Technologies & Strategies That Enable R&D
Amplification scheme to give X-ray lasers more power
May 10, 2013 9:16 am | News | CommentsX-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) produce higher-power laser pulses over a broader range of energies compared with most other x-ray sources. Although the pulse durations currently available are enormously useful for the study of materials, even shorter pulses are needed. Researchers at RIKEN have proposed a theoretical pulse-amplification scheme that allows for the production of ultrashort x-ray pulses at extremely high energies.
Next-Generation Ion Chromatography Suppressor
May 10, 2013 8:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsThermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has introduced the ERS 500 electrolytically regenerated suppressor, which replaces the SRS 300 self-regenerating suppressor. The Dionex ERS 500 suppressor minimizes dispersion to deliver high resolution separations.
Robot for Biomedical Applications
May 10, 2013 8:28 am | Product Releases | CommentsYaskawa Motoman’s MH3BH (BioMedical) robot is designed to handle specimen processing, drug dispensing, and medical research applications. It features a special coating and stainless-steel fasteners that permit cleaning with hydrogen peroxide.
Building protocells from inorganic nanoparticles
May 10, 2013 8:07 am | News | CommentsCells are the basic unit of life and are separated from the outside world by a thin organic membrane. A major function of this membrane is to allow certain molecules to enter or leave the cell whilst other molecules are blocked from the cell interior. This allows metabolic processes to take place. Controlling membrane permeability is therefore a key challenge when building artificial cells in the form of enclosed chemical systems.
Moon, Earth have common water source
May 10, 2013 7:59 am | by Kevin Stacey, Brown University | News | CommentsResearchers used a multicollector ion microprobe to study hydrogen-deuterium ratios in lunar rock and on Earth. Their conclusion: The moon’s water did not come from comets but was already present on Earth 4.5 billion years ago, when a giant collision sent material from Earth to form the moon.
Mathematics of popping bubbles in a foam
May 10, 2013 7:42 am | News | CommentsBubble baths and soapy dishwater and the refreshing head on a beer: These are foams, beautiful yet ephemeral as the bubbles pop one by one. Now, a team of researchers has described mathematically the successive stages in the complex evolution and disappearance of foamy bubbles, a feat that could help in modeling industrial processes in which liquids mix or in the formation of solid foams such as those used to cushion bicycle helmets.
Surgeon: Stonewall Jackson death likely pneumonia
May 10, 2013 12:22 am | by BRETT ZONGKER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsHistorians and doctors have debated for decades what medical complications caused the death of legendary Confederate fighter Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, felled by friendly fire from his troops during the Civil War. Shot three times while returning from scouting enemy lines in the Virginia wilderness, Jackson was badly wounded in the left arm by one of the large bullets the night of May 2, 1863.
Temporal filtering technique improves solid-state single photon sources
May 9, 2013 3:21 pm | News | CommentsAn international collaboration led by researchers at NIST has demonstrated a novel temporal filtering approach that improves the performance of triggered single photon sources based on solid-state quantum emitters. The technique is compatible with a broad class of photon sources, and is expected to provide significant improvements in areas important for applications in photonic quantum information science.
Wearable robots getting lighter, more portable
May 9, 2013 3:03 pm | by Carla K. Johnson, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsWhen Michael Gore stands, it's a triumph of science and engineering. Eleven years ago, Michael Gore was paralyzed from the waist down in a workplace accident, yet he rises from his wheelchair to his full 6-foot-2-inches and walks across the room with help from a lightweight wearable robot. Still at least a year away from the market, the 27-pound Indego is the lightest of the powered exoskeletons that are now appearing in greater numbers.
Study traces origin of cirrus clouds
May 9, 2013 2:48 pm | News | CommentsResearchers studying the origin of cirrus clouds have found that these thin, wispy trails of ice crystals are formed primarily on dust particles and some unusual combinations of metal particles—both of which may be influenced by human activities. The findings are important, scientists say, because cirrus clouds cover as much as one-third of the Earth and play an important role in global climate.
State pharmacy boards back more FDA oversight
May 9, 2013 2:47 pm | by MATTHEW PERRONE - AP Health Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsState pharmacy officials on Thursday threw their support behind a proposal giving the Food and Drug Administration authority over large compounding pharmacies, in an effort to head off more outbreaks tied to contaminated medications. The head of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy told Senate lawmakers that his group welcomes FDA action against pharmacies.
New advance in biofuel production
May 9, 2013 11:48 am | News | CommentsU.S. Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers have developed an enzyme-free ionic liquid pretreatment of cellulosic biomass that makes it easier to recover fermentable sugars for biofuels and to recycle the ionic liquid.
Researchers construct invisibility cloak for thermal flow
May 9, 2013 11:16 am | News | CommentsBy means of special metamaterials, light and sound can be passed around objects. Researchers have now succeeded in demonstrating that the same materials can also be used to specifically influence the propagation of heat. They have built a structured plate of copper and silicon that conducts heat around a central area without the edge being affected.
Next-Generation Cryogenic Switchover
May 9, 2013 10:38 am | Product Releases | CommentsCONCOA has introduced a switchover suitable for critical applications such as cryopreservation and environmental chambers that automatically delivers a continuous supply of liquid nitrogen with little variation in cryogen temperature or state.
Cannibal tadpoles key to understanding digestive evolution
May 9, 2013 8:05 am | News | CommentsA carnivorous, cannibalistic tadpole may play a role in understanding the evolution and development of digestive organs, according to research from North Carolina State University. These findings may also shed light on universal rules of organ development that could lead to better diagnosis and prevention of intestinal birth defects.
