Medical Sensors Improve With Holey Gold Nanostructures

Sep. 26, 2013 — A new method that fabricates gold nanostructures quickly and efficiently could lead to highly sensitive, portable medical sensorsRecent advances in nanotechnology are providing new possibilities for medical imaging and sensing. Gold nanostructures, for example, can enhance the fluorescence of marker dyes that are commonly used to detect biomolecules and diagnose specific diseases.

Localized surface plasmon resonance (bright areas) around a gold nanohole enhances the fluorescence of a biomarker dye (Y-shaped molecule) when a specific molecule of interest (purple circle) is present. (Credit: A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing)

Now, Ping Bai at the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore, and co-workers have developed a fast and inexpensive way to fabricate arrays of gold nanoholes. The researchers have shown that sensor chips built using these nanostructures can accurately detect cancer-related molecules in blood and are small enough to be used in portable medical devices.
Nanohole arrays are designed so that incident light of certain wavelengths will induce large-scale oscillations of the gold electrons, known as localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The localized SPR focuses the absorbed light energy to enhance fluorescence (see image).
"Commercial SPR systems are already used in hospital laboratories, but they are bulky and expensive," says Bai. "We would like to develop small, handheld devices for on-the-spot clinical use. This requires localized SPR, for which we need nanohole arrays."
Previously, nanohole arrays have been created using electron-beam lithography (EBL), which is expensive and time consuming. Bai and co-workers used EBL to create a nickel mold and then used the mold to print nanohole patterns onto a photoresist material. The researchers made the nanostructures by evaporating gold onto the patterned structure before peeling off the photoresist material. Because the nickel mold can be reused many times, this method -- called nano-imprinting -- can produce large numbers of gold nanohole arrays.
"We fabricated arrays of 140 nanometer-square nanoholes with very few defects," says Bai. As a first demonstration, the researchers showed that a sensor chip made with their nanohole arrays could detect prostate cancer antigens in blood, and was ten times more sensitive than an identical device that used a gold film without nanoholes. Optimizing the chip design would further improve the sensitivity, Bai notes.
The team believes that these chips could be incorporated into cheap and portable point-of-care devices for rapid diagnosis of diseases such as dengue fever. "The microfluidic cartridge built using our nanohole arrays is about the size of a credit card," says Bai. "In the future, we hope to build detectors that use very simple light sources, such as LEDs, and simple detectors similar to smartphone cameras. These devices will have widespread applications across medical science and could even be used to detect contaminants in food, water or the air."

 

Accelerator On a Chip: Technology Could Spawn New Generations of Smaller, Less Expensive Devices for Science, Medicine

The key to the accelerator chips is tiny, precisely spaced ridges, which cause the iridescence seen in this close-up photo. (Credit: Matt Beardsley, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

The achievement was reported today in Nature by a team including scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University.
"We still have a number of challenges before this technology becomes practical for real-world use, but eventually it would substantially reduce the size and cost of future high-energy particle colliders for exploring the world of fundamental particles and forces," said Joel England, the SLAC physicist who led the experiments. "It could also help enable compact accelerators and X-ray devices for security scanning, medical therapy and imaging, and research in biology and materials science."
Because it employs commercial lasers and low-cost, mass-production techniques, the researchers believe it will set the stage for new generations of "tabletop" accelerators.
At its full potential, the new "accelerator on a chip" could match the accelerating power of SLAC's 2-mile-long linear accelerator in just 100 feet, and deliver a million more electron pulses per second.
This initial demonstration achieved an acceleration gradient, or amount of energy gained per length, of 300 million electronvolts per meter. That's roughly 10 times the acceleration provided by the current SLAC linear accelerator.
"Our ultimate goal for this structure is 1 billion electronvolts per meter, and we're already one-third of the way in our first experiment," said Stanford Professor Robert Byer, the principal investigator for this research.
Today's accelerators use microwaves to boost the energy of electrons. Researchers have been looking for more economical alternatives, and this new technique, which uses ultrafast lasers to drive the accelerator, is a leading candidate.
Particles are generally accelerated in two stages. First they are boosted to nearly the speed of light. Then any additional acceleration increases their energy, but not their speed; this is the challenging part.
In the accelerator-on-a-chip experiments, electrons are first accelerated to near light-speed in a conventional accelerator. Then they are focused into a tiny, half-micron-high channel within a fused silica glass chip just half a millimeter long. The channel had been patterned with precisely spaced nanoscale ridges. Infrared laser light shining on the pattern generates electrical fields that interact with the electrons in the channel to boost their energy.
Turning the accelerator on a chip into a full-fledged tabletop accelerator will require a more compact way to get the electrons up to speed before they enter the device.
A collaborating research group in Germany, led by Peter Hommelhoff at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, has been looking for such a solution. It simultaneously reports in Physical Review Letters its success in using a laser to accelerate lower-energy electrons.
Applications for these new particle accelerators would go well beyond particle physics research. Byer said laser accelerators could drive compact X-ray free-electron lasers, comparable to SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source, that are all-purpose tools for a wide range of research.

