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Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
NIST report on Texas fire urges firefighters to consider wind effects Wind conditions at a fire scene can make a critical difference on the behavior of the blaze and the safety of firefighters, even indoors, according to a new NIST report. Contact: Michael E. Newman Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
New NIST 'Cell assay on a chip': Solid results from simple means A NIST research engineer combined a glass slide, plastic sheets and double-sided tape to build a "diffusion-based gradient generator", a tool to rapidly assess how changing concentrations of specific chemicals affect living cells. Contact: Michael E. Newman Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
NIST provides octagonal window of opportunity for carbon capture A collaborative research team from NIST and the University of Delaware has gathered new insight into the performance of a material called a zeolite that may filter carbon dioxide far more efficiently than current industrial "scrubbers" do. Contact: Chad Boutin Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
Charter service: Encasing the Magna Carta You often hear about the Framers of the Constitution, but not so much the framers of the Magna Carta. They work for NIST. Contact: Evelyn Brown Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
Good timing: NIST/CU collaboration adds timing capability to living cell sensors Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resume, thanks in part to NIST expertise. Contact: Laura Ost Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
Unusual 'collapsing' iron superconductor sets record for its class A team from NIST and the University of Maryland has found an iron-based superconductor that operates at the highest known temperature for a material in its class. The discovery inches iron-based superconductors closer to being useful in many practical applications. Contact: Chad Boutin Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
Arsenic criticality poses concern for modern technology Risks related to the critical nature of arsenic -- used to make high-speed computer chips that contain gallium arsenide -- outstrip those of other substances in a group of critical materials needed to sustain modern technology, a new study has found. Scientists evaluated the relative criticality of arsenic and five related metals in a report in the ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology. Contact: Michael Bernstein Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
York and Brighton researchers 'dig for data' Historians, archivists and experts in computer science from the UK, the US, Canada and the Netherlands are teaming up to develop new ways of exploring digital historical records. Contact: Caron Lett Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
Here comes the sun… New solar cells could increase the maximum efficiency of solar panels by over 25 percent, according to scientists from the University of Cambridge. Contact: Genevieve Maul Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
Satellite telephony is unsafe Satellite telephony was thought to be secure against eavesdropping. Researchers at the Horst Goertz Institute for IT-Security at the Ruhr University Bochum have cracked the encryption algorithms of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, which is used globally for satellite telephones, and revealed significant weaknesses. In less than an hour, and with simple equipment, they found the crypto key which is needed to intercept telephone conversations. Contact: Benedikt Driessen Public Release: 8-Feb-2012
CSIC inquiry tests visual intelligence through Facebook Researchers from Cajal Institute have developed an application on the social network to test different cognitive skills. Results will enable researchers to determine what parameters affect visual ability of the human being. Contact: Alda Olafsson Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
NASA sees cyclone Jasmine's power and new eye Cyclone Jasmine continues to wind between New Caledonia and Vanuatu and bring cyclone-force winds, heavy rain and very rough surf. NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead early on Feb. 7 and noticed the strongest part of the cyclone was around the center and north and east of the center. Aqua data showed that an eye has developed. Contact: Rob Gutro Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
NASA satellite sees tropical storm Cyril a strong, compact storm Tropical Storm Cyril was known as "11P" has been strengthening since Feb. 6, and still appears very compact on infrared NASA satellite data. Contact: Rob Gutro Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
Scripps research and technion scientists develop biological computer to encrypt and decipher images Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute in California and the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology have developed a "biological computer" made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips. Contact: Mika Ono Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
Cutting-edge MRI techniques for studying communication within the brain Innovative magnetic resonance imaging techniques that can measure changes in the microstructure of the white matter likely to affect brain function and the ability of different regions of the brain to communicate are presented in an article in the groundbreaking new neuroscience journal Brain Connectivity, a bimonthly peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert Inc. Contact: Cathia Falvey Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
A therapist in your pocket A new smartphone intuits when you're depressed and will nudge you to go out with friends. It's the future of therapy at Northwestern's new NIH-funded technology center where scientists are inventing web-based, mobile and virtual technologies to treat depression. The projects bypass traditional weekly therapy sessions for novel approaches that provide immediate support and access to a much larger population. Contact: Marla Paul Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
Innovation promises expanded roles for microsensors Researchers have learned how to improve the performance of sensors that use tiny vibrating microcantilevers to detect chemical and biological agents for applications from national security to food processing. Contact: Emil Venere Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
A bronze matryoshka doll: The metal in the metal in the metal Just like in the Russian wooden toy, a hull of 12 copper atoms encases a single tin atom. This hull is, in turn, enveloped by 20 further tin atoms. Professor Faessler's work group at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen was the first to generate these spatial structures built up in three layers as isolated metal clusters in alloys. With their large surfaces these structures can serve as highly efficient catalysts. Contact: Dr. Andreas Battenberg Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
Computer order entry systems reduce preventable adverse drug events New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital examined the impact of a vendor-developed CPOE in five community hospitals in Massachusetts and found that these CPOE systems are effective at reducing drug-related injury and harm. This research is published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Contact: Lori Shanks Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
MIT: New tool for analyzing solar-cell materials An online tool called "Impurities to Efficiency" (known as I2E) allows companies or researchers exploring alternative manufacturing strategies to plug in descriptions of their planned materials and processing steps. After about one minute of simulation, I2E gives an indication of exactly how efficient the resulting solar cell would be in converting sunlight to electricity. Contact: Caroline McCall Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
Engineers boost computer processor performance by over 20 percent Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that allows graphics processing units and central processing units on a single chip to collaborate -- boosting processor performance by an average of more than 20 percent. Contact: Matt Shipman Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
An electronic green thumb If sensors are supposed to communicate with each other to compare the measured data and to secure them, then, in the future, a network of distributed sensor nodes will aid in that: the network ensures problem-free communication between the sensors. For example, they can be used to reliably monitor the watering of plants. At the "embedded world" trade fair, taking place from Feb. 28 to March 1 in Nuremberg, the researchers are showcasing a technological demonstration. Contact: Jens Krueger Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
First industrial-scale foam forming research environment for forest sector Foam-forming technology gives exciting opportunities to develop new recyclable and lightweight wood fiber products. It also gives a possibility to decrease raw material and production costs remarkably compared to recent technology. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, together with industry, has started setting up a new pilot scale technology platform for foam-forming applications. Contact: Janne Poranen Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
Scientists 'record' magnetic breakthrough An international team of scientists led by the University of York has demonstrated a revolutionary new way of magnetic recording which will allow information to be processed hundreds of times faster than by current hard drive technology. Contact: Caron Lett Public Release: 7-Feb-2012
Nanoshell whispering galleries improve thin solar panels Engineers at Stanford have created photovoltaic nanoshells that harness a peculiar physical phenomenon to better trap light in the solar materials. The results could dramatically improve the efficiency of thin-film solar cells while reducing their weight and cost. Contact: Andrew Myers |