MTS ENERGY RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY HELPS POWER ULTRA-EFFICIENT HYBRID CONCEPT CAR

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MTS Systems Corporation, a leading global supplier of high performance test systems and position sensors, today announced that it provided the advanced energy recovery technology deployed on the ultra-efficient, low-emission 208 HYbrid FE (Fun & Efficient) concept car, that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013. Developed jointly by Peugeot S.A. and Total, the experimental 208 HYbrid FE is capable of achieving 1.9 liter per 100 Km (123 mpg) in a mixed European cycle, and emits only 46 grams of CO2 per kilometer - significantly less than any non-plug-in hybrid vehicle on the road today.

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New micro water sensor can aid growers

Crop growers, wine grape and other fruit growers, food processors and even concrete makers all benefit from water sensors for accurate, steady and numerous moisture readings. But current sensors are large, may cost thousands of dollars and often must be read manually.

Now, Cornell University researchers have developed a microfluidic water sensor within a fingertip-sized silicon chip that is a hundred times more sensitive than current devices. The researchers are now completing soil tests and will soon test their design in plants, embedding their “lab on a chip” in the stems of grape vines, for example. They hope to mass produce the sensors for as little as $5 each.

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Researchers Evaluate Electronic Flight Bags for Air National Guard Pilots

When pilots encounter an in-flight emergency – such as engine or hydraulic failure – they consult with manuals, emergency procedures and other reference materials contained in their flight bags for information on how to respond. In the future, these cumbersome flight bags could be replaced by “electronic flight bags” consisting of a lightweight tablet computer loaded with electronic versions of documents that today are printed on paper. A tablet computer could easily store an entire library of aeronautical publications and charts and also include the most up-to-date versions.

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Unconscious motivation plays a substantial role in how we respond to challenges

Willpower alone is not enough

How do we motivate ourselves when studying for an exam or working to a tight deadline? The more unpleasant the task, the more willpower we need to rise to the challenge. Unfortunately, our reserves of willpower are quickly depleted. Which means that other mechanisms are required to motivate people to continually perform at a high level. And now scientists have shown that internal, unconscious motivation can significantly improve performance capabilities.

In an ideal world, employees would totally identify with their company’s business objectives, be experts in their field and extremely motivated about their work. But in reality, this is not always the case and this places the spotlight on motivational skills for anyone in a leadership position.

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First Ever Hybrid Ferrari Vehicle Launches With EPHS From TRW

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW) today announced that it is supplying Electrically Powered Hydraulic Steering (EPHS) technology to Ferrari's latest vehicle launch 'LaFerrari' - the first Ferrari to feature hybrid propulsion.

TRW's EPHS system offers fuel savings of up to 0.3L/100km and a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 7g/km when compared with traditional hydraulic power steering systems. The technology also delivers fuel economy and CO2 reduction benefits comparable to full electric steering solutions.

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3M™ Introduces New Easy-On Privacy Filters for iPads®

New Removable Privacy Filters Offer Enterprise Data Security and Flexibility for Mobile Users

With the growing prevalence of tablets used in the enterprise by the mobile workforce, the need for mobile data protection and “on-the-go” visual privacy has multiplied. Mobile employees are finding themselves in situations where they need to protect confidential company information while working in public spaces, but still require the ability to share content when collaborating with colleagues. Recognizing this essential need for worker flexibility, 3M introduces new Easy-On Privacy Filters for iPads®, allowing users to stay private when needed and share content when wanted.

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TripAdvisor Names Hot New Hotels Across The Globe

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Recently Opened and Highly-Rated Properties Identified by TripAdvisor Community

TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced its inaugural list of Hot New Hotels. Recognizing 33 hotels in 18 countries worldwide that opened within the last year1, these properties have provided guests with memorable experiences and have earned a minimum of four out of five bubble rating on TripAdvisor.

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New evidence on lightning strikes

Lightning strikes causing rocks to explode have for the first time been shown to play a huge role in shaping mountain landscapes in southern Africa, debunking previous assumptions that angular rock formations were necessarily caused by cold temperatures, and proving that mountains are a lot less stable than we think.

