trendssoul by özlem (yan) devrim

August 3, 2012

Researchers build a toolbox for synthetic biology

Engineers design new proteins that can help control novel genetic circuits in cells.

For about a dozen years, synthetic biologists have been working on ways to design genetic circuits to perform novel functions such as manufacturing new drugs, producing fuel or even programming the suicide of cancer cells.

Achieving these complex functions requires controlling many genetic and cellular components, including not only genes but also the regulatory proteins that turn them on and off. In a living cell, proteins called transcription factors often regulate that process.

to read more, click here

Skin cancer found in wild fish

August 2, 2012:

Widespread skin cancer has been identified for the first time in wild marine fish populations.

A collaborative study between Newcastle University in the UK, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science published today in the academic journal PLoS One reveals the incidence of melanoma in the coral trout, a species found on the Great Barrier Reef and directly beneath the world’s largest hole in the ozone layer.

This is the first time skin cancer has been diagnosed in wild fish populations and the team, led by Newcastle University’s Dr Michael Sweet, say the appearance of the melanoma is almost identical to that found in humans.

to read more, click here

image:

http://www.wherewisemenfish.com/203/Fly_Fishing/2006/12/salmon-farms-kill-wild-fish-study-shows.html

Iowa State, Ames Lab researchers invent new tool to study single biological molecules

AMES, Iowa – By blending optical and atomic force microscope technologies, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory researchers have found a way to complete 3-D measurements of single biological molecules with unprecedented accuracy and precision.

Existing technologies allow researchers to measure single molecules on the x and y axes of a 2-D plane. The new technology allows researchers to make height measurements (the z axis) down to the nanometer – just a billionth of a meter – without custom optics or special surfaces for the samples.

to read more, click here

Iowa State researchers build tool to help sub-Saharan African seed companies

AMES, Iowa -- The United Nations humanitarian office reports that there's been a more than 20 percent increase in the number of people needing international aid since the start of the year, fueled mainly by hunger in sub-Saharan Africa. But thanks to Iowa State University researchers, there may be more small-scale commercial seed companies to assist in crop production to better feed those starving nations.

Working in harmony with the Iowa State University Seed Science Center, Bobby Martens, an assistant professor of supply chain management; and Kevin Scheibe, an associate professor of management information systems, developed a decision support system (DSS) to help African seed entrepreneurs make informed decisions about starting small-scale seed chain businesses.

to read more, click here

Eco-Computer with a natural wood look

Research News Aug 01, 2012

Surfing for hours on the Internet consumes a lot of electricity and is harmful to the environment. However, a new ecological PC saves energy as it operates: It produces about 70 percent less CO2 than conventional computers. As the first computer of its class, it obtained the “EU Ecolabel,” the environmental label of the European Union.

A work tool, a leisure activity resource, a personal assistant - computers are ubiquitous. Yet the environmental performance for today‘s computers leaves a lot to be desired: they rapidly become obsolete, typically contain toxic substances as flame retardants and have individual components that are difficult to recycle. Moreover, they consume plenty of power whose production, in turn, causes the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.

to read more, click here

Cost-effective production of infrared lenses

Research News Aug 01, 2012

If visibility is poor, thermal cameras can warn drivers of people or animals on the road. Yet such devices have been very expensive – until now. An important step has been taken to manufacture them more cheaply. A new process will make the infrared lenses – a component of such cameras – up to 70 percent cheaper.

Rain pelts down on the roof of the car; it is difficult to make out anything in the pitch dark. Suddenly, a deer runs out of the forest and onto the road, but the driver cannot respond in time. When it comes to such dangerous situations, micro-bolometers constitute one way of “extending” the human eye and defusing such dangerous situations.

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/august/cost-effective-production-of-infrared-lenses.html

Minimally invasive building renovation

Research News Aug 01, 2012

Renovation projects to improve the energy performance of residential buildings involve a lot of messy construction work. Researchers have come up with a new modernization concept that reduces on-site installation times. Prefabricated multifunctional window modules offer a more convenient alternative to the usual renovation methods.

Surgeons commonly use minimally invasive techniques when operating in the abdomen. Instruments are inserted through a tiny incision in the abdominal wall, and the organs are visualized using an endoscope. This method is less stressful on the body than conventional surgery. A form of “minimally invasive intervention” could also be adopted by architects and builders, except that in this case the patients are buildings in need of upgrading to modern energy-efficiency standards.

