Heavy cargo flights taking off for Turkey

A 40-meter-long tram car is hoisted into an AN-225 cargo plane 

at Zhengding International Airport in Shijiazhuang on Friday 

before taking off for Turkey.

[Zhang Xiaofeng / for China Daily]

The world's largest cargo plane will carry two green-energy tram cars from Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, to Istanbul, making it the first air transport of high-quality, domestically built equipment of this scale to fly to Europe.

The AN-225, measuring 84 meters long with an 88.74-meter wingspan, arrived at the airport and waited on the parking apron for the loading of the two streetcars, each weighing about 20 metric tons, on Friday.

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FPT unveil two cheap 4-inch smartphones

With large screens, youthful and eye-catching designs, FPT F51 and FPT F22, launched by FPT Technology Product Company Limited (FTP) on November 29, is expected to bring the technology lovers interesting experiences.

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CT 200h Enters 2014 with Fresh Styling and Same MSRP as Previous Year

* Adopts Updated Fascia With Full Spindle Grille and New 17-Inch Wheels

* Available Complimentary HD Radio Real Time Traffic and Weather

* F SPORT Receives New Black Contrast Roof

The refreshed CT 200h compact luxury hybrid enters 2014 with a revised exterior and updated features while carrying the same base Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price of $32,050 as the outgoing model.  The 2014 CT will be equipped with new standard and updated features as it continues to provide exceptional value and impressive MPG.  The CT delivers EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 43 MPG city and 40 MPG highway (42 MPG combined).

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Silverado’s Pick-up Box Makes Tough Jobs Easier

Back end designed with the user in mind

When it comes to pickup trucks, the usability of the back end is just as important as the power under the hood. Customer-focused innovations to the cargo box of the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado were designed to make it easier to see, secure and access what’s back there.

“When designing the all-new Silverado’s pickup box we focused on using innovative technology to deliver smart solutions for hauling and accessing cargo,” said Rob Assimakopoulos, general director of marketing and communications for Chevrolet in Canada.  “This smarter, stronger and more functional cargo box allows Silverado owners to tackle the toughest jobs with absolute confidence.”

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NASA Taps Student Teams to Simulate Human Exploration of Other Worlds

NASA is debuting a new engineering design challenge to engage students worldwide in the next phase of human space exploration. The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge is a more complex follow-on to the successful NASA Great Moonbuggy Race.

The competition is open to high school and college students and challenges them to create a vehicle designed to traverse the simulated surface of another world. Registration closes Jan. 10 for international teams and Feb. 7 for U.S. teams.

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Opel with ADAM R2, Monza Concept & Co.

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Sport Stars and Visionaries: Opel with ADAM R2, Monza Concept & Co.

Opel at the Essen Motor Show

* Essen head-turner: Public premiere for ADAM R2 rallye car

* Sport for the road: Public debuts for Astra GTC and Corsa OPC in motorsport guise

* Trendsetter: Monza Concept showcases future Opel technologies and design

* At the limit: Top athlete Insignia OPC and adventurer Insignia Country Tourer

* Best connectivity: ADAM Black Link special edition with IntelliLink and Siri Eyes Free

* First hand experiences: Opel partners from football and motorsports on site

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Return of the Stingray: Chevrolet Corvette

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* Coupe and convertible models built on same lightweight aluminum frame

* New LT1 V-8 engine delivers an estimated 466 hp and 630 Nm of torque

* Arrives in Europe in December 2013

Chevrolet is redefining modern performance with the all-new Corvette Stingray. And only a Corvette with the perfect balance of technology, design and performance can wear the iconic Stingray designation.

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New Peugeot 308 secures 5 star Euro NCAP rating

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The New Peugeot 308 5-door hatchback, due on sale in the UK at the beginning of 2014, has just been awarded the maximum score of 5 stars in the Euro NCAP tests. With individual scores of 5 stars in all 4 categories (adult protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist), the New 308 confirms it has very high levels of safety protection.