In a world where mountains are crucial to food security and water supply, this has vast implications, especially in the context of climate change.

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Powerful models – new engine variants and numerous conversions for the Mercedes-Benz Citan

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• New Citan 111 CDI: powerful, smooth, economical

• New Citan 112: lively, comfortable, cost-effective

• New extra-long Citan crewbus with up to seven seats

• Bodybuilder Centre and VanPartner – the Citan made to measure

Powerful models from Mercedes-Benz round off the range of Citan urban delivery vans. The new top-of-the-line diesel model is the Citan 111 CDI developing 81 kW (110 hp). With its petrol engine, the Citan 112 (84 kW/112 hp) is likewise new. The extra-long Citan crewbus with up to seven seats will follow in spring 2014. In cooperation with well-known bodybuilders, the Citan model range is extended further: thanks to the certification scheme VanPartner by Mercedes-Benz, tested industry-specific solutions are available.

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The HTC One® gets supersized with the HTC One max

World's best smartphone now in 5.9" with new and improved HTC Sense 5.5 ® experience

HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced the HTC One max, a super-sized smartphone that brings the award-winning design, functionality and performance of the HTC One to fans of larger handsets. A new Fingerprint Scan feature takes convenience to a new level while acclaimed features including HTC BlinkFeed™, HTC Zoe™ and HTC BoomSound™, combined with the new HTC Sense 5.5, which are all enhanced to continue to deliver the best overall smartphone experience, now on a larger screen.

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A blueprint for restoring touch with a prosthetic hand

New research at the University of Chicago is laying the groundwork for touch-sensitive prosthetic limbs that one day could convey real-time sensory information to amputees via a direct interface with the brain.

The research, published early online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, marks an important step toward new technology that, if implemented successfully, would increase the dexterity and clinical viability of robotic prosthetic limbs.

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journal reference (PNAS - full/pdf) >>

INFINITI PARTNERS WITH HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR FORMULA ONE ENGINEERING ACADEMY INITIATIVE

Infiniti Motor Company Limited has announced a partnership with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology which offers performance-driven engineering graduates an exclusive opportunity to work in Formula One via a new global talent search initiative.

Known as the Infiniti Performance Engineering Academy, the enterprise offers leading engineering and technology students the chance to gain experience with Infiniti Red Bull Racing, the triple Formula One World Championship-winning team, and at Infiniti’s European Technical Center in the UK.

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Toshiba to start Car Sharing System utilizing Solar Power in Lyon, France

-business collaboration to solve urban traffic problems-

Toshiba Corporation and Toshiba Solutions Corporation today announced that they have completed construction of a car sharing system for the Lyon Confluence Smart Community Demonstration Project. The system implements Toshiba’s solar-power based electronic vehicle charge management system and entered commercial operation today. It will be operated by Proxiway, a wholly owned subsidiary of Transdev. The system was under a program organized by Japan’s NEDO (“New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization”).

This car sharing system is intended to ease traffic congestion and the lack of parking spaces in the Lyon redevelopment area, and to point the way to next generation traffic systems that will contribute to the realization of a low carbon society. Thirty E-vehicles will be supported by each plug-in recharge station, and three quick charge stations in addition. The project will run for two years until December 2015.

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Physics Give Rise to a New Fly Rod

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A new Norwegian fishing rod is about to be launched onto the world market. The inventor calls it fly fishing’s equivalent of carving skis.

The silhouette against the sky is the same as it’s been ever since the Norwegian rivers were invaded by affluent British salmon fishermen in the 1800s. The fly rod which is the brain-child of Robert Selfors from Nesodden outside Oslo also bends into the shape of a rainbow when a fish is being played.

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Suited for treatment of brain damage

Garment developed at KTH can increase mobility and reduce pain

For those with brain damage or neurological disorders, treatment could be as close as the wardrobe.

An alternative to painful treatments and surgery for brain damage may now be available with a specially-designed elastic body suit fitted with electrodes, which was designed at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in collaboration with health care and business partners.

