A força do vento

 

Isso já faz alguns anos, eu me lembro que quando via imagens de turbinas eólicas, ao longe pareciam pequenas, não tinha a menor idéia do seu tamanho real, se bem que nos últimos tempos elas tem aumentado cada vez mais seus tamanhos. Mas é impressionante o gigantismo de tais geradores de energia. O que mais me surpreende é que considerando-se o comprimento e o peso das hélices, (hoje chegam a 80 metros de comprimento, o vento por mais forte que seja possa faze-las girar. A de maior e a mais potente hoje é a Vesta (não me lembro o número do modelo) produz 8 Megawatts.  E a mais alta, também de grande capacidade, tem 220 m de altura.  A tendência é que se tornem cada vez maiores e seja desenvolvido outros sistemas de acionamento dos alternadores. Abaixo, algumas imagens.

Inflatable headphones

 

Somehow the small earphones haven’t really reached their full potential. I still think that around-ear headphones provide the best listening experience. There’s little to none sound leakage, which means most of the outer noise gets blocked. Except around-ears are really cumbersome and clunky. The Supersuit in-ear earbuds in that regard try to take on their elder brother, the around-ears.

What makes the Supersuit better than other earbuds? An expandable hoop around the earbud design that can expand to block out any air gaps in your ear canal. Just press the black switch on the back of the earphone and the hoop locks in your ear. This ensures two things that absolutely change the listening experience. Outside noise doesn’t go in and vice versa. Additionally, the earbuds actually hold their position, making them more secure and less prone to falling out. An added third advantage is that one size effectively fits all! Happy Listening!

Designers: Gong Jie, Li Bo, and Chen Meiqi

www.yankodesign.com

JFK greeting the millionth visit to the White House

 

4-D laser printing: holograms and beyond

 