Another possible application is small, portable X-ray sources to improve medical care for people injured in combat, as well as provide more affordable medical imaging for hospitals and laboratories. That's one of the goals of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Advanced X-Ray Integrated Sources (AXiS) program, which partially funded this research. Primary funding for this research is from the DOE's Office of Science.
 

 

Lernstift – a Pen That Warns for Mistakes

Lernstift is a digital pen  

that recognizes writing errors and points them out with a subtle vibration – like a friend looking you over the shoulder as you write. Lernstift works fully autonomous – without further external devices or special paper.

Two central functions

Learning to write bears two main challenges: writing legibly and writing correctly. Lernstift helps with both – from legibly writing one's very first letters down to the correct spelling of exotic fruits on your shopping list.

Calligraphy mode

In Calligraphy Mode the pen vibrates once if a letter is written wrong or illegibly.

Orthography mode

In Orthography Mode the pen vibrates once for a misspelled word and twice to point out grammatical errors in a sentence.

Lernstift Apps

Lernstift is an innovative learning aid for kids and adults.
The sophisticated electronics recognize all writing movements and points out mistakes as they are being made – with an unmistakeable vibration.

Via Wi-Fi the pen can be connected to computers and smart devices. With the help of apps one can measure the learning progress. A broad range of other apps will be developed – from interactive learning games to digital note-taking and co-writing solutions all the way down to social media sharing and an own Lernstift community.

Learning success measurement

Live monitoring

Document creation

Cowriting

Further Features

Unlike other digital pens Lernstift is truly multifaceted – in both the visual and functional design.

Exchangeable writing tips: pencil, fountain pen, ballpoint

With its exhangeable writing system the pen can be easily turned into a pencil, fountain pen or ballpoint.

Color variants for girls and boys, mothers and fathers

Boys will be boys and most girls do have a feminine style most of the time; that's why Lernstift will be available in respective colors.

Language versions

Upon launch, Lernstift will be available in English and German. Step by step we will then introduce further languages; depending on the demand.

The future of penmanship

A perfectly easy way to learn to write perfectly

For centuries mankind has been learning to write. All this time, we have depended on someone looking over our shoulder as we write, or correcting spelling, grammar and form afterwards.
In the future we can get our feedback another way – and more importantly: instantly! With Lernstift. It combines a time-tested writing utensil with state of the art technology and thereby gives writing by hand new relevance and appeal in the age of the iPad.
The integrated electronics recognize mistakes as they are being made and give the writer feedback by vibrating. In other words:

Lernstift is a great way to learn how to write faster. And what’s more: Lernstift is great fun, too!

Lernstift – a Pen That Warns for Mistakes

Lernstift – a Pen That Warns for Mistakes

Army test next generation nano drone - the Black Hornet

Army test next generation nano drone - the Black Hornet

It may look like a child’s toy - but this tiny remote control helicopter has become massively important to the Army in the fight against the Taliban

High flyer: Sgt Scott Weaver launches a drone

Crown Copyright

It may look like a child’s toy - but this tiny remote control helicopter has become massively important to the Army in the fight against the Taliban.
Troops in Afghanistan program the Black Hornet drone to fly deep into enemy territory and take pictures with three tiny cameras fitted in its nose before returning to base.