The Mollii garment could improve range of motion and reduce pain for people with brain injuries and neurological disorders such as MS and cerebral palsy.

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Top Honours For Jaguar Land Rover At 2013 Scottish Car Of The Year Awards

* Jaguar F-TYPE receives Sporting category honours

* Range Rover receives Scottish Luxury Car of the Year award

* Range Rover Sport named SUV of the Year

Jaguar Land Rover achieved a remarkable triple success at the 2013 Scottish Car of the Year Awards, with honours going to the new Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Jaguar F-TYPE sports car.

The Jaguar F-TYPE beat stiff competition to win the Sporting category award, impressing the judges - some of Scotland's most important motoring journalists - with its elegant design, formidable performance and impressive customer appeal.

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Fujitsu Develops World's First 3D Image Synthesis Technology to Display Vehicle Exterior without Distortion

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has announced development of the world's first 3D image synthesis technology for advanced driver-assistance systems. The new technology can display, without distortion and with an accuracy level within two centimeters, people and objects within close proximity of the vehicle that pose a risk of collision.

In previous commercially available products that improve a driver's field of vision, images from multiple onboard cameras are joined together into an overhead view using image processing, but distortions in this view make people, vehicles, and other objects in the vehicle's vicinity difficult to recognize. Fujitsu Laboratories has used range information from wide-angle laser radars to augment the cameras, correct the distortion, and present the driver with a view of the surroundings that is much easier to recognize and that shows collision risks visually, day or night. When parking or passing on narrow roads, this technology will increase safety and provide reassurance to the driver.

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Development of a Blue Direct Diode Laser, Providing Industry - Leading High brightness Levels - In a World's First, Machining by Blue Laser Is Now Possible –

Shimadzu has developed a blue direct diode laser, thereby providing industry-leading high brightness levels. The 10-W type will be placed on reference exhibit at InterOpto 2013 (October 16th to 18th at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan).

The world market for lasers in a material processing was worth $2.6 billion in 2010, but is expected to surge to $5.7 billion by 2020.*1 With machining lasers, in addition to conventional carbon dioxide lasers, diode-pumped solid-state lasers and fiber lasers are increasingly becoming commonplace.

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Toyota to Launch Advanced Driving Support System Using Automated Driving Technologies in Mid-2010s

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Safer Highway Driving; Reduced Environmental Effects and Driver Workload

Toyota Motor Corporation announces that it has developed a next-generation advanced driving support system, Automated Highway Driving Assist (AHDA), which uses automated driving technologies to support safer highway driving.

AHDA links two automated driving technologies to support safer driving and reduce driver workload: Cooperative-adaptive Cruise Control, which wirelessly communicates with preceding vehicles to maintain a safe distance; and Lane Trace Control, which aids steering to keep the vehicle on an optimal driving line within the lane.

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11 unique experiences for tourists to Japan

If you’ve been scouring the Internet looking for ways to experience the most unique things Japan has to offer, then dock your wireless device and hang up those bunny ears because we’ve found the list for you. These 11 experiences are so unique you’ll be amazed they even exist. From crazy, subculture adventures to mystical, secret classes, now you can fill up on a unique blend of pop and tradition thanks to the activities on offer from new travel website Voyagin. We’ve picked the best courses for you to enjoy.

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Solar power – picture of the day

The Tokai Challenger from Japan’s Tokai University cruises through the streets of Adelaide, South Australia, during the 2013 World Solar Challenge closing parade on Sunday. The race, lasting for seven days, took 43 participants over 3,021 kilometers from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia. The Tokai team finished second.

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Hyundai Motor Unveils ‘Brilliant Cube,’ a Kinetic Lighting Sculpture in Seoul’s Famous Gangnam District

* Brilliant Cube is one of Hyundai Motor’s innovative ways to deliver Modern Premium values

* The unique kinetic art work is expected to be Seoul’s newest attraction

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s biggest automaker, unveiled ‘Brilliant Cube,’ an innovative lighting sculpture designed to deliver the Modern Premium experience in an artistic way, in Gangnam, Seoul. Located in one of Seoul’s busiest districts, the lighting sculpture is expected to be the city’s newest attraction.