Novel tech that manipulates light has applications beyond holograms, from studying alien worlds to making cellphones more energy efficient Flat, semi-translucent plates give unprecedented control over the behavior of light. October 21, 2015 In 2010, Michael Escuti received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study and make novel hologram technologies. He created a tool that did much more. The technology is a new way to manipulate light, with applications from studying alien worlds to making cellphones more energy efficient. "Not long after we received the NSF funding, we were able to create something called the direct-write laser scanner (DWLS), which allows us to create nearly perfect geometric phase holograms," says Escuti, an engineer at North Carolina State University. "They look like flat, semi-translucent plates, but they give us unprecedented control over the behavior of light. We can use them to make more efficient displays for mobile devices, sensors with greater resolution, and, frankly, we're still discovering all of the potential applications for this technology." To make geometric phase holograms, the DWLS "prints" using an ultraviolet laser on a super-thin film--only about 50 nanometers thick. The film is made of a photoreactive polymer that responds to both the intensity and the polarization of the light. When the DWLS is done printing, a much thicker layer of liquid crystal is applied, amplifying the pattern on the underlying thin film. To understand how the DWLS works, you have to understand that it doesn't have an inkjet--it prints light, and it prints in four dimensions. The DWLS prints in horizontal and vertical dimensions, just like a regular printer. And it can also vary the intensity of the light. But, crucially, it is also capable of controlling the orientation angle of the linear polarization of the light. Think of a beam of light as a wiggling wave, which vibrates in a perpendicular direction relative to the direction it is traveling. Control of the orientation angle of the linear polarization of light means control of the direction that the wave is wiggling. And this polarization angle can be manipulated without changing the angle the light is traveling. In other words, a laser can be pointed directly at an object and, while the polarization angle may change, the direction of the laser beam relative to the object stays the same. One reason the DWLS is unique is that it produces geometric phase holograms that are smoothly varying and create complex patterns seamlessly--there are no dividing lines or pixels--unless they are actually desired. This prevents light from "leaking" out of the pattern and corrupting the signal coming out of the hologram. From the lab to the stars After creating the DWLS, Escuti looked for potential applications. And that search brought him to a team of astronomers at Leiden University, including Frans Snik, Matthew Kenworthy, and Christoph Keller. For years, astronomers have devised telescopes that, in theory, can use light to help them unravel the mysteries of the universe. But these theoretical designs were often hampered by the limits of technology. "Light is everything in astronomy--it's the carrier of almost all information and knowledge we have of the universe," says Snik. Now Escuti was being asked to help turn theory into reality. "The astronomers I am working with at Leiden had ideas for novel components and instrument designs that could make better use of the light collected by telescopes," Escuti says. "They wanted to know if we could make holograms with specific characteristics that had previously been technologically impossible. And we could." For example, he said, his team has provided the astronomers with geometric phase holograms that they have used build advanced coronagraphs--telescopes that can see things close to stars--to study exoplanets beyond our solar system. "They wanted to redistribute the blazing light of the halo around a star, so that the faint light coming from a planet orbiting that star can be observed with better contrast--and then analyze the planet's light to learn about its composition and other characteristics," Escuti says. "They're now able to do that with better performance than ever before. We've been working with them for a few years now, and have helped create several new astronomical tools." Snik added the new options offered by their technology provides significant new potential for astronomical research. "With these components and techniques, we have for the first time in perhaps many decades fundamentally expanded the astronomer's toolkit for manipulating light from astronomical sources," he said. Down to earth applications In addition to astronomy, the DWLS has found use in creating geometric phase holograms for use in mobile displays, holographic imaging, and remote-sensing devices for everything from satellites to cameras. One high-profile application was the visually impressive "Rainbow Station," an art installation conceived by Daan Roosegaarde and designed in partnership with Snik for the International Year of Light. Escuti is continuing to work on new applications with direct support from the National Science Foundation and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and in partnership with fellow NC State faculty member Michael Kudenov on projects supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. But he has also taken steps to commercialize the technology by integrating it into devices for specific market applications. For example, Escuti's university startup company, ImagineOptix Corporation, has created technologies ranging from an ultra-efficient pocket projector the size of a few quarters to components for active photonic hardware supporting internet traffic. "As an entrepreneur, I'm excited by the wide range of projects and markets where we can have an impact. That's important to me," Escuti says. "As a researcher, I'm deeply satisfied by the capability of the DWLS to help people solve longstanding research challenges. At least a dozen times in the last few years, my scientific and engineering peers have told me: ‘You've done something we didn't think was possible.' That's a tremendous feeling."   Matt Shipman, North Carolina State University Investigators Michael Escuti Related Institutions/Organizations North Carolina State University Related Awards #0955127 PECASE: Complex Polarization Gratings - Extreme Fresnel Zone Plates, Agile Vortex Beam Tools, and Enhanced Distributed-Feedback Years Research Conducted 2010 - 2016 Total Grants $406,000 Related Websites International Year of Light: http://www.light2015.org/Home.html Height of light: Progress in lasers and other light sources: NSF.gov/light   http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=136597&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click

Modular Floating Cabin

 

Modular Floating Cabin

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:00 PM PDT

Friday a développé une maison modulable et flottante sur l’eau. Conçue pour quelques jours agréables au milieu de la nature, cette cabane a été construite en suivant les dernières évolutions technologiques dans le domaine de l’équipement nautique. Floatwing mesure initialement 6 mètres de large mais elle peut être étendue pour contenir 3 chambres de plus.

www.fubiz.net

Active body, active mind: The secret to a younger brain may lie in exercising your body

 

