R & D articles from June 2004

R & D archives from June 2004

Partners in your future.(Editorial)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Another small step for mankind was made this past March in Tokyo when Toyota Motor Corp. announced the launch of a project to develop "partner robots," designed to function as personal assistants for humans. This development was hardly earth...

World-class spintronics center to open.(Micro/Nano Technology)
June 1, 2004... The continuing need to reduce microelectronic feature sizes has forced many microelectronic providers to look to emerging or enabling technologies to deliver the necessary yields. IBM, Armonk, N.Y., and Stanford Univ., Calif., have responded to...

The Library of Life.(Laboratory Design)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Few building projects can adequately make the claim of revolutionizing a space, or mankind for that matter. However, the teams behind the new Bridging the Rift Center (BTR) are working towards that very goal. Scheduled to open in 2007, BTR will...

Outlook for PXi and VXi.(Test & Measurement)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... New analysis from market research firm Frost & Sullivan, San Antonio, Texas, has shown that the VXI- and PXI-based test equipment market generated revenues totaling $226.4 and $84.2 million, respectively, in 2003. These revenues are expected to...

Future of optical science.(Upcoming Conferences & Events)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) will hold its 49th annual meeting on optical science and technology August 2-6 in Denver, Colo. Along with a vendor exhibition, the conference will also include five technology tracks:...

Roche and Syrrx partner.(Pharmaceutical)
June 1, 2004... Roche Laboratories, Nutley, N.J., and Syrrx, San Diego, Calif., have partnered to discover and develop drugs to specifically treat cancer and Type 2 diabetes. The agreement calls for preclinical programs based on two emerging target compounds,...

Alice moves towards cosmic targets.(Analytical Instruments)
June 1, 2004... Launched earlier this year, the European Space Agency's (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft is continuing its journey in which it will rendezvous with the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. As the only spacecraft ever specifically devoted to long-term...

Latest progress in PEM.(Materials)
June 1, 2004... Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M., have recently formulated a new type of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), which may serve as a candidate for future use in micro fuel cells. The Sandia Polymer Electrolyte...

University becomes leading microscopy facility.(Microscopy)
June 1, 2004... With the recent acquisition of a new JEOL transmission electron microscope, Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, Pa., now becomes the only U.S. academic institution equipped with two aberration-corrected electron microscopes. Along with a scanning...

Coming soon: world's fastest supercomputer.(Computers)
June 1, 2004... Fueled by the need for enhanced computational power, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Tenn., along with Cray Inc., Seattle, Wash., are now leading an effort to create the world's fastest supercomputer for advanced scientific research. Upon...

Laser speeds cancer detection.(Lasers And Optics )
June 1, 2004... Researchers of the newly-founded Scripps-Parc Institute for Advanced Biomedical Studies, Palo Alto, Calif., have unveiled a new system for detecting and monitoring cancer through blood testing at unprecedented speeds. The fiber array scanning...

Human fat yields bone cells.(Life Science)
June 1, 2004... With several U.S. states now undertaking policies regarding stem cell research, a group from Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC), Baton Rouge, La., have turned to human fat stem cells as a means to create new, viable cells--in this...

Cryogen-free NMR.(Analytical Instruments)
June 1, 2004... Engineers from Oxford Instruments' Superconductivity group, Abingdon, UK, along with Varian Inc., Palo Alto Calif., have recently launched an alternative to the liquid cryogens widely used in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The new...

Toshiba integrates Sarnoff IC technology.(Vacuum & Thin Films)
June 1, 2004... As part of a continuing alliance, Toshiba Corp., Tokyo, Japan, has announced that it will implement Sarnoff Corp.'s, Princeton, NJ., TakeCharge on-chip electrostatic discharge (ESD) design approach for use in the company's CMOS integrated...

Virtualization technology hits IT.(Data Management & Analysis)
June 1, 2004... A peek into a cross-platform technology designed to enhance the operations and economics of IT was recently unveiled by IBM, White Plains, N.Y. Virtualization Engine technology simplifies the management of mixed environments of IBM and non-IBM...

Service shields from bounce storms.(Data Management & Analysis)
June 1, 2004... Email users are plagued with annoying bounced messages, which claim to notify them of infected messages that they never sent. These messages can be especially distracting when viruses like Netsky and Bagle increase their number, creating a...