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Colorful kites gathering held in Daishan, China's Zhejiang

Colorful kites fly in the sky above Daishan County, east China's Zhejiang Province, Oct. 13, 2013. A colorful kites gathering was held here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

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Japan’s coolest capsule hotel to close

Capsule hotels, the uniquely Japanese accommodation solution no doubt on every Japanophile’s to-do list, have never really caught on outside of their homeland. Whether it’s down to individuals’ ideas of what constitutes comfort and privacy, or simply the fact that so many Westerners freak out at the very thought of climbing into a space resembling something between a spaceship escape pod and a coffin, most capsule startups outside of Japan have failed. While these unique hotels continue to serve those who are on a budget or simply too intoxicated to make it home safely, and show no signs of disappearing from Japan’s cityscapes any time soon, it is with deep regret that we bring you news today that Kyoto’s Nine Hours, arguably the coolest and most modern capsule hotel in the country, is to close.

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Developing robotics help stroke victims learn to walk again

Japan is no stranger to robotics. From Asimov to Gundam, hi-tech development in both real and fictional worlds is almost taken for granted. Some days, we even wake up feeling a bit disappointed that Ghost in the Shell isn’t a documentary–though even that seemingly becoming closer to reality every day.

Here’s one example of robotics enhancing the lives of stroke victims – and looking good doing it, too.

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The new BMW 4 Series Convertible.

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The new BMW 4 Series Convertible heralds a new era in the premium mid-size range of open cars offered by BMW. The new design language introduced with the BMW 4 Series Coupe is even more evident in this second model of the series, enhancing the appearance of the BMW 4 Series Convertible while setting new standards in terms of dynamics, elegance and extraordinary driving pleasure – with the top up or down. In addition to having its own distinct design, the BMW 4 Series Convertible sets itself apart from its BMW 3 Series cousins through a number of distinguishing technical features.

The new BMW 4 Series Convertible is visibly larger in width, track and wheelbase than the BMW 3 Series Convertible.

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2013 Japanese Grand Prix – Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg qualified in third and six places today for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

* The gusty conditions during Qualifying saw a peak wind speed of 10.3 m/s and a minimum of 3.8 m/s

* The session also saw unusually close gaps, with the top six in less than half a second and top 10 less than a second

* Lewis’ tyre usage was as follows: Q1, prime / Q2, new option + new option / Q3, used option + new option

* Nico’s tyre usage was as follows: Q1, prime + new option / Q2, used option + new option / Q3, new option

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Hybrid Cars Are a Status Symbol of Sorts for Seniors, Baylor Consumer Study Shows

Paying extra bucks to "go green" in a hybrid car may pay off in self-esteem and image for older drivers, as well as give a healthy boost to the environment, according to a Baylor University study.

The finding is significant because some segments of the older-consumer population control a considerable share of the discretionary income in the United States, and the population size of the "mature market" is growing rapidly, researchers said.

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Ancient DNA Reveals Multiple Stages of Settlement in Europe, National Geographic’s Genographic Project Finds

Research conducted by the National Geographic Genographic Project, a multiyear global initiative that uses DNA to map the history of human migration, is helping unravel the timing and source of human settlement in central Europe.

RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS: New ancient-DNA research led by the National Geographic Society’s Genographic Project, the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) and researchers from the University of Mainz in Germany and the State Heritage Museum in Halle (Germany) showed a pattern of genetic replacement taking place across several millennia in a region of central Europe. The genetic data reveal the complex dynamics that went into producing the present-day genetic patterns in Europe and show that the region that is now Germany saw at least four stages of significant migration and settlement, highlighted by marked shifts in the genetic composition of the populations in the region.

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Tanks, graphene! Rice advances compressed gas storage

Rice University mix of graphene nanoribbons, polymer has potential for cars, soda, beer

A discovery at Rice University aims to make vehicles that run on compressed natural gas more practical. It might also prolong the shelf life of bottled beer and soda.

