(Press-News.org) Christian Santangelo, Ryan Hayward and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently employed photographic techniques and polymer science to develop a new technique for printing two-dimensional sheets of polymers that can fold into three-dimensional shapes when water is added. The technique may lead to wide ranging practical applications from medicine to robotics
The journal Science publishes the research in its March 9 issue.
Researchers used a photomask and ultraviolet (UV) light to "print" a pattern onto a sheet of polymers, a technique called photolithography. In the absence of UV exposure, the polymer will swell and expand uniformly when exposed to water, however when polymer molecules within the sheet were exposed to UV light they became crosslinked--more rigidly linked together at a number of points--which prevented them from expanding when water was added. Patterning the amount of crosslinking across an entire sheet allowed researchers to control how much each area swelled. A second exposure to a carefully selected pattern of UV light allowed them to create specific 3-D shapes.
The work, supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development and Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers awards, is a collaborative effort between polymer engineering and physics, with both theoretical and experimental aspects.
"This paper reports an interesting fusion of experimental technique and theory to develop an innovative method for making self-actuating materials that will assume a desired three-dimensional shape," said Daryl Hess, a program director in the division of materials research at NSF.
INFORMATION:
For more information on this discovery, read the news release from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Researchers 'print' polymers that bend into 3-D shapes
Technique could be used to direct growth of blood vessels or tissues in the laboratory
2012-03-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Genetic marker for painful food allergy points to improved diagnosis, treatment
2012-03-12
Researchers have identified a genetic signature for a severe, often painful food allergy – eosinophilic esophagitis – that could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for children unable to eat a wide variety of foods.
The scientists, from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology that they have pinpointed a dysregulated microRNA signature for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a disease that also may cause weight loss, vomiting, heartburn and swallowing difficulties.
Interestingly, the dysregulated microRNA ...
New 'pendulum' for the ytterbium clock
2012-03-12
The faster a clock ticks, the more precise it can be. Due to the fact that lightwaves vibrate faster than microwaves, optical clocks can be more precise than the caesium atomic clocks which presently determine time. The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is even working on several of such optical clocks simultaneously. The model with one single ytterbium ion caught in an ion trap is now experiencing another increase in accuracy. At PTB, scientists have succeeded in exciting a quantum-mechanically strongly "forbidden" transition of this ion and – in particular – ...
Iridescent, feathered dinosaur: New evidence that feathers evolved to attract mates
2012-03-12
The detailed feather pattern and color of Microraptor--a pigeon-sized, four-winged dinosaur that lived about 120 million years ago--had a glossy iridescent sheen.
Its tail was narrow and adorned with a pair of streamer feathers, suggesting the importance of display in the early evolution of feathers, say scientists reporting the findings in this week's issue of the journal Science.
By comparing the patterns of pigment-containing organelles from a Microraptor fossil to those in modern birds, the scientists determined that the dinosaur's plumage was iridescent with a ...
NOHO Dental Group Now Offers Several Special Promotions for New and Existing Patients
2012-03-12
NOHO Dental Group and Dr. Afar, North Hollywood dentist, are offering a variety of specials for new and existing patients. For a short time, patients can receive discounts on a wide number of dental procedures, allowing both new patients and those who have been with the NOHO Dental Group for years to save money and try new dental services.
These specials include a wide variety of services, such as a $49 dental exam with x-rays for new patients. For patients who need preventative care like dental cleanings, this special allows new patients to try out the services of Dr. ...
NIH study links childhood cancer to developmental delays in milestones
2012-03-12
Infants and toddlers who have been treated for cancer tend to reach certain developmental milestones later than do their healthy peers, say researchers at the National Institutes of Health and in Italy.
The findings show that delays may occur early in the course of treatment and suggest that young children with cancer might benefit from such early interventions as physical or language therapy.
Compared to children who had not had cancer, children treated for cancer before age 4 progressed more slowly in vocabulary, cognitive functions such as attention and memory, and ...
Cultural differences may impact neurologic and psychiatric rehabilitation of Spanish speakers
2012-03-12
Amsterdam, NL, 9 March 2012 – The number of people with neurological and psychiatric disorders in Spanish-speaking countries has increased over the past two decades. The February issue of NeuroRehabilitation assesses important factors that should be considered in rehabilitating Spanish-speaking individuals suffering from these disorders.
"Though much work has been done in this area for Anglo-Saxon populations, very little work has focused on Spanish-speaking individuals," says Guest Editor Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla, PhD, of the Department of Physical Medicine and ...
