Tech | Page 1652 | Science Codex

New detection technology identifies bacteria, viruses, other organisms within 24 hours

LIVERMORE--Law enforcement authorities seeking to detect bioterrorism attacks, doctors diagnosing diseases and regulatory agencies checking product safety may find a new ally in a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) detection technology.

The advance, known as the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA), could enable law enforcement, medical professionals and others to detect within 24 hours any virus or bacteria that has been sequenced and included among the array's probes.

Rice team talks the walk

Rice team talks the walk

"This will give our clinicians better video documentation for analyzing the gait of our kids," said Irby, who had been thinking about a video trolley for gait analysis to replace a hand-operated, tripod-based system that doesn't approach the Trek Tracker's accuracy.

Envisat monitors oil spill proximity to Loop Current

Envisat monitors oil spill proximity to Loop Current

As fears grow that the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico could soon catch the oil slick and drag it south towards coral reefs in the Florida Keys, scientists are monitoring the situation closely with ESA's Envisat radar data.

Storing green electricity as natural gas

Evidence of increasing antibiotic resistance

Evidence of increasing antibiotic resistance

Tastier MRE: Chemistry gives battlefield chow a gourmet flare

The portable packages of food called the Meal, Ready to Eat (MRE) that sustain military personnel in combat or field conditions without regular food facilities are getting tastier and more sophisticated thanks to innovations in food technology. That's the focus of an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

Developed: Perfectly non-reflecting nanocoating for displays and sunglasses

Perfectly non-reflecting nanocoating for displays and sunglasses

A new nanocoating ensures a perfectly non-reflecting view on displays and through eyeglasses. The necessary surface structure is applied to the polymeric parts during manufacture, obviating the need for a separate process step. The hybrid coating has further advantages: the components are scratch-proof and easy to clean.

Team outlines 21st century roadmap to make America the healthiest nation in the world

A Commission of national health care experts convened by the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) has unveiled a roadmap and integrated approach that will put "health" back into our nation's health care system as well as address key opportunities following passage of health care reform legislation.

Gold nanoparticles enrich everyday products

Durable paint, water purification, faster computers, tougher shoe soles, and lighter and cheaper televisions are all possibilities now that a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) scientist has discovered a way to disperse gold nanoparticles evenly through plastic.

Adrian Fuchs, from QUT's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, said the technique he had developed was a model for dispersing metals in nanoparticle form throughout polymers or plastic materials.

FDG-PET/CT plays a definite role in detecting colorectal cancer recurrences

The use of combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) can confirm a suspected colorectal cancer recurrence at an early stage, helping significantly in treatment planning and improved targeted patient care, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. PET/CT is a type of nuclear medicine imaging that uses traces of radioactive material to diagnose or treat many types of cancers.

On-site pathology improves the inadequacy rate of ultrasound-guided thyroid biopsies

Having a pathologist on-site during ultrasound-guided thyroid biopsies can decrease the number of repeat biopsies that are often performed due to an inadequate sample from the first procedure, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

Plant roots meshed in pipes could clean dirty water

Plant roots meshed in pipes could clean dirty water

Plant roots enmeshed in layers of discarded materials inside upright pipes can purify dirty water from a washing machine, making it fit for growing vegetables and flushing toilets, according to Penn State horticulturists.

Engineering wheat arabinoxylan for new applications

Arabinoxylan, the major dietary fibre component of wheat bran, is important both from the technological and nutritional point of view. New enzymatic technologies were developed in the HEALTHGRAIN project to partly and selectively degrade arabinoxylan. The results offer potential for a new soluble fibre ingredient based on wheat bran.

Creating new healthy ingredients by innovative milling techniques and processes for cereal grains

The bioactive compounds of cereals are concentrated in the peripheral layers of the grains (bran) but most of them have a low bio-accessibility. In the HEALTHGRAIN project of the European Union, new tools for process monitoring were developed that support commercial implementation of innovative milling techniques including partial grain debranning, fine grinding and classification of grain fractions, resulting in flours and ingredients with enhanced nutritional properties.

Spouses of dementia sufferers have a 6-fold increased risk of dementia onset

Older married adults whose spouse has dementia are at significantly higher risk for developing dementia themselves, compared to similar older married adults whose spouse never develops dementia. This is the key finding of a study published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.