ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

New technique for making graphene competitor, molybdenum disulfide Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:46 AM PST Researchers have made an advance in manufacturing molybdenum disulphide, a 2-D material that could compete with graphene for replacing silicon in next-generation electronics. By growing flakes of the material around 'seeds' of molybdenum oxide, they have made it easier to control the size, thickness and location of the material.

Perfect colors, captured with one ultra-thin lens Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:46 AM PST A completely flat, ultrathin lens can focus different wavelengths of light at the same point, achieving instant color correction in one extremely thin, miniaturized device.

New nanogel for drug delivery Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST Chemical engineers have designed a new type of self-healing hydrogel that could be injected through a syringe. Scientists are interested in using gels to deliver drugs because they can be molded into specific shapes and designed to release their payload over a specified time period.

Sensor technology may help improve accuracy of clinical breast exams Posted: 19 Feb 2015 10:31 AM PST Sensor technology has the potential to significantly improve the teaching of proper technique for clinical breast exams, according to a new study. "Variations in palpable force used during a CBE cannot be reliably measured by human observation alone," a researcher says. "Our findings revealed that 15 percent of the physicians we tested were using a technique that put them at significant risk of missing deep tissue lesions near the chest wall. This research underscores the potential for sensor technology to be used not only to improve clinical performance, but to also allow for objective evidence-based training, assessment and credentialing."

Direct observation of bond formations Posted: 19 Feb 2015 08:58 AM PST Direct "observation" of the bond making, through a chemical reaction, has been longstanding dream for chemists. However, the distance between atoms is very small, at about 100 picometer, and the bonding is completed very quickly, taking less than one picosecond (ps). Hence, previously, one could only imagine the bond formation between atoms while looking at the chemical reaction progressing in the test-tube. In this research, scientists directly observed a very fast chemical reaction, induced by photo-excitation.

Supercomputer simulations explore how an air-reed instrument generates air flow and sound Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:17 AM PST Toyohashi Tech's researcher has succeeded in directly predicting sound radiating from a recorder for the first time all over the world. The calculations for this study took two weeks using about 100 nodes of supercomputers. The findings contribute to proposal of a new design of musical instrument easy-to-play or totally new musical instruments.

Atomically thin gas and chemical sensors Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:17 AM PST The relatively recent discovery of graphene, a two-dimensional layered material with unusual and attractive electronic, optical and thermal properties, led scientists to search for other atomically thin materials with unique properties.

Scientists observe 'god particle' analogue in superconductors: 'Tabletop' technique Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:17 AM PST The Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the Higgs boson -- the 'God particle' believed responsible for all the mass in the universe -- took place in 2012 at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The first hint of Higgs was inspired by the study of superconductors -- a special class of metals that, when cooled to very low temperatures, allow electrons to move without resistance. Now, a research team has reported the first-ever observations of the Higgs mode in superconducting materials.

Flame retardants found to cause metabolic, liver problems, animal study shows Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:13 AM PST Chemicals used as synthetic flame retardants that are found in common household items such as couches, carpet padding, and electronics have been found to cause metabolic and liver problems that can lead to insulin resistance, which is a major cause of obesity, according to new research.

Shape-shifting nanorod ensembles release heat differently Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:13 AM PST Researchers have revealed previously unobserved behaviors in nanrods that suggest new rules for the behavior of nanorod ensembles and new insights into how to increase heat-transfer efficiency in a nanoscale system.

Airport screening misses half of disease cases but could be improved Posted: 19 Feb 2015 06:03 AM PST Researchers have found that in order to be effective, the screening of passengers for disease at airports must be tailored to the outbreak in question.

Classical nova explosions are major lithium factories in the universe Posted: 19 Feb 2015 05:58 AM PST Astronomers observed Nova Delphini 2013 which occurred on August 14, 2013. They discovered that the outburst is producing a large amount of lithium (Li). Lithium is a key element in the study of the chemical evolution of the universe because it likely was and is produced in several ways: through Big Bang nucleosynthesis, in collisions between energetic cosmic rays and the interstellar medium, inside stellar interiors, and as a result of novae and supernova explosions. This new observation provides the first direct evidence for the supply of Li from stellar objects to the galactic medium.