In recognizing faces, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts
2012-03-12
How do we recognize a face? To date, most research has answered "holistically": We look at all the features—eyes, nose, mouth—simultaneously and, perceiving the relationships among them, gain an advantage over taking in each feature individually. Now a new study overturns this theory. The researchers—Jason M. Gold and Patrick J. Mundy of the Indiana University and Bosco S. Tjan of the University of California Los Angeles—found that people's performance in recognizing a whole face is no better than their performance with each individual feature shown alone. "Surprisingly, ...
A big discovery in the study of neutrinos, tiny particles that have a big role in the universe
2012-03-12
An international team of physicists has determined a key parameter, which governs how neutrinos behave. This discovery measures a critical linchpin in the study of the tiny particles and in advancing the understanding of how these building blocks of all things, from galaxies to tea cups, came to be.
The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment, a multinational collaboration including a team from Virginia Tech, discovered a new type of neutrino oscillation in which the particles appear to vanish as they travel. The researchers found that the rate of oscillations was much larger ...
Wilshire Dental Care Now Offers Sedation Dentistry Options
2012-03-12
Dr. Afar, Los Angeles dentist at Wilshire Dental Care, is offering a variety of sedation dentistry techniques to make patient's experiences relaxing and pain-free. Sedation dentistry is the use of various techniques to reduce stress and pain during a dental procedure. Dr. Afar offers various types of sedation dentistry techniques to meet a variety of patient needs.
Oral sedation is the use of oral medications such as pills and liquids and is used when patients require only a small degree of sedation, and for procedures like dental crown preparation or fillings that do ...
New study shows that in US 'hot spots,' HIV infection among African-American women is 5-times higher than national estimate
2012-03-12
About ICAP
ICAP at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health is a global leader in public health, with a broad portfolio of research, training, health system strengthening, and service delivery programs in the United States and around the world. Founded in 2004, ICAP is committed to addressing critical health issues and to bettering lives by improving access to high-quality, equitable, and affordable health services. Working hand-in-hand with in-country partners, ICAP has supported more than 1,200 health facilities across 21 countries, including the US. More ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of automated external defibrillators in private homes
University of Phoenix College of Social and Behavioral Sciences leadership publishes white paper on trauma-informed education
Microbial iron mining: turning polluted soils into self-cleaning reactors
Molecular snapshots reveal how the body knows it’s too hot
Analysis finds alarming rise in severe diverticulitis among younger Americans
Mitochondria and lysosomes reprogram immune cells that dampen inflammation
Cockroach infestation linked to home allergen, endotoxin levels
New biochar-powered microbial systems offer sustainable solution for toxic pollutants
Identifying the best high-biomass sorghum hybrids based on biomass yield potential and feedstock quality affected by nitrogen fertility management under various environments
How HIV’s shape-shifting protein reveals clues for smarter drug design
Study identifies viral combinations that heighten risk of severe respiratory illnesses in infants
Aboveground rather than belowground productivity drives variability in miscanthus × giganteus net primary productivity
Making yeast more efficient 'cell factories' for producing valuable plant compounds
Aging in plain sight: What new research says the eyes reveal about aging and cardiovascular risk
Child welfare system involvement may improve diagnosis of developmental delays
Heavier electric trucks could strain New York City’s roads and bridges, study warns
From womb to world: scientists reveal how maternal stress programs infant development
Bezos Earth Fund grants $2M to UC Davis and American Heart Association to advance AI-designed foods
Data Protection is transforming humanitarian action in the digital age, new book shows
AI unlocks the microscopic world to transform future manufacturing
Virtual reality helps people understand and care about distant communities
Optica Publishing Group announces subscribe to open pilot for the Journal of the Optical Society of America B (JOSA B)
UNF partners with Korey Stringer Institute and Perry Weather to open heat exercise laboratory on campus
DNA from Napoleon’s 1812 army identifies the pathogens likely responsible for the army’s demise during their retreat from Russia
Study suggests two unsuspected pathogens struck Napoleon's army during the retreat from Russia in 1812
The 25-year incidence and progression of hearing loss in the Framingham offspring study
AI-driven nanomedicine breakthrough paves way for personalized breast cancer therapy
Fight or flight—and grow a new limb
Augmenting electroencephalogram transformer for steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain–computer interfaces
Coaches can boost athletes’ mental toughness with this leadership style
[Press-News.org] Researchers 'print' polymers that bend into 3-D shapesTechnique could be used to direct growth of blood vessels or tissues in the laboratory