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The incredible mile-long floating CITY - complete with schools, a hospital, parks and an airport for its 50,000 residents

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* The Freedom Ship is 25 storeys high and would feature a casino, an art gallery, a park and a shopping centre

* The concept, designed by a Florida-based company would cost $10billion if was commissioned to be built

* The vessel could house 50,000 people but it would contain additional space to hold an extra 30,000 visitors

* The ship would constantly sail around the world - doing a full circuit every two years - but would be too large to enter any ports

Seasick sufferers look away now. A Florida-based firm has designed a floating city called Freedom Ship that would spend its entire time at sea.

The vessel is a mile long, 25-storeys-high and has enough room for 50,000 permanent residents.

It features schools, hospitals, art galleries, shops, parks, an aquarium, casino and even an art gallery as well as an airport on the roof and a docking bay at the rear.

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Works by Picasso, Cezanne posted on Nazi-looted art website

German authorities Thursday published more than 100 additional works from the likes of Picasso, Cezanne and Degas believed to have been looted by the Nazis on an official provenance website.

The latest batch of priceless artworks come from a trove discovered in a Munich flat in February 2012 which only came to light this month in a magazine article.

A task force appointed to research the origin of the more than 1,400 works found stashed in the home of 80-year-old Cornelius Gurlitt said in a statement that public prosecutors investigating the case had now posted a total of 219 of them on the website www.lostart.de.

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New E7 shinkansen bullet train unveiled for 2014 debut

East Japan Railway Co. on Thursday unveiled to the press its new E7 Series shinkansen bullet train due to debut on the Tokyo-Nagano route next spring.

The event took place at the company's development base in Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture. The E7 Series train features coloring and designs inspired by landscapes and traditional handicrafts for both interiors and exteriors.

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The Search for a Molecular Mirror Image

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Heidelberg researchers succeed for the first time in imaging the absolute configuration of a chiral compound

In a complex experiment, Heidelberg researchers have succeeded for the first time in determining the absolute configuration of a chiral compound by means of direct imaging. They were able to conclude unequivocally whether they were looking at images or mirror images of the investigated molecules – something that is not possible with current methods without any risk of errors. The interdisciplinary project involved scientists of Heidelberg University’s Institute of Organic Chemistry and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, with the cooperation of experts of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot (Israel). The research findings will be published in “Science”.

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Iron-based process promises greener, cheaper and safer drug and perfume production

The Morris Group - June 2013

University of Toronto researchers have developed a series of techniques to create a variety of very active iron-based catalysts necessary to produce certain compounds used in the drug and perfume industry. The new synthetic methods promise to be safer, more economical and more environmentally friendly than traditional industrial processes.

The research takes advantage of Earth’s extensive supply of iron – the fifth most abundant naturally occurring metal – substituting it in place of the rare elements of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium and platinum traditionally used in the design of the catalysts. The result is an exceptionally efficient class of iron complexes whose abilities rival and even surpass those of conventional industrial catalysts.

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Bangkok Motor Expo 2013

Motor Expo opens the door for 2013 edition, held in Bangkok from November 28th to December 4th .

As usual Ducati is present during the annual Motorbikes Convention, en event that attracts bikes passionate from all over the South-East Asia region.

At the brand new Ducati booth many exciting surprises are waiting for all Ducati fans.

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Big brains are all in the genes

Scientists have moved a step closer to understanding genetic changes that permitted humans and other mammals to develop such big brains.

During evolution, different mammal species have experienced variable degrees of expansion in brain size. An important goal of neurobiology is to understand the genetic changes underlying these extraordinary adaptations.

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Eat crow if you think I’m a bird-brain

Tübingen neurobiologists investigate neuronal basis of crows’ intelligence

Scientists have long suspected that corvids – the family of birds including ravens, crows and magpies – are highly intelligent. Now, Tübingen neurobiologists Lena Veit und Professor Andreas Nieder have demonstrated how the brains of crows produce intelligent behavior when the birds have to make strategic decisions. Their results are published in the latest edition of Nature Communications.

Crows are no bird-brains. Behavioral biologists have even called them “feathered primates” because the birds make and use tools, are able to remember large numbers of feeding sites, and plan their social behavior according to what other members of their group do. This high level of intelligence might seem surprising because birds’ brains are constructed in a fundamentally different way from those of mammals, including primates – which are usually used to investigate these behaviors.