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/august/minimally-invasive-building-renovation.html

Wind farms: A danger to ultra-light aircraft?

Research News Aug 01, 2012

Airfields for ultra-light aircraft are typically constructed on level ground – and so are wind farms. However, do wind power plantsgenerate turbulence that could endanger lightweight planes? A simulation can compute how these power plants influence aircraft at various wind speeds and wind directions.

For a motorized hangglider or a one-seater weighing 300 kilograms: the business of flying by ultra-light aircraft is booming. That is also why numerous airfields are applying for the license to host these lightweight gliders. Most of these airfields are located on flat land, which is also the preferred terrain for wind power plant. However, these facilities could turn out to be a risk factor for aviators, especially when it comes to takeoff and landing: On the one hand, the power plants “pilfer” the winds from the planes, because wind speeds aft of such facilities are considerably lower

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/august/wind-farms-a-danger-to-ultra-light-aircraft.html

Smart wireless power outlets

Research News Aug 01, 2012

Many homeowners dream of being able to wash a load of laundry when the photovoltaic panels on the roof are delivering a maximum of electricity, even when they are not at home. A new Internet-enabled power outlet will soon allow users to control household appliances via their smartphone, and reduce their energy costs into the bargain.

Soon there will be no need for special timers to switch lighting on and off or operate household appliances when the homeowner is absent. In future, all this can be done by means of a smartphone or PC, thanks to Internet-enabled wireless power outlets that support the new IPv6 Internet protocol.

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/august/smart-wireless-power-outlets.html

Using wastewater as fertilizer

Research News Aug 01, 2012

Sewage sludge, wastewater and liquid manure are valuable sources of fertilizer for food production. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a chemical-free, eco-friendly process that enables the recovered salts to be converted directly into organic food for crop plants.

Phosphorus is a vital element not only for plants but also for all living organisms. In recent times, however, farmers have been faced with a growing shortage of this essential mineral, and the price of phosphate-based fertilizers has been steadily increasing. It is therefore high time to start looking for alternatives. This is not an easy task, because phosphorus cannot be replaced by any other substance. But researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart have found a solution that makes use of locally available resources which, as unlikely as it might seem, are to be found in plentiful supply in the wastewater from sewage treatment plants and in the fermentation residues from biogas plants: a perfect example of the old saying “from muck to riches”. The new process was developed by a team of scientists led by Jennifer Bilbao, who manages the nutrient management research group at the IGB. “Our process precipitates out the nutrients in a form that enables them to be directly applied as fertilizer,” she explains.

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/august/using-wastewater-as-fertilizer.html

Coral reef thriving in sediment-laden waters

Rapid rates of coral reef growth have been identified in sediment-laden marine environments, conditions previously believed to be detrimental to reef growth.

A new study has established that Middle Reef – part of Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef – has grown more rapidly than many other reefs in areas with lower levels of sediment stress.

Led by the University of Exeter, the study by an international team of scientists is published today (1 August 2012) in the journal Geology.

Middle Reef is located just 4 km off the mainland coast near Townsville, Australia, on the inner Great Barrier Reef shelf. Unlike the clear waters in which most reefs grow, Middle Reef grows in water that is persistently ‘muddy’. The sediment comes from waves churning up the muddy sea floor and from seasonal river flood plumes. The Queensland coast has changed significantly since European settlement, with natural vegetation cleared for agricultural use increasing sediment runoff. High levels of sediment result in poor water quality, which is believed to have a detrimental effect on marine biodiversity.

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_222710_en.html

image:

http://www.garf.org/pic1215.html

Flavors of Uncertainty: The Difference between Denial and Debate

During the pilot episode of Comedy Central’s late night television show  The Colbert Report, satirist Stephen Colbert coined the term “truthiness”—truths that feel right regardless of evidence or reason. Using sardonic wit he deadpanned, “Face it, folks: We are a divided nation. Not between Democrats and Republicans, or conservatives and liberals, or tops and bottoms. No. We are divided between those who think with their head and those who know with their heart.”1 Using satire, Colbert captured the essence of an issue that has many people deeply concerned: the denial of scientific evidence on the basis of gut-level emotions.