The Rice lab of chemist James Tour has enhanced a polymer material to make it far more impermeable to pressurized gas and far lighter than the metal in tanks now used to contain the gas.

The combination could be a boon for an auto industry under pressure to market consumer cars that use cheaper natural gas. It could also find a market in food and beverage packaging.

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BenQ Releases World's First Custom-Built CAD/CAM Monitor for 3D Printing

New BL2710PT Readies Users for 3D Printing Possibilities With WQHD Resolution, CAD/CAM Viewing Mode, ZeroFlicker™ Technology, and Auto-Pivot Automation

BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of digital lifestyle innovations, today introduced the first wide quad high-definition (WQHD) monitor designed for 3D printing, computer-aided design (CAD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) applications: the BL2710PT. Custom-built to ready users for the rise of 3D print technology, the device is made to meet the functional, creative, and ergonomic demands of designers, architects, and engineers. With a 27-inch 2560x1440 WQHD display, Display Pilot software with Auto-Pivot automation, and powerful productivity features such as BenQ's exclusive CAD/CAM viewing mode, the display enables professionals to engage in a more seamless design-to-production process.

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I’m ok, you’re not ok

Participants in an experiment

(a): while the participants were exposed do either pleasant or unpleasant visual and tactile stimuli

(b), they were asked to evaluate the emotions of their partners.

The right supramarginal gyrus plays an important role in empathy

Egoism and narcissism appear to be on the rise in our society, while empathy is on the decline. And yet, the ability to put ourselves in other people’s shoes is extremely important for our coexistence. A research team headed by Tania Singer from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences has discovered that our own feelings can distort our capacity for empathy. This emotionally driven egocentricity is recognised and corrected by the brain. When, however, the right supramarginal gyrus doesn’t function properly or when we have to make particularly quick decisions, our empathy is severely limited.

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Mercedes-Benz the world's most valuable premium automobile brand

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, 2011 model year

Mercedes-Benz remains the world's most valuable premium automobile brand in 2013. As in 2012, Mercedes-Benz ranks 11th among the "Best Global Brands 2013" as identified by renowned US brand consultancy Interbrand, making it the most valuable European brand.

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INTERBRAND (Best Global Brands 2013) >>

Energy Recovery Selected as a Finalist for International Innovation Award in Two Categories

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) selects Energy Recovery as a finalist for the Power/Energy and Sustainability categories for PX Pressure Exchanger innovation

Energy Recovery Inc , the leader in harnessing reusable energy from industrial fluid flows and pressure cycles, announced today that the Company has been chosen as a finalist in two categories for the Institution of Engineering and Technology's (IET) Innovation  Award for demonstrating its innovative work across engineering and technology for its game-changing PX energy recovery solution in the desalination and oil & gas industries.  The PX Pressure Exchanger®, lauded for its precision-engineering, has contributed significantly to global energy costs-savings and carbon reductions worldwide.

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IET Innovation Awards website >>

New Urine Test Could Diagnose Eye Disease

Retinitis pigmentosa test identifies mutation found in Ashkenazi Jewish population

You might not think to look to a urine test to diagnose an eye disease. 

But a new Duke University study says it can link what is in a patient's urine to gene mutations that cause retinitis pigmentosa, or RP, an inherited, degenerative disease that results in severe vision impairment and often blindness. The findings appear online in the Journal of Lipid Research.

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Diamond 'Super-Earth' May Not be Quite as Precious, UA Graduate Student Finds

In the sky with diamonds? A so-called Super-Earth, planet 55 Cancri e was believed to be the first known planet 
to consist largely of diamond, 
due in part to the high carbon-to-oxygen ratio of its host star. 
(Artist's concept: Haven Giguere/Yale University)

An alien world reported to be the first known planet to consist largely of diamond appears less likely to be of such precious nature, according to a new analysis led by UA graduate student Johanna Teske.

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Chevrolet MyLink radio wins SMARTBEST 2013 award

* MyLink connected radio recognized for its intuitive design and seamless smartphone integration

* Chevrolet Trax small SUV among five finalists for AUTOBEST 2014 award

AUTOBEST, a jury of leading car journalists from 15 Central and Eastern European countries, has named the Chevrolet MyLink connected radio as the winner of its SMARTBEST 2013 award. The organization described the system as an “innovative, simple and very affordable technology”. The SMARTBEST award was introduced last year.

