ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Mysterious 150-year-old writing in rare copy of Homer's 'Odyssey' identified
• Paleontologists unveil online showcase of 3-D fossil remains
• Carbon emissions: Energy-subsidy reform can be achieved with proper preparation, outside pressure
• Clues for superconductivity in an iron-based material
• Terahertz imaging on the cheap: Fewer sensors required for high-resolution imaging systems
• Genetic approach helps design broadband metamaterial
• New mathematical framework to characterize shape of graphene
• Bone marrow-on-a-chip unveiled
• Game developers say success hinges on more than just programming skills: Interpersonal skills also key
• Fluorescent sensor developed for detecting nitric oxide, a molecule related to many diseases
• Robot caregivers to help the elderly
• World's smallest cardiac pacemaker implanted
• Nanoengineers develop basis for electronics that stretch at the molecular level
• Electronic tool helps reduce drug errors among hospitalized children
• No danger from magnetic fields in electric cars, experts say
• Analyzing living cells quickly, accurately
• Bioinformatics approach helps researchers find new use for old drug
• Tracking proteins in single HIV particle
• How do our cells move? Liquid droplets could explain
• New sensor system detects early signs of concussion in real time
• Predicting therapy outcomes in prostate cancer with bone metastasis

Mysterious 150-year-old writing in rare copy of Homer's 'Odyssey' identified Posted: 05 May 2014 12:51 PM PDT An Italian computer engineer has solved a 150-year-old literary mystery found in a rare edition of Homer's Odyssey at the University of Chicago Library. The 1504 Venetian edition contains handwritten annotations in a previously unknown script.

Paleontologists unveil online showcase of 3-D fossil remains Posted: 05 May 2014 12:51 PM PDT More than two decades ago, a paleontologist began the laborious task of digitally scanning the bones of mastodons, mammoths and other prehistoric creatures so the images could be displayed on computers. Several recent technical advances have enabled the museum to place hundreds of the scanned images on a new website.

Carbon emissions: Energy-subsidy reform can be achieved with proper preparation, outside pressure Posted: 05 May 2014 10:05 AM PDT Reform of energy subsidies in oil-exporting countries can reduce carbon emissions and add years to oil exports, according to a new article. Whether sold as bulk crude oil and natural gas or as retail electricity, gasoline or diesel, the major exporters of OPEC, Russia and others harbor some of the lowest domestic energy prices in the world. These fossil-fuel subsidies have allowed these countries to distribute resource revenue, bolstering legitimacy for governments, many of which are not democratically elected.

Clues for superconductivity in an iron-based material Posted: 05 May 2014 08:26 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have a clearer understanding of how to control the appearance of a superconducting phase in a material, adding crucial fundamental knowledge and perhaps setting the stage for advances in the field of superconductivity.

Terahertz imaging on the cheap: Fewer sensors required for high-resolution imaging systems Posted: 05 May 2014 08:25 AM PDT Terahertz imaging, which is already familiar from airport security checkpoints, has a number of other promising applications -- from explosives detection to collision avoidance in cars. Like sonar or radar, terahertz imaging produces an image by comparing measurements across an array of sensors. Those arrays have to be very dense, since the distance between sensors is proportional to wavelength. Scientists have now developed a technique that could reduce the number of sensors required for terahertz or millimeter-wave imaging by a factor of 10, or even 100, making them more practical.

Genetic approach helps design broadband metamaterial Posted: 05 May 2014 08:25 AM PDT A specially formed material that can provide custom broadband absorption in the infrared can be identified and manufactured using 'genetic algorithms,' according to engineers who say these metamaterials can shield objects from view by infrared sensors, protect instruments and be manufactured to cover a variety of wavelengths.

New mathematical framework to characterize shape of graphene Posted: 05 May 2014 08:23 AM PDT Scientists studying graphene's properties are using a new mathematical framework to make extremely accurate characterizations of the two-dimensional material's shape. Graphene, discovered in 2004, is a one-atom-thick sheet of graphite.

Bone marrow-on-a-chip unveiled Posted: 05 May 2014 07:44 AM PDT The first method to reproduce the structure, functions and cellular make-up of bone marrow in the laboratory has been unveiled by researchers. The new device gives scientists a much-needed new method to test the effects on bone marrow of toxic agents and new drugs to prevent lethal radiation poisoning and dangerous side effects of cancer therapies, all without animal testing.

Game developers say success hinges on more than just programming skills: Interpersonal skills also key Posted: 05 May 2014 07:44 AM PDT Aspiring game developers may want to bone up on their interpersonal skills. A new study finds that game developers need a suite of non-programming skills -- including communication skills -- that are considered less important in other fields of software development.