Science denial sometimes occurs around environmental health issues. For example, some people catch and consume fish from polluted streams despite posted warnings. Some tan themselves without adequate protection against ultraviolet radiation. Others smoke cigarettes or live with secondhand smoke and believe they won’t succumb to illness. Still others burn garbage in barrels, ignoring laws and warnings regarding human health risks.

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=27EA9DB1D7C8EAE32C9CC93E9DFE3C23?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.120-a314

image:

http://www.lead-edu.info/lead_causes.html

UV Radiation and Skin Cancer: The Science behind Age Restrictions for Tanning Beds

Every year, millions of people climb in various states of undress into warm, glowing tanning beds, where during a typical 2- to 15-minute session they’ll absorb a controlled dose of ultraviolet (UV) radiation at an intensity up to two to three times stronger than the sunlight striking the equator at noon. The tanning industry has grown rapidly since the 1980s,1 rising to an estimated 28 million users in the United States.2 This rise has been accompanied by an increase in diagnoses of skin cancer.

The reasons behind the rising skin cancer diagnoses remain open to debate. Some experts attribute the rise to more frequent skin cancer screening, whereas others blame environmental and behavioral risk factors, particularly changes in UV exposure. In this latter context, UV-emitting tanning beds—classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)3—have come under growing scrutiny.

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=27EA9DB1D7C8EAE32C9CC93E9DFE3C23?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.120-a308

image:

http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2011/11/melanin

Google It?: Internet Searches Often Provide Inaccurate Information about Infant Sleep Safety

Cincinnati, OH, August 2, 2012 – In 2010, 59% of the U.S. population used internet searches for health information, and parents searching for information regarding their children were among the top users. In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published recommendations for infant sleep safety to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), suffocation, strangulation, and other accidental sleep-related deaths. However, according to a study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, Google internet searches related to infant sleep safety often do not reflect AAP recommendations.

Seventy-two percent of adults thought that they could believe most or all of the health information on the internet, and 70% of adults said that information that they found on the internet impacted their health or their actions pertaining to their health or the health of their children. According to Rachel Y. Moon, MD, pediatrician and SIDS researcher at Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, “It is important for health care providers to realize the extent to which parents may turn to the internet for information about infant sleep safety and then act on that advice, regardless of the reliability of the source.”

http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authored_newsitem.cws_home/companynews05_02413

image:

http://www.nestingmode.com/nursery/sheets-and-linens/sleep-positioner/basic-comfort-resting-up-sleep-positioner/#

Electromagnetic 'Swamps' Don't Always Bog Electrons Down

Electrons tunnel through energy barriers together, even though the environment of the particles is electrically messy.

DURHAM, NC - Scientists have designed a simple system to study how electrons travel through energy barriers instead of over them.

This unusual behavior, called tunneling, is the particle equivalent of a person being able to walk through rather than over a mountain. The particle behavior is also one of the most common signs that everyday physics has broken down and quantum mechanics now controls the system.

http://today.duke.edu/2012/08/glebnature

New research reveals the taste of fish

Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol occur naturally in lakes and watercourses, but excessive concentrations of these two substances can give fish a "muddy" taste. Researchers at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, have now developed sensory profiles that can predict problems with taste in aquaculture fish and thus make it possible to eliminate such problems entirely.

The sensory panel at the National Food Institute have tasted their way through numerous rainbow trout with various concentrations of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol. The purpose of the project was to develop sensory profiles of the taste and smell of the fish to make it possible to predict taste problems in aquaculture fish, with especial emphasis on off-taste and off-smell. The National Food Institute was responsible for the development of the sensory profiles, while the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, handled the chemical analyses for the two substances.

http://www.dtu.dk/English/About_DTU/News.aspx?guid={E70A322D-B71D-42E9-8D69-1D52CD7F7596}

image:

http://flyguys.net/blog/fishing-information/muddy-tasting-fish

Long-Distance Distress Signal from Periphery of Injured Nerve Cells Begins with Locally Made Protein

When the longest cells in the body are injured at their farthest reaches, coordinating the cells’ repair is no easy task. This is in part because these peripheral nerve cells can be extremely long – up to one meter in adult humans – which is a lot of distance for a molecular distress signal to cover in order to reach the “command center” of the cell’s nucleus.