Stroop-interference-related cortical activation patterns. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Tsukuba It is widely recognised that our physical fitness is reflected in our mental fitness, especially as we get older. How does being physically fit affect our aging brains? Neuroimaging studies, in which the activity of different parts of the brain can be visualised, have provided some clues. Until now, however, no study has directly linked brain activation with both mental and physical performance. As reported in the latest volume of the journal NeuroImage, an exciting new study led by Dr Hideaki Soya from the University of Tsukuba in Japan and his colleagues show, for the first time, the direct relationship between brain activity, brain function and physical fitness in a group of older Japanese men. They found that the fitter men performed better mentally than the less fit men, by using parts of their brains in the same way as in their youth. As we age, we use different parts of our brain compared to our younger selves. For example, when young, we mainly use the left side of our prefrontal cortex (PFC) for mental tasks involving short term memory, understanding the meaning of words and the ability to recognize previously encountered events, objects, or people. When older, we tend to use the equivalent parts of our PFC on the right side of the brain for these tasks. The PFC is located in the very front of the brain, just behind the forehead. It has roles in executive function, memory, intelligence, language and vision. With tasks involving the temporary storage and manipulation of memory, long term memories and inhibitory control, young adults favor the right side of the PFC, while older adults engage both the right and left PFC. In fact, with aging, we tend to use both sides of the PFC during mental tasks, rather than just one. This phenomenon has been coined HAROLD (hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults) and reflects the reorganisation of the brain as compensation for reduced brain capacity and efficiency due to age-related structural and physiological decline. In the NeuroImage study, 60 older men (aged 64-75 years) underwent an exercise test to measure their aerobic fitness. The men, whose physical fitness was found to vary widely, then performed a test to measure their selective attention, executive function and reaction time. This well-known 'color-word matching Stroop test' involved showing the men words meaning color, such as blue, green, red, but asking them to name the color of the letters rather than read the word itself. This is harder than it sounds. When the color of the letters does not match the word -- blue, red, green -- it takes the brain longer to react. This reaction time is used as a measurement of brain function. Activity in the PFC region of the mens' brains was measured throughout the test using a unique neuroimaging technique called functional near infrared spectroscopy or fNIRS. This technique provides a measure of blood oxygen concentration in surface blood vessels, indicative of activity in the brain's outer layers, using a set of wearable probes in a cap that is placed on the head. Active brain cells require fresh oxygenated blood which dislodges the deoxygenated blood from that region. fNIRS measures the changes in color between oxygenated red blood and blue deoxygenated blood and thus indirectly measures brain activity. The results from these tests were combined and extensively statistically analysed to explore the associations between aerobic fitness, Stroop reaction time and brain activity during the Stroop test. As predicted for older adults, during the Stroop test both sides of the PFC are active, with no difference between right and left, verifying the HAROLD phenomenon amongst this group of men. Previous studies have shown that young adults favour the left side of the PFC for this task. Analysis of the relationship between brain activity and Stroop reaction time revealed that those men that favored the left side of the PFC while performing the Stroop test had faster reaction times. This indicates that older adults who use the more youth-like, task-related side of the brain perform better in this test. Next, the association between aerobic fitness and Stroop reaction time was analysed. Fitter men had shorter reaction times. Based on these findings, the researchers correctly predicted that higher aerobic fitness would be associated with higher left-PFC activity. In other words, fitter men tend to use the more youth-like side of their brains, at least while performing the Stroop test. Previous studies have not examined the interaction between the three factors under investigation in this study -- aerobic fitness, mental performance and brain activation. Using clever statistical tests called mediation analyses to look at these interactions, the researchers found that aerobically fitter older men can perform better mentally than less fit older men by using the more important brain regions when needed. In fact, the fitter older men are using parts of their brains in the same way as when they were younger. How do they do this? Professor Soya says "one possible explanation suggested by the research is that the volume and integrity of the white matter in the part of brain that links the two sides declines with age. There is some evidence to support the theory that fitter adults are able to better maintain this white matter than less fit adults, but further study is needed to confirm this theory." If you are an aging woman, you will be wondering if these results can be applied to your female brain. Both aging sexes might also wonder whether increasing aerobic fitness later in life can increase mental fitness. The results aren't in, but I'm heading off for a brisk walk just in case.   http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151023084456.htm

Toxins remain in your clothes

 

