August 29, 2011
Good Morning,
Germany makes inspiring leaps in green technology as they open their first eclectic car charging station. Read all about how it works and where this cornerstone is taking Germany in the last article.
Until Next Time,
Erin
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Sensors reveal compounds with estrogenCHAMPAIGN, Ill. - U.S. researchers say they've developed sensors than can quickly reveal the presence of compounds that would interact with estrogen receptors in human cells. Scientists at the University of Illinois say the sensors are capable of detecting both natural and human-made substances that can alter estrogenic signaling in the body. "There are so many estrogenic compounds in our environment, and some of them could be a danger to health," chemical and biomolecular engineering Professor Huimin Zhao, who led the research, said in a UI release Thursday. While estrogen occurs naturally in the body, a variety of plants, pharmaceuticals, microbial byproducts and industrial chemicals -- such as bisphenol A, or BPA, in plastics-- are also known to activate or block the activation of estrogen receptors in human cells. "We are concerned about estrogenic compounds because they interact with the estrogen receptor, which plays an important role in many important biological processes, like reproduction, bone growth, cell differentiation and metabolism," Zhao said.
With the new sensors, researchers and clinicians can quickly and efficiently determine whether a food, drug or chemical substance interacts with estrogen receptors in human cells, Zhao said.
Recycled paper may fuel automobilesNEW ORLEANS - Scientists in Louisiana say they've found bacteria that can use recycled paper or any cellulose to produce butanol, a biofuel substitute for gasoline. The new bacterium, dubbed "TU-103," is the first bacterial strain from nature that can produce butanol directly from cellulose, a Tulane University release said Thursday. "Cellulose is found in all green plants, and is the most abundant organic material on earth, and converting it into butanol is the dream of many," said Tulane researcher Harshad Velankar. "In the United States alone, at least 323 million tons of cellulosic materials that could be used to produce butanol are thrown out each year," he said. As a biofuel, butanol has advantages over ethanol, the researchers said, because it can fuel existing motor vehicles without any engine modifications and can be transported through existing fuel pipelines. It is also less corrosive and can produce more energy than ethanol, they said. "In addition to possible savings on the price per gallon, as a fuel, bio-butanol produced from cellulose would dramatically reduce carbon dioxide and smog emissions in comparison to gasoline, and have a positive impact on landfill waste," research leader David Mullin said.
New tool will aid fusion energy research WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Nuclear engineers in Indiana say they've developed a tool that will help scientists in their quest to create materials for the walls of fusion reactors.
The goal of researchers at Purdue University is to develop coatings or materials capable of withstanding the extreme conditions inside fusion reactors, known as tokamaks, where a magnetic field is used to confine a donut-shaped plasma of isotopic hydrogen. The obstacle to finding the right coatings to line a fusion reactor is that the material changes due to extreme conditions inside, where temperatures reach millions of degrees. "One of the biggest challenges for thermonuclear magnetic fusion is understanding how plasma in the fusion reactor modifies the inner wall," Jean Paul Allain, a professor of nuclear engineering, said in a Purdue release Thursday. "This is a big unknown because now we can't see what happens in real time to the wall surfaces." The Purdue researchers have developed a device they've dubbed a materials analysis particle probe that will be connected to the underside of an experimental fusion reactor at Princeton University's Plasma Physics Laboratory. The probe will provide information about how the coating materials evolve under plasma conditions, and data from the instrument will help researchers develop new materials for the reactor vessel lining. "Currently we don't have the materials needed to sustain these large plasma and thermal fluxes," Allain said. "Some completely break down and melt. We need to understand how to operate and control the wall itself and the plasma together as they are interacting."
Germany gets 1st EV fast-charging stationIRSCHENBERG, Germany - German electric utility E.ON says it has begun installation of the first fast-charging stations for electric vehicles along public roadways in the country. A prototype of the E.ON stations was unveiled last week in Bavaria, at the Irschenberg exit of the A8 motorway. The direct current, 50-kilowatt station marked the first time a fast-charging EV station has been opened to the public in Germany, the company said. The idea, E.ON says, is to expand the range of EVs. Currently with ranges of about 60 miles, such vehicles are mainly used by commuters who charge them in their garages overnight. The utility says the fast-charging stations can recharge vehicles within 30 minutes and, with eventual availability along the nation's highways, Germans could use electric vehicles for intercity travel. "Fast-charging stations definitely make electric vehicles more versatile," Ruth Werhahn, who manages E.ON's E-mobility projects, said in a statement. "(They) make it possible to cope well with greater distances of (100 to 125 miles), for example from Munich to Salzburg or from Stuttgart to Frankfurt." Using the Japanese "CHAdeMO protocol" for the plug-ins, the station will work with Mitsubishi I MiEV, Peugeot iOn, Citroen C-Zero and, in the future, Nissan Leaf vehicles, and will cost $7.25 to use in a procedure that takes 20-30 minutes. Electricity dispensed at the stations will be generated solely using renewable production from E.ON's hydroelectric plants, the company said.
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