R & D articles from March 2002

R & D archives from March 2002

Respite or recession? (Editorial).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 1, 2002... Much of the popular press over the past several weeks has focused on the bottoming out of the current recession and a return to, if nothing else, at least moderate growth for the foreseeable future. "First half growth could be three or four...

The original empirical science. (de facto).(brewing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Picture some long-ago woman bent over in a forest clearing, exhausted from a day's work threshing a supply of grain in preparation for cooking. Bone-weary and surrounded by grain-filled reed baskets, she stows away the baskets and retires with...

Microdischarge devices shine light on many applications. (Lasers & Optics).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Using standard micromachining and silicon processing technology, electrical and computer engineers at the Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, have developed light-emitting, gas-discharge devices small enough to be integrated on a millimeter-sized chip....

US productivity in 2001 sustained by information, communication technologies. (Bulletin).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... In an overview of the state of the global economy in 2001, a report by The Conference Board Inc., New York, found that US labor productivity growth rose 1.8% against 0.9% for member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and...

Chromatography company acquired. (Analytical Instruments).(Argonaut Technologies Inc. acquires Jones Chromatography Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Argonaut Technologies Inc., Foster City, Calif., has announced the completion of the acquisition of the Jones Group (Jones Chromatography Ltd. and its subsidiaries--International Sorbent Technology Ltd. and Jones Chromatography Inc.), Cardiff,...

Automating the paper chase. (Laboratory Design).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A process that generated reams of paper work and an unreliable trail of communications has been shaped up, automated, and assigned project specific sites by an architecture firm in Cincinnati. BHDP Architecture, a company that specializes in...

Americans want more say in scientific research. (Life Science).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... A national opinion poll found that Americans want more input into the direction scientific discoveries and new technologies are taking society. According to the poll, 77% of the American public is concerned about how much say they have in the...

Agreement facilitates disease markers pattern discoveries. (Laboratory Equipment).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Hayward, Calif.-based protein chip technology provider Zyomyx Inc. has agreed to grant Specialty Laboratories Inc. early access to Zyomyx's Prote Profiling Biochip platform. Specialty Laboratories is a research-driven clinical reference lab...

Technique accurately measures single-molecule electrical conductivity. (Materials).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A team of researchers at Arizona State Univ., Phoenix, have developed a method for creating through-bond electrical contacts with single molecules--which in turn enable the researchers to take reproducible measurements of the molecules'...

Top-down meets bottom-up. (Micro/Nano Technology).(convergence of biotechnology and nanotechnology)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... At a May Nanotech and Biotech Convergence conference in Stamford, Conn., two sets of researchers with opposing approaches to nanotechnology utilization will meet and find a middle ground. The two camps are informally referred to as "top-down"...

Microorganisms treat waste. (Microscopy).(environmental biotechnology)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... According to a study from Business Communications Co. Inc., Norwalk, Ct., the total worldwide sales of environmental biotechnology products (microorganisms, enzymes, microbial blends, and nutrients) for US manufacturers is currently estimated...

Sepsis markers to be studied. (Pharmaceutical).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In a study lead by the Univ. of Pittsburgh, researchers will investigate risk factors for sepsis--the leading cause of death in non-coronary intensive care unit patients nationwide. The Genetic and Inflammatory Markers of Sepsis (GenIMS) study,...

Innovators take honors for microprocessor technology. (Test & Measurement).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In-Stat/MicroDesign Resources has named Intel Corp., Santa Clara, Calif., winner of the Best PC Processor of 2001 award, and Texas Instruments, Dallas, winner of Best Digital Signal Processor (DSP) chip of 2001 award. The annual Analysts'...

Company expands through acquisitions. (Vacuum/Thin Film).(acquisition of ANSYS Technologies by Varian)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Varian Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., completed its acquisition of Lake Forest, Calif-based ANSYS Technologies Inc. for approximately $45 million in cash and assumed net debt. Varian supplies scientific instruments as well as vacuum technologies...

