Archive for May, 2011

Tohoku quake coincided with sky ‘anomalies’

Published in Physics World, 26 May 2011

A preliminary analysis of the atmosphere and ionosphere over Japan in March reveals infrared and electron anomalies coincident with the Tohoku earthquake, researchers in the US and Russia claim. The anomalies are the latest evidence for a possible link between seismic activity and changes in the atmosphere or ionosphere, although sceptics believe they are unrelated.

Seismologists have searched for early-warning signals of earthquakes for more than a century. These range from small tremors in the ground, to aurora-like lights in the atmosphere and even to bizarre animal behaviour. But despite a few records of such incidents coming before quakes – usually noted retrospectively – there has never been any consistent method to accurately predict when a major shock is going to happen. [...]

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Water purifier harnesses green chemistry

Published in Chemistry World, 24 May 2011

Chemists in the US have created a water purifier that can remove organic toxins without the addition of acids or other harmful chemicals. The device, which uses two highly porous membranes to generate purifying hydroxyl radicals, could help to provide clean drinking water for the developed and developing world.

Providing safe drinking water is one of the top priorities for scientists working on humanitarian projects, and one particular problem is the contamination of groundwater aquifers with toxic organic compounds. Even in the US, two-thirds of all hazardous waste sites are contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), which is potentially carcinogenic. TCE, together with 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) – once used as a pesticide and fungicide – is responsible for drinking-water contamination in much of the world. [...]

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Snake venom gets into the groove

Published in Physics World, 23 May 2011

If you are ever unlucky enough to have a snake sink its fangs into your leg, then you might take a second to marvel at the clever mechanism behind its venom delivery. Indeed, according to biophysicists in Germany and the US, many venomous reptiles do not inject their poison, as you might think. Instead, they rely on a toxic mix of surface tension and “tomato ketchup” physics. “Until we did, nobody had ever bothered about the question of why snake envenomation happens the way it does,” says team member Leo van Hemmen of the Technical University of Munich. [...]

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Liquid crystals spot bacteria to order

Published in Chemistry World, 19 May 2011

Liquid crystals could one day be used as bio-sensors, detecting the presence of minute amounts of pathogens. That is the claim of a US group of researchers, who have demonstrated how a liquid crystal changes orientation in the presence of bacteria.

Unlike normal materials, liquid crystals have a distinct phase between the solid, ordered crystalline phase and the disordered liquid phase: the liquid-crystal phase. In this phase, the molecules of a liquid crystal try to become ordered. In a nematic liquid crystal like 5CB (4-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl), for example, the molecules try to align lengthways.

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‘Homeless’ Planets May Be Common in Our Galaxy

Published in ScienceNOW, 18 May 2011

Our galaxy could be teeming with “homeless” planets, wandering the cosmos far from the solar systems of their birth, astronomers have found. The study could help clear up a long-running debate of whether free-floating planets really exist, and how common they are.

“The results are convincing enough that I suspect this paper will be cited for years to come as the best evidence of free-floating planets,” says Dimitri Veras, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, who was not involved with the study. [...]

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‘Chemical soldering’ heralds single molecule electronics

Published in Chemistry World, 12 May 2011

Scientists in Japan and Switzerland have demonstrated how to wire up single molecules with conductive nanowires. The technique, called chemical soldering, is a big step towards single molecule electronics.

Molecules have long been proposed as alternative circuit components. In 1974, IBM researchers Mark Ratner and Arieh Aviram described how a single molecule could pass current in just one direction, thereby acting as a diode, and since then various other components, such as switches and transistors, have been put forward. In theory, single molecule electronics would be smaller than their silicon counterparts, and may require less power. [...]

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New radioisotope bodes well for cancer treatment

Published in Chemistry World, 11 May 2011

An international team of researchers has produced sizeable amounts of a new radioisotope, paving the way for its use in cancer therapy. The isotope, terbium-161, emits a number of low-energy electrons upon decay, which should make it useful for treating small tumours.

Radioisotopes are commonly used to treat cancer. Normally, an isotope is attached to a special ‘bioconjugate’ molecule – an antibody, for example – that preferentially binds to cancer cells, so that the isotope only destroys diseased areas. As the isotope decays it emits radiation which ionises the cells’ DNA, stalling the tumour’s growth. [...]

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Intel enters the third dimension

Published in Nature, 6 May 2011

This week, computer chip manufacturer Intel announced that it is preparing to enter a new dimension in transistors — literally. Known as Tri-Gate, its new transistor will be the first to go into mass production with a truly three-dimensional (3D) structure.

Intel says that the transistor will offer performance and efficiency benefits over 2D models when becomes production ready in a new range of microprocessors later this year. But with some industry analysts calling it a risky venture, Nature explores what the advantages are of 3D. [...]

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