The 8in drones are so small that they can fit easily in a soldier’s hand and weigh just over half an ounce including their batteries.
They are being used by soldiers from the Brigade Reconnaissance Force at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Mission: The Black Hornet takes off at Camp Bastion

Crown Copyright

 

Child's play: The remote control helicopter in the air

Crown Copyright

  Commanding officer Major Adam Foden, 53, said: “Black Hornet is a game-changing piece of kit.
"Previously, we would have had to send soldiers forward to see if there were any enemy fighters hiding inside a set of buildings.
"Now we are deploying Black Hornet to look inside compounds and to clear a route through enemy-held spaces.
“It has worked very well and the pictures it delivers back to the monitor are really clear and Black Hornet is so small and quiet that the locals can’t see or hear it.”
The Black Hornet has a rechargeable battery and is controlled by members of the unit using a joystick similar to those on video games .
The drone can fly at speeds of up to 22mph during each 30-minute reconnaissance mission.
As it hovers near enemy positions, high-resolution images are beamed back to Camp Bastion.
One soldier said: “The Black Hornet is really cool. The pictures are amazingly clear and we can see who is a local civilian and who is a Taliban fighter and whether any weapons are being stored there.
“We can then make our plans accordingly. It saves a lot of time and prevents a lot of mistakes.
"It can zoom right up to somebody’s face and hold that frame for as long as is required so we can identify them without them even knowing it’s there.”
 
Hi-tech and deadly
British soldiers operating in Afghanistan are equipped with a variety of hi-tech equipment.
The latest rifle – the SA80 A2 – is fitted with a high-definition sight which helps them to pinpoint targets more quickly.
The A2 has a range of up to 300 metres and has been used to devastating effect.
It is superior to its predecessors because it is fully automatic and sealed so less likely to get sand in it.
Troops are also supplied with state-of-the-art sunglasses which protect them from bomb blasts as well as sunlight.
The glasses are fitted with yellow lenses which enable them to make eye contact with civilians – which is seen as highly important when communicating.

Russian Billionaire Dmitry Itskov Plans on Becoming Immortal by 2045

 

Dmitry Itskov wants to live forever. The 32-year-old Russian billionaire and media mogul thinks he can do this by building himself (and everyone) an android body by the year 2045.

There are a few flaws to Itskov’s idea, but that hasn’t stopped more than 20,000 people from publicly supporting the site outlining his plan of using android bodies for immortality. Dubbed the 2045 Initiative, Itskov is selling his idea as the "next step" in human evolution, or "neo-humanity," as he refers to it.

It doesn't stop with android bodies, either. The 2045 folks are also calling for a new religion and set of ethics because they don’t believe any of the current ones can handle the societal implications of living forever—as most of the current ones have you dying first in order to achieve immortality.  

Itskov has also gone ahead and registered his own political party in Russia called “Evolution 2045.”  

But let’s back up a second. How exactly does Itskov plan to become immortal?

"The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of [an] individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality," reads his site.

Itskov is calling his artificial "advanced non-biological carrier" body an "avatar," which is controlled by a “brain-computer interface.” It functions more or less like the fake bodies in the 2009 James Cameron movie of the same name. Did Itskov get his idea from watching the movie? The photo below, which I found on his public Facebook page, would suggest that yeah, he probably did.

But this isn’t just a hairbrained, movie-inspired scheme for Itskov. He’s really thought it through, and has an impressive cast of experts on board. He's even met the Dalai Lama and gotten his blessing for Initiative 2045.

“We are facing the time where the unconscious evolution period has almost finished, and we come to the new era, a new period of controlled evolution,” says Itskov in a video interview.

His future, that “new period of controlled evolution,” goes something like this:

By 2020, Initiative 2045 aims to make this avatar technology widely available and mainstream—never mind that’s seven years from now and a working prototype doesn’t exist yet.

By 2025, Itskov expects an “autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot." In other words, they'll have the tech for implanting the human brain into the robot. By 2035, a human should be able to upload their brain into a robot, and by 2045 our bodies will be replaced with holograms. When this happens, Itskov says we will become "a new species.”

