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Reflective Coating On Silicon Solar Cells Boosts Absorption To Over 96 Percent

Reflective Coating On Silicon Solar Cells Boosts Absorption To Over 96 Percent

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

Harvesting energy from the sun makes terrific sense until you factor in the economics of solar technology efficiency and the environmental impact of manufacturing panels and adding new power lines.  But solar power is clearly the path to future energy independence once the obstacles have been overcome.  

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute say they have made progress overcoming two of the major efficiency hurdles;  the amount of sunlight captured by solar panels and the inability of solar panels to absorb the entire solar spectrum from nearly any angle.
Womens' Hands Have Much More Bacteria Than Men

Womens' Hands Have Much More Bacteria Than Men

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study indicates that not only do human hands harbor far higher numbers of bacteria species than previously believed, women have far more kinds of microbes on their palms than men.  The results help understand human bacteria and should help establish a "healthy baseline" to detect microbial community differences on individuals that are associated with a wide variety of human diseases, said CU-Boulder ecology and evolutionary biology assistant professor Noah Fierer, lead study author.
Have Acid Reflux? Slc26a9 Gene May Be The Problem

Have Acid Reflux? Slc26a9 Gene May Be The Problem

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a gene that helps control the secretion of acid in the stomach—information that could one day aid scientists in creating more efficient treatment options for conditions such as acid reflux or peptic ulcers.

This data is published in the Nov. 3 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

UC professor Manoocher Soleimani, MD, and colleagues found that when transporter Slc26a9—the gene responsible for the production of chloride in the stomach—is eliminated from the mouse model's system, acid secretion in the stomach stops.

Gastric acid, comprised mainly of hydrochloric acid (HCL), is the main secretion in the stomach and helps the body to break down and digest food. 
The End Of Homeopathy Review Flawed, Says New Reconstruction

The End Of Homeopathy Review Flawed, Says New Reconstruction

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

In August 2005, The Lancet published an editorial entitled 'The End of Homeopathy', prompted by a review comparing clinical trials of homeopathy with trials of conventional medicine. The conclusion that homeopathic medicines are just placebo was based on 6 clinical trials of conventional medicine and 8 studies of homeopathy but did not reveal the identity of those trials. The review was criticized by some for its opacity as it gave no indication of which trials were analyzed and the various assumptions made about the data.

Why Replay Had To Die And TiVo Lives - Advertisers Need A Fraction Of A Second Of Branding

Why Replay Had To Die And TiVo Lives - Advertisers Need A Fraction Of A Second Of Branding

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

If you own(ed) a digital video recorder like a Replay, you probably never felt so liberated.   While watching a television show, it jumped over the entire block of commercials.   You could send programs to friends over the internet and watch them in different parts of your house.   It was a miracle of viewer-friendly technology and that's why it was under constant lawsuit pressure from large media companies.
Caffeine During Pregnancy Linked To Low Birth Weight Babies - Study

Caffeine During Pregnancy Linked To Low Birth Weight Babies - Study

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

Consuming caffeine at any time during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction (low birth weight), according to research published on bmj.com today. 

Although some previous studies have also shown this, the study additionally shows that any amount and type of caffeine intake — from tea, cola, chocolate, cocoa, and some prescription drugs, as well as coffee—is linked with relatively slower fetal growth. 

Dr Justin Konje and colleagues from the University of Leicester as well as collaborators from the University of Leeds, examined the association of maternal caffeine intake and individual caffeine metabolism on birth weight. 
Photovoltaic Cells Get Up To 10 Percent Efficiency - Which Is A Start

Photovoltaic Cells Get Up To 10 Percent Efficiency - Which Is A Start

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

An unfortunate downside to the energy debate is that, when politics get involved, science goes out the window.   The same activist groups that insisted ethanol would be the savior of the environment for 20 years (and were horribly wrong) now insist solar energy is the perfect solution.
Brain Study Shows Fibromyalgia May Be All In The Head

Brain Study Shows Fibromyalgia May Be All In The Head

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

Fibromyalgia is frequently considered an 'invisible syndrome' since musculoskeletal imaging is negative.  Some researchers have thought that the pain reported by fibromyalgia patients was the result of depression rather than symptoms of a disorder.
Sex On TV Linked To Teen Pregnancy

Sex On TV Linked To Teen Pregnancy

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

It seems like common sense, right?    We don't allow cigarettes on TV because the risk to impressionable younger people is greater than it is with adults.    Adolescents who have high levels of exposure to television programs that contain sexual content are twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy over the following three years as their peers who watch few such shows, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

The study, published in the November edition of the journal Pediatrics, is the first to establish a link between teenagers' exposure to sexual content on TV and either pregnancies among girls or responsibility for pregnancies among boys. 
Snail Ecotypes And The Biochemistry Of Evolution

Snail Ecotypes And The Biochemistry Of Evolution

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

Researchers in Spain writing in the Journal of Proteome Research report deep new insights into how evolution changes the biochemistry of living things, helping them to adapt to new environments. Their study, based on an analysis of proteins produced by two populations of marine snails, reveals chemical differences that give one population a survival-of-the fittest edge for life in its cold, wave-exposed environment.
Bioengineering Wonder - DNA 'Tweezers'

