Could Reveal Way to Observe Enigmatic Particle
{Schematic drawing of collision between two BECs (the gray blobs) that have been “dressed” by laser light (brown arrows) and an additional magnetic field (green arrow). The fuzzy halo shows where atoms have been scattered. The non-uniform projection of the scattering halo on the graph beneath shows that some of the scattering has been d-wave and g-wave.
High-Res Image} CREDIT: Joint Quantum Institute
Gaithersburg MD & College Park, MD, USA -- Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have found a way to manipulate atoms’ internal states with lasers that dramatically influences their interactions in specific ways. Such light-tweaked atoms can be used as proxies to study important phenomena that would be difficult or impossible to study in other contexts.

Their most recent work, appearing in Science,* demonstrates a new class of interactions thought to be important to the physics of superconductors that could be used for quantum computation.

Particle interactions are fundamental to physics, determining, for example, how magnetic materials and high temperature superconductors work.

Learning more about these interactions or creating new “effective” interactions will help scientists design materials with specific magnetic or superconducting properties.


Read full article: 'Atoms Dressed with Light Show New Interactions'

Abingdon, UK & Lake Forest, CA, USA -- Available from AMSBIO, MagSi-proteomics beads are magnetic beads that are an ideal tool for the purification, concentration and desalting of peptides and protein digests.

The surface of the beads has been modified with C4, C8 and C18-alkyl groups that are optimised for reversed phase applications. Sample purity and throughput are areas of key importance for proteomics researchers.

Magnetic beads offer a convenient solid support for a variety of assays and procedures based on affinity purification. They are especially well suited for automated procedures because instrumentation is available to easily mix, incubate and separate the magnetic beads in 96-well plates without columns or centrifugation.


Read full article: 'Magnetic beads provide optimised sample preparation of peptides & protein digest'

Trig, UK -- The Specialised Imaging Multi-Channel Framing Camera (SIM) has established itself as the ultra high-speed camera of choice for many leading university research groups around the world through its proven unmatched performance, reliability, ease-of-use and wide applications flexibility.

Using high-resolution image intensifiers, no-compromise optical design, and double pulsing - SIM Cameras offer the ultimate in ultra-high-speed imaging performance to scientists and engineers.

The high throughput SIM camera optical design offers up to 16 separate channels without compromising resolution, shading, or parallax.


Read full article: 'High Speed Camera for University Research…'

{CAPTION:LROC WAC color shaded relief of the lunar farside (NASA/GSFC/DLR/Arizona State University - click for a larger image).}

Global topography -- a boon to lunar scientists and explorers around the world! The LROC team has released Version 1 of the Wide Angle Camera (WAC) topographic map of the Moon.

This amazing map shows you the ups and downs over nearly the entire Moon, at a scale of 100 meters across the surface, and 20 meters or better vertically. Despite the diminutive size of the WAC (it fits in the palm of one's hand), it images nearly the entire Moon every month.

Every month? Yes! Redundant data? No!

Each month the Moon's lighting changes, so the WAC methodically builds up a record of how different rocks reflect light under different conditions, and adds to the LROC library of stereo observations.


Read full article: 'Lunar Topography:Revealed in Stunning Colors!'

Research Triangle Park NC, USA — The Automation Federation (AF) have announced today that AF and the International Society of Automation (ISA) will exhibit at the 2nd USA Science & Engineering Festival, which will be held 28–29 April 2012, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and other key locations in Washington, D.C.,USA.

The festival is a celebration of science and engineering and will feature more than 1500 hands-on activities and more than 75 performances.

The USA Science & Engineering Festival is the country’s largest national science festival. It was developed to increase public awareness of the importance of science and to encourage youth to pursue careers in science and engineering by celebrating science the same way people celebrate Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes and pop stars.


Read full article: 'The Automation Federation & ISA to Exhibit at 2nd USA Science & Eng'g Festival'

Abingdon, UK & Lake Forest CA, USA -- AMSBIO has added mouse Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (mLIF) to its extensive range of stem cell research products. Functionally tested with mouse ES cells, the affordably-priced AMSBIO recombinant mLIF combines both high quality and high activity.

Mouse Leukemia Inhibitory Factor is a lymphoid factor involved in a number of biological processes including neural and hematopoietic cell differentiation, bone and fat metabolism, and mitogenesis of certain factor dependent cell lines.