Besides creating the technology needed for this kind of evolution, Initiative 2045 has a variety of “key” future projects beyond trying to start an “international social movement." Along with a social network called immortal.me, Itskov lists the projects he wants to start: a charity foundation called Global Future 2045, the “scientific research centre ‘Immortality,’” “a business incubator” with no further elaboration, a “University of ‘Immortality,’” and an “annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of ‘Immortality.’”

To help realize these goals is the Global Future Congress, which held its first meeting in Moscow last year. The congress will meet again in New York City this June, where it promises to unveil the most human-like robot the World has ever seen.  

Conspicuously absent among all of Itskov’s writings, as well as among all the scientists, philosophers and spiritual leaders speaking at this year’s conference, are experts on cyber security and the Internet philosopher-types who love pontificating on the effects of connecting the brain to the Internet.

This is the biggest issue I've found with Itskov’s current model: he has completely ignored our Internet obsession. If we could implant the web into our brain and download skills, Matrix-style, we would. For good or bad, that's an area that can't be ignored. (For one, Itskov would probably get more support if he reached out to Google and tried to incorporate Google Glass into his avatars.)

Another curious omission is with the groups Itskov is currently working with: he's focused on transhumanists and philosophers, but as yet he doesn't seem to have tapped into the hacker world. There are a whole lot of people out there interested in mind hacking, and Initiative 2045 appears to be one of the first broad attempts at driving into that realm.

The main antagonist in the groundbreaking anime movie Ghost in the Shell is the hacker known as The Puppet Master, who enters people’s “cyberbrains,” wipes their memories, and then uses their bodies for his own specific purposes, like carrying out crimes. Since Itskov is in the habit of being inspired by movies, I’d say Ghost in the Shell is a must watch for him. It's an important cautionary tale, for even if Itskov does manage to build the future of his dreams, his immortality won’t matter if he loses his identity. 

As weird and unnecessary as some of Itskov’s Initiative goals come across, his Global Congress conference has managed to attract the who’s who of immortality, robotic and cybernetics research, including Google's director of engineering, Ray Kurzweil, and the director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro. Spiritual types like the Archbishop of Ottawa and Lazar Puhalo are speaking as well.

Don't get me wrong, there are some practical implications for Itskov’s type of technology. Beyond medical purposes for creating replacement bodies, this type of avatar technology would allow you “work in dangerous environments” or “perform rescue operations,” writes Itskov on his site. Beyond that, the possibilities a drone body allows for are relatively endless, assuming they'll ever get off the ground.

World Record Solar Cell With 44.7% Efficiency

Sep. 23, 2013 — The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin jointly announced today having achieved a new world record for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using a new solar cell structure with four solar subcells. Surpassing competition after only over three years of research, and entering the roadmap at world class level, a new record efficiency of 44.7% was measured at a concentration of 297 suns. This indicates that 44.7% of the solar spectrum's energy, from ultraviolet through to the infrared, is converted into electrical energy. This is a major step towards reducing further the costs of solar electricity and continues to pave the way to the 50% efficiency roadmap.

World record solar cell with 44.7% efficiency, made up of four solar subcells based on III-V compound semiconductors for use in concentrator photovoltaics. (Credit: © Fraunhofer ISE)