In a new thesis 60 garments from Swedish and international clothing chains have been tested. An initial analysis found thousands of chemicals in the clothes and around a hundred chemicals were preliminary identified. Credit: Image courtesy of Stockholm University Thousands of chemicals are used in clothes manufacturing. Researchers at Stockholm University have examined if there are chemicals in the clothes we buy as well. Several substances related to health risks were identified and not even organic cotton was a guarantee for non-toxic textiles. In a new thesis 60 garments from Swedish and international clothing chains have been tested. An initial analysis found thousands of chemicals in the clothes and around a hundred chemicals were preliminary identified. Several of the substances were not on the producers' lists and are suspected to be by-products, residues or chemicals added during transport. "Exposure to these chemicals increases the risk of allergic dermatitis, but more severe health effect for humans as well as the environment could possibly be related to these chemicals. Some of them are suspected or proved carcinogens and some have aquatic toxicity," says Giovanna Luongo, PhD in Analytical Chemistry at Stockholm University. Depending on occurrence, quantity, toxicity and how easily they may penetrate the skin, four groups of substances were chosen for further analysis. The highest concentrations of two of these, quinolines and aromatic amines, were found in polyester. Cotton contained high concentrations of benzothiazoles, even clothes made from organic cotton. The researchers washed the clothes and then measured the levels of chemicals. Some of the substances were washed off, with a risk of ending up in aquatic environments. Others remained to a high degree in the clothes, becoming a potential source of long-term dermal exposure. It is difficult to know if the levels of these harmful substances are hazardous, and what effects chemicals in our clothes can have in the long run. "We have only scratched the surface, this is something that has to be dealt with. Clothes are worn day and night during our entire life. We must find out if textile chemicals go into our skin and what it means to our health. It is very difficult to assess and requires considerably more research," says Conny Östman, Professor in Analytical Chemistry. The thesis can be found online at: http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:850089/FULLTEXT02.pdf Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Stockholm University.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.   http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151023084508.htm

Abandoned castel

 

Treating pulmonary diseases using Alaska pollock gelatin

 

The newly developed sealant that was applied over a 3-mm-diameter hole in a porcine blood vessel. Credit: Image courtesy of National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) In recent years, patients with pulmonary emphysema have been increasing mainly among middle-aged and elderly males due to aging and excessive smoking. Emphysema makes brittle lungs, and in severe cases, holes develop in the lung tissue, causing air leakage. Researchers at NIMS developed a new sealant to close holes developed in lungs and blood vessels using Alaska pollock gelatin. In the paper published in the Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, they reported that the sealant is about 12 times stronger than conventional sealants and is able to resist pressure as high as approximately 2.8 times the normal blood pressure. Furthermore, the researchers explain that the advantage of the sealant is its property of remaining liquid at room temperature as it contains gelatin extracted from Alaska pollock, which is a cold-water fish. "The sealant doesn't have to be preheated before surgery, and it can be sprayed directly on an open wound after mixing it with a crosslinking agent. Because it possesses extremely high bonding strength and elasticity, and it slowly breaks down in the body after surgery, it has the potential to be used as a sealant for any organ." Currently, fibrin sealants, which contain blood-derived components, are mostly used as supplementary materials to seal holes developed in blood vessels and organs. However, their bonding strengths are lower than normal blood pressure and thus are inadequate, and their wet tissue adhesion is particularly weak. To resolve this issue, the research group led by Tetsushi Taguchi, who belongs to the MANA (International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics) Biomaterials Unit, had been developing a sealant using pig-derived gelatin. Taguchi explains that the key approach to increasing sealants' bonding strength is the creation and use of hydrophobically-modified gelatin. "When gelatin is chemically modified with hydrophobic group, the hydrophobic group partially penetrates tissue in the manner in which a ship anchors itself to the seabed. Consequently, the use of hydrophobically-modified gelatin will improve sealants' adhesion to biological tissues." However, sealants using pig-derived gelatin still had a disadvantage: they need to be liquefied by heating before their use in surgery operation, since they become gelatinous when they are exposed to low temperatures or condensed. To deal with this issue, Taguchi shifted his attention to Alaska pollock gelatin as it maintains liquidity even when it is exposed to low temperatures or condensed. "Because Alaska pollock is cold-water fish, Alaska pollock gelatin transforms between solid and liquid states at 13.8°C. In other words, this gelatin always takes a liquid form at room temperature. We have developed a new sealant by chemically modifying this gelatin with a hydrophobic cholesteryl group, which was considered to be an excellent tissue sealant, and mixing it with a polyethylene glycol-based crosslinking agent, which had already been in clinical use." To verify the bonding strength of this new sealant, his team made 3-mm-diameter holes in fresh porcine blood vessels under wet conditions and applied the sealant to the holes. The test demonstrated that the pressure resistance strength of the sealant was 341 mmHg. This value indicates that the sealant is highly pressure resistant as it is about 12 times stronger than currently available fibrin sealants (29 mmHg), and the value is about 2.8 times greater than the normal maximum blood pressure for healthy people (approx. 120 mmHg). This sealant is highly biocompatible given that it is digested by enzymes in the body within eight weeks. In addition, due to its high elasticity, it is expected to have high demand in various surgical and internal medicine fields such as cardiovascular surgery and the treatment of pulmonary emphysema. Taguchi is currently collecting basic data with the goal of conducting clinical studies in five years in coordination with the Department of Thorasic Surgery, University of Tsukuba. He says, "We wish to make contribution to medical advancement by developing outstanding materials for medical workers. To achieve that, we need to know the real needs and concerns of medical workers. Without taking this information into account, our efforts to integrate advanced science and technology into the development of new materials would be wasted. To ensure our effort to be productive and to develop truly useful materials, it is vital for us to listen to the opinions of medical workers in person." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Tetsushi Taguchi, Ryo Mizuta, Temmei Ito, Keiko Yoshizawa, Mikio Kajiyama. Robust Sealing of Blood Vessels with Cholesteryl Group-Modified, Alaska Pollock-Derived Gelatin-Based Biodegradable Sealant Under Wet Conditions. Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, 2016; 12 (1): 128 DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2016.2210   http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151023084500.htm