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Facial Recognition is More Accurate in Photos Showing Whole Person

Researchers Find People Use Body Cues to Accurately Identify People Even When Faces are Obscured

Subtle body cues allow people to identify others with surprising accuracy when faces are difficult to differentiate. This skill may help researchers improve person-recognition software and expand their understanding of how humans recognize each other.

A study published in Psychological Science by researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas demonstrates that humans rely on non-facial cues, such as body shape and build, to identify people in challenging viewing conditions, such as poor lighting.

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Where in the World are Young People Using the Internet?

New study measures digital natives in every country

According to a common myth, today’s young people are all glued to the Internet. But in fact, only 30 percent of the world’s youth population between the ages of 15 and 24 years old has been active online for at least five years. In South Korea, 99.6 percent of young people are active, the highest percentage in the world. The least? The Asian island of Timor Leste with less than 1 percent. 

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Better robot vision

A neglected statistical tool could help robots better understand the objects in the world around them.

Object recognition is one of the most widely studied problems in computer vision. But a robot that manipulates objects in the world needs to do more than just recognize them; it also needs to understand their orientation. Is that mug right-side up or upside-down? And which direction is its handle facing?

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Study shows how neurons enable us to know smells we like and dislike, whether to approach or retreat

Some basic biology learned from study of fruit flies could help us understand food choice in obese people.

Think of the smell of freshly baking bread. There is something in that smell, without any other cues – visual or tactile – that steers you toward the bakery.  On the flip side, there may be a smell, for instance that of fresh fish, that may not appeal to you. If you haven’t eaten a morsel of food in three days, of course, a fishy odor might seem a good deal more attractive. 

How, then, does this work? What underlying biological mechanisms account for our seemingly instant, almost unconscious ability to determine how attractive (or repulsive) a particular smell is?  It’s a very important question for scientists who are trying to address the increasingly acute problem of obesity: we need to understand much better than we now do the biological processes underlying food selection and preferences.

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The new BMW R 1200 GS Adventure

The arrival of the new BMW R 1200 GS Adventure marks the start of the next chapter in the success story of the large, boxer-engined GS models that extends back over more than 30 years. Since its debut in 2005, BMW Motorrad, the world’s most successful manufacturer of large-capacity travel enduros, has firmly established the big GS Adventure as the definitive machine for long-distance travel. It transports two-wheeled explorers to the farthest-flung corners of the world and allows them to keep pressing on when others have long since turned back.

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Another step forward

The world’s first Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) fuelled escort tug has been launched by Sanmar from its construction hall into the waters of Tuzla Bay near Istanbul.

Designed by owner Buksér og Berging AS of Norway the vessel will be completed by Sanmar on its finishing pier and is scheduled to be handed over in early October. It will then enter service on a long term charter with Statoil ASA, the international energy company, and Gassco, the operator of the gas transportation network off the Norwegian coast.

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see also:

Rolls-Royce powers world's first gas-powered tug >>

Terahertz sensor aiming for Jupiter´s moons

A high performance terahertz receiver aiming for space missions such as ESA’s “Jupiter icy moons explorer” has been developed in a joint European effort, led by Chalmers University of Technology.

Remote analysis of gases and vapours by heterodyne spectroscopy is a powerful tool in environmental monitoring, astronomy, and planetary research. Particularly for space applications, compact, light-weight and robust heterodyne spectrometers are necessary.

In a joint European effort, researchers have developed a heterodyne receiver which satisfies the requirements set by space missions. This is achieved by minimising the number of components in the local oscillator (LO) of the receiver, and by a high degree of integration of all of its subcomponents.

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More profitable biogas production by optimization of anaerobic waste digestion

VTT Technological Research Centre of Finland (VTT) coordinates a new European project, which focuses on studying anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic waste and developing its control. AD process can be optimized to produce either biogas or volatile fatty acids that are even more valuable products than biogas. The produced volatile fatty acids can be converted further to raw materials with which it’s possible to produce oil-replacing biobased products, such as bioplastics.