Scientists have believed this process to be even more challenging because their textbook understanding for many years has been that the axons – the long extensions of nerve cells away from the main cell body containing the nucleus – do not manufacture the proteins involved in the molecular signal themselves. Yet, in recent years, some scientists have begun to challenge that textbook understanding, with preliminary evidence that one key protein involved in setting off a distress signal for cellular repair, known as importin beta1, was locally produced in the axons. They just weren’t sure how.

http://drexel.edu/coas/news/archive/long-distance-distress-signal-from-periphery-of-injured-nerve-cells-begins-with-locally-made-protein/

Getting to the Root — Unearthing the Plant-Microbe Quid Pro Quo

While the flower may attract the bee and the admiring eye of the passerby, it is the unseen complex network of life below ground where the action is. The microbial community or microbiome that inhabits the rhizosphere and endosphere —the niches immediately surrounding and inside a plant’s root—facilitates the shuttling of nutrients and information into and out of the roots within the soil matrix. This commerce, by enabling the plant to adapt to its immediate environment, contributes to plant health and growth, defense against pests, management of carbon and other elements for the enrichment of the soil, and even informs the plant’s ability to sequester contaminants.

http://www.jgi.doe.gov/News/news_12_08_01.html

Cuckoo tricks to beat the neighbourhood watch

New research explains why female cuckoos have evolved different guises.

To minimise the chance of being recognised and thus attacked by the birds they are trying to parasitize, female cuckoos have evolved different guises. The new research, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, was published today, 03 August, in the journal Science.

The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/cuckoo-tricks-to-beat-the-neighbourhood-watch/

Ralph Milliken: Curiosity’s mission on Mars

As Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory rover, gets set to land in the wee hours of Monday morning, Brown geologist Ralph Milliken will be getting ready to get to work. He’s a member of the mission’s science team. His curiosity lies in finding out why Mars is a colder, drier place than it used to be.

PASADENA, Calif. [Brown University] — Ralph Milliken, assistant professor of geological sciences, is on the science team of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), which is set to land the rover Curiosity on the Red Planet in the early morning of Aug. 6 Eastern Daylight Time. The rover will allow the team to study the rocks and soils of Gale Crater, giving scientists years of data to help them learn the geological history of the planet. If there are signs of water or organic material, Curiosity can find those, too.

http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2012/08/marsrover

Neutron scattering explains how myoglobin can perform without water

Press release issued 2 August 2012

Proteins do not need to be surrounded by water to carry out their vital biological functions, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The findings, led by scientists from the University of Bristol, the Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS) in Grenoble, the Australian National University, the Institut Laue Langevin and the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science, will help towards the potential application of proteins in biochemical gas sensors or in state-of-the-art wound dressing.

http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2012/8693.html

image:

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/568globularprotein.html

A Direct Look at Graphene

Direct Imaging by Berkeley Lab Researchers Confirms the Importance of Electron-Electron Interactions in Graphene

Perhaps no other material is generating as much excitement in the electronics world as graphene, sheets of pure carbon just one atom thick through which electrons can race at nearly the speed of light – 100 times faster than they move through silicon. Superthin, superstrong, superflexible and superfast as an electrical conductor, graphene has been touted as a potential wonder material for a host of electronic applications, starting with ultrafast transistors.

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2012/08/01/a-direct-look-at-graphene/

Taking a Robotic Geologist to Mars

As Mars rover Curiosity makes its final approach to the Red Planet, two UA geoscientists are getting ready to help solve some of the mysteries of its geologic past.

On Aug. 5, at about 10:30 p.m., an already busy summer will kick into overdrive for University of Arizona geosciences professor Bob Downs and one of his graduate students, Shaunna Morrison. At that time – provided everything goes as planned – Curiosity, the most sophisticated exploration vehicle ever sent to another planet, will parachute toward the Martian surface faster than the speed of sound after a nine-month journey through space. And as soon as it sinks its six wheels into the red dust, the two scientists specializing in mineralogy will have not one, but two planets to deal with.

http://www.uanews.org/story/taking-robotic-geologist-mars

Unique anti-reflective and self-cleaning plastic films to be ramped up for industry use

Thursday, August 02, 2012

Scientists from A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) will partner companies to develop, prototype and conduct pilot large scale manufacturing of nanoimprinted materials with better performance and at potentially lower cost than current production methods.