Mouse Leukemia Inhibitory Factor has a variety of effects on different cell types in vitro, inhibiting the differentiation of embryonic stem cells and promoting the survival and/or proliferation of primitive hematopoietic precursors and primordial germ cells.


Read full article: 'Mouse Leukemia Inhibitory Factor delivers outstanding results'

NigeriaSat-2's 2.5 m resolution images

Kenley, UK -- The first high resolution satellite imagery has been released from NigeriaSat-2, a 300 kg class earth observation satellite manufactured by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) for the Nigerian space agency (NASRDA).

Benefiting from a high performance Camera with optical components manufactured by Optical Surfaces Ltd (Kenley, UK), the satellite has been able to capture stunning 2.5 m resolution images enabling detailed analysis of ground structures, aircraft and vehicles.

NigeriaSat-2 carries two imagers: a 2.5 m resolution panchromatic and a 5 m resolution multispectral with a swath width of 20 kilometres.


Read full article: 'Satellite Demonstrates Stunning High Resolution Imagery'

Lelystad, The Netherlands & McMurray PA, USA -- Micronic Europe BV has launched a traceable sample management system for donor organisations and banks looking to streamline the storage of blood, bone, allograft and tissue bank materials.

For tissue, bone, blood and allograft organizations, the integrity and handling of each sample is critical.

Drawing upon over 25 years experience of supplying sample storage and management solutions to pharmaceutical, biobanking and forensic labs worldwide, Micronic have developed a traceable sample storage system for donor organizations and tissue banks comprising storage tubes, tube screw caps, racks, tube readers and sample management software.

With a unique 2-dimensional code laser encrypted on the tube bottom, the new Micronic 6 ml storage tubes enable easy and unambiguous identification and storage of your donor and transplant samples.


Read full article: 'Micronic Launch Sample Storage Range for Tissue Banks & Donor Organisations'

Villebon sur Yvette, France & South San Francisco CA, USA -- Fluidigm Corporation has announced that Rujin Hospital in Shanghai, China has used the company's integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs) to help validate two new susceptibility loci for Graves' disease.

Researchers applied the unique properties of the Fluidigm 96.96 Dynamic Array™ IFC and the EP1™ System to re-genotype selected SNPs for the replication study.

In a paper entitled: "A genome-wide association study identifies two new risk loci for Graves' disease", published in the August 14, 2011 issue of Nature Genetics Magazine, researchers confirmed four previously reported loci and identified two new susceptibility loci for Graves' disease.

Graves' disease is a common autoimmune disorder characterized by thyroid stimulating hormone receptor autoantibodies and hyperthyroidism.


Read full article: 'Fluidigm technology used to validate new risk loci for Graves disease'

Abingdon, UK & Lake Forest CA, USA -- AMSBIO has introduced GeneIn™, a new transfection reagent specifically designed to transfect stem cells and primary cells. Comparative studies against other commercially available reagents show GeneIn™ to be superior in transfection efficiency with minimum cytotoxicity.

Delivery of nucleic acids into mammalian cells is often a critical task in the area of cell and molecular biology. Stem cells and primary cells have traditionally proven to be very difficult to transfect.

GeneIn™ is a novel cationic transfection reagent formulated from proprietary compounds that are chemically defined and are of animal-free origin.


Read full article: 'Optimised Gene Delivery Solution for Hard-to-Transfect Cells'

Glasfreie pH-Elektrode mit integriertem RTD für die Nahrungsmittelindustrie.

Schwerzenbach, Switzerland – At a German cheese producer, glass-free pH sensors, InPro 3300, from METTLER TOLEDO are being successfully used to control cultivation of starter culture in fermentation reactors. The sensor fully meets strict process safety requirements.

German Dairy Producer

Producing cheeses such as Camembert and Brie, the company has highly modern installations, strict hygienic procedures and quality checks to accompany the complete production process. The factory is certified in accordance with the internationally recognized standards DIN EN ISO 9001, American Institute of Baking, British Retail Consortium and International Food Standard.

The factory is dependent upon an intact environment being maintained and therefore pays close attention to protection both of the environment and resources.