During the anaerobic digestion process, which contains four main steps, the organic matter is degraded by bacteria to biogas in the absence of oxygen. Controlling the digestion process is one of the most important ways of making the biogas production process more efficient. A prototype for process monitoring and controlling system will be developed during the OPTI-VFA project. This system enables more efficient control of both volatile fatty acids and biogas production. It also improves the profitability, efficiency and reliability of the process.

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Exceptional fossil fish reveals new evolutionary mechanism for body elongation

 The elongated body of some present-day fish evolved in different ways. Paleontologists from the University of Zurich have now discovered a new mode of body elongation based on a discovery in an exceptionally preserved fossilfish from Southern Ticino. In Saurichthys curionii, an early ray-finned fish, the vertebral arches of the axial skeleton doubled, resulting in the elongation of its body and giving it a needlefish-like appearance. The 240-million-year-old fossil find from Switzerland also revealed that this primitive fish was not as flexible as today’s eels, nor could it swim as fast or untiringly as a tuna.

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The dying art of Dong

The Dong ethnic group lives in Guizhou province and is known for its traditional culture dating back to thousands of years, with the handmade Dong blouse believed to be the epitome of traditional art.

At the beginning of autumn, Dong women start making the special cloth needed to make Dong blouses. Starting by picking cotton, spinning it into yarn, weaving, dyeing and hammering the cloth, they take about 11 months to complete the process, including sewing and embroidery, all of which is done by hand. But since the complicated process scares away young girls, only a few can carry on the tradition, making it an almost lost art.

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image (Dong Clothing) >>

Inside the Arctic Circle, Where Your Facebook Data Live

Every year, computing giants including Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Dell (DELL), and Cisco Systems (CSCO) sell north of $100 billion in hardware. That’s the total for the basic iron—servers, storage, and networking products. Add in specialized security, data analytics systems, and related software, and the figure gets much, much larger. So you can understand the concern these companies must feel as they watch Facebook (FB) publish more efficient equipment designs that directly threaten their business. For free.

......................

The heart of Facebook’s experiment lies just south of the Arctic Circle, in the Swedish town of Luleå. In the middle of a forest at the edge of town, the company in June opened its latest megasized data center, a giant building that comprises thousands of rectangular metal panels and looks like a wayward spaceship.

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Discovery of a juvenile mouse pheromone that inhibits sexual behavior

In mice, social behavior is driven by pheromones that encode information related to age, sex, and physiological state. While mice exhibit different social behaviors towards adults, juveniles, and neonates such that adult male mice never initiate copulation with immature females, sensory cues that enable specific recognition of juvenile mice are unknown. The Touhara group and co-workers in the University of Tokyo in collaboration with groups in Harvard University and RWTH Aachen University discovered a juvenile pheromone produced by young mice before puberty, termed exocrine-gland secreting peptide 22 (ESP22). ESP22 is a 10 kDa protein that is secreted from the lacrimal gland and released into tears of 2-3 week old mice. ESP22 activates high affinity sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ, and downstream limbic neurons in the medial amygdala. Recombinant ESP22, painted on mice, exerts a powerful inhibitory effect on adult male mating behavior.

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journal reference (Nature) >>

Daihatsu launches new Tanto model

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Daihatsu Motor Co. has launched a new model of its Tanto minivehicle, revamping its mainstay vehicle for the first time in six years.

The third-generation Tanto has a spacious interior and is equipped with a collision avoidance system that detects obstacles and automatically stops the vehicle.

Its fuel economy is about 10 percent better than that of its predecessor. The 660cc vehicle can travel up to 28 kilometers per liter of gasoline, one kilometer shy of the 29 posted by Suzuki Motor Corp.’s Spacia, the fuel-efficiency leader in the so-called super-height class of minivehicles standing 1.7 meters or taller. The Tanto debuted in 2003 as the first super-height minivehicle.

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read entire press release (DAIHATSU / pdf) >>