Tag: physical sciences
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Ultrasound System Developed for Submarine Data, Power
An engineering doctoral student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York has developed a new system using ultrasound to transmit large quantities of data and power wirelessly through thick metal walls, like the hulls of ships and submarines. The system built and demonstrated by Tristan Lawry (pictured right) is one of three finalists for…
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Profs Develop, Patent Device to Encourage Senior Exercise
Nursing and engineering faculty at University of Rhode Island in Kingston developed a device to send friendly reminders to older people that they need to get more exercise. In November, the university patented this system that analyzes activity levels of senior citizens and generates audio reminder messages in familiar voices. The original idea for the…
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New Balloon Catheter Reduces Cardiac Surgery Invasiveness
A team of materials scientists, engineers, and physicians has successfully integrated stretchable electronics technology with standard balloon catheters now used inside the heart. The researchers from several universities and a company commercializing the technology, published their findings in the current online issue of the journal Nature Materials (paid subscription required). Catheters are long, flexible tubes…
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Hot Booze Found to Increase Iron Superconductivity
Scientists from the National Institute for Materials Science in Tsukuba, Japan and University of Tsukuba found that soaking pellets of an iron-based compound in heated alcoholic beverages for 24 hours increases the pellets’ superconducting ability. Their findings appear in the current issue of the journal Superconductor Science and Technology (free registration required). Creating a faster…
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Finance Friday: 4 March 2011
Here are recent angel and venture finance transactions for science- and engineering-based companies, as reported by Xconomy and Venture Capital Reporter. Biomedical/Life Sciences Retina Implant AG in Reutlingen, Germany, a medical device company developing sub-retinal implants to help visually impaired people improve their sight, secured $18 million in its second round of equity funding from…
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Improved Methods Match Suspect Sketches to Mugshots
A computer science/engineering team at Michigan State University in East Lansing has developed a set of algorithms and created software that automatically match hand-drawn facial sketches to mug shots stored in law enforcement databases. Their findings appear in the March 2011 issue of the journal IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (paid subscription…
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New Process Being Developed to Keep Berries Fresh Longer
A new way of improving the shelf life of soft fruit like strawberries and raspberries is being developed by researchers at universities and industry in the U.K. Food scientists at University of Nottingham are teaming with engineers at Loughborough University and British fruit grower Berryworld to test an anti-bacterial process called cold plasma as a…
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Dow to Release Control System for Herbicide-Adaptive Weeds
Dow AgroSciences in Indianapolis, Indiana unveiled a new weed control system designed to counter the ability of weeds to adapt to common herbicides such as 2,4-D and glyphosates. The company says the new Enlist system builds on its previous work in chemistry and biotechnology. The product was designed to help farmers reduce weeds that have…
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NIST Offers Updated Materials Stress-Simulation Software
Computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland have improved its software for materials engineers to calculate the impact of stress on the internal structure of materials. The Object-Oriented Finite (OOF) element analysis software is available as a free download that runs on Unix systems or derivatives, such as…
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Process Turns Algae into Renewable Fuel, Cleans Wastewater
Chemical engineers at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville have developed a method for converting common algae into butanol, a renewable fuel that can be used in today’s internal-combustible engines. The technology has the added benefit helping to clean and oxygenate U.S. waterways by removing excess nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizer in agricultural runoff. The team…