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Researchers block replication of AIDS virus

Spanish researchers design synthetic molecules capable of joining to the AIDS virus genetic material and block its replication

A multidisciplinary team of scientists from Spanish universities and research centres, among which the University of Valencia is, has managed to design small synthetic molecules capable of joining to the genetic material of the AIDS virus and block its replication.

This achievement has been obtained for the first time in the world by a group of researcher led by José Gallego. The University of Valencia, the Príncipe Felipe Research Centre, and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III have participated. The work has been recently published by Angewandte Chemie International Edition, one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world in the area of Chemistry.

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A New View into the Hot and Energetic Universe

ESA selects science theme for its next large mission

At its meeting in Paris today, the Science Programme Committee of the European Space Agency (ESA) selected the “The Hot and Energetic Universe” as the theme for its next Large (L-class) mission, which is expected to be launched in 2028. The theme was proposed by an international collaboration led by Kirpal Nandra, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE). Having made a compelling case for this exciting topic, the same team is now poised to propose a new mission concept to address some of the most pressing questions in modern astrophysics. The Advanced Telescope for High-energy Astrophysics (Athena) would provide the necessary angular and spectral resolution, throughput, detection sensitivity, and survey grasp to revolutionize our understanding of why the Universe looks the way it does.

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Pushing the limits of Light Microscopy

A team of researchers from the IMP Vienna together with collaborators from the Vienna University of Technology established a new microscopy technique which greatly enhances resolution in the third dimension. In a simple set-up, the scientists used the translation of position information of fluorescent markers into color information. Overcoming the need for scanning the depth of a sample, they were able to generate the precise 3D information at the same speed as it would take to acquire a 2D image. The general principle of this innovative approach can be used for broader applications and is published online in the PNAS Early Edition this week.

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Using moving cars to measure rainfall

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Drivers on a rainy day regulate the speed of their windshield wipers according to rain intensity: faster in heavy rain and slower in light rain. This simple observation has inspired researchers from the University of Hanover in Germany to come up with ‘RainCars’, an initiative that aims to use GPS-equipped moving cars as devices to measure rainfall. The most recent results of the project are now published in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, an open access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU).

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Chevrolet Impala and Corvette Stingray Win Auto123.com Awards

* Chevrolet Impala: 2014 Full-Size Car of the Year

* Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: 2014 Sports Car of the Year

Chevrolet was honoured today with the recognition of two of its most iconic vehicles, the Impala and Corvette Stingray, as “Car of the Year” in their respective categories by Auto123.com.  The all-new Chevrolet Impala was named the “2014 Full-Size Car of the Year” and the Corvette Stingray the “2014 Sports Car of the Year.”

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A:Wind – Suzuki's new A-segment hatchback concept

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-Suzuki reveals the A:Wind

-Design, roominess and quality that override the A-segment standard

Suzuki Motor Corporation is pleased to announce the world premiere of its A-segment hatchback concept model, the A:Wind, at the 30th Thailand International Motor Expo 2013 (press day: November 28; public days: November 30 through December 10).

The A:Wind is so named because it seeks to bring a fresh wind to the A-segment as a global compact car. Not constrained by conventional A-segment standards, it embodies the expertise in building compact cars that has made Suzuki admired around the world. An elegant-looking exterior and interior, a spacious, user-friendly cabin, and excellent fuel economy — this new concept model has it all.

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Teaching matter waves new tricks: making magnets with ultra cold atoms

Magnets have fascinated mankind for millenia. A group of CUI researchers and colleagues has just published the results of a study on magnets in the November issue of Nature Physics; an illustration of the magnetic phases from the computer simulation is featured on the cover.

From the Greek philosophers to scientists of the modern era, which saw  the rise of quantum mechanics, magnets have been pondered and investigated. Nowadays, they are not only intriguing oddities of nature, but also constitute crucial building blocks of modern technology: Ranging from data storage over medical instrumentation to transportation. And yet, to this day, they continue to puzzle scientists.