Fluorescent sensor developed for detecting nitric oxide, a molecule related to many diseases Posted: 05 May 2014 07:42 AM PDT The detection of certain chemical compounds in our body is essential to prevent many diseases and set out their treatment. Thus, making advances in the development of compounds that can be easily detected is key for the development of medicine. This is the case of nitric oxide, which is a molecule involved in countless cardiovascular, neurological and immune system processes, among others. The detection of nitric oxide may be executed more efficiently and selectively thanks to a new compound recently developed.

Robot caregivers to help the elderly Posted: 05 May 2014 07:42 AM PDT Our life expectancy lengthens and members of the 'silver generation' make up an ever-larger proportion of the population. Can technologies help us in caring for ourselves, our older relatives and friends? Could we learn to live together with robots while being watched over by sensors? Some people certainly think so.

World's smallest cardiac pacemaker implanted Posted: 05 May 2014 06:50 AM PDT The world's smallest pacemaker has been implanted as part of a global clinical trial. The procedure was the first of its kind in the United States Midwest. One-tenth the size of a conventional pacemaker, and comparable in size to a large vitamin, the Micra TPS pacemaker is delivered directly into the heart through a catheter inserted in the femoral vein.

Nanoengineers develop basis for electronics that stretch at the molecular level Posted: 05 May 2014 06:50 AM PDT Nanoengineers are asking what might be possible if semiconductor materials were flexible and stretchable without sacrificing electronic function? Today's flexible electronics are already enabling a new generation of wearable sensors and other mobile electronic devices. But these flexible electronics, in which very thin semiconductor materials are applied to a thin, flexible substrate in wavy patterns and then applied to a deformable surface such as skin or fabric, are still built around hard composite materials that limit their elasticity.

Electronic tool helps reduce drug errors among hospitalized children Posted: 05 May 2014 06:42 AM PDT When children are admitted to the hospital, sometimes the medications they take at home are lost in the shuffle, or they may be given the wrong dose. Having a system in place at hospital admission to record and review a child's medication history results in fewer errors, potentially avoiding harm to the patient, according to a new study.

No danger from magnetic fields in electric cars, experts say Posted: 05 May 2014 06:38 AM PDT Many people are concerned that electric cars produce dangerous magnetic fields. New research shows that this is not the case. Researchers from seven countries have concluded that we can feel safe both in electric-powered cars and in those powered by hydrogen, petrol and diesel. None of them exposes passengers to higher electromagnetic fields than those recommended in international standards. In fact, field intensity is well below the recommended value, experts say.

Analyzing living cells quickly, accurately Posted: 05 May 2014 06:38 AM PDT In order to investigate inflammation, tumors or stem cells, medical practitioners analyze living cells. Non-invasive optical procedures such as Raman spectroscopy accelerate this procedure. Researchers have now developed it to industrial scale, and the technology is being employed on a practical basis by industrial partners. Scientists are working at present on a rapid test for cancer diagnosis, among other endeavors.

Bioinformatics approach helps researchers find new use for old drug Posted: 05 May 2014 06:20 AM PDT By linking cancer gene expression patterns with drug activity, a research team has found a possible cancer therapy hidden in an antimicrobial agent. Using a novel bioinformatics approach, a team of researchers used a collection of gene expression data from human cancer cells treated with hundreds of small molecule drugs to help in the treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer.

Tracking proteins in single HIV particle Posted: 04 May 2014 06:10 PM PDT A new technique to examine how proteins interact with each other at the level of a single HIV viral particle has been developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientists. The technique allows scientists to study the life-threatening virus in detail and makes screening potential anti-HIV drugs quicker and more efficient. The technique can also be used to study other diseases.

How do our cells move? Liquid droplets could explain Posted: 01 May 2014 09:34 AM PDT Living cells move; not just bacteria, but also cells in our own bodies. Scientists have discovered a new relationship between the three-dimensional shape of the cell and its ability to migrate. The work has important implications for the fundamental understanding of cell movement and for practical applications like tissue engineering.

New sensor system detects early signs of concussion in real time Posted: 01 May 2014 07:10 AM PDT A wireless health-monitoring system that detects early signs of traumatic brain injury by continuously monitoring various brain and neural functions has been developed by engineers. "Wearable nanosensor systems can detect the severity of head injury by quantifying force of impact, be it light or violent," said an expert involved in the study. "In real time, our system continuously monitors neural activity and recognizes the signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injury, such as drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to light and anxiety."

Predicting therapy outcomes in prostate cancer with bone metastasis Posted: 01 May 2014 04:50 AM PDT A new computational model that simulates bone metastasis of prostate cancer has the potential to rapidly assess experimental therapy outcomes and help develop personalized medicine for patients with this disease, according to data. The researchers found that when they introduced a single metastatic prostate cancer cell to the model, it was able to simulate bone metastasis seven out of 25 times, accurately creating the vicious cycle. This phenomenon is difficult to reproduce using preclinical animal models, which is critical in determining the best time to apply therapies in order to obtain maximum efficiency, they explained.

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