Back in May 2013, the German-French team of Fraunhofer ISE, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin had already announced a solar cell with 43.6% efficiency. Building on this result, further intensive research work and optimization steps led to the present efficiency of 44.7%.
These solar cells are used in concentrator photovoltaics (CPV), a technology which achieves more than twice the efficiency of conventional PV power plants in sun-rich locations. The terrestrial use of so-called III-V multi-junction solar cells, which originally came from space technology, has prevailed to realize highest efficiencies for the conversion of sunlight to electricity. In this multi-junction solar cell, several cells made out of different III-V semiconductor materials are stacked on top of each other. The single subcells absorb different wavelength ranges of the solar spectrum.
"We are incredibly proud of our team which has been working now for three years on this four-junction solar cell," says Frank Dimroth, Department Head and Project Leader in charge of this development work at Fraunhofer ISE. "This four-junction solar cell contains our collected expertise in this area over many years. Besides improved materials and optimization of the structure, a new procedure called wafer bonding plays a central role. With this technology, we are able to connect two semiconductor crystals, which otherwise cannot be grown on top of each other with high crystal quality. In this way we can produce the optimal semiconductor combination to create the highest efficiency solar cells."
"This world record increasing our efficiency level by more than 1 point in less than 4 months demonstrates the extreme potential of our four-junction solar cell design which relies on Soitec bonding techniques and expertise," says André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé, Soitec's Chairman and CEO. "It confirms the acceleration of the roadmap towards higher efficiencies which represents a key contributor to competitiveness of our own CPV systems. We are very proud of this achievement, a demonstration of a very successful collaboration."
"This new record value reinforces the credibility of the direct semiconductor bonding approaches that is developed in the frame of our collaboration with Soitec and Fraunhofer ISE. We are very proud of this new result, confirming the broad path that exists in solar technologies for advanced III-V semiconductor processing," said Leti CEO Laurent Malier. Concentrator modules are produced by Soitec (started in 2005 under the name Concentrix Solar, a spin-off of Fraunhofer ISE). This particularly efficient technology is employed in solar power plants located in sun-rich regions with a high percentage of direct radiation. Presently Soitec has CPV installations in 18 different countries including Italy, France, South Africa and California.

Animated videos introduce stem cell science in one-minute bursts

StemCellShorts – created by young Canadian researchers – are narrated by renowned scientists            

Two Canadian researchers with a passion for animation and the communication of science have created a series of one-minute videos to introduce basic concepts in stem cell research.
The first of three – What is a stem cell? – premieres today on Signals, the official blog of the Stem Cell Network, which helped fund the videos, and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine.

Ben Paylor

Mike Long, PhD

The videos are the brainchild of Ben Paylor , a PhD candidate in Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and Dr. Mike Long, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, who pitched the idea for the video series through a Public Outreach Award offered by the Stem Cell Network. They channeled the $5,000 in seed funding from the award through their Vancouver-based animation studio, InfoShots, engaging award-winning animator David Murawsky and Emmy-nominated composer James Wallace to create the animations and music for the films.
InfoShots, which they founded in 2011, specializes in explaining complex topics in simple terms. Current projects including animations that explain scientific papers, grants and the research of individual labs.

Narrated by the 'father of stem cell research'

Jim Till, PhD

To give the videos credibility and make an impact in the scientific community, they worked with the Stem Cell Network to enlist world-renowned stem cell scientists to narrate the videos. "Animation is an excellent medium for explaining complex topics in a very simple and engaging manner," said Paylor, an 2012-13 Action Canada fellow. "And being able to secure such prestigious narrators … was the icing on the cake."
The first video features the voice of Dr. Jim Till, who, along with Dr. Ernest McCulloch, first identified stem cells from bone marrow in 1961.Their description of stem cell characteristics became the foundation of the field of stem cellresearch. These concepts that are revealed in the first video which is targeted at youth of high-school age and older.
"I felt that it was important to contribute to What is a stem cell? because of the fortuitous involvement of Dr. Ernest McCulloch and myself in what turned out to be the foundation of a new field of experimental stem cell research," said Dr. Till.
He said he hoped the authenticity of the scientists' voices on the videos would help make the films more appealing to young people.

Communicating Science

Elsevier Connect's Communicating Science feature deals with all aspects of science communication, including creative ways researchers are presenting science to reach a broader audience. If you have a project or story you would like to present on Elsevier Connect, please submit your idea to Editor-in-Chief Alison Bert: ECEditor@elsevier.com.

The remaining two videos are "What is an embryonic stem cell?" narrated by Dr. Janet Rossant, Chief of Research at SickKids Hospital of the University of Toronto, and "What is an induced pluripotent stem cell?" narrated by Dr. Mick Bhatia, Director of the McMaster University Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute in Hamilton, Ontario.
They will be posted on the Signals Blog on October 11 and October 25 respectively.
In addition, the world screening premiere will be held at the 2013 Till & McCulloch Meetings October 24 in Banff, Alberta.
All videos will be hosted on the Stem Cell Network's vimeo channel: vimeo.com/stemcellnetwork.
For Paylor and Long, the work is far from complete. They recently received a second Public Outreach Award and matching funds from the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation to produce five more videos, which will be released in the spring.

The Stem Cell Network and Public Outreach Award

The Stem Cell Network, established in 2001, brings together more than 100 leading cientists, clinicians, engineers and ethicists from universities and hospitals across Canada. The Network supports cutting-edge projects that translate research discoveries into new and better treatments for millions of patients in Canada and around the world.
Hosted by the University of Ottawa, the Stem Cell Network is one of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence funded through Industry Canada and its three granting councils.
The Stem Cell Network's Public Outreach Award supports activities that communicate stem cell science, policy or ethics to targeted public audiences in Canada and abroad. The award enables Stem Cell Network members and trainees to gain access to development and production funding for the creation of materials required as part of these activities.

The Author

Lisa Willemse

Lisa Willemse  is Director of Communications for the Stem Cell Network, one of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence. In addition to more traditional forms of communications, in which she uses her previous experience as an editor, journalist and photographer, she has a strong interest in new media and online communications. In 2008, she began developing the Signals Blog, the official blog of the Stem Cell Network and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine. The blog is dedicated to sharing findings and commentary related to stem cell research while serving as a training/mentorship platform for young scientists interested in acquiring science communications skills. She serves as the blog's editor and an occasional contributor. 

source:http://www.elsevier.com/connect/animated-videos-introduce-stem-cell-science-in-one-minute-bursts

Future Laptops Could Be Powered By Typing

Charge your laptop by typing on it — sounds like a perfect idea to one who believes in the ideal world. But this could soon become a reality as Researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have successfully measured a piezoelectric thin film’s capacity for turning mechanical pressure into electricity — which is said to be a crucial step towards the development of self-powering portable electronics.

Piezoelectricity, a phenomenon that was used in electric cigarette lighters was discovered in the 19th century. Similar to the way electric cigarette lighters use piezoelectric crystals to produce a high voltage electric current, laptops could also generate electric energy to self-charge themselves when buttons are pressed.
According to Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran:

The power of piezoelectrics could be integrated into running shoes to charge mobile phones, enable laptops to be powered through typing or even used to convert blood pressure into a power source for pacemakers – essentially creating an everlasting battery.
With the drive for alternative energy solutions, we need to find more efficient ways to power microchips, which are the building blocks of everyday technology like the smarter phone or faster computer.
The next key challenge will be amplifying the electrical energy generated by the piezoelectric materials to enable them to be integrated into low-cost, compact structures.

This study has been co-authored by Dr Bhaskaran with Dr Sharath Sriram, who is part of the Microplatforms Research Group, led by Professor Arnan Mitchell. Australian National University’s Dr Simon Ruffell also collaborated on the research. The study was published in Volume 21, Issue 12 of Advanced Functional Materials.
The drawback of this is that the piezelectric film is still not cost-effective to manufacture, but experts believe this dream will come true sooner rather than later.

Solar Tunnel To Power 4,000 Trains Annually

Europe’s first “solar tunnel” is providing power to high-speed trains running between Paris and Amsterdam.
The 3.6-kilometer (2.2-mile) tunnel, built to protect trains from falling trees as they pass through an ancient forest near Antwerp, is covered with solar cells and could generate 3.3 MWh of electricity annually. Enfinity, the company behind the project, says that’s equivalent to the average annual consumption of nearly 1,000 homes. It also claims that the tunnel will decrease CO2 emissions by 2,400 tons per year.

“For train operators, it is the perfect way to cut their carbon footprints because you can use spaces that have no other economic value and the projects can be delivered within a year because they don’t attract the protests that wind power does,” Bart Van Renterghem, the UK head of Enfinity, told the Guardian.
The $22.9 million project uses 16,000 solar panels covering 50,000 square meters (roughly 538,000 square feet), which is about the size of eight football pitches. They will provide enough electricity to power 4,000 trains a year. The first of those trains left Antwerp on Monday, filled with commuters and students. The trains tap into the solar energy as they pass through the tunnel at 186 mph. The electricity also provides power for lighting, signals and other infrastructure.
“By using electricity generated on-site, we eliminate energy losses and transport costs,” Enfinity chief executive Steven De Tollenaere, told AFP.
Enfinity has said there had been plans afoot to introduce similar solar infrastructure in the UK but recent cuts to financial incentives would make the projects “unviable.”
“Apparently the UK Government is more concerned about the Treasury than the mid and long-term carbon reduction objectives that we have,” van Renerghem said. “Personally, I think it is short-sighted.”

