Science

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Miracle cure made from plants: Nanocellulose sponges to combat oil pollution

A new, absorbable material from Empa wood research could be of assistance in future oil spill accidents: a chemically modified nanocellulose sponge. The light material absorbs the oil spill, remains floating on the surface and can then be recovered. The absorbent can be produced in an environmentally-friendly manner from recycled paper, wood or agricultural by-products.

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Demonstration of the oleophilic and at the same time hydrophobic properties of a silylated nanocellulose sponge: A droplet of water (blue) sits on the surface, whereas a droplet of oil (red) is absorbed by the material.

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Two-lock box delivers cancer therapy: Rice University researchers find new possibilities for benign, ‘tunable’ virus

Rice University scientists have designed a tunable virus that works like a safe deposit box. It takes two keys to open it and release its therapeutic cargo.

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An adeno-associated virus capsid (blue) modified by peptides (red) inserted to lock the virus is the result of research at Rice University into a new way to target cancerous and other diseased cells. The peptides are keyed to proteases overexpressed at the site of diseased tissues; they unlock the capsid and allow it to deliver its therapeutic cargo.

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NASA's Curiosity Rover Drills Sandstone Slab on Mars

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This May 5, 2014, image from the Navigation Camera on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows two holes at top center drilled into a sandstone target called "Windjana." The farther hole was created by the rover's drill while it collected rock-powder sample material from the interior of the rock.

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IMF’s West AFRITAC Steering Committee Significant Reforms Achieved in West Africa with the Support of the Center

The Steering Committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Regional Technical Assistance Center for West Africa (West AFRITAC) welcomed the progress made by the Center and endorsed the work program for 2014-15. The Center increased its technical assistance activities by 6 percent during its 2013-14 financial year. Members of the Steering Committee met in Abidjan on April 30, 2014, with Togo chairing, to review the implementation of the work program for the financial year; and approve the program of work for the next financial year.

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Antimicrobial edible films inhibit pathogens in meat

Antimicrobial agents incorporated into edible films applied to foods to seal in flavor, freshness and color can improve the microbiological safety of meats, according to researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

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This image shows ring baloney wrapped in edible, antimicrobial film.

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New rapid synthesis developed for bilayer graphene and high-performance transistors: UCSB researchers demonstrate ultra-fast and deterministic growth of high-quality and large-area bilayer graphene films with controlled stacking order required for low-pow

Researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara, in collaboration with Rice University, have recently demonstrated a rapid synthesis technique for large-area Bernal (or AB) stacked bilayer graphene films that can open up new pathways for digital electronics and transparent conductor applications.

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This is concept art of a schematic view of an AB-stacked graphene film synthesized by UC Santa Barbara researchers using a stoichiometry engineered bifunctional alloy catalyst.

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Ganymede May Harbor 'Club Sandwich' of Oceans and Ice

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This artist's concept of Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, illustrates the "club sandwich" model of its interior oceans.

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Cassini Spies the Ice-Giant Planet Uranus

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This view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft features a blue planet, but unlike the view from July 19, 2013 (PIA17172) that featured our home planet, this blue orb is Uranus, imaged by Cassini for the first time.

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Iranian Researchers Study Interaction of Vitamins with Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Iranian Researchers Study Interaction of Vitamins with Boron Nitride Nanotubes

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U.S. Air Force Creates an Alternative Fuel Source

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The F-T reactor system produces synthetic liquid diesel fuel for Air Force equipment.