Photovoltaic cell efficiency may soon get a big boost, thanks to next-generation antireflection coatings crafted from nanomaterials capable of cutting down on the amount of light reflected away from a cell's surface. Materials boasting a "tunable" refractive index have been developed within the past few years, and they show tremendous potential for photovoltaic applications. Professor E. Fred Schubert, of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, is investigating ways to exploit this newly gained controllability and ...

Baltimore, MD— The ability of embryonic stem cells to differentiate into different types of cells with different functions is regulated and maintained by a complex series of chemical interactions, which are not well understood. Learning more about this process could prove useful for stem cell-based therapies down the road. New research from a team led by Carnegie's Yixian Zheng zeroes in on the process by which stem cells maintain their proper undifferentiated state. Their results are published in Cell October 26. Embryonic stem cells go through a process called self-renewal, ...

When talking to the key immune system fighters known as T-cells, it helps to speak their language. Now researchers from Columbia University in New York, N.Y., and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia have discovered two new conditions for communication that may help scientists one day harness the power of T-cells to fight diseases such as cancer. The team will present its findings at the AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition, held Oct. 28 – Nov. 2 in Tampa, Fla. T-cells flow freely throughout the body and communicate with their partner T-cells, in ...

Silicon is the workhorse of the electronics industry, serving as the base material for the tiny transistors that make it possible for digital clocks to tick and computers to calculate. Now scientists have succeeded in creating near-atomically flat silicon, of the orientation used by the electronics industry, in a room temperature reaction. The flat silicon might one day serve as the base for new biological and chemical sensors. The researchers will present their work at the AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition, held Oct. 28 – Nov. 2 in Tampa, Fla. "In essence, ...

When surgeons operate to remove a tumor, determining exactly where to cut can be tricky. Ideally, the entire tumor should be removed while leaving a continuous layer of healthy tissue, but current techniques for locating the tumors during surgery are imprecise. Now a multidisciplinary team from the University of California, San Diego, is developing an alternate means of precisely tagging breast cancer tumors for removal or targeted destruction. They will present the results of their investigations at the AVS 59th International Symposium and Exhibition, held Oct. 28 – Nov. ...

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are incredibly tiny devices, often built on the scale of millionths of a meter. Conventional MEMS structures tend to be made out of silicon-based materials familiar to the micro-electronics industry, but this ignores a suite of useful materials such as other semiconductors, ceramics, and metals. By using a variety of materials not commonly associated with MEMS technology, a team from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah has created stronger microstructures that can form precise, tall and narrow 3-D shapes – characteristics ...

BOSTON – Maintaining a healthy body weight may be difficult for many people, but it's reassuring to know that our brains and bodies are wired to work together to do just that—in essence, to achieve a phenomenon known as energy balance, a tight matching between the number of calories consumed versus those expended. This careful balance results from a complex interchange of neurobiological crosstalk within regions of the brain's hypothalamus, and when this "conversation" goes awry, obesity or anorexia can result. Given the seriousness of these conditions, it's unfortunate ...

Alexandria, VA – Much has been written about the court decision passed down earlier this week by an Italian judge, convicting seven members of the Italian Serious Risks Commission to six years in prison. The "L'Aquila Seven" were convicted for inadequate warnings to residents of L'Aquila, Italy, before a magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck the region on April 6, 2009, killing more than 300 people. Though the story has received international attention and ignited tensions throughout the scientific community, little attention has been paid to the exact roles each of the ...

A tragic accident in Connecticut resulted in the hospitalization of five after an Audi A4 crossed a double yellow line on Route 67. The Audi was attempting to navigate a curve in the highway when it lost control and crossed the center line. After entering oncoming traffic the Audi crashed head on with a Honda Civic. The Jaws of Life were needed to help free the driver and a passenger from the Honda before transporting them to the hospital for further treatment. The driver of the Audi and two young passengers were also hospitalized. No charges have been filed for the ...

Adding to the stress of the holidays for many Texans is the prospect of family celebrations as a single parent. For those recently divorced or separated, this could be the first holiday season when parents have to divide their time with the children. However acrimonious a split may have been, when children are involved it is not always possible to simply walk entirely out of an ex-spouse's life. Even with negative feelings about one another, it is still important for co-parents to develop the skills needed to work together over the years of child-raising as they share ...

Taking a vacation on a cruise can be an exciting adventure. Cruises are available across the country and can offer passengers trips to tropical destinations or provide the opportunity to view icebergs and polar bears in their natural habitat. Although these vacations can provide a much needed getaway, some passengers are beginning to question what happens when that adventure results in an injury. Unfortunately, injuries can and do happen while enjoying a cruise vacation. Accidents can range from the tragic, like the Costa Concordia accident off the Italian coast, ...

The cruise ship industry is attempting to improve the safety of their ships after the devastating Costa Concordia cruise ship accident in January 2012. The accident resulted in the loss of 32 lives -- lives that may have been saved if the crew was better prepared to deal with potential accidents. Reports completed by experts who examined the accident note that the Concordia's crew was not prepared to handle an accident of this magnitude. Not only did the crew fail to follow evacuation instructions, but many crew members were confused about the proper procedure to follow. ...

With unemployment hovering near 8 percent in the wake of the Great Recession, wage-and-hour lawsuits by workers in the United States have reached their highest level in 20 years, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts reported recently. According to the report, U.S. workers filed a total of 7,064 lawsuits contesting their wages, hours and overtime during the 12-month period ending March 31, 2012. The number of wage-and-hour lawsuits has increased nearly every year since 2000, which had a total of only 1,854, Bloomberg Businessweek reported. The weak economy ...

