Tech | Page 1451 | Science Codex

Developing cheaper yet efficient thin film solar cells

Researchers in Singapore have exploited advanced nanostructure technology to make a highly efficient and yet cheaper silicon solar cell. With this development, the researchers hope that the cost of solar energy can be halved.

Developed jointly by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME), the new thin-film silicon solar cells are designed to be made from cheaper, low grade silicon. However it is able to generate electricity currents close to that produced by traditional solar cells made from costly, high quality silicon.

Managing child contacts of adult TB cases

In this week's PLoS Medicine, Philip Campbell Hill of the University of Otago, New Zealand and colleagues propose a new approach to help better manage child contacts of adult TB cases, using a health needs assessment framework, research tools, and a strategy for clinical evaluation. They show how the approach could be applied and evaluated by National TB Control Programs, to ensure that its solutions are sustainable.

More intersections mean less outdoor activity for children

High intersection density and well-connected streets in towns and cities may discourage children from being active and exercising outdoors, according to a Queen's University study.

'Ghostwriting' the Torah?

In both Jewish and Christian traditions, Moses is considered the author of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Scholars have furnished evidence that multiple writers had a hand in composing the text of the Torah. Other books of the Hebrew Bible and of the New Testament are also thought to be composites. However, delineating these multiple sources has been a laborious task.

Detecting mutant DNA

Philadelphia, PA, October 11, 2011 – Molecular DNA testing methods offer clinicians powerful tools that serve to confirm or identify disease diagnoses. High sensitivity and high specificity, however, are frequently a challenge to achieve with these methods. A study in Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes a new, robust technique that holds promise for identifying trace mutant DNA sequences (signals) in an overwhelming population of unmutated DNA (noise).

Regenerating eyes using cells from hair: Stem Cells awards research into stem cell deficiency

Durham, NC & Serbia, October 2011 – A young scientist who led research into the use of stem cells from hair follicles to treat the ocular surface disease has been named the winner of the Young Investigator Award by the journal Stem Cells. Dr. Ewa Meyer-Blazejewska will be presented with her award at The Stem Cell Symposium, hosted by the University of Kragujevac in Serbia on October 15, 2011. The $10,000 prize is awarded annually to a young scientist whose paper has been judged to be of worldwide significance by a global jury.

Ammonia gets overdue overview

Motor vehicles and industry are primary producers of ammonia in Houston's atmosphere, and cars and trucks appear to boost their output during the winter, according to a new study by researchers at Rice University and the University of Houston (UH).

Ammonia's role in air quality draws minimal oversight from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but researchers at both Houston institutions are learning what it means to life in and around the metropolis.

Oranges and mandarins are inspected using artificial vision

Scientists at the Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research (IVIA, Spain) have created a machine that detects and separates rotten oranges, another that classifies mandarin segments according to their quality and another that helps citrus fruit pickers out in the field. All prototypes use computer vision to automatically inspect the fruits.

New computer program promises to save the whales

Researchers at the University of Montreal have developed a computer programme that enables regulators to evaluate the ecological and economic tradeoffs between marine mammal conservation, whale watching and marine transportation activities in the Saint Lawrence Estuary. "The objective is to reduce the collision risk with whales while taking into account the impact on industry and marine transportation," said Lael Parrott, who headed the research team.

Georgia Tech releases cyber threats forecast for 2012

The year ahead will feature new and increasingly sophisticated means to capture and exploit user data, as well as escalating battles over the control of online information that threatens to compromise content and erode public trust and privacy.

Baseball: Math professor says Rangers and Brewers solid favorites

The Major League Baseball Division Series is underway and NJIT math professor Bruce Bukiet has once again analyzed the probability of each team advancing to the World Series. "Now that the Texas Rangers have won the opening game against the Detroit Tigers, the probability of this team winning the American League Pennant has jumped from 64 to 76 percent," he said. "In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers have upped their chances of clinching the National League pennant from 51 to 68 percent."

Study: Delays in video calls may not always hurt communication

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study reveals how the delay computer users sometimes experience when making video calls over the internet can actually help communication in some circumstances, even though it is frustrating in many others.

Researchers found that when two strangers first talked about an emotionally charged topic over a video connection with a one-second delay, they actually reported less frustration than did those who talked with no delay.

Giant kraken lair discovered

Boulder, CO, USA - Long before whales, the oceans of Earth were roamed by a very different kind of air-breathing leviathan. Snaggle-toothed ichthyosaurs larger than school buses swam at the top of the Triassic Period ocean food chain, or so it seemed before Mount Holyoke College paleontologist Mark McMenamin took a look at some of their remains in Nevada. Now he thinks there was an even larger and more cunning sea monster that preyed on ichthyosaurs: a kraken of such mythological proportions it would have sent Captain Nemo running for dry land.

Strong attachment to local communities made oil spill more stressful for many coastal residents

BATON ROUGE – A major concern related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 was the impact on people living in coastal areas. News reports provided anecdotal evidence that those living along the coast and reliant on the fishing or oil and gas industries for their livelihoods were very distressed and worried about the impact of the spill on their future.

BizzTrust: Utility separates personal applications from corporate ones on a smartphone

The company smartphone, the private cellphone, keys for house and car,a wallet – the objects we carry around with us every day are becoming more numerous all the time.

Many people use their business smartphone for personal use in order to carry less stuff (and maybe save a little money) but corporate IT departments are not pleased, since unrestricted personal use of smartphones can open the door to corporatee hackers.