Semiconductor sales grow.(Data Management & Analysis)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The semiconductor market will experience a 29% rise in 2004 according to In-Stat, bringing the total revenue to $214.7 billion. The recovery will be driven by changes in both demand and supply. On the demand side, there is an absence of one...

Reagent market rises.(Data Management & Analysis)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The total U.S. market for medical imaging reagents is expected to increase at a 6.9% average annual growth rate (AAGR) from $2.8 billion in 2003 to $3.9 billion by 2008. Although the x-ray segment currently represents the largest market share...

Faster upgrade has more automation.(Data Management & Analysis)
June 1, 2004... Generally, software developers label major software upgrades with a full-digit upgrade--from 1.0 to 2.0, for example. The software developers at National Instruments (NI), Austin, Texas, choose not to in their latest upgrade. Since LabVIEW...

New CDMA R&D facility in India.(R&D Asia)
June 1, 2004... Nokia, the world's largest mobile telephone manufacturer based in Helsinki, Finland, has announced that it will create a new CDMA R&D facility in Navi Mumbai, India. CDMA (code-division multiple access) is a digital "spread-spectrum"...

Google to establish R&D center in Japan.(R&D Asia)
June 1, 2004... Google Inc., the world's leading provider of Internet search engine services, plans to open an R&D center in Japan by June, according to a recent report in Asia Times. Google, which also recently indicated that it would make an IPO (initial...

Bearing R&D in Bangalore.(R&D Asia)
June 1, 2004... The Timken Co., a manufacturer of bearings and steel alloys based in Canton, Ohio, recently opened its new $12 million R&D facility in Bangalore, India. The focus of this facility will be in areas of engineering and IT and will include product...

China hosts German R&D center.(R&D Asia)
June 1, 2004... Degussa AG, Dusseldorf, Germany, has opened its first R&D center in Asia in Shanghai, China. The $12 million center is focused on supporting its specialty chemical customers with new research labs, marketing facilities, rooms for application...

Malaysia to set up 3G lab.(R&D Asia)
June 1, 2004... Huawei Technologies, a telecommunications and networking equipment manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China, has announced that it will establish a 3G Open Lab in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to locally develop and test third-generation mobile...

Building a sustainable future for photomasks: embattled by the IC downturn and an extremely competitive market space, the photomask industry gravitates towards smaller feature sizes, increased alliances, and some old-fashioned business remodeling for a much-needed reprieve.
June 1, 2004... It is estimated that by 2010, chip manufacturers will be pressed to deliver a billion transistors for a single microprocessor. In that same year, dynamic random access memory or DRAM devices will be required to be fitted with nearly [10.sup.11]...

LIMS ready to break out: globalization may be the key that shifts the implementation of commercial laboratory information management systems into high gear with their less expensive, easier-to-use capabilities.
June 1, 2004... Laboratory information management systems (LIMS) have been available to R&D organizations for more than 20 years. The first ones were mostly developed by in-house researchers for their specific data acquisition and instrument tracking...

Emerging prostheses attempt vision restoration: low-resolution retinal implants aimed at helping the blind gain mobility are getting ready to appear on the market.
June 1, 2004... Numerous researchers are dedicating their time and efforts to develop microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based visual prostheses that will improve the quality of life of visually impaired individuals. Three approaches are generally being...

Anatomy of a pumpdown: dividing a pumpdown curve into zones that reflect the actual gases being pumped within the zones is a useful technique for sorting out problems and solutions.
June 1, 2004... The pumpdown process is something that's shared by all practitioners of vacuum technology. Vacuum chambers of all sorts and descriptions are pumped from atmospheric pressure to any and all ultimate pressures that are within the realm of...

U.S. streamlines HIV therapies.(Regulatory Update)
June 1, 2004... The accessibility of viable HIV therapies continues to elude developing countries around the world. Of the 42 million cases worldwide, 30 million reside in Africa alone (see R&D April 2004, pg. 7). These statistics have recently motivated the...

New international standard for buses.(Regulatory Update)
June 1, 2004... Heeding the call of engineers and researchers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Piscataway, NJ., and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Geneva, Switzerland, have released the first international...

EU lifts ban on modified foods.(Regulatory Update)
June 1, 2004... In late May, the European Commission (EC), the regulatory arm of the European Union (EU), approved lifting a blanket ban on new types of genetically modified foods entering the European food market. Talks on removing the moratorium, which has...