1. Singapore, 02 August 2012 – Fast, high-volume production of plastics with specially engineered surfaces will soon be available using a cheaper and simpler method. IMRE and its Industrial Consortium On Nanoimprint (ICON) partner companies are piloting roll-to-roll nanoimprint technology to mass produce two types of patterned nanoimprinted plastic films.

http://www.a-star.edu.sg/?TabId=828&articleType=ArticleView&articleId=1689

image:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Anti-reflective-Anti-Glare-Matte-Screen-Protector-Film-15-Inch-MacBook-Pro-/290709084460#ht_2156wt_951

Researchers find genetic cause for body tremors

Researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine and CHUM hospitals have linked some cases of Essential Tremor (ET) to a specific genetic problem. ET is the most common movement disorder, becoming increasingly frequent with increasing age, which is characterized by an involuntary shaking movement (tremor) that occurs with motion, particularly when doing precise fine movement. The researchers will be publishing their findings today in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

http://www.nouvelles.umontreal.ca/udem-news/news/20120802-researchers-find-genetic-cause-for-body-tremors.html

image:

http://www.medicinenet.com/dementia_pictures_slideshow/article.htm

Why women choose to migrate

Women from China and India are migrating to change their lives, although they face greater risk than men of human trafficking, assault and rape.

The importance of understanding these women will be discussed at the international ‘Chinese in Africa and Africans in China’ conference and public seminar at Monash South Africa’s Africa Centre.

http://www.monash.edu.au/news/show/why-women-choose-to-migrate

August 2, 2012

Writing graphics software gets much easier

A new programming language for image-processing algorithms yields code that’s much shorter and clearer — but also faster.

August 2, 2012

Image-processing software is a hot commodity: Just look at Instagram, a company built around image processing that Facebook is trying to buy for a billion dollars. Image processing is also going mobile, as more and more people are sending cellphone photos directly to the Web, without transferring them to a computer first.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/better-programming-language-for-image-processing-0802.html

Rare earths unearthed

First published August 2, 2012

A James Cook University researcher will be looking into the geochemistry of a group of heavy metals known as the rare earth elements, after receiving a grant from the Federal Government.

The rare earth elements are regarded as vital elements for modern industries and technologies.

They form essential components of many everyday items, including hybrid cars, fluorescent lighting, high power magnets, solar cells, rechargeable batteries, turbines, lasers, and LCD and plasma displays.

http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/news/JCU_107387

image:

http://www.australianrareearths.com/current-issues.html

RESEARCH COULD IMPROVE OIL RECOVERY, AID ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP

8-2-12

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers have taken a new look at an old, but seldom-used technique developed by the petroleum industry to recover oil, and learned more about why it works, how it could be improved, and how it might be able to make a comeback not only in oil recovery but also environmental cleanup.

The technology, called “microbial enhanced oil recovery,” was first developed decades ago, but oil drillers largely lost interest in it due to its cost, inconsistent results and a poor understanding of what was actually happening underground.

http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2012/aug/research-could-lead-improved-oil-recovery-better-environmental-cleanup

image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonstateuniversity/7632540608/

Radar Renewal: Phased Array Technology Could Improve Reliability, Capabilities of Air Traffic Control System

Aircraft operating in U.S. airspace rely on several different types of ground-based radars to help them fly safely. Yet these radars, based on older technologies that use many mechanical components, require frequent repairs as well as costly periodic maintenance programs.

A research team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate alternative approaches to the radars that currently support the nation’s air traffic control and weather monitoring systems. The multi-year study is examining the feasibility of replacing that group of radars with a single system based on phased-array technology, an advanced design that uses solid-state electronics in place of many mechanical components.

http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/phased-array-technology-air-traffic/

An expert system for optimising thyroid disease diagnosis

Abstract: Thyroid diseases have become common disorders worldwide. Thyroid is a gland in the neck that controls and stimulates the metabolism of the body. Hyperthyroidism (over production of thyroid hormone) and hypothyroidism (less production of thyroid hormone) are the most common problems of thyroid.

http://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=48243

image:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/slideshow_hyperthyroidism/article_em.htm

What Sets Allergies in Motion?

Thursday, August 2, 2012

TAU research identifies a protein group that may kick-start allergic reactions

Allergies, or hypersensitivities of the immune system, are more common than ever before. According to the Asthma and Allergies Foundation of America, one in five Americans suffers from an allergy — from milder forms like hay fever to more severe instances, like peanut allergies which can lead to anaphylactic shock.

http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=17029

image:

http://altered-states.net/barry/newsletter433/index.htm

Augmented Reality Is Finally Getting Real

As smartphones explode in popularity, augmented reality is starting to move from novelty to utility.