Bioengineering Wonder - DNA 'Tweezers'

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

Researchers in China writing in Journal of the American Chemical Society are reporting development of a new DNA "tweezers" that are the first of their kind capable of grasping and releasing objects on-demand. The microscopic tweezers could have several potential uses, the researchers note. Those include microsurgery, drug and gene delivery for gene therapy, and in the manufacturing of nano-sized circuits for futuristic electronics.
A Beautiful Model for Economy and Climate Change

A Beautiful Model for Economy and Climate Change

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)



Change happens. People can sense change but science can measure it and might be able to predict its future. A scientific model would be a beautiful help for us to understand the behavior of both the global economy and the Earth's climate. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has been developing the WEM-ECO model for that purpose.* This model is certainly a beauty resulting from the dreams of our humanity.
Dutch-Malaysia Cooperation To Reduce CO2 Emmissions

Dutch-Malaysia Cooperation To Reduce CO2 Emmissions

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

WAGENINGEN, The Netherlands, November 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Netherlands and Malaysia have joined forces to dispel the confusion that has arisen surrounding greenhouse gas emissions from oil palm cultivation in tropical peatland areas. Dutch Minister Cramer (Housing, Regional Development and Environment) and Malaysian Minister Chin (Plantation Industries and Commodities) set up the Joint Committee on Carbon Emissions, which is charged to shed light on this subject in the coming years.

Silicon Cores Advance Fiber Optic Technology

Silicon Cores Advance Fiber Optic Technology

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

Optical science has taken another leap forward. Increasing amounts of technologies rely on the usage of optic fibers for transmission of phone calls, TV broadcasts, and the internet. Optical fibers allows a higher bandwidth which means faster downloads, and connections.

A team of researchers from Clemson University, headed by Professor John Ballato, have devised a new optic fiber, containing a silicon core. Their findings, published in Optics Express (1), have propelled optic science into a new wave of applications for optic fibers.
Green Cleaning - A Healthier Work Environment & A Better Bottom Line

Green Cleaning - A Healthier Work Environment & A Better Bottom Line

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

You've had the flu three years in a row. The first year, you got it from Bob, the IT guy, who sneezed while updating your computer. The second year, you got it from Harry, who touched the tab on the water cooler after sneezing into his hand. The third year, you got it from Linda because she made out with Harry, and Harry's wife got the flu from their kids. Gross.
New Chief Executive Officer Joins International Diabetes Federation

New Chief Executive Officer Joins International Diabetes Federation

Nov 03 2008 | comment(s)

BRUSSELS, November 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) announced today that Ms Ann Keeling has joined the organization as Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director.

The International Diabetes Federation, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is an umbrella organization of over 200 diabetes associations worldwide. It is the global advocate for the more than 250 million people with diabetes, their families, and healthcare providers.

This Day In Science History: November 3rd

This Day In Science History: November 3rd

Nov 02 2008 | comment(s)

Scientific happenings on this day in history…

But first: today’s quiz.  Not all inventions are cold and scientific… some are more on the “delicious” side of the scale.  And some inventors don’t even have to create a particular invention, yet can still be the reason behind its fame.  Such is the case with the answer to today’s quiz.

John Montagu, born on this day in 1718, was a well-known British politician, inventor, and explorer.  What tasty, well-known invention (which he is the namesake of) -- did he make famous?

On to other historic happenings:


EVENTS

1664
Designer Molecule Tackles Skin Cancer

Designer Molecule Tackles Skin Cancer

Nov 02 2008 | comment(s)

By playing it safe and using a two-pronged attack, a novel designer molecule, created and tested by an international team of researchers, fights malignant melanoma.   The substance is similar to components of viruses in that they alert the immune system so the body's own defenses are also strengthened against cancer cells in the process.   But it also puts pressure on the tumor in a different way; it switches off a specific gene in the malignant cells, driving them to suicide. With mice suffering from cancer, the researchers have thus been able to fight metastases in the lung, they report in Nature Medicine's November issue.
The Real Robinson Crusoe's Campsite Found

The Real Robinson Crusoe's Campsite Found

Nov 02 2008 | comment(s)

Cast away on a desert island, surviving on what nature alone can provide, praying for rescue but fearing the sight of a boat on the horizon.   Just the imaginative creations of Daniel Defoe in his famous novel "Robinson Crusoe?"   There has long been a theory that it was based on the real-life experience of sailor Alexander Selkirk, marooned in 1704 on a small tropical island in the Pacific for more than four years, and now archaeological evidence has been found to support contemporary records of his existence on the island.
Like That Perfume? Thank This Bacteria

Like That Perfume? Thank This Bacteria

Nov 02 2008 | comment(s)

Scientists in Italy have found bacteria in the root of a tropical grass whose oils have been used in the cosmetic and perfumery industries. These bacteria seem to promote the production of essential oils, but also they change the molecular structure of the oil, giving it different flavours and properties: termicidal, insecticidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant.