R & D articles from April 2003

R & D archives from April 2003

A long and winding road. (Editorial).(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... My Webster dictionary defines innovation as a new idea, method, or device. That simple definition doesn't imply anything about commercial success or technological significance. Adding engineering and scientific knowledge to an innovation to...

Quantum computing takes another step closer to fruition. (Lasers & Optics).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... "It is a field dominated by theoretical experiments," says Roberto Merlin, professor at the Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor. However, Merlin and colleagues from the Univ. of Notre Dame, Ind., find that not all the activity in quantum computing is...

Electrospray ionization innovation displayed at PITTCON. (Analytical Instruments).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... At this year's PITTCON, JEOL USA, Peabody, Mass., displayed a new ColdSpray electrospray ionization source developed for its AccuTOF (time-of-flight) mass spectrometer. According to JEOL "With the ColdSpray source, researchers Can use mass...

SEMICON West. (Upcoming Conferences & Events).(Brief Article)(Calendar)
April 1, 2003... This year, SEMICON West has big plans in motion to change the way we've been doing things! Here's a sneak preview of some of the exciting new programs and events featured this year: * MEMS Pavilion and Conference * Technical...

Higher learning and improved facilities. (Laboratory Design).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Univ. of Texas at Austin has unveiled plans to launch a multimillion-dollar Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. ICES will be home to several new research units in distributed and grid computing, computational biology,...

Biotech market showing the effects of war. (Bulletin).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... Uneasiness about the future of the US economy and the outcome of operation Iraqi Freedom, have led to a decrease in biotech investments. Burrill and Co., San Francisco, Calif., released data for February showing the Burrill Biotech Select Index...

Flexibility finds a home in a desk. (Laboratory Equipment).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... While the goals of research may differ, one thing is clear--ineffective lab setups can cost time, money, and worse yet affect the outcome of a project. Companies such as Melles Griot, Carlsbad, Calif., have taken this into account and as a...

HIV structures unraveled. (Life Science).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Though HIV has been around for 20 years, scientists are still learning about its structure and finding ways to combat this lethal virus. Researchers at the Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, have discovered how the building blocks of HIV connect to...

Composite anode may change batteries. (Materials).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The search for more compact and powerful batteries has driven scientists to develop innovative and effective ways of delivering power. Material researchers at the Dept. of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, Calif., are in the...

MEMs clean room allows for big science. (Micro/Nano Technology).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Just when you thought MEMs could not get bigger, a new state-of-the-art clean room for MEMs R&D has been built at Wayne State Univ., Detroit, Mich. The 350 [m.sup.2] facility was funded with the help of Delphi Corp., Troy, Mich., and is part of...

Record-setting innovation in optical microscopy. (Microscopy).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... As nanoscale objects become smaller and more prevalent, the need for enhanced imaging and resolution techniques grows. A team of scientists at the Univ. of Rochester, N.Y., led by Lukas Novotny and Achim Hartschuh and in collaboration with...

Possible cause of genetic heart failure discovered. (Pharmaceutical).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Investigators at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Md., have discovered how an inherited disorder triggers heart failure by disrupting calcium flow in heart muscle cells. Along with Joachim Schmitt from Harvard Univ.,...

Coating monitor device honored. (Vacuum & Thin Films).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... AIMCAL or the Association of Industrial Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators, Fort Mill, S.C., has awarded Galileo Vacuum Systems, Inc., East Granby, Conn., with its 2003 Technology of the Year Award. The award was given for its patent-pending...

Measurement science honors pioneer. (Test & Measurement).(Arthur Askin)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The American Physical Society has named Arthur Ashkin of Bell Laboratories as the 2003 winner of the Joseph F. Keithley Award. Each year an independent APS panel selects a recipient who has been instrumental in the development of measurement...

Word burst algorithm. (Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Obtaining useful information from document streams, such as news articles and emails, is a well-known problem in data mining. Computers can now find the topics that dominate a discussion at a specific time thanks to a new technique developed by...

Revolutionary DNA computing device. (Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A miniature computing device powered solely by DNA has been developed by a team of researchers led by Ehud Shapiro at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. Based on previous work where adenosine 5'-triphosphate (or ATP) was used...

Growing ultrapure materials demand. (Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The US consumption of ultrapure materials employed in semiconductor production is projected to rise at an 8.9% average annual growth rate (AAGR) to $1.7 billion by 2007. The US value of ultrapure chemicals, water, and...

Booming PDA market. (Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... GRAPHIC OMITTED] Better operating systems, cheaper units, and a rise in the integration of multimedia and wireless functionality into personal digital assistants (PDAs) is expected to trigger a gain this year. A peak is predicted for 2003,...

Digital recorders outperform high-speed analog systems. (Data Management & Analysis).
April 1, 2003... The debate between analog and digital data storage devices has become more and more popular with the increase of rapidly developing computer and data acquisition technologies. In the past, digital systems were unable to compete with the...

Knowledge management is key to improving drug R&D cycles. (Data Management & Analysis).
April 1, 2003... Drug discovery is one of a handful of technologies that create value by transforming vast amounts of data into knowledge that's then used to create useful products--in this case drugs for human health. Unfortunately, the creation of that data...

3M--where innovation rules: 3M is synonymous with the successful development and introduction of new products. While the corporate culture they've built to create that internal R&D environment continues to run smoothly, the changing business climate, new technological trends, and widening global markets constantly changes its operating parameters. (Keywords: * management * industrial R&D * innovation).(Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2003... More than most any other company, 3M is known for its long and successful history of innovation. It's at the core of their continuing success. Innovation is embedded into 3M's corporate culture and consciousness. It's an essential part of their...

Advanced technology boosts the transcriptomics industry: identifying the role of transcribed mRNAs can enhance the discovery of novel drug targets, and the understanding of gene expression variations in various disease states. Biotechnology companies offer state-of-the-art products. (Keywords: * expression profiling * microarrays * molecular biology).
April 1, 2003... While the focus of the life science industry has tended toward the fields of genomics and proteomics, less attention has been paid to transcriptomics. Serving as the link between these two research areas, trancriptomics, or expression...

Six Sigma methods to ensure organizations' health: companies seek to enhance their competitiveness and bottom line by implementing Six Sigma. To better discover and remove inefficiencies in processes, a novel approach to this data-powered methodology is offered. (Keywords: * data analysis * quality improvement * statistics).
April 1, 2003... Which companies will be around in ten years? The certainty of any response to this question has probably changed during recent years. Will your corporation face problems similar to those of Enron or K-Mart? Many enterprises need to readdress...

Listening to the voices inside your head: developing an interface for brain study: data acquisition devices are helping scientists obtain vital information on how brain neurons talk to one another. (Keywords: * data acquisition * life science * test & measurement).
April 1, 2003... One of today's most interesting data acquisition challenges is currently being addressed by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif., who are essentially attempting to develop an application programming...

The ins and outs of data mining: data mining software allows researchers to access, analyze, model and deploy results quickly. New developments are helping researchers cleanse their data for better, more precise results. (Keywords: * data mining * data management * software).(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2003... A new generation of scalable, easy-to-use data mining tools are expanding the frontiers of research by removing barriers to understandingand allowing researchers to extract valuable, complex and nuanced relationships from terabytes of...

Centrifugation gets a new lease on life: they have been a mainstay in virtually every lab or research facility. Companies are now tailoring centrifuge lines to accommodate new technologies and implementation practices within sample preparation. (Keywords: * sample prep * life science * lab equipment).
April 1, 2003... The art of separation is only as good as the method you use. Researchers are continuously challenged to analyze foreign substances, develop new ones as in drug discovery and give accurate density assessments. These are no small feats and...

The flavor issue--how to choose the right vacuum materials: an in-depth review of each and every material exposed to the vacuum system is absolutely essential to ensure a successful system design. (Keywords: * materials * vacuum * contamination).
April 1, 2003... It's no secret to its practitioners that vacuum technology is a demanding discipline. The technology is unforgiving to the point that you can do almost everything right, but if you make one mistake, the chamber might not pump down to its...

Facial recognition technology advances. (Regulatory Update).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has reported significant improvements in the use of facial recognition technology and border security. Scientists from NIST, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and...

FDA approves new drug to help cancer patients. (Regulatory Update).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of a new drug called Emend (aprepitant), to be used in combination with other anti-nausea and anti-vomiting drugs for prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated...

EPA's regulatory decision on CCA.(chromated copper arsenated treated wood)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... EPA is reviewing the use of CCA or Chromated copper arsenated treated wood in public settings, such as school playgrounds. Jack E. Housenger, associate director of the antimicrobials division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)...

Pollution-free power plants.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky announced that the United States is taking the lead in forming an ambitious new international effort to advance carbon capture and storage...

Diamond film chips. (Academic: emerging technologies).
April 1, 2003... Creating stable biochips that can be incorporated in microelectronic tools to continuously scan for biological agents has always been difficult. The problem arises from the surfaces' capacity to perform only a "one-shot analysis." This stems...

Electrooptic frequency shifter. (Academic: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Scientists at the Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, have created an apparatus that can shift the frequency of optical signals precisely and quickly, without detection, storage, or rebroadcast. The electrooptic shifter can automatically...

Novel synthetic porous materials. (Academic: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A new class of synthetic materials that is both porous and semiconductive has been discovered by researchers at the Univ. of California, Riverside. These materials exhibit characteristics such as photoluminescence, and ion exchange. Their pore...

Early cavity detection. (Academic: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A Univ. of Toronto, Canada, researcher has developed a painless photo-thermal method to uncover cavities at their beginning stages allowing for corrective action. The instrument, which looks like a laser pointer, uses near-IR light at various...

Snapshots of transient molecules. (Industrial: emerging technologies).
April 1, 2003... In the biological field, transient compounds that are present for a fleeting period during a chemical reaction are some of the most significant molecules. Being able to study these "reaction intermediates" can help uncover the mechanisms used...

Brain injury blood test. (Industrial: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... An affordable, portable device that resembles Star Trek's tricorder could be used in the future by combat medics to evaluate brain injuries. Developed at the Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the...

The three little pigs. (Industrial: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... An alliance between Infigen, Inc., DeForest, Wis., and Immerge Bio-Therapeutics, Inc., Charlestown, Mass., has resulted in the birth of three miniature genetically-modified swine whose cells and tissues are more compatible for transplantation...

Anthrax-killing agent. (Industrial: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In preliminary trials, Bio-DECON, a spray-on solution from Sierra Pacific Research Company, Carson City, Nev., destroyed 96% of the weapons grade type of Anthrax, Ames Anthrax, within 2 min of exposure and more than 99% of it within 60 min....

Morphing stem cells. (Eureka: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A team of researchers led by Eliezer Huberman at the US Dept of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, Ill., has developed a new technology that produces flexible stem cells from adult blood cells. The Argonne-created cells could become...

Batteries for MEMS devices. (Eureka: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A rechargeable, lightweight battery that might one day power MEMS devices is in the works at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Researchers plan to modify 2-D sheets of electrodes in traditional batteries to a 3-D...

Pet biosecurity system. (Eureka: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Researchers at the Purdue Univ. School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Ind., in alliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga., have set up a national pet health database to determine if dogs and cats can...

Hydrophobic coating. (Eureka: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Scientists at MIT, Cambridge, have found a way to place a thin coating of a hydrophobic layer that will allow waterproofing of different types of materials. This was achieved by depositing nanolayers of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, or Teflon)...

Conservation logger. (New Products).(ACR Systems)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... ACR Systems' Conservation Logger monitors the key environmental factors that affect the life of artifacts. A red LED warning light warns users if light (both visible and UV), temperature or relative humidity reaches dangerous levels. The...

External control solutions for osmometers. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Advanced Instruments, Inc. has introduced two control materials, Renol and Protinol, specifically designed for osmometers. Used to monitor drug intoxication, renal function, head trauma, and other applications, these controls ensure that...

Hard surface disinfectant wipes. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... CiDecon Plus Wipes, a new disinfectant wipe available from Decon Labs, are a durable and effective disinfectant for a broad range of pathogenic organisms. This product meets OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Standard, is EPA registered for hard...

Ultrafiltration systems for protein applications. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Millipore introduces its 96-well ultrafiltration systems for protein applications. These assay-grade products include the MultiScreen filter assembly with Ultracel-PPB membrane for plasma protein binding assays and the MultiScreen filter plate...

New European versions of popular catalog. (New Products).(Brief Article)(Pamphlet)
April 1, 2003... Edmund Industrial Optics (EO) is issuing 340-page catalogs for the United Kingdom and Germany. Each catalog provides over 500 new products, more pages of comprehensive information and primers and selection guides. It features several products...

Integrating spheres for IR applications. (New Products).(Gigahertz-Optik)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Gigahertz-Optik's new UP-75-F-Au and 'UP- 100-F-Au integrating spheres with electrochemically gold plated surfaces are designed with multiple ports and port plugs allowing flexible set-ups for different applications. In-house manufacturing and...

TableCurve 3D Version 4.0. (New Products).(Systat Software)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Systat Software Inc. has released TableCurve 3D Version 4.0 which offers new enhancements, featuring automation, better data management, and improved 3D rendering. This software provides users with better review organization and multiple data...