In the summer of 2009, Yelp quietly added a feature to its iPhone app that blurred the line between the real and the virtual. If you held your handset up and looked at the world through its screen, you'd see little floating tags containing the names, user ratings, and other details of businesses around you.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428654/augmented-reality-is-finally-getting-real/

image:

http://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/2012/02/20/technology-in-our-world-whose-augmented-reality/

Breaking the Barriers for Low-Cost Energy Storage

USC-led team develops a battery that could help California transition to renewable energy sources.

A team of researchers has developed a cheap, rechargeable and eco-friendly battery that could be used to store energy at solar power plants for a rainy day.

http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/newsroom/news_release.php?id=2777

image:

http://www.gsjournal.com/2010/12/doe-finalizes-1-45-billion-loan-guarantee-for-one-of-the-worlds-largest-solar-generation-plants/

Caffeine may ease Parkinson's symptoms

Caffeine, which is widely consumed around the world in coffee, tea and soft drinks, may help people suffering from Parkinson's

Caffeine, which is widely consumed around the world in coffee, tea and soft drinks, may help control movement in people suffering from Parkinson's. This is the finding of a study conducted at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) that was recently published in Neurology®, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study opens the door to new treatment options for Parkinson's disease that affects approximately 100 000 Canadians.

http://muhc.ca/newsroom/news/caffeine-may-ease-parkinsons-symptoms

image:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2010/07/26/f-caffeine-daily-intake.html

August 1, 2012

Within Reach: Drexel Engineers to Add Arms and Hands to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

PHILADELPHIA, August 1, 2012

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as those used by the military for surveillance and reconnaissance, could be getting a hand –and an arm– from engineers at Drexel University as part of a National Science Foundation grant to investigate adding dexterous limbs to the aircrafts.

http://www.drexel.edu/now/news-media/releases/archive/2012/August/Engineers-adding-arms-to-unmanned-aerial-vehicles/

CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND THE HEART

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have uncovered the first molecular evidence linking the body's natural circadian rhythms to sudden cardiac death.

Mukesh K. Jain, MD, Darwin Jeyaraj, MD, and colleagues discovered a genetic factor called Kruppel-like Factor 15—or KLF15—that links the body's natural clock to the heart's electrical activity system.

http://www.case.edu/think/breakingnews/heart.html

Brain imaging can predict how intelligent you are, study finds

‘Global Brain Connectivity’ explains 10 percent of variance in individual intelligence

When it comes to intelligence, what factors distinguish the brains of exceptionally smart humans from those of average humans?

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/24068.aspx

Using Ozone to Clean Up Fracking

Ecosphere's new technology reduces the use of chemicals and helps natural-gas companies recycle water.

The oil and natural-gas boom in the United States—driven by water-intensive hydraulic fracturing technology (see "Natural Gas Changes the Energy Map")—is creating demand for better water-treatment technologies. Now Ecosphere Technologies has developed a process that is helping producers recycle water and eliminate the use of some of the chemicals involved in treating water for fracking.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428591/using-ozone-to-clean-up-fracking/

HUMANS, DOLPHINS ONLY MAMMALS TO SOCIALIZE BASED ON SUBCULTURES

JULY 31, 2012 – GEORGETOWN RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED that bottlenose dolphins are the only mammals besides humans to associate with one another based on cultural behavior with tools.

Just as humans might bond over a mutual interest in gardening, these creatures of the sea tend to associate with one another based on their use of marine sponges as hunting tools.

http://www.georgetown.edu/news/dolphins-socialize-subcultures-janet-mann.html

With broccoli against infections

The microbiologist and immunologist Prof. Dr. Andreas Diefenbach, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Freiburg Medical Centre, has been awarded a European Research Council "Starting Grant" for his project "NutrImmune". The ERC Starting Grant is one of Europe’s most prestigious grants for young investigators.

http://www.pr.uni-freiburg.de/pm/2012/pm.2012-08-01.209-en?set_language=en

image:

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/broccoli.cfm

Low-Power Chips to Model a Billion Neurons

A miniature, massively parallel computer, powered by a million ARM processors, could produce the best brain simulations yet

For all their progress, computers are still pretty unimpressive. Sure, they can pilot aircraft and simulate nuclear reactors. But even our best machines struggle with tasks that we humans find easy, like controlling limbs and parsing the meaning of this paragraph.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/lowpower-chips-to-model-a-billion-neurons/0

Wrinkled surfaces could have widespread applications

MIT team discovers way of making perfectly ordered and repeatable surfaces with patterns of microscale wrinkles.

