Volume III Issue 10
October 2007 |
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 Neurostimulator
Epilepsy Device
 Neurologists
at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, are enrolling patients with epilepsy
in the next phase of a clinical research trial to further determine the
safety and efficacy of a surgically implanted device that detects brain
seizure activity and may suppress seizures before they start.
The device, called a
responsive neurotransmitter, acts like a pacemaker for the brain. It may
be implanted in some patients with frequent, disabling seizures who have
failed treatment with at least two anti-epileptic medications.
A Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon implants the self-contained device, not much
bigger than a watch, under the scalp of eligible patients.
The neurosurgeon then connects the responsive neurostimulator to wires
placed in the region or regions of the brain where seizure activity
occurs. The neurostimulator constantly monitors the brain's electrical
activity for onset of seizure activity. When seizure activity is
detected, the neurostimulator delivers mild electrical stimulation
through the wires in an attempt to stop the seizure before the patient
experiences symptoms.
Find out more...
Glimpses
of Jupiter
 NASA's
New Horizons spacecraft has provided new data on the Jupiter system,
stunning scientists with never-before-seen perspectives of the giant
planet's atmosphere, rings, moons and magnetosphere. These new views
include the closest look yet at the Earth-sized "Little Red Spot" storm
churning materials through Jupiter's cloud tops; detailed images of
small satellites herding dust and boulders through Jupiter's faint
rings; and of volcanic eruptions and circular grooves on the planet's
largest moons.
New Horizons came to within 1.4 million miles of Jupiter earlier this
year, using the planet's gravity to trim three years from its travel
time to Pluto. For several weeks before and after this closest approach,
the piano-sized robotic probe trained its seven cameras and sensors on
Jupiter and its four largest moons, storing data from nearly 700
observations on its digital recorders and gradually sending that
information back to Earth. The images were radioed to NASA's largest
antennas over more than 600 million miles. The image above is of Jupiers
"little red spot." This activity confirmed the successful testing of the
instruments and operating software the spacecraft will use at Pluto.
Find out more about careers in
aerospace engineering...
3-D
Chip Stacking Manufacturing Technique
 IBM
has announced a breakthrough chip-stacking technology in a manufacturing
environment that paves the way for three-dimensional chips that will
extend Moore's Law beyond its expected limits. The technology -- called
"through-silicon vias" -- allows different chip components to be
packaged much closer together for faster, smaller, and lower-power
systems.
The IBM breakthrough enables the move from horizontal 2-D chip layouts
to 3-D chip stacking, which takes chips and memory devices that
traditionally sit side by side on a silicon wafer and stacks them
together on top of one another. The result is a compact sandwich of
components that dramatically reduces the size of the overall chip
package and boosts the speed at which data flows among the functions on
the chip.
The first application of this through-silicon via technology will be in
wireless communications chips that will go into power amplifiers for
wireless LAN and cellular applications. IBM has been researching 3-D
stacking technology for more than a decade at the IBM T.J. Watson
Research Center and now at its labs around the world.
Find out more...
Degree
Profile: Petroleum Engineering
 Petroleum
engineers search the world for reservoirs containing oil or natural gas.
Once these resources are discovered, petroleum engineers work with
geologists and other specialists to understand the geologic formation
and properties of the rock containing the reservoir, determine the
drilling methods to be used, and monitor drilling and production
operations. They design equipment and processes to achieve the maximum
profitable recovery of oil and gas. Petroleum engineers rely heavily on
computer models to simulate reservoir performance using different
recovery techniques. They also use computer models for simulations of
the effects of various drilling options.
 Because
only a small proportion of oil and gas in a reservoir will flow out
under natural forces, petroleum engineers develop and use various
enhanced recovery methods. These include injecting water, chemicals,
gases, or steam into an oil reservoir to force out more of the oil, and
computer-controlled drilling or fracturing to connect a larger area of a
reservoir to a single well. Because even the best techniques in use
today recover only a portion of the oil and gas in a reservoir,
petroleum engineers research and develop technology and methods to
increase recovery and lower the cost of drilling and production
operations.