Combination of imaging methods improves diagnostics Posted: 19 Feb 2015 05:58 AM PST A breakthrough for the further development of contrast agents has been made by researchers, with the promise of improved diagnostics with imaging using MRI procedures.

Searching for signs of a force from the 'dark side' in particle collisions Posted: 19 Feb 2015 05:49 AM PST Scientists searching for signs of elusive “dark photons” as an explanation for an anomaly in a groundbreaking physics experiment have nearly ruled out their role.

Extremely repellent surfaces: How tiny pillars affect condensation of vapor onto a surface Posted: 19 Feb 2015 05:44 AM PST A computational technique to analyze how water vapor condenses on a surface patterned with an array of tiny pillars has just been developed. Calculations carried out using this technique reveal that water droplets preferentially form either on top of the pillars or in the gaps between them, depending on factors such as the height and spacing of the pillars.

Methane leaks from three large US natural gas fields in line with federal estimates Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:20 PM PST Tens of thousands of pounds of methane leak per hour from equipment in three major natural gas basins that span Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Pennsylvania, according to airborne measurements published today. But the overall leak rate from those basins is only about one percent of gas production there -- lower than leak rates measured in other gas fields, and in line with federal estimates.

Cheap solar cells made from shrimp shells Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:17 PM PST Researchers have successfully created electricity-generating solar-cells with chemicals found the shells of shrimps and other crustaceans for the first time.

Semiconductor works better when hitched to graphene Posted: 18 Feb 2015 04:15 PM PST Graphene -- a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon with highly desirable electrical properties, flexibility and strength -- shows great promise for future electronics, advanced solar cells, protective coatings and other uses, and combining it with other materials could extend its range even further.

New paper-like material could boost electric vehicle batteries Posted: 18 Feb 2015 01:58 PM PST Researchers have developed a novel paper-like material for lithium-ion batteries. It has the potential to boost by several times the specific energy, or amount of energy that can be delivered per unit weight of the battery.

Turning smartphones into personal, real-time pollution monitors Posted: 18 Feb 2015 11:13 AM PST As urban residents know, air quality is a big deal. When local pollution levels go up, the associated health risks also increase, especially for children and seniors. But air pollution varies widely over the course of a day and by location, even within the same city. Now scientists have used smartphone and sensing technology to better pinpoint where and when pollution is at its worst.

Monitoring the real-time deformation of carbon nanocoils under axial loading Posted: 18 Feb 2015 09:36 AM PST Tensile tests were performed on nine carbon nanocoils using a focused-ion-beam technique. An individual CNC was picked up using -- an FIB, and a CNC bridge formed between a probe and the spring-table substrate. Real-time observations of the CNC elongation and subsequent -- fracture under prolonged stretching enabled us to estimate the elastic -- limit, the spring constant, the shear modulus, and the ultimate strength -- of each CNC and their mean values.

A novel approach for high performance field emission electron sources Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:18 AM PST Enhancing the electron emission of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) is key for applications ranging from cold cathodes used in high-resolution electron microscopes to portable X-ray imaging systems. Scientists have reported an original approach for the development of novel graphenated-MWCNTs with enhanced field electron emission properties.

Researchers devise new system to enhance sustainability in smaller ports Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:16 AM PST Researchers have created an 11-point checklist which they believe could become a vital tool in enabling the UK's small ports to ensure they are working sustainably.

Getting a grip on exotic atomic nuclei Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:16 AM PST A new model describing atomic nuclei more accurately predicts the properties of various exotic isotopes that are created in supernova explosions or inside nuclear reactors.

New device will change how florida monitors sea level rise, water quality, hurricanes and more Posted: 18 Feb 2015 07:15 AM PST Small wireless computing devices, ranging from the size of a matchbox to the size of a dime are going to change the way Florida monitors its water quality, sea level rise, hurricanes, agriculture, aquaculture, and even its aging senior population.