The wrinkles on a raisin result from a simple effect: As the pulp inside dries, the skin grows stiff and buckles to accommodate its shrinking size. Now, a team of researchers at MIT has discovered a way to harness that same principle in a controlled and orderly way, creating wrinkled surfaces with precise sizes and patterns.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/wrinkled-surfaces-could-have-widespread-applications-0801.html

Worldwide increase of air pollution

Atmospheric model calculates changes in air quality over the coming decades

August 31, 2012

Hot summer days cause in large cities very seldom great happiness among inhabitants. On those days the air is highly polluted with automobile and industrial emissions what makes breathing difficult and unhealthy.

http://www.mpg.de/5928050/global_air-pollution

Panasonic Develops Highly Efficient Artificial Photosynthesis System Generating Organic Materials from Carbon Dioxide and Water

Osaka, Japan - Panasonic has developed an artificial photosynthesis system which converts carbon dioxide (CO2) to organic materials by illuminating with sunlight at a world's top efficiency*1 of 0.2%. The efficiency is on a comparable level with real plants used for biomass energy.

http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/2012/07/en120730-5/en120730-5.html

Hey, I'm Over Here: Men and Women See Things Differently

USC researchers show that men and women focus on different things when paying attention and are drawn away by different types of distractions

In a new study published in the journal Vision Research, researchers at the University of Southern California show that the eyes and attention of men and women meander in distinctly different ways.

http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/newsroom/news_release.php?id=2776

image:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/style/what-not-to-wear-clinton-pictures.htm

About Me

Graduated from University of Marmara, Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Design of Industrial Products and completed her dissertation titled "A Review on the Effects of the Trends & Periods on the Structural Constructions on the Products That are Associated With Consumer Electronics" in the same department for her Master’s Degree.

Lectured at University of Anatolia, Department of Industrial Products on part-time basis. Currently, she has been lecturing on part-time basis Faculty of Arts & Science, Department of Industrial Products Design at University of Doğuş.

She was the Head of ETMK Istanbul Branch from February 2010 to June 2011.

She took part in many competitions and projects as a member of advisory board and jury. Currently, she is the acting executive officer coordinating various projects between the Industry and University at the company where she is employed.

ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE:

This blog is created and owned by Özlem Devrim.

TrendsSoul is about all interdisciplinary topics. This blog simply follows all publications worldwide in architecture, science and technology as well as sustainable designs. In doing that, Trendsoul gathers all the news (current or past), which in the view of TrendsSoul possess tips and hints that may influence or have effects on futuristic trends whilst at the same time establishing current trends, and evaluates the same.

On its pages, TrendsSoul publishes the latest news on innovations in science and technology, as well as the latest / newest designs and/or design samples in the disciplines of plastic arts, fashion and jewellery designs, furniture and interior decoration designs, packaging designs and industrial designs (along with the initial specific samples some of which today are considered as antiques).

Purpose of TrendsSoul is simply to assist all concerned individuals and groups who try to foresee what the future may bring or may be holding in store for us in the discipline of design, just like we do at TrendsSoul.

LEGAL WARNING ON THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE:

This blog is a non-commercial website. Whole content of this website is for inspirational purposes only. Photographs, that are published In this website and registered for the name of Özlem Devrim in Picasa Web Album, are personally shot by Özlem Devrim with the permission of their respective owners and/or copyright holders. Those photographs, that are published in Picasa Web Album and on this site in lower resolutions than actual, may be used for non-commercial purposes and relevant reference as to the actual source is provided.

Please also take note that all rights and/or copyrights for other photographs and visual materials, which are currently published on this site that are not shot by Özlem Devrim and therefore not published under Picasa Web Album, belongs to their respective owners. Such materials that are or may be reported as to infringe copyrights are removed forthright.

Also note that, regardless of whether the copyrights belong to Özlem Devrim or any third party person or entity, if you ever wish to or would like to use any of the materials published on this site for commercial purposes, you must by law first get in touch with the actual copyright owner in order to have his/her permission to use.