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A brooding marine worm has been found in Antarctica

Brooding is a usual behaviour in animals. However, to observe it in a marine worm is exceptional and, more surprisingly, it guards eggs from external threats. The scientific finding, published recently in the journal Polar Biology, was developed by researchers Conxita Àvila and Sergio Taboada, from the Department of Animal Biology of the University of Barcelona (UB) and members of the Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio); Juan Junoy, from the University of Alcalá; Javier Cristobo, from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, and Gonzalo Giribet and Sónia Andrade, from the Harvard Univesity, among other experts.

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S-Class and E-Class win the Auto Trophy 2013: Mercedes-Benz dominant in the luxury and executive class

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The readers of the German motoring magazine "Auto Zeitung" have voted the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and E-Class the best cars in the luxury and executive class. Accordingly the two premium models from the world's oldest automobile manufacturer have been awarded the "Auto Trophy 2013". The advertising by Mercedes-Benz also proved a star, as its high quality was likewise rewarded with the top placing and the "Auto Trophy".

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Find suggests Buddha lived in 6th century B.C.

The discovery of a previously unknown wooden structure at the place of the Buddha’s birth suggests the sage might have lived in the 6th century B.C. — two centuries earlier than thought — archeologists said Monday.

Traces of what appears to have been an ancient timber shrine were found under a brick temple that is itself within Buddhism’s sacred Maya Devi Temple at Lumbini, southern Nepal, near the Indian border.

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Inexpensive ‘nano-camera’ can operate at the speed of light

Device could be used in medical imaging, collision-avoidance detectors for cars, and interactive gaming.

A $500 “nano-camera” that can operate at the speed of light has been developed by researchers in the MIT Media Lab.

The three-dimensional camera, which was presented last week at Siggraph Asia in Hong Kong, could be used in medical imaging and collision-avoidance detectors for cars, and to improve the accuracy of motion tracking and gesture-recognition devices used in interactive gaming.

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Hyundai Motor Stages World Premiere of All-New Genesis Premium Sedan in the Korean Market

* Hyundai's first premium rear-wheel drive sedan comes back with an eye-catching, sporty design; upgraded features

* All-New Genesis embodies wide range of advanced technologies and details; expected to set a new standard for premium sedans in the industry

Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea's largest automaker, today unveiled for the first time the `All-New Genesis,' aimed at setting a new standard for premium sedans. Hyundai Motor revealed the much-awaited four-door sedan at a gala ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, Korea, which was attended by over 1,000 media members and VIPs, including Korean Prime Minister Chung Hongwon.

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Four wins for Audi at “Auto Trophy”

- Audi A1, A3 Cabriolet and A6 come out on top

- “Quality Trophy” for outstanding quality and reliability

Four trophies for the four rings: Audi has won four awards at this year’s “Auto Trophy”. For the 26th time, “Auto Zeitung” invited its readers to vote for the best cars across all categories. 103,074 of them took the opportunity to have their say. The Audi A1, Audi A3 Cabriolet and Audi A6 each came top of their category.

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Alfa Romeo 4C Wins 'Auto Trophy 2013'

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* Readers of the German magazine 'Auto Zeitung' awarded the title with 17.2% of the votes

* The Italian supercar beat prestigious and even considerably more expensive models in the results: * Aston Martin V8 Vantage (16.6%) and Jaguar F Type (15.8%)

* Less than 4 kg/HP, 4.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, 137 HP/litre and 1.2g of deceleration: Alfa Romeo 4C guarantees even the most expert driver extraordinary performance and sensations

Readers of the specialised German magazine 'Auto Zeitung' named the new Alfa Romeo 4C winner of the "Sportscars/Imported" category of the 26th edition of 'Auto Trophy' with 17.2% of the votes. The 4C beat prestigious and even considerably more expensive models such as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage (16.6%) and the Jaguar F Type (15.8%).

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A brain reward gene influences food choices in the first years of life

Study links genetic predisposition to childhood obesity

Research has suggested that a particular gene in the brain’s reward system contributes to overeating and obesity in adults. This same variant has now been linked to childhood obesity and tasty food choices, particularly for girls, according to a new study by Dr. Patricia Silveira and Prof. Michael Meaney of McGill University and Dr. Robert Levitan of the University of Toronto.

