Environment

Water

Stories

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R&D: Sensors/Data Acquisition
A research team has developed diamond quantum sensors that can be used to improve resolution in magnetic imaging.
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Briefs: Materials
A wearable, textile-based device developed by Rice University engineers could help declutter, enhance — and, in the case of impairments — compensate for deficiencies in visual and auditory inputs by tapping the sense of touch.
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R&D: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Researchers have developed a portable sensor made of simple materials to detect heavy metals in sweat, which is easily sampled. The sensor is simple in terms of the materials used to make it and the...
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R&D: Materials
The researchers used water as the solvent and developed an LCST-type thermoresponsive polymer by adding alkaline earth metal ions — which are divalent cations — to polymers and aqueous solutions.
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R&D: Medical
Researchers have succeeded in moving tiny amounts of liquid at will by remotely heating water over a metal film with a laser.
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Briefs: Materials
The membrane wicks water away from the skin.
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R&D: Sensors/Data Acquisition
A thermal sensor measures body temperature by simple contacts such as wearing clothes or shaking hands and an actuator that could control movements of artificial muscle.
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Briefs: Materials
Water is the basis of all life on earth. Its structure is simple — two hydrogen atoms bound to one oxygen atom — yet its behavior is unique among liquids, and scientists still do not fully...
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Features: Medical
The medical device industry, driven by innovation and new technologies, has become one of the biggest markets in healthcare. The explosion in sophistication and application of...
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R&D: Medical
A team of researchers is gaining new insight into the smart materials used in ultrasound technology, finding striking similarities with the behavior of water. They investigated a behavior of...
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Briefs: Medical
In regenerative medicine, the ideal repair material would offer properties that seem impossibly contradictory. It must be rigid and robust enough to be manipulated...
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Briefs: Medical
A team of engineers and scientists have developed an artificial skin capable of detecting temperature changes using a mechanism similar to the one used by the organ that...
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R&D: Energy
A self-destructing, lithium-ion battery from Iowa State University delivers 2.5 volts and dissolves or dissipates in 30 minutes when dropped in water.
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From the Editor: Medical
From the Editor — Muddy Waters May Be in Hot Water over Flawed St. Jude Report
In late August, short-selling investment firm Muddy Waters issued an alarming report claiming that St. Jude Medical’s pacemakers, ICDs, and CRTs “should be recalled or remediated” for what it determined were cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
R&D: Medical
New 'Box' Sterilizes Surgical Instruments
A mobile container from Rice University sterilizes surgical instruments in low-resource settings. The "Sterile Box," built into a standard 20-foot steel shipping container, houses a water system for decontamination and a solar-powered autoclave for steam sterilization.
R&D: Medical
New Device Speeds Diagnosis of Tissue Infection
A device created by a collaborative team of engineers and scientists at the University of Arizona may significantly reduce the amount of time necessary to diagnose tissue infections. The technology’s novel approach to molecular diagnostics, called DOTS qPCR, is faster, more efficient, and less...
Briefs: Medical
Medical Oxygen Concentrator for Microgravity Operation
Only ambient air and DC energy are required to operate the system. Supplemental oxygen delivery systems are vital to provide a critical life support respiratory function. Whether they are used for patients suffering from lung diseases or other illnesses, to astronauts donning an oxygen mask...
R&D: Medical
Researchers Use Water to Improve Nanowires
Rice University graduate students and researchers have made nanowires between 6 and 16 nanometers wide. The wires are made from a variety of materials, including silicon, silicon dioxide, gold, chromium, tungsten, titanium, titanium dioxide, and aluminum. The development of sub-10-nanometer sizes shows...
Features: Materials
The plasticizers used to render PVC flexible constitute about a third of the vinyl compound by weight and have a significant effect on overall properties and performance. The most widely used...
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Briefs: Medical
High-Density, Homogenous Bacterial Spore Distributions on Test Surfaces
Thus far, spore transfer had been successful from the polycarbonate membrane onto stainless steel, aluminum, and to some extent, glass. In order to image the endospores under an ESEM (environmental scanning electron microscope), the spores were transferred onto a 4-mmdiameter,...
Briefs: Medical
Intravenous Fluid Generation System
The ability to stabilize and treat patients on exploration missions will depend on access to needed consumables. Intravenous (IV) fluids have been identified as required consumables. A review of the Space Medicine Exploration Medical Condition List (SMEMCL) lists over 400 medical conditions that could present and...
Applications: Electronics & Computers
High-frequency pulsed electromagnetic stimulation (EMS) devices are more powerful and effective than ever before. These devices are finding applications in many areas, including as treatments...
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Briefs: Medical
Portable Intravenous Fluid Production Device for Ground Use
There are several medical conditions that require intravenous (IV) fluids. Limitations of mass, volume, storage space, shelf-life, transportation, and local resources can restrict the availability of such important fluids. These limitations are expected in long-duration space exploration...
Briefs: Medical
Nano Sponges for Drug Delivery and Medicinal Applications
This invention is a means of delivering a drug, or payload, to cells using non-covalent associations of the payload with nanoengineered scaffolds; specifically, functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and their derivatives where the payload is effectively sequestered by the...
Mission Accomplished: Photonics/Optics
In the 1980s, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) scientists James Stephens and Charles Miller were studying the harmful properties of light in space, as well as that of artificial radiation...
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Briefs: Medical
There has been a long-term need in the filtration industry — particularly for a variety of life science applications — to eliminate the need for pre-wetting cartridge filters...
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Mission Accomplished: Nanotechnology
Argonide Corporation, a company focused on the research, production, and marketing of specialty nano-materials, was seeking to develop applications for its NanoCeram® fibers. Only 2 nanometers in...
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Mission Accomplished: Medical
Going to the dentist is always a less-than-welcome experience. However, a water purification technology developed for NASA could lead to a more satisfying end result and cleaner teeth.
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Briefs: Medical
High-Altitude Hydration System
Three methods are being developed for keeping water from freezing during high-altitude climbs so that mountaineers can remain hydrated. Three strategies have been developed. At the time of this reporting two needed to be tested in the field and one was conceptual.

Ask the Expert

Ralph Bright on the Power of Power Cords
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Understanding power system components and how to connect them correctly is critical to meeting regulatory requirements and designing successful electrical products for worldwide markets. Interpower’s Ralph Bright defines these requirements and explains how to know which cord to select for your application.

Inside Story

Inside Story: Trends in Packaging and Sterilization
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Eurofins Medical Device Testing (MDT) provides a full scope of testing services. In this interview, Eurofins’ experts, Sunny Modi, PhD, Director of Package Testing; and Elizabeth Sydnor, Director of Microbiology; answer common questions on medical device packaging and sterilization.

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