HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Your Smart Phone as Medical Lab Instrument
High-priced microscopes, spectrometers and chromatography devices get all the attention in lab equipment circles.
Computer Network Rivals Primate Brain in Object Recognition
Primates visually recognize and determine the category of an object at a brief glance, and to date, this behavior has been unmatched by artificial systems. A study published in PLOS Computational Biology has found that the latest artificial "deep neural network" performs as well as the primate brain.
NREL Claims 45.7% Efficiency for Concentrator Solar Cell
The U.S. Energy Department's National Renewable Energy lLaboratory has improved the design of its solar cell by adding an additional absorber layer. NREL says this increased the conversion efficiency to 45.7% for a four-junction solar cell at 234 suns concentration.
New ASTM Standard for Butanol Purity Testing
A new ASTM International standard will be used in isobutanol manufacturing to test its purity for use in the chemical and fuel markets.
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Used for Energy Storage Products
Researchers have discovered a new way to take some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to make an advanced, high-value material for use in energy storage products.
Unlocking the Electrical Potential of 1D Interfaces
A recent study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has, for the first time, made direct observations of a one-dimensional boundary separating two different, atom-thin materials.
Method Could Expand Biomass Waste Use for Chemical Feedstock
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison disclosed a new method to convert lignin, a biomass waste product, into simple chemicals. The innovation could held expand the use of biorenewable materials for fuel and chemicals, says Shannon Stahl, an expert in green chemistry at the University.
ASTM Committee Approves Standard to Test for Glycols in Motor Oil
The presence of ethylene glycol in in-service motor oil indicates that antifreeze coolant has leaked into the crankcase of an internal combustion engine. Such leakage leads to engine wear problems.
Is Hyperspectral Imaging Ready to Take Off?
After the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, the U.S. space agency, NASA, deployed its Earth Resources-2 aircraft to detect the presence, extent and concentration of the spill.
Neurotechnology Hits Its Stride
Chronic pain, hearing loss, sleep apnea, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, paralysis from stroke or spinal cord injury. These are among a growing array of medical conditions that physicians are now treating with neurotechnology devices, which deliver electrical stimulus to limbs and organs.
Cloud Computing Testbeds Receive NSF Funding
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced two $10 million projects to create cloud computing testbeds--called "Chameleon" and "CloudLab"--that will enable academic researchers to develop and experiment with cloud architectures and pursue architecturally-enabled applications of cloud
Recycled Rubber Finds Use in Lithium-ion Batteries
Recycled tires could see new life in lithium-ion batteries that provide power to plug-in electric vehicles and store energy produced by wind and solar, say researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. By modifying the microstructural characteristics of carbon
Solar-Powered Desalination for Off-Grid Villages
Around the world, there is more salty groundwater than fresh, drinkable groundwater. For example, 60% of India is underlain by salty water, and much of that area is not served by an electric grid that could run conventional reverse-osmosis desalination plants. Analysis by MIT researchers shows that
Ultra-thin Semiconductor Opens Door for Product Innovation
Scientists have developed what they believe is the thinnest-possible semiconductor, a new class of nanoscale materials made in sheets three atoms thick. The University of Washington researchers demonstrated that two of these single-layer semiconductor materials can be connected in an atomically
Researchers Use 3D Printers to Create Custom Medical Implants
A team of researchers at Louisiana Tech University has developed a method for using what they say is affordable, consumer-grade 3D printers and materials to fabricate custom medical implants that can contain antibacterial and chemotherapeutic compounds for targeted drug delivery. The team,
Study Finds a Natural Oil Dispersion Mechanism for Deep-Oocean Blowouts
Researchers from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) and University of Western Australia say they have observed how oil droplets are formed and have measured their size under pressure.