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Polymer Gel, Heal Thyself: Pitt engineering team proposes new composites that can regenerate when damaged

When a chair leg breaks or a cell phone shatters, either must be repaired or replaced. But what if these materials could be programmed to regenerate-themselves, replenishing the damaged or missing components, and thereby extend their lifetime and reduce the need for costly repairs?

That potential is now possible according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, who have developed computational models to design a new polymer gel that would enable complex materials to regenerate themselves. The article, “Harnessing Interfacially-Active Nanorods to Regenerate Severed Polymer Gels” (DOI: 10.1021/nl403855k), was published November 19 in the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters.

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Chrono 115, episode 8: from the people’s car to “voiture à vivre”

As the Second World War ended, France was torn between a desire for consumer products and a weak economy. The demand for cars was promising but not yet cost-effective, and manufacturers’ machine-tooling equipment had not yet been replaced.

It was against this background that Pierre Lefaucheux gambled on large-scale production of the 4CV, which had been developed in the Billancourt workshops in secret since 1940.

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2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 is Designed for Downforce

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Racing-inspired design elements enhance high-speed stability for faster laps

When it comes to keeping its tail on the track, the 2014 Camaro Z/28 manages airflow like few other production vehicles, generating downforce like a race car to press the tires against the track for high-speed stability and greater cornering capability.

Numerous modifications were made to the exterior, compared to the Camaro SS, with new and revised content developed to improve aerodynamics, powertrain cooling and brake-system cooling. They help the Z/28 produce 440 pounds more downforce at 150 mph, relative to the SS, which generates slight lift at that speed.

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SEAT and GAS NATURAL FENOSA boost the use of natural gas in the automotive industry

• Both companies begin a new period of collaboration to promote and spread the   use of Vehicular Natural Gas in the area of mobility in order to improve urban air   quality and contribute to the goals of sustainability and economic development.

• The two year agreement will include the incorporation of SEAT vehicles using   Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to the GAS NATURAL FENOSA fleets, as well as   the installing of CNG filling points at SEAT dealerships, among other initiatives.

The CEO of Retail Energy Business of GAS NATURAL FENOSA, Daniel López Jordà, and the Vice-President of Governmental and Institutional Relations for SEAT and the Volkswagen Group in Spain, Ramón Paredes, have signed a strategic agreement to develop and promote the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the automotive field in Spain, in the coming years.

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POLARIS RANGER TO ASSIST IN THE DARPA ROBOTICS CHALLENGE

Polaris® Industries Inc. the leading manufacturer of off-road vehicles, today announced that Polaris RANGER® XP 900 EPS vehicles will be used as part of the DARPA Robotics Challenge to be held December 20-21, 2013, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, in Homestead, Fla.

In the early stages of a number of recent disasters, it was clear there were limitations to what mitigation steps humans could take due to dangerous conditions. The DARPA Robotics Challenge was created to spur development of advanced robots that can help humans to better respond to future disasters. The Challenge includes eight tasks that simulate the duties a robot might have to perform in such a situation. DARPA will use the RANGER XP 900 EPS in one of the eight tasks to help demonstrate robots’ ability to operate vehicles, since they are among the tools commonly on hand in disaster zones. The Polaris RANGER XP 900 is the best-selling vehicle in its class and widely available across the U.S.

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ASTON MARTIN AIMS FOR WORLD TITLE GLORY IN ITS CENTENARY YEAR

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Aston Martin Racing goes into the final round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Six Hours of Bahrain, this weekend (30 November) leading the highly-competitive eight-race series and looking to clinch victory and emerge as world champions in this, the marque’s centenary year.

The team currently leads the LMGTE Manufacturers’ World Cup on 232.5 points but, with Ferrari in second place on 215 points and Porsche in third on 199.5 points, any of the three manufacturers can still win.

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NISSAN CARRIES OUT FIRST PUBLIC ROAD TEST OF AUTONOMOUS DRIVE ON EXPRESSWAYS IN JAPAN

Nissan Motor Corporation has carried out the first public road test of Autonomous Drive on a Japanese highway. A Nissan LEAF electric vehicle equipped with the revolutionary technology took to the Sagami Expressway in Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, with the prefecture’s Governor, Yuji Kuroiwa, and Nissan Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga, on board. The vehicle operated fully automatically on the highway. Journalists witnessed the tests and later had the opportunity to experience the car on the highway themselves.