ASTM overhauls standard.(Regulatory Update)
June 1, 2004... The American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM), West Conshohocken, Pa., committee on composite materials, or D30 committee, has completed an extensive revision of its Standard Guide for Testing Automotive/Industrial Composite Materials....

Welcome to Business.gov.(Regulatory Update)
June 1, 2004... The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has recently launched a new web site aimed on providing businesses a one-stop resource for information on federal government services and practices. Visitors to www.Business.gov will have the...

Volatility estimates evolution rate.(Academic Emerging Technologies)
June 1, 2004... A computational method capable of quickly identifying both slowly--and rapidly-evolving genes using a single genome sequence has recently been developed. The result of a collaborative effort between the Univ. of California, Berkeley, Harvard...

Morphing wings.(Academic Emerging Technologies)
June 1, 2004... Airplane wings that optimize a plane's efficiency over a broader range of flight speeds have been designed by engineers at Penn State, University Park, Pa. Capable of altering both cross-section shape and wing area, these wings accommodate slow...

Smart traffic system.(Academic Emerging Technologies)
June 1, 2004... Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., are developing a system that gathers real-time traffic information to warn drivers about congested roads. The Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) also provides alternative...

Detecting sticky situations.(Academic Emerging Technologies )
June 1, 2004... Shooting a target with a small sticky projectile from a distance may help soldiers determine if it contains chemical weapons or explosives. Fired from a paintball gun, the crayon-sized sensor was created by students at the Univ. of Florida,...

Boosting plastic transistor printing.(Industrial Emerging Technologies)
June 1, 2004... The quest for a non-silica-based, low-cost manufacturing alternative capable of printing flexible plastic transistors has been on the agenda for numerous corporations. Such an endeavor is significant because it could eventually generate...

HDD capacity booms.(Industrial Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Portable PCs can now make use of a 6.4-cm hard-disk drive (HDD), possessing a 100-GB storage capacity in a 9.5-mm high drive. Produced by Toshiba Corp., Tokyo the MK1031GAS features the highest area density--2.5 Gb of data/[cm.sup.2]--available...

Higher RF detector power.(Industrial Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The measurement of radio signals' power from 1 MHz to 8 GHz is possible thanks to a logarithmic radio frequency (RF) detector launched by Analog Devices Inc., Norwood, Mass. This monolithic semiconductor-based device, the AD8318, has better...

Light as concrete.(Industrial Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Industrial and residential construction projects stand to benefit from a low-cost concrete technology developed by Australian researchers. HySSIL (High-Strength, Structural, Insulative, Lightweight) panels are created using a low-energy process...

Nano-sized conveyor belt.(Eureka Emerging Technologies)
June 1, 2004... The efficient assembly of nanostructures has always been hampered by an inability to deliver a string of particles to a specific destination. The quick ferrying of atoms to various sites achieved by the mixing of chemicals is too robust for the...

PolyLED efficiency rises.(Eureka Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Two developments by researchers at Royal Philips Electronics, Amsterdam, Netherlands, have resulted in an increased efficiency of polymer organic light-emitting diode (polyLED) displays. The first involves the creation of a new anode layer,...

TV program consultant.(Eureka Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Imagine turning your everyday cable or satellite IV set top box (STB) into a personalized assistant, whose sole job is searching and recording programs that interest you! Thanks to a set of software products, SarnoffSmart, such assistance is...

Talking beyond borders.(Eureka Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... An extensive, multinational walkie-talkie service has been launched by Nextel Communications, Inc., Reston, Va., through a collaboration with other companies. International Direct Connect walkie-talkie service allows users to send and receive...

Floyd Bell launches revolutionary piezo alarm.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Floyd Bell's new Turbo series alarms are twice as loud and half the size of industry counterparts. A revolutionary rear mount, push-on, quick-lock attachment ring creates a tamper proof alarm that assembles five times faster than threaded...

900 Series TOC Analyzers.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Ionics Instruments introduces the new Sievers[R] 900 Series TOC Analyzers and optional Autosampler. Building on the trusted model 800 technology and ease of use, the three-model 900 Series (On-Line, Laboratory, and Portable) offers advanced...

New name for Wako.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Wako BioProducts has changed its name to Wako Laboratory Chemicals to incorporate all the reagents that we can supply. There are over 15,000 reagents in our new catalog! We are constantly adding new and unique items to our product lines to keep...

