Related Business:
Headline Archives
Earth
animals biofuels biomass body canola climate change conserve diet Economics edible Energy Environment fats fitness flowers food forecasting forests fruits fuel sources gardening global warming government greens health herbs housing local locally grown produce local produce Low Impact Gardening medicinal medicine mind oil ozone plants pollution spirit Sustainability sustainable trees vegetables vitamins wellness
Energy News- DOT, EPA Boost Fuel Economy, Set GHG Emission Limits for Light Vehicles April 7, 2010As part of stringent new fuel economy standards, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have issued the first-ever federal rules that establish greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for all new cars and light trucks sold in the country. […]
- Report Proposes a National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation April 7, 2010A new progress report from the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, which includes two White House entities, finds that climate change is already affecting the ability of federal agencies to fulfill their missions. The report proposes a federal strategy for climate change adaptation. […]
- U.S. Federal Government to Double its Hybrid Fleet; DOE Takes the Lead April 7, 2010President Obama has announced that the federal government will double its hybrid vehicle fleet this year, replacing 5,603 of its least-efficient cars and trucks with fuel- efficient hybrids and plug-in hybrids. DOE will lead by adding 753 hybrids in place of inefficient vehicles. […]
- DOT, EPA Boost Fuel Economy, Set GHG Emission Limits for Light Vehicles April 7, 2010
- Renewable Energy
- NREL Finds a Way to Give LEDs the Green LightLab reverses solar cell process to create a long-sought-after deep green that could lead to cheaper, more efficient lighting. […]
- NREL's New Robots Scrutinize Solar CellsProcess Development and Integration Laboratory is faster, more precise, gives industry quicker answers. […]
- Tool That Tracks Solar Installations is Open to AllNREL's new Open PV Web site lets users download information about installations, explore trends in photovoltaic markets. […]
- NREL Finds a Way to Give LEDs the Green Light
- Energy And The Environment
- Colorado ranks second in nation in energy-efficient schools April 7, 2010116 schools, from Kiowa to Grand Junction, join EPA’s Energy Star Class of 2009 (Denver, Colorado -- April 7, 2010) The U.S […]
- U.S. EPA, UC Riverside, to engage students in agency’s green agenda through a new partnership April 6, 2010(04/06/10) LOS ANGELES – The U.S […]
- $69,971 Awarded to AlburtyLab, Inc., of Drexel, Mo., to Improve Drinking Water Monitoring Technology April 5, 2010Environmental News FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Kansas City, Kan., April 5, 2010) - EPA has awarded $69,971 to AlburtyLab, Inc., of Drexel, Mo., to develop new technologies for improved drinking water monitoring. AlburtyLab intends to market this technology through its partner, InnovPrep LLC […]
- Colorado ranks second in nation in energy-efficient schools April 7, 2010
- Energy Research
- Stojanoff deciphers crystal structures, promotes role of women in science April 8, 2010Vivian Stojanoff spends her workdays studying a special kind of crystals ??? protein crystals. […]
- SRNL assesses bamboo for closure caps April 8, 2010The very traits that can make some bamboos troublesome for landowners???quick to grow and hard to kill???make it potentially useful for cleanup, according to the Savannah River National Laboratory. […]
- MTI satellite celebrates 10 years in orbit, continues to serve April 8, 2010For researchers at DOE's Sandia National Laboratories, the evening of March 12 marked a proud moment. […]
- Stojanoff deciphers crystal structures, promotes role of women in science April 8, 2010
- Agriculture
- ARS Scientists Develop Self-pollinating Almond TreesRead the magazine story to find out more. ARS geneticist Craig Ledbetter is developing self-pollinating almond trees that can produce a harvest of nuts without insect pollination.Click the image for more information about it. Helpful yeast battles food-contaminating aflatoxin Antioxidant effects from eating almonds Separating the chaff from the nuts AR […]
- Viral Life Cycle of Malignant Catarrhal Fever ExplainedRead the magazine story to find out more. Scientists have uncovered the mysterious life cycle of a virus that passes from sheep to bison and cattle, causing malignant catarrhal fever. Click the image for more information about it. Research closes in on goat scrapie Genetic underpinnings of sheep traits may yield clues to greater productivity Researcher […]
- Longer-Lasting Flowers: Fresh Ideas from ARS ResearchersRead the magazine story to find out more. Scientists have found that spraying low concentrations of the compound thidiazuron can significantly extend the life of some potted plants' leaves and flowers such as the treated cyclamen on the left. Click the image for more information about it. Ornamental peppers heading to market Two new lilacs from the U […]
- ARS Scientists Develop Self-pollinating Almond Trees
- Food, Drugs And Health
- FDA Approves First Generic Versions of Two Drugs for the Treatment of HypertensionOn April 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic versions of two drugs used for the treatment of hypertension. Losartan potassium tablets and losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide tablets (a combination drug) are the generic equivalents of Cozaar and Hyzaar tablets, respectively. […]
- FDA Issues Warning Letters for Drugs Promoted in Fat Elimination ProcedureThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued warning letters to six U.S. based medical spas and a company in Brazil for making false or misleading statements on their Web sites about drugs they claim will eliminate fat in a procedure called “lipodissolve,” or for otherwise misbranding lipodissolve products. […]
- Medical Device Manufacturer Guidant Pleads Guilty for not Reporting Defibrillator Safety Problems to FDAMedical Device Manufacturer Guidant Pleads Guilty for not Reporting Defibrillator Safety Problems to FDA […]
- FDA Approves New Formulation for OxyContinThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new formulation of the controlled-release drug OxyContin that has been designed to help discourage misuse and abuse of the medication. […]
- FDA Approves First Biodegradable Sealant Patch for Cardiovascular SurgeryThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved TachoSil, the first absorbable fibrin sealant patch for use in cardiovascular surgery to prevent mild and moderate bleeding from small blood vessels, when standard surgical techniques are ineffective or impractical. […]
- FDA Approves First Generic Versions of Two Drugs for the Treatment of Hypertension
The Spider Web: Paradox Of Super-strength
Research finds weakest chemical bonds produce materials stronger than steel
Since its development in China thousands of years ago, silk from silkworms, spiders and other insects has been used for high-end, luxury fabrics as well as for parachutes and medical sutures. Now, National Science Foundation-supported researchers are untangling some of its most closely guarded secrets, and explaining why silk is so super strong.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Materials Science and Engineering say the key to silk’s pound-for-pound toughness, which exceeds that of steel, is its beta-sheet crystals, the nano-sized cross-linking domains that hold the material together.
Markus Buehler, the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Associate Professor in MIT’s department of civil and environmental engineering, and his team recently used computer models to simulate exactly how the components of beta sheet crystals move and interact with each other. They found that an unusual arrangement of hydrogen bonds–the “glue” that stabilizes the beta-sheet crystals–play an important role in defining the strength of silk.
They found that hydrogen bonds, which are among the weakest types of chemical bonds, gain strength when confined to spaces on the order of a few nanometers in size. Once in close proximity, the hydrogen bonds work together and become extremely strong. Moreover, if a hydrogen bond breaks, there are still many hydrogen bonds left that can contribute to the material’s overall strength, due to their ability to “self-heal” the beta-sheet crystals.
The researchers conclude that silk’s strength and ductility–its ability to bend or stretch without breaking–results from this peculiar arrangement of atomic bonds. They say controlling the size of the area in which hydrogen or other chemical bonds act can lead to significantly enhanced properties for future materials, even when the initial chemical bonds are very weak.
The journal Nature Materials reported the findings online March 14.
-NSF-