ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Radio chip for the 'Internet of things' Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:26 AM PST A circuit that reduces power leakage when transmitters are idle could greatly extend battery life.

Threat of ocean acidification to coastal communities in US Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:26 AM PST Coastal communities in 15 states that depend on the $1 billion shelled mollusk industry (primarily oysters and clams) are at long-term economic risk from the increasing threat of ocean acidification, a new report concludes.

Simulating superconducting materials with ultracold atoms Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST Physicists have used ultracold lithium atoms to create a state of matter that may help solve some of the mysteries of high-temperature superconductivity.

Magnetic nanoparticles could stop blood clot-caused strokes Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:24 AM PST By loading magnetic nanoparticles with drugs and dressing them in biochemical camouflage, researchers say they can destroy blood clots 100 to 1,000 times faster than a commonly used clot-busting technique.

3D printed guides can help restore function in damaged nerves Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Scientists have succeeded in using a 3-D printed guide to help nerves damaged in traumatic incidents repair themselves. The team used the device to repair nerve damage in animal models and say the method could help treat many types of traumatic injury.

Stretch and relax: Losing one electron switches magnetism on in dichromium Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Scientists have provided the first direct experimental insight into the secret quantum life of dichromium. Whereas in its normal state the 12 valence electrons form a strong multiple bond between the two chromium atoms, removing only one electron changes the situation dramatically: 10 electrons localize and align their spins, thus resulting in ferromagnetic behavior of the dichromium-kation. The bonding is done by one electron only, resulting in a much weaker bond.

Availabililty of rare metals for manufacturing: Are we (in)dependent of rare metals? Posted: 23 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST Numerous metallic elements are regarded as "critical": on one hand, they play an ever more important role in so-called future technologies and on the other, there is a high risk of supply bottlenecks. Small and medium-sized companies are also affected by this, and they are often not sure which of these materials they are dependent on.

Fever alarm armband: A wearable, printable, temperature sensor Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST Researchers have developed a 'fever alarm armband,' a flexible, self-powered wearable device that sounds an alarm in case of high body temperature. The flexible organic components developed for this device are well-suited to wearable devices that continuously monitor vital signs including temperature and heart rate for applications in healthcare settings.

New catalyst to create chemical building blocks from biomass Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST Researchers have developed a novel selective catalyst that allows the creation of several basic chemicals from biomass instead of petroleum. This discovery may lead to the use of plant biomass as a basic feedstock for the chemical industry.

Smoking for 75 minutes in a car could render you unconscious, study suggests Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST A student study suggests that smoking 15 cigarettes for over an hour in a closed car could cause loss of consciousness. This is not a medical study. It is based on a series of theoretical calculations using applied physics.

Frequency combs in molecular fingerprint region Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST Silicon nanowire optical waveguides dramatically broaden mid-infrared frequency comb spectra, scientists report. Frequency combs are commercially available in the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges. The mid-infrared spectral region (2-20?m), however, is still emerging. Many applications in spectroscopy, material science, security and industry process control, or chemical, biological and medical sensing would straightforwardly take advantage of mid-infrared photonics devices of higher performance.

Quantum many-body systems on the way back to equilibrium Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST Advances in experimental and theoretical physics enable a deeper understanding of the dynamics and properties of quantum many-body systems.

New assistive equipment to maximize human sensorimotor function Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:40 AM PST A prototype for wearable equipment to support human motion has now been developed. This wearable equipment, called the Sensorimotor Enhancing Suit (SEnS), enhances sensorimotor functions by reducing the muscle load of the upper limbs. SEnS is inexpensive because it is made of flexible fabrics using regular cloth and does not include any electronic devices. SEnS assists human sensorimotor functions and improves the quality of life of not only elderly individuals but also healthy people who work under extreme conditions.