science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 29 Ιουνίου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

Controlling the build-up of noise - Inspecting the acoustic properties of textile materials
Plasma startup creates high-energy light to make smaller microchips
Programmable DNA Scissors Found for Bacterial Immune System
Cognitive-behavioral therapy effective in combatting anxiety disorders

Controlling the build-up of noise - Inspecting the acoustic properties of textile materials

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 05:39 AM PDT

Sound-absorbing functions or the suppression of unwanted noise are often an integral requirement of equipment and clothing for military use. The extent of the sound-absorbing qualities of a material and which noises are caused by wind or movement can now be investigated using the acoustic test apparatus at the Hohenstein Institutes in Bönnigheim (Germany). The experts at Hohenstein specialise in particular in determining the acoustic properties of moving textile materials.

Plasma startup creates high-energy light to make smaller microchips

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 12:42 PM PDT

A University of Washington lab has been working for more than a decade on fusion energy, harnessing the energy-generating mechanism of the sun. But in one of the twists of scientific discovery, on the way the researchers found a potential solution to a looming problem in the electronics industry.

To bring their solution to market two UW engineers have launched a startup, Zplasma, that aims to produce the high-energy light needed to etch the next generation of microchips.

Programmable DNA Scissors Found for Bacterial Immune System

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 12:07 PM PDT

Genetic engineers and genomics researchers should welcome the news from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) where an international team of scientists has discovered a new and possibly more effective means of editing genomes. This discovery holds potentially big implications for advanced biofuels and therapeutic drugs, as genetically modified microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are expected to play a key role in the green chemistry production of these and other valuable chemical products.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy effective in combatting anxiety disorders

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 11:55 AM PDT

Whether it is a phobia like a fear of flying, public speaking or spiders, or a diagnosis such as obsessive compulsive disorder, new research finds patients suffering from anxiety disorders showed the most improvement when treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in conjunction with a "transdiagnostic" approach – a model that allows therapists to apply one set of principles across anxiety disorders.