Consortium enables new Linux capabilities in research. (Market Trends).
March 1, 2002... Researchers and IT staffs working on the Itanium Linux platform will soon have another resource to turn to for information, downloads, and collaboration opportunities. An open source community initiative--called the Gelato...

Increasing demand for autos: display maps, play movies. (Market Trends).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... If auto shows and concept cars reflect consumer demand, then telematics products and services (i.e. emergency roadside assistance and basic navigation systems) are what people look for when buying a new car. In the recent past, hands-free...

Upcoming events.
March 1, 2002... April 7-10 International Symposium on Physical Design, Del Mar, Calif., www.ispd.cc April 16-17 International FlexRay Workshop, the Communication System for Next Generation Automotive Applications, Munich, Germany, www.flex-raygroup.com...

Diesel sulfur content shrinks. (Advanced Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... Diesel Sulfur Content Shrinks EPA standard 2002 500 ppm 2007 15 ppm Source: EPA Diesel fuels will be as as clean as gasoline by the end of the decade, according to the EPA. The sulfer content standard for diesel...

Cutting through the Gordian knot. (Advanced Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The story goes that Alexander the Great's career of conquest started when he used his sword to chop through the Gordian knot. Everyone else had tried to literally untie the knot--and been unsuccessful either in separating the two things that...

Life science applications drive analytical technologies; technological breakthroughs aren't forecast to occur in analytical instrumentation over the next several years, but the overall technology will nonetheless change dramatically. (Analytical Instruments).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The technology of analytical instruments continues to track along general technological improvements as electronics drives devices smaller and smarter, as microfabrication techniques drive sample requirements smaller and more precise, and as...

Lab-on-a chip moves through an awkward adolescence.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Typical new product technologies have product life cycles that start with a period of over-anticipation, followed by a long period of product development and shakeout, and culminating in a slowly rising period of acceptance and product...

Integrated Microfabricated Biodevices. (When the Small Inherit the World).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Edited by Michael Heller and Andras Guttman. Published by Marcel Dekker. The science and engineering of very small devices has created a shopping list of products used for potential instrument- or measurement-based applications. These...

A longer reach for data and voice; speed, cost, reliability, and security are touchstone issues, but tradeoffs exist and system developers face choices tightened by rapidly changing technology and competition. (Telecommunications).
March 1, 2002... The familiar telecommunications network in the US originally included switches and nodes connected by copper wires, and then incorporated optical fibers and technology introduced by satellite signal communications. Such changes demonstrate ways...

Machines conform to fit customer needs; physical testing equipment manufacturers are focusing on customizing their products in order to meet the needs of their end-users. But when it comes to customization, each company has its own definition. (Laboratory Equipment).
March 1, 2002... In the realm of physical testing equipment, industry trends are hard to pinpoint. One manufacturer may say the trend is for flexible, complete systems, while another may say end-users desire more no-fuss, specialized machines. One distributor...

Small-scale systems put a dent in testing; testing thin films, laser diodes, and coatings can be a large-scale task for such small-scale materials. Instrumentation suppliers are answering the call with models that can handle nano-scale quantities. (Laboratory Equipment).
March 1, 2002... Manufacturers of electronics, optical and medical devices, magnetic storage media, consumer goods, and automobiles can benefit from the fast and accurate mechanical characterization of many types of surfaces. Characterizing surfaces down to the...

A material issue: how to select a rheometer or viscometer: the study of the flow of materials has many applications. Several products offer versatile testing capabilities. (Analytical Instruments).
March 1, 2002... Most people never think about how the salad dressing, asphalt, or adhesives they use are measured and tested. The researchers who use rheology, however, measure the flow rate of various materials every day. Viscometers and rheometers can be...

Building a vacuum library; there are many types and categories of vacuum technology books available. Sorting them out will help you choose the book(s) that will be most helpful to you. (Vacuum Technology).
March 1, 2002... Vacuum technology books, both in and out of print, reflect the complexity and diversity of vacuum science and technology itself. Simply stated, vacuum technology's applications fit into no particular industry or discipline. Instead, they cut...