Energy minister Greg Barker MP said in response: “We want to create a long-term platform for growth. Now that does mean that, in the short term, large-scale schemes aren’t going to get the sort of funding that we see in Belgium currently. There are a lot of exciting things in solar but we have got to think it through so that we get good value for the bill-payers as well as a great deal for the solar pioneers.”

 

How to Make Ceramics That Bend Without Breaking: Self-Deploying Medical Devices?

Sep. 26, 2013 — Ceramics are not known for their flexibility: they tend to crack under stress. But researchers from MIT and Singapore have just found a way around that problem -- for very tiny objects, at least.

When subjected to a load, the molecular structure of the ceramic material studied by the MIT-Singapore team deforms rather than cracking. When heated, it then returns to its original shape. Though they have the same chemical composition, the two molecular configurations correspond to different natural minerals, called austenite and martensite. (Credit: Graphic: Lai et al)

The team has developed a way of making minuscule ceramic objects that are not only flexible, but also have a "memory" for shape: When bent and then heated, they return to their original shapes. The surprising discovery is reported this week in the journal Science, in a paper by MIT graduate student Alan Lai, professor Christopher Schuh, and two collaborators in Singapore.
Shape-memory materials, which can bend and then snap back to their original configurations in response to a temperature change, have been known since the 1950s, explains Schuh, the Danae and Vasilis Salapatas Professor of Metallurgy and head of MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. "It's been known in metals, and some polymers," he says, "but not in ceramics."
In principle, the molecular structure of ceramics should make shape memory possible, he says -- but the materials' brittleness and propensity for cracking has been a hurdle. "The concept has been there, but it's never been realized," Schuh says. "That's why we were so excited."
The key to shape-memory ceramics, it turns out, was thinking small.
The team accomplished this in two key ways. First, they created tiny ceramic objects, invisible to the naked eye: "When you make things small, they are more resistant to cracking," Schuh says. Then, the researchers concentrated on making the individual crystal grains span the entire small-scale structure, removing the crystal-grain boundaries where cracks are most likely to occur.
Those tactics resulted in tiny samples of ceramic material -- samples with deformability equivalent to about 7 percent of their size. "Most things can only deform about 1 percent," Lai says, adding that normal ceramics can't even bend that much without cracking.
"Usually if you bend a ceramic by 1 percent, it will shatter," Schuh says. But these tiny filaments, with a diameter of just 1 micrometer -- one millionth of a meter -- can be bent by 7 to 8 percent repeatedly without any cracking, he says.
While a micrometer is pretty tiny by most standards, it's actually not so small in the world of nanotechnology. "It's large compared to a lot of what nanotech people work on," Lai says. As such, these materials could be important tools for those developing micro- and nanodevices, such as for biomedical applications. For example, shape-memory ceramics could be used as microactuators to trigger actions within such devices -- such as the release of drugs from tiny implants.
Compared to the materials currently used in microactuators, Schuh says, the strength of the ceramic would allow it to exert a stronger push in a microdevice. "Microactuation is something we think this might be very good for," he says, because the ceramic material has "the ability to push things with a lot of force -- the highest on record" for its size.
The ceramics used in this research were made of zirconia, but the same techniques should apply to other ceramic materials. Zirconia is "one of the most well-studied ceramics," Lai says, and is already widely used in engineering. It is also used in fuel cells, considered a promising means of providing power for cars, homes and even for the electric grid. While there would be no need for elasticity in such applications, the material's flexibility could make it more resistant to damage.
The material combines some of the best attributes of metals and ceramics, the researchers say: Metals have lower strength but are very deformable, while ceramics have much greater strength, but almost no ductility -- the ability to bend or stretch without breaking. The newly developed ceramics, Schuh says, have "ceramiclike strength, but metallike ductility."
In addition to Schuh and Lai, the work was carried out by Zehui Du and Chee Lip Gan of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.