Distraction rated 'high' for most devices while driving

 

A University of Utah research assistant introduces a participant in new distracted driving studies to special devices designed to gauge mental distraction during road tests. Credit: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety If you think it is okay to talk to your car infotainment system or smartphone while driving or even when stopped at a red light, think again. It takes up to 27 seconds to regain full attention after issuing voice commands, University of Utah researchers found in a pair of new studies for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. One of the studies showed that it is highly distracting to use hands-free voice commands to dial phone numbers, call contacts, change music and send texts with Microsoft Cortana, Apple Siri and Google Now smartphone personal assistants, though Google Now was a bit less distracting than the others. The other study examined voice-dialing, voice-contact calling and music selection using in-vehicle information or "infotainment" systems in 10 model-year 2015 vehicles. Three were rated as moderately distracting, six as highly distracting and the system in the 2015 Mazda 6 as very highly distracting. "Just because these systems are in the car doesn't mean it's a good idea to use them while you are driving," says University of Utah psychology professor David Strayer, senior author of the two new studies. "They are very distracting, very error prone and very frustrating to use. Far too many people are dying because of distraction on the roadway, and putting another source of distraction at the fingertips of drivers is not a good idea. It's better not to use them when you are driving." The research also found that, contrary to what some may believe, practice with voice-recognition systems doesn't eliminate distraction. The studies also showed older drivers -- those most likely to buy autos with infotainment systems -- are much more distracted than younger drivers when giving voice commands. But the most surprising finding was that a driver traveling only 25 mph continues to be distracted for up to 27 seconds after disconnecting from highly distracting phone and car voice-command systems, and up to 15 seconds after disconnecting from the moderately distracting systems. The 27 seconds means a driver traveling 25 mph would cover the length of three football fields before regaining full attention. "Most people think, 'I hang up and I'm good to go,'" Strayer says. "But that's just not the case. We see it takes a surprisingly long time to come back to full attention. Even sending a short text message can cause almost another 30 seconds of impaired attention." "The voice-command technology isn't ready," says Joel Cooper, a University of Utah research assistant professor of psychology and a co-author of the new studies. "It's in the cars and is billed as a safe alternative to manual interactions with your car, but the voice systems simply don't work well enough." "Many of these systems have been put into cars with a voice-recognition system to control entertainment: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facetime, etc. We now are trying to entertain the driver rather than keep the driver's attention on the road." In 2013, 3,154 people died and 424,000 others were injured in motor vehicle crashes on U.S. roads involving driver distraction, says the U.S. Department of Transportation. The new AAA reports urge that voice activated, in-vehicle information systems "ought not to be used indiscriminately" while driving, and advise that "caution is warranted" in smart-phone use while driving. The studies are fifth and sixth since 2013 by University of Utah psychologists and funded by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. AAA formerly was known as the American Automobile Association. Strayer and Cooper ran the studies with Utah psychology doctoral students Joanna Turrill, James Coleman and Rachel Hopman. The ratings: In-car systems and smartphone assistants are distracting The previous Utah-AAA studies devised a five-point scale: 1 mild distraction, 2 moderate distraction, 3 