Tech
Like playing a game of scissors-paper-rock, a team of scientists led by Thornton E. (Ernie) Glover of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Advanced Light Source (ALS), Linda Young of Argonne National Laboratory, and Ali Belkacem of Berkeley Lab's Chemical Sciences Division has used laser light to control x-ray beams – by first changing the material medium through which the x-rays pass.
As a new generation of powerful light sources comes online, intense x-ray beams may be able to control matter directly and allow one beam of x-rays to control another.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2010 — The popular dietary supplement vitamin E, loaded into special medicated contact lenses, can keep glaucoma medicine near the eye — where it can treat that common disease— almost 100 times longer than possible with current commercial lenses, scientists reported here today.
In a presentation at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), they described use of vitamin E to develop contact lenses that may deliver more medication for glaucoma and perhaps other diseases to the eye.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Grocery shoppers face hefty price increases if bad weather withers a U.S. corn crop that is now tethered to grain-intensive renewable fuel mandates, a new University of Illinois study warns.
A corn shortage, coupled with surging demand to meet government-ordered ethanol standards, could push cash prices to $7 a bushel, the study found, squeezing livestock producers and driving up prices for meat, milk, eggs and other farm staples.
CHICAGO — Flip-flops and sneakers with flexible soles are easier on the knees than clogs or even special walking shoes, a study by Rush University Medical Center has found. And that's important, because loading on the knee joints is a key factor in the development of osteoarthritis.
The study has been published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.
The lighter, the better. Mountains are easier to conquer with mountain bikes that weigh less. Cars with less weight bearing down on the axles save on gas. Design engineers are doing their best to whittle down airplanes, satellites and wind turbines, too, gram by gram. Fiber-reinforced thermoplastics are ideal for use in sporting equipment – and in the automotive industry, as well as in aerospace. They are fifty to seventy percent lighter than steel and fifteen to twenty percent lighter than aluminum; their stability and breaking strength are impressive.
Mrs Miller is happy. Since she moved to the new apartment building she has not had any nasty surprises on her heating bills. This is because the building is insulated with a new material which exhibits particularly low thermal conductivity and therefore high energy efficiency.
A study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists shows that sugarcane can tolerate flooded conditions for up to two weeks. That's good news for growers who are using best management practices for controlling phosphorous runoff into the Everglades.
This World TB Day (March 24), researchers at Sydney's Centenary Institute announce they have made an exciting discovery that could lead to the first new drug for Tuberculosis (TB) in almost fifty years.
Dr Nick West, Associate Faculty of the Mycobacterial group at Centenary, is looking at the genetics of TB in the hope they will reveal a way to reduce the impact of one of the deadliest diseases in the world.
Dr West, explains, "When someone is infected with TB they either become sick immediately or the disease stays inactive, latent."
SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2010 — As you stroll down restaurant row and catch the wonderful aroma of food — steaks, burgers, and grilled veggies — keep this in mind: You may be in an air pollution zone. Scientists in Minnesota are reporting that commercial cooking is a surprisingly large source of a range of air pollutants that could pose risks to human health and the environment. They discussed the topic here today at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Advance care planning improves end of life care and reduces stress, anxiety and depression in surviving relatives, according to new research published on bmj.com today.
Advance care planning has the potential to improve end of life care by enabling patients to discuss and document their future health wishes, and appoint a substitute decision maker (surrogate), thus increasing the likelihood of patient wishes being known and respected at the end of life.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2010 — Scientists today described the discovery of a new drug, which is currently in Phase II clinical trials, designed to specifically target the root cause of painful menstrual cramps, not just the symptoms. The condition, called dysmenorrhea, is the leading cause of absenteeism from school and work among women in their teens and 20s. The scientists described the study at the American Chemical Society (ACS) 239th National Meeting, being held here this week.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2010 — Scientists today reported widespread global contamination of sea sand and sea water with the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) and said that the BPA probably originated from a surprising source: Hard plastic trash discarded in the oceans and the epoxy plastic paint used to seal the hulls of ships.
"We were quite surprised to find that polycarbonate plastic biodegrades in the environment," said Katsuhiko Saido, Ph.D. He reported on the discovery today at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, being held here.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2010 — Scientists today reported development of the first two-in-one test that can simultaneously detect both the E. coli bacteria responsible for terrible food poisoning outbreaks, and the toxins, or poisons, that the bacteria use to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms in its victims. They described it at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), being held here this week.