Read full article: 'Glass-free pH Measurement Fulfills Strict Requirements of Cheese Industry'

The Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI) & The Heavy Ion Sensor (HIS)

A coronal mass ejection bursting off the left side of the sun. This image was captured by the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) at 6:05 PM ET on September 21, 2011. | Credit: ESA/NASA/SOHO | › View larger

WASHINGTON DC, USA -- NASA will begin development and testing of two science instruments, in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), to be placed on ESA's newly selected Solar Orbiter mission. The spacecraft will study the sun from a closer distance than any previous mission.

At its closest approach, the European-led project will operate approximately 21 million miles from the sun's surface, near the orbit of Mercury, roughly 25 percent of the distance from the sun to the Earth. This unique vantage point will enhance the ability to forecast space weather.

Space weather produces disturbances in electromagnetic fields on Earth that can induce extreme currents in wires, disrupt power lines and cause widespread blackouts. These sun storms can interfere with communications between ground controllers and satellites and with airplane pilots flying near Earth's poles. Radio noise from the storms also can disrupt cell phone service.

"Solar Orbiter is an exciting mission that will improve our understanding of the sun and its environment," said Barbara Giles, director for NASA's Heliophysics Division in Washington. "This collaboration will create a new chapter in heliophysics research and continue a strong partnership with the international science community to complement future robotic and human exploration activities."


Read full article: 'NASA Developing Instruments For New Solar Orbiter Mission '

Prode Properties thermodynamic server, version 1.18a available for download

Milano, Italy -- Prode Properties has been designed (first public version, 1994) to provide advanced features as those available in process simulators within common applications as Microsoft Excel , Matlab, etc. - a free "student" version is available.

Base version has a cost of 249 euro including large data banks (more than 1500 components and 25000 BIPs ).

This tool can calculate properties of pure fluids and mixtures (gas, vapor, liquid, solid states) as cp, cv, density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, speed of sound, Joule Thomson, isothermal compressibility etc.,

It can solve distillation columns, phase equilibrium separations, print phase envelopes, phase diagrams, critical points, cricondentherm, cricondenbar, cloud point and more.


Read full article: 'Prode Properties, thermodynamic database with OPC/MODBUS interface'

{The first global map of the salinity, or saltiness, of Earth’s ocean surface produced by NASA's new Aquarius instrument reveals a rich tapestry of global salinity patterns, demonstrating Aquarius' ability to resolve large-scale salinity distribution features clearly and with sharp contrast. Image credit: NASA/GSFC/JPL-Caltech
› Full image and caption}
PASADENA CA, USA – NASA's new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries.

Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas) observatory, is making NASA's first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations -- a key component of Earth's climate. Salinity changes are linked to the cycling of freshwater around the planet and influence ocean circulation.

"Aquarius' salinity data are showing much higher quality than we expected to see this early in the mission," said Aquarius Principal Investigator Gary Lagerloef of Earth & Space Research in Seattle. "Aquarius soon will allow scientists to explore the connections between global rainfall, ocean currents and climate variations."

The new map, which shows a tapestry of salinity patterns, demonstrates Aquarius' ability to detect large-scale salinity distribution features clearly and with sharp contrast.

The map is a composite of the data since Aquarius became operational on Aug. 25. The mission was launched June 10 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Aquarius/SAC-D is a collaboration between NASA and Argentina's space agency, Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE).



Read full article: 'Aquarius Yields NASA's First Global Map of Ocean Salinity'

Information from Tagged Birds Available to The Public
{Loon Photo- Image courtesy USGS}
Reston VA, USA -- Loon migratory movements from current and previous studies using satellite transmitters can be followed online at the U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) website at www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/migratory_birds/loons/migrations.html.

Several common loons breeding in the Upper Midwest are sporting satellite transmitters in order for researchers to study the migration of these fish-eating water birds through the Great Lakes toward their southern winter homes.

By using satellite tracking devices implanted in the loons from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Michigan Upper Peninsula, USGS scientists expect to learn information about avian botulism essential for managers to develop loon conservation strategies.

“This study will also help managers better understand how loons fare as they head to their wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts,” said USGS scientist Kevin Kenow of UMESC in La Crosse, Wisc.


Read full article: 'Track Loon Migration via Satellites Online'