“Nissan seeks a safer, more comfortable and environmentally-friendly mobile future,” said Shiga, vice chairman of Nissan. “Through these tests on an expressway, we hope to further advance our technological development, with the goal of soon implementing Autonomous Drive vehicles. When starting a new project, serious effort is required to gain an understanding of all the variables involved. We were able to conduct this important testing on the Sagami Expressway thanks to the strong support from Kanagawa Prefecture.”

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Saudi entrepreneur invents coffee maker

A young Saudi woman has invented an electronic Arabic coffee maker for commercial purposes, King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) officials announced.

Saudi entrepreneur Lateefa Alwaalan came up with this innovation with the cooperation of the Badir Program For Technology Incubators, which functions under the aegis of KACST.

According to an official from the Badir program, the new machine, which is available in the market, is similar to the popular Keurig machines.

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Update: 50 Percent of Patients in Cedars-Sinai Brain Cancer Study Alive After Five Years

With Standard Care, Median Length of Survival is 15 Months After Diagnosis of Glioblastoma Multiforme – and Only 10 Percent Survive More Than 5 Years

Eight of 16 patients participating in a study of an experimental immune system therapy directed against the most aggressive malignant brain tumors – glioblastoma multiforme – survived longer than five years after diagnosis, according to Cedars-Sinai researchers, who presented findings Nov. 23 at the Fourth Quadrennial Meeting of the World Federation of Neuro-Oncology.

Seven of the 16 participants still are living, with length of survival ranging from 60.7 to 82.7 months after diagnosis. Six of the patients also were "progression free" for more than five years, meaning the tumors did not return or require more treatment during that time. Four participants still remain free of disease with good quality of life at lengths ranging from 65.1 to 82.7 months following diagnosis. One patient who remained free of brain cancer for five years died of leukemia.

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Evidence of jet of high-energy particles from Milky Way's black hole found by astronomers

For decades, astronomers have sought strong evidence that the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy is producing a jet of high-energy particles. Based on new results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array radio telescope, they now have it.

Previous studies that used a variety of telescopes suggested there was a jet, but these reports, including the orientation of the suspected jets, often contradicted one another and were not considered definitive.

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SUZUKI LAUNCH FIRST MOTORCYCLE AUGMENTED REALITY

Suzuki has launched a brand new Augmented Reality app for the new V-Strom 1000, the first time the technology has been used by a motorcycle manufacturer.

The app, available on both iPhone and iPad with an Android version set to follow soon, allows users to view Suzuki's new adventure machine in full 3D and in exquisite detail, all from the screen of their mobile device. The app allows users to select colour options and view the bike with or without accessories, as well as zoom in and around key features to further explore the new V-Strom 1000, which is set to arrive in February next year.

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2015 Chevrolet Colorado Show Truck Images Released

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The all-new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado was unveiled this week in Los Angeles. When the Colorado returns to the Chevrolet lineup, it is expected to be the most capable and versatile midsize truck on the market.  Designed with adventure in mind, the Colorado is easily equipped for the mountains or the beach.   Inspired by the west coast, this show truck demonstrates one of the many ways the new Colorado can be accessorized.

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IceCube provides proof of neutrinos from the cosmos

IceCube particle detector at the South Pole discovers 28 high-energy neutrinos / Publication in Science

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole was the first to discover ultrahigh-energy neutrinos which most likely were the result of cosmic acceleration in outer space. "After more than a decade of intense searching, we can now announce that we have found neutrinos that were very probably generated in the vast expanses of outer space", reported Professor Lutz Köpke of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Neutrinos are electrically neutral particles with tiny mass. High-energy neutrinos may be generated in the proximity of black holes and are subsequently accelerated to acquire their extraordinary energies. They can then travel through space almost completely unhindered. On the downside, they are very difficult to detect. The IceCube experiment has now found 28 neutrinos with energy greater than 50 tera-electron volts (TeV) all of which landed in the Antarctic ice between May 2010 and May 2012. "This discovery was one of the key objectives of the IceCube experiment. It is fantastic that we have now reached this milestone, and in a way it is a relief as well," said Köpke, who has been searching for astrophysical neutrinos for more than 13 years and served as an internal reviewer as the final analysis was scrutinized.