There's a novel firm coming out of Korea this month, and its making major headlines. The company, Aim High, has a wide line of B2C products that will shake up the marketplace this holiday season. Just launched a week ago, the company has gained the attention of mass media virtually everywhere, and everyone wishes to get in touch with their staff in hopes of getting an interview. And while the organization has been secretive regarding its releases up to this point, their new designer furniture may exert a significant impact on interior designers everywhere. For starters, ...

P.H.D. is pleased to announce they are teaming up with iWebContent to increase their online presence to improve business. IWebContent is an SEO firm that provides companies of all sizes with SEO content and online marketing tactics to help them build the online presence that is required in the world of business today. P.H.D. aims to build their client base, helping businesses improve their communications, along with other high-tech devices. P.H.D. is a telecommunications company that strives to help businesses of all sizes install, service and repair all aspects of their ...

We are innovating new forms, shapes, and designs with color blocking jewelry. We are the designer and producer of these new jewelries, looking to wholesale directly to retailer boutiques. These jewelry pieces will accent any casual or dressed-up outfits. At this time, we have received lots of interest and great comments from women of all ages during several study groups. Generally, our jewelry shape influence the person's choice, but the various color pattern options extend their interest to other shapes and patterns. Our targeted jewelry market could be best defined ...

VMAC is delighted to announce the promotion of Stuart Coker, VMAC's Senior Production Engineer to Quality Engineer, to support integration of Quality functions into VMAC's manufacturing and supply chain departments. This quality control integration encourages efficiency and lean manufacturing, as components are inspected via single piece flow when they arrive or are produced. Stuart has worked with VMAC's engineering team since September 2000 and has worked in the engineering field since 1987. In addition to leading the design and management of multiple specialty engineering ...

It's been a fascinating 5-year journey for SoftTechnics so far. A journey of growth and strive to leadership positions in mobile web applications and games development as well as IT teams extension services. There were ups and downs, bumps and small victories that the company lived through, survived and got only stronger. In course of these five years SoftTechnics kept laying the foundation for its further success and future victories. Today, 5 years after SoftTechnics appeared on the market, our focus is primarily on offshore development services that we provide based ...

Twin Oaks Gallery Art & Frame of San Marcos has just announced that they will be hosting the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos' Fine Arts Exhibit on Friday, November 9th, 2012. The event will be held from 6-8pm at Twin Oaks Gallery, located at 757 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road, #3 in San Marcos, CA. The event includes raffle prizes, face painting and activities for the whole family! Come and experience the beautiful artwork of the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos. There will be four types of art mediums on display, created by the talented youth members aged 6-18. ...

Green energy is electricity generated from methods other than the conventional sources—such as oil, nuclear and coal-and has many advantages. Blue is the color that defines gloominess and pollution caused by the conventional methods of energy generation. Glacial Energy maintains that one major advantage to renewable energy is the sources of energy production are easily replenished. Therefore, it is a more sustainable form of energy production. Green energy production equipment generally requires less maintenance than conventional generators. Fuel derived directly from ...

Practice Management Institute (PMI) today announced that two of its faculty members have been asked to present at the National College of Rheumatology's Annual Meeting, November 9 and 10 in Washington, D.C. PMI faculty members, Rose B. Moore, CMC, CMOM, CMIS, CMCO, CPC, and Sunjanel Avecilla, CMC, CPC, CMIS, CMOM, will be on hand to deliver two presentations during the CORC Pre-Meeting session, November 10, aimed at improving revenue and management skills. Moore's keynote address is designed to inspire practice managers and administrators, entitled: "The World's ...

Richard Herdener, MD, and Katherine Reed, MD, announced today that the first-of-its-kind cosmetic treatment, Ultherapy, is now available at their practice, Dermatology Specialists of Spokane. Ultherapy is a new type of non-surgical procedure for the face that stimulates the body's own natural healing process to lift the skin over time. The use of FDA-cleared ultrasound technology enables physicians, for the first time, to see and then treat the deepest support layers of the skin - typically addressed in cosmetic surgery - without cutting or disrupting the surface of ...

GSXSolutions [www.gsx.com], the global leader in proactive, consolidated monitoring and reporting of enterprise collaboration environments, including MicrosoftExchange, Microsoft SharePoint, Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) and LotusNotes, today announced publication of a major white paper detailing the importance of monitoring critical Lotus Domino system components and how the GSX Change Monitoring module helps identify the impact of changes on service delivery. The new study details how the control of changes to Lotus Domino messaging environments is critical to ...

Sloane Ranger, a leader in preppy style, has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with boutique NYC licensing agency HAP Consulting. Sloane Ranger is rapidly growing its consumer base by offering its Prepster American counterparts a modern and trend forward take on classic and iconic styles. "With a modern take on classic British prep we will bring the Sloane Ranger lifestyle to the American public," says Maureen Lorr Schmidt, CCO of Sloane Ranger. HAP Consulting is widely recognized for transforming brands into lifestyle destinations. They ...

Sterling announced today the launch of its new website designed to assist veterinary practice owners in managing their practices at http://www.SterlingDVM.com. The new site offers management tips, success stories and a no-charge practice management seminar, available to practice owners by request, on DVD or online. "Although veterinarians are highly trained professionals," says Barbara Wilson, president of Sterling, "they are not taught how to run a practice. As a result, their profitability suffers due to low production or collections, and staff management ...