Science

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Nanosensors support skin cancer therapy

Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer. In more than 50 percent of affected patients a particular mutation plays an important role. As the life span of the patients carrying the mutation can be significantly extended by novel drugs, it is very important to identify those reliably. For identification, researchers from the University of Basel and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Lausanne have developed a novel method, as they report in the renowned journal "Nature Nanotechnology". In Switzerland, every year about 2100 persons are affected by malignant melanoma, which makes it one of the most frequent tumors. While early detected the prospects of recovery are very good, in contrast at later stages the chances of survival are reduced drastically.

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Nanosensor: Eight cantilevers of 500 μm in length are applied for detection of the genetic mutation.

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The Spark Within: Light-Emitting Bioprobe Fits in a Single Cell

Stanford study is the first to demonstrate that sophisticated, engineered light resonators can be inserted inside cells without damaging the host. The researchers say it marks a new age in which tiny lasers and light-emitting diodes yield new avenues in the study and influence of living cells.

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This scanning electron microscope (SEM) image shows a nanobeam probe, including a large part of the handle tip, inserted in a typical cell.

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Graphene Technology Gaining a Foothold in the Marketplace: NSF grantee Vorbeck, one of the first companies to produce graphene-based products, is expanding its operations

Nanotechnologies exist in the realm of billionths of a meter, with tolerances that push the limits of manufacturing--so it can be hard to imagine a factory that can turn out such products on a commercial scale.

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Rolls of printed graphene electronics are shown, including printed switches, printed sensors and printed resistors as seen before their incorporation into electronics devices.

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NASA's Chandra Suggests Rare Explosion Created Our Galaxy's Youngest Black Hole

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Supernova remnant W49B.

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At the mouth of the red valley

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Southeast of Amenthes Planum

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A Valentine Rose

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This image of a planetary nebula, which may suggest a rose to some, was obtained with the wide-field view of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) Mosaic 1 camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

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A drop of ink on the luminous sky"

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This image from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows the bright star cluster NGC 6520 and its neighbour, the strange gecko-shaped dark cloud Barnard 86. This cosmic pair is set against millions of glowing stars from the brightest part of the Milky Way — a region so dense with stars that barely any dark sky is seen across the picture.

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Cheap, strong lithium-ion battery developed at USC: New design uses silicon nanoparticles to improve capacity and recharge more quickly

The new batteries—which could be used in anything from cell phones to hybrid cars—hold three times as much energy as comparable graphite-based designs and recharge within 10 minutes. The design, currently under a provisional patent, could be commercially available within two to three years.

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NASA Satellites Find Freshwater Losses in Middle East

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Boston College researchers' unique nanostructure produces novel 'plasmonic halos': Nanoscopic microcavities offer newfound control in light filtering

Using the geometric and material properties of a unique nanostructure, Boston College researchers have uncovered a novel photonic effect where surface plasmons interact with light to form "plasmonic halos" of selectable output color. The findings appear in the journal Nano Letters.

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Boston College researchers have constructed a unique nanostructure that exploits microcavity features to filter visible light into "plasmonic halos" of selected color output. The device could have applications in areas such as biomedical plasmonics or discrete optical filtering.