high distraction, 4 very high distraction and 5 maximum distraction. Those studies showed cellphone calls were moderately distracting, with scores of 2.5 for hand-held calls and 2.3 for hands-free calls. Listening to a book on tape rated mild distraction at 1.7. Listening to the radio rated 1.2. One of the new studies found mild distraction for in-vehicle information systems in the Chevy Equinox with MyLink (2.4), Buick Lacrosse with IntelliLink (2.4) and Toyota 4Runner with Entune (2.9). High distraction systems were the Ford Taurus with Sync MyFord Touch (3.1), Chevy Malibu with MyLink (3.4), Volkswagen Passat with Car-Net (3.5), Nissan Altima with Nissan Connect (3.7), Chrysler 200c with Uconnect (3.8) and Hyundai Sonata with Blue Link (3.8). The Mazda 6's Connect system rated very highly distracting (4.6). In some cases, the same voice-command system (like Chevy MyLink) got different distraction scores in different models -- something the researchers speculate is due to varying amounts of road noise and use of different in-vehicle microphones. The second new study found all three major smartphone personal assistants either highly or very highly distracting. Two scores were given to each voice-based system: A lower number for using voice commands only to make calls or change music when driving -- the same tasks done with the in-car systems -- and a higher number that also included using smartphones to send texts by voice commands. Google Now rated highly distracting (3.0, 3.3), as did Apple Siri (3.4, 3.7), while Microsoft Cortana rated highly to very highly distracting (3.8, 4.1). Strayer says of both in-car information systems and smartphone personal assistants: "These systems are often very difficult to use, especially if you're just trying to entertain yourself. ... The vast majority of people we tested ended up being frustrated by the complexity and error-prone nature of the systems." How the studies were conducted The new studies were conducted with participants driving the various cars at 25 mph or less around a 2.7-mile route in Salt Lake City's Avenues neighborhood as they used voice-commands to dial numbers, call contacts and tune the radio using in-car systems, and to dial numbers, call contacts, choose music and text using smartphones. With researchers in the car, the drivers were tested for the extent of their distraction, even as they kept their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel after hitting a voice-command system button. A head-mounted LED light flashed red every three to five seconds at the edge of a driver's left eye. Drivers pressed a switch attached to a thumb when they saw the light. The researchers measured how voice interactions with a car or smartphone reduced drivers' reaction times and accuracy at seeing the flashing lights. The drivers also completed surveys about their perceived level of distraction, and videos measured how much of the time they kept their eyes on the road, mirrors or dashboard. The in-vehicle information system study included 257 people and the smartphone personal assistant study had 65 participants, all with no at-fault accidents during the past five years. Unlike the 2013 and 2014 studies, which included primarily people in their 20s, subjects in the new studies ranged in age from 21 to 70. In the in-car information system study, the researchers did an initial test on the subjects, then let them take the cars home for five days to practice using the systems. Then they returned for reassessment of the mental workload from using the systems. Strayer personally doesn't even make hands-free cellphone calls while driving. He advises against using voice commands system while driving for purposes such as voice dialing, voice contact calling, surfing the Internet, sending email and text messages, reading email, tweeting or updating Facebook. "If you are going to use these systems, use them to support the primary task of driving -- like for navigation or to change the radio or temperature -- and keep the interaction short." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Utah.Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151022094515.htm