AC power distribution & control systems.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Pulizzi Engineering, Inc. offers AC power distribution and control systems for mainframe computer systems. Product is rack-mounted and provides: circuit breaker protection, EMI and RFI filtering, spike/surge protection, remote power on/off,...

Current transformers, transducers & accessories.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Catalog 2011: 170 pg catalog features split-core and solid-core current transformers, potential transformers, electrical transducers lot AC/ DC applications, signal conditioners, analog a digital panel and switch board meters, current probes,...

Regulated high-voltage power supplies.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... UltraVolt's catalog covers over 400 models of high-voltage power supplies. * Output short circuit & arc protection * TTL enable/disable * Ultra-low ripple available to UltraVolt, Inc. Use InfoLINK 4F1705 or Call 800-843-1418...

Programmable high voltage system has eight channels.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Output voltages of 200V through 8000V are offered in any combination of voltage and polarity. Each channel features very low tipple, high stability, 0 to 100% linear programmability, output voltage monitors, arc, overload and short circuit...

Cryogen-free 4 K systems.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Janis Research Co. offers cryogen-free systems for a wide range of cryogenic applications, including spectroscopy and electrical measurements. With cooling capacities ranging from 0.1 to 1.5 W at 4.2 K, systems are tailored to suit individual...

Affordable 2D/3D electromagnetic design software.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Field Precision creates state-of-the-art 2D/3D finite-element software. The self-contained Windows and Linux packages are priced for small businesses, universities, and consultants. Applications include high-voltage systems, magnet design,...

Precision slides and XY stages.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Precision UniSlide stages, XY, and rotary tables. Useful for positioning a gauge, sensor, cutter, or transducer. Width range from 1 1/2" to 9"; lengths up to 90". Over 950 models. Modular design makes XYZtheta combinations easy. Manual and...

The bearing solution ...(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The C-Flex Pivot-Bearing is a unique bearing that combines a variety of performance capabilities not found in other bearings: precise, backlash free, rotary motion of up to +/- 30 degrees; a lifetime of service in hostile environments; no...

High performance plastic connectors.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Fischer Connector's 4032 Series miniature plastic connector is available with up to 19 gold-plated contacts in a .5" diameter housing. The patented SureGrip plug body can be securely gripped, even with wet hands or gloves. This competitively...

FH-5313A epoxy resin.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The FH-5313A resin is NASA approved, and is ideally suited for bonding and potting applications. This resin meets the adhesive requirements of GE Spec. M-2820F-CR. The FH-5313A is optically clear and demonstrates excellent chemical resistance,...

Sartorius lab product catalog.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Sartorius has published a new product catalog that includes a comprehensive overview of products including ultra-micro to basic balances and scales, metrology products, pH meters, a water detection system, and nationwide service capabilities....

Laboratory water purification systems.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... AQUA SOLUTIONS offers COMPETITIVELY PRICED Laboratory Water Purification Systems. Products include Type I Reagent Grade DI systems and Reverse Osmosis Pretreatment Systems. NEW, compact RO+DI systems include a Type I DI system plus built-n RO...

2004 optics catalog.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Edmund Optics' new January 2004 catalog contains over 10,000 products, including over 300 new products ranging from UV-and-NIR corrected achromats to proximity sensor equipment to new EO designed and manufactured telecentric lenses. Choose from...

Machine vision and scientific imaging booklet and CD.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... This booklet covers popular software functions and how to apply them; product information and selection guides; and valuable Web resources to aid you in specifying and developing your inspection system. For your FREE National Instruments...

Miniature polarization preserving fiber optic coupler.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The new PM coupler, 15 mm long, 2 mm square. Has a solid glass construction and is completely scaled. Manufactured by evanescent coupling shown in web application notes, tested to Bellcore GR 1209 and 1221. Polarization isolation up to -27 dB...

Vacuum hardware & components online shopping-over 3,000 items.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The LDS Vacuum Shopper has over 3 000 different vacuum accessories available from our online store. From NW, ISO and Conflat Flanges to leak detector accessories and vacuum pumps, our comprehensive online store includes drawings, dimensional...

Synthetech expands product line.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Synthetech, Inc.--known for its work in the development and manufacture of Peptide Building Blocks (PBBs) and Specialty Amino Acids--has expanded its product line to offer a range of FMOC-amino acids preloaded on Wang and 2-CTC resins for solid...