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Colossal New Predatory Dino Terrorized Early Tyrannosaurs

A new species of carnivorous dinosaur – one of the three largest ever discovered in North America – lived alongside and competed with small-bodied tyrannosaurs 98 million years ago. This newly discovered species, Siats meekerorum, (pronounced see-atch) was the apex predator of its time, and kept tyrannosaurs from assuming top predator roles for millions of years.

Named after a cannibalistic man-eating monster from Ute tribal legend, Siats is a species of carcharodontosaur, a group of giant meat-eaters that includes some of the largest predatory dinosaurs ever discovered. The only other carcharodontosaur known from North America is Acrocanthosaurus, which roamed eastern North America more than 10 million years earlier. Siats is only the second carcharodontosaur ever discovered in North America; Acrocanthosaurus, discovered in 1950, was the first.

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Copper Promises Cheaper, Sturdier Fuel Cells

Copper nanowires offer an efficient, inexpensive approach to solar energy harvesting

Copper adorns the Statue of Liberty, makes sturdy, affordable wiring, and helps our bodies absorb iron. Now, researchers at Duke University would like to use copper to transform sunlight and water into a chemical fuel.

Converting solar energy into storable fuel remains one of the greatest challenges of modern chemistry. One of the ways chemists have tried to capture the power of the sun is through water splitting, in which the atoms of H2O are broken apart so the hydrogen may be collected and used as fuel. Plants do this naturally through photosynthesis, and for half a century, scientists have tried to recreate that process by tinkering with chemical catalysts jumpstarted by sunlight.

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Powerful tool for genetic engineering

Researchers from Braunschweig describe new possibilities of the CRISPR-Cas-system

Viruses cannot only cause illnesses in humans, they also infect bacteria. Those protect themselves with a kind of ‘immune system’ which – simply put – consists of specific sequences in the genetic material of the bacteria and a suitable enzyme. It detects foreign DNA, which may originate from a virus, cuts it up and thus makes the invaders harmless. Scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig have now shown that the dual-RNA guided enzyme Cas9 which is involved in the process has developed independently in various strains of bacteria. This enhances the potential of exploiting the bacterial immune system for genome engineering.

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Hybrid Nano-Materials That Could Replace Human Tissue or Today's Pills

A team of researchers has uncovered critical information that could help scientists understand how protein polymers interact with other self-assembling biopolymers. The research helps explain naturally occurring nano-material within cells and could one day lead to engineered bio-composites for drug delivery, artificial tissue, bio-sensing, or cancer diagnosis.

Results of this study, “Bionanocomposites: Differential Effects of Cellulose Nanocrystals on Protein Diblock Copolymers,” were recently published in the American Chemical Society’s BioMacromolecules. The findings were the result of a collaborative research project from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) Montclare Lab for Protein Engineering and Molecular Design under the direction of Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Jin K. Montclare.

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Hertz Launches Waterless Car Washing

Hertz To Save Millions of Gallons of Water Annually by Introducing a Waterless Car Wash Process

In a continued effort to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations, The Hertz Corporation  rolled out a waterless, non-toxic "green clean" car washing process at more than 220 neighborhood locations across the United States. As one of the largest car rental companies in the world, Hertz plans to expand this to all viable neighborhood locations in the United States and Europe in 2014, making waterless car washing available to nearly 3,700 locations which could save more than 130,000,000 gallons of car wash water annually.

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Ultrasound, Nanoparticles May Help Diabetics Avoid the Needle

A new nanotechnology-based technique for regulating blood sugar in diabetics may give patients the ability to release insulin painlessly using a small ultrasound device, allowing them to go days between injections – rather than using needles to give themselves multiple insulin injections each day. The technique was developed by researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“This is hopefully a big step toward giving diabetics a more painless method of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels,” says Dr. Zhen Gu, senior author of a paper on the research and an assistant professor in the joint biomedical engineering program at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill.

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