Millions of land mines are buried worldwide, and these weapons were responsible for an estimated 16,000 injuries and deaths in 2002.
Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are making progress with a landmine detection system that could ultimately help prevent such losses. The system uses high-frequency seismic waves to displace soil and objects in it slightly (less than one ten-thousandth of an inch). A non-contacting radar sensor then measures the results, creating a visual
Environmental characteristics of bars, as well as women’s behavior in bars, influence their risk for bar-related aggression, according to a study conducted by researchers in the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).
The study showed that heavy drinking, going to and leaving a bar with individuals not well-known to the women and talking to a greater number of individuals while in the bar environment are social behaviors associated with bar-related aggression. The c
Mysterious, powerful X-ray sources found in nearby galaxies may represent a new class of objects, according to data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. These sources, which are not as hot as typical neutron-star or black-hole X-ray sources, could be a large new population of black holes with masses several hundred times that of the sun.
“The challenge raised by the discovery of these sources is to understand how they produce so much X-ray power at temperatures of a few million degrees,”
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have devised a new method for aligning isolated single wall carbon nanotubes and, in the process, have created a new kind of material with liquid crystal-like properties, which they call nematic nanotube gels. The gels could potentially serve as sensors in complex fluids, where changes in local chemical environment, such as acidity or solvent quality, can lead to visible changes in the gel shape. The researchers describe their findings in the current i
fMRI shows certain brain areas “light up” as we learn
Memories do indeed light up the corners of our mind, just as the songwriter said.
Scientific evidence for this notion comes from studies using magnetic resonance imaging to examine the living human brain. These studies show that certain brain areas “light up” as an individual is learning information.
Scientists had previously established that people remember emotionally charged events and facts better than neutr
Pups of female rats exposed to a combination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and methylmercury (MeHg) slip and fall more often trying to maneuver on a rotating rod than do pups from non-exposed moms, scientists say.
The findings, published in the February issue of the journal Toxicological Sciences, come from a study focusing on the effects of combined exposure of the two commonly found environmental contaminants on motor function driven by the cerebellum.
“Because people are
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have for the first time used a chemical marker detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) to successfully diagnose breast cancer. The diagnostic technique produces pictures of choline within breast tumors.
In the study, researchers from the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at Hopkins demonstrated that choline signals analyzed by MRI were significantly elevated in malignant tumors in 15 of 18 patients stud
Predicting the mortality of patients with pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lung) may become possible with a newly developed clot-volume ranking index, according to a study appearing in the March issue of the journal Radiology.
“We found that the amount of clot present is predictive of patient outcome,” said study coauthor, John A. Pezzullo, M.D., assistant professor of diagnostic imaging at Brown University in Providence, R.I. “Consequently, patients with a high clot volume have a poor
The colour image (with north at the top) shows the summit caldera of Hecates Tholus, the northernmost volcano of the Elysium volcano group. The volcano reveals multiple caldera collapses. On the flanks of Hecates Tholus, several flow features related to water (lines radiating outwards) and pit chains related to lava can be observed. The volcano has an elevation of 5300 m, the caldera has a diameter of maximum 10 km and a depth of 600 m. The image centre is located at 150° East and 31.7° North.
The Mediterranean Sea was a desert, millions of years ago. In contrast, the Sahara Desert was once a lush, green landscape dotted with lakes and ponds. Evidence of this past verdancy lies hidden beneath the sands of Egypt and Libya, in the form of a huge aquifer of fresh groundwater. An international team of geologists and physicists has found that this groundwater has been flowing slowly northward (at about the rate grass grows) for the past million years. Their findings have been accepted for March
Online shopping is easy with a credit card. But e-commerce remains off bounds for people without these cards and scares those concerned about online transaction security. A handy solution is micro-payments over a mobile phone.
Micro-payments are ideal for purchasing low-cost items on the Web. They can also be used to pay anonymously for digital content and services, through mobile-phone users’ prepaid accounts. “In Europe, around a third of mobile-phone users choose such accounts,” says It
Redshift 10 Galaxy discovered at the edge of the Dark Ages [1]
Using the ISAAC near-infrared instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, and the magnification effect of a gravitational lens, a team of French and Swiss astronomers [2] has found several faint galaxies believed to be the most remote known.
Further spectroscopic studies of one of these candidates has provided a strong case for what is now the new record holder – and by far – of the most distant galaxy known i
To enhance SMEs’ competitiveness in European shoe production, SHOENET is developing a design and management platform that is easily integrated and implemented.
Preliminary analysis by the two-year IST programme funded-project found that one of the main reasons that SMEs, well represented in countries like Italy and Spain (which account for more than 65 per cent of European shoe production), have failed to take advantage of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools is that they hav
High-quality nanopowders made of refractory ceramics are a rare and very expensive material. All known methods of their manufacturing face the same problems – scanty quantities, extensive variety of particle sizes and expensive production. Researchers from the town of Tomsk have invented and manufactured a device to produce a choice selection of particles – all particles are equal to the required size and inexpensive. The project has been funded by two foundations – the Russian Foundation for Basic R
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in Western societies. Unfavorable serum lipid levels, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, are well-known risk factors for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL), characterized by these changes in patients serum is the most common familial lipid disorder predisposing to coronary heart disease. FCHL is observed in about 20% of coronary heart disease pati
Computer modeling and simulation programs that depict predisaster site conditions, changes due to sudden life-threatening events and consequences of emergency responses can be powerful tools for preparing for and coping with everything from terrorist attacks to hurricanes. Yet the multitude of programs, incompatibility of systems as well as technical jargon in the programs themselves hinder widespread acceptance of the potentially life-saving technology. The National Institute of Standards and Techn
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