Find out more about career paths in
petroleum engineering....
Black
Hole for Reflections
 Researchers have created
an anti-reflective coating that allows light to travel through it, but
lets almost none bounce off its surface. At least 10 times more
effective than the coating on sunglasses or computer monitors, the
material, which is made of silica nanorods, may be used to channel light
into solar cells or allow more photons to surge through the surface of a
light-emitting diode (LED). Jong Kyu Kim and a team from Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, crafted the coating, which reflects
almost as little light as do molecules of air. Guided by National
Science Foundation-supported electrical engineer Fred Schubert, the
researchers developed a process based on an already common method for
depositing layers of silica, the building block of quartz, onto computer
chips and other surfaces. The method grows ranks of nanoscale rods that
lie at the same angle. That degree of the angle is determined by
temperature. Under a microscope, the films look like tiny slices of shag
carpet. By laying down multiple layers, each at a different angle, the
researchers created thin films that are uniquely capable of controlling
light. With the right layers in the right configuration, the researchers
believe they can even create a film that will reflect no light at all.
One critical application
for the material is in the development of next-generation solar cells.
By preventing reflections, the coating would allow more light, and more
wavelengths of light, to transmit through the protective finish on a
solar cell surface and into the cell itself. Engineers may be able to
use such a technique to boost the amount of energy a cell can collect,
bypassing current efficiency limits.
Another application would
involve coating LEDs to eliminate reflections that cut down the amount
of light the LED can emit. The researchers hope the efficiency gains
could allow the light sources to compete more effectively with
fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. So, they will next focus their
attention on solid state lighting.
Find out more...
Students
Benefit from Undergrad Research
 Undergraduate
students who participate in hands-on research are more likely to pursue
advanced degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) fields, according to a new study. The study's authors
state that National Science Foundation (NSF) and other entities' efforts
to encourage representation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields
appear to be effective. For example, students who entered 2-year
colleges were as likely as those who entered 4-year colleges or
universities to participate in research. And undergraduate researchers
were more likely than non-researchers to pursue a doctorate.
"This study indicates that
carefully designed undergraduate research experiences motivate
students," said Myles Boylan, program director for NSF's Course,
Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program in the Divisions of
Undergraduate Education and Graduate Education. "Students consider their
research experiences to be effective previews of doing STEM graduate
work as well as good learning experiences."
The authors conclude that given the positive outcomes of undergraduate
research opportunities (UROs), greater attention should be given to
fostering STEM interest in students at the elementary and high school
levels. The study resulted from a series of surveys on UROs funded by
eight NSF programs with a substantial undergraduate research component.
The full report is available
online.
Find out more about career paths in
science,
technology,
engineering, and
mathematics....
Scientists
Offer New View of Photosynthesis
 During the remarkable
cascade of events in photosynthesis, plants approach the pinnacle of
stinginess by scavenging nearly every photon of available light energy
to produce food. Yet after many years of careful research into the exact
mechanisms, some key questions remain about this fundamental biological
process that supports almost all life on Earth. Now a research team led
by Neal Woodbury, a scientist at the Arizona State University (ASU)
Biodesign Institute, has come up with a new insight into the mechanism
of photosynthesis. The discovery involves the orchestrated movement of
proteins on the timescale of a millionth of a millionth of a second. The
researchers focused their efforts on studying the center stage of
photosynthesis, the reaction center, where light energy is funneled into
specialized chlorophyll-binding proteins. Wang used ASU's ultrafast
laser facility, funded by NSF, which acts like a high-speed motion
picture camera that can capture data from these lightning-fast
reactions. The movement of the reaction center proteins during
photosynthesis allows a plant or bacteria to harness light energy
efficiently, even if conditions aren't optimal. The research is could be
valuable in the design of organic solar cells. The efficiency of energy
conversion by photosynthesis is much higher than traditional solar
devices.
Find out more...
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