature drops.

New type of cement from ceramic waste Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT Researchers have created a new type of cement from ceramic waste in the laboratory. It is a more sustainable cement and it also opens business possibilities for the ceramics industry.

Understanding the physics of turbulent flows inside turbines Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:52 AM PDT Researchers are aiming to shed new light into the physics of turbulent flows inside the turbines of aero-engines. The aerodynamics of the turbine blades affects the efficiency of the engine, while the heat transfer from the extremely hot gas to the turbine blades is harmful to the life-span of the turbine. To determine the effects of turbulence and flow unsteadiness on the aerodynamics and the heat transfer from the gas to the metal blade, it is necessary to understand all the temporal and spatial scales in the flow.

You are subscribed to email updates from Top Technology News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610