VAT, Inc. product line brochure.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... VAT's product line brochure profiles the most extensive line of vacuum valves manufactured today. VAT offers 1,000+ standard valves for a wide variety of applications. VAT combines innovation, state-of-the-rot manufacturing quality process...

Fluorescence lifetime instruments.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Jobin Yvon is the only company that can provide both pulsed and phase lifetime instruments, as well as the most sensitive steady-state spectro-fluorometers in the world. These new brochures present the pulsed, or Time Correlated Single Photon...

New optical testing guide.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Our latest technical guide provides lens designer, image sensor and quality assurance engineers with the latest info on Optikos' upgraded OpTest/EROS and I-SITE product lines acquired from Tropel/SIRA/Ealing. Verify the performance of imaging...

ICP consumables catalog.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Glass Expansion introduces its 2004 ICP/ ICP-MS Sample Introduction Systems Catalog, offering nebulizers, spray chambers, torches, RF coils, MS cones, pump tubing and more for ICP-AES and ICP-MS. New products described include the Eluo...

Laboratory furniture.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The new, full-color, 272-pg. VWR International Furniture Catalog presents a complete line of metal and wood casework, countertops, fixtures, sinks, tables, seating, fume hoods, workstations, appliances, pre-fabricated rooms, shelving, carts,...

GC/HPLC Catalog and Technical Handbook from Pierce Biotechnology, Inc.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The new 87-pg. GC/HPLC Catalog and Handbook from Pierce provides technical information, protocols and ordering information for Pierce products. Pierce has compiled a "Derivatization Reagents for Drugs-of-Abuse" chart, which recommends...

New! 2004 MDC catalog.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... This 528-pg catalog details MDC's expanded line of high and ultrahigh vacuum components. From basic elastomer gaskets to sophisticated instruments for e-beam evaporation, MDC provides dependable and reliable solutions for vacuum science and...

DASYLab V8--no programming required.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The latest release of this easy-to-use software package for Windows-based data acquisition software package continues to provide powerful data acquisition, analysis and control features without programming. DASYLab Lite, Basic, Full and Pro...

Electronic test accessories.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Extensive product line of quality test and measurement products for the electrical, electronic, industrial, automotive, telecom, and medical fields. Lines include test leads, adapters, connectors, hooks, probes, nail clips, wire, cable...

JMP for Linux is here!(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... New! JMP 5.1 offers Linux operating system support, new statistical/DOE platforms and improvements, and enhanced Windows automation support. JMP 5.1 also offers these Six Sigma enhancements: Attribute Gage R&R, an Agreement Report, and...

High-resolution scanning probe microscope.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... With Molecular Imaging's PicoPlus[R] SPM, One system does it all! It is the most flexible STM/AFM system available--ideal for multi-user, multi-function labs. The modular design makes imaging in fluids or ambient air under controlled...

MCS-2110 series: benchtop temperature controllers.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... The MCS-2110 and CS-2110 series benchtop controllers from Omega Engineering, Inc. are ideal for laboratory use and applications requiring portable temperature control. Pre-wired input and output receptacles at the back of the case enable quick...

SUPERSiC advantage for mirror substrates.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... POCO's unique conversion process for manufacturing silicon carbide results in attributes that significantly differentiate SUPERSiC from sintered, CVD, and hot pressed silicon carbides. SUPERSiC is ideal for high performance optical applications...

Precision dispensers and metering pumps.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Fluid Metering, Inc., has released its 2004 catalog covering dispensers and metering pumps for laboratory, industrial, and OEM applications. FMI is certified compliant with ISO 9001 standards and features unique piston-type positive...

Hypodermic tubing adaptors.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Adapting hypodermic tubing for use with other sizes and types of tubing has never been easier than with Small Parts' type 316 stainless steel compression fittings. The use of a proprietary graphite/polyimide ferrule provides an innovative...

MINITAB Release 14.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... MINITAB Release 14 is a powerful statistical software package designed for quality professionals. Its visually engaging graphs and easy-to-use collection of methods--including Basic and Advanced Statistics, Regression and ANOVA, Reliability,...

Mass spectrometer for online gas analysis.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... AMETEK Process Instruments offers the ProLine RQ process mass spectrometer for online gas analysis of bioreactors. The compact, bench-top unit provides continous measurement of bioreactor offgases to determine whether to stop or continue...