Super-efficient solar-energy technology unveiled

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Rice University scientists have unveiled a revolutionary new technology that uses nanoparticles to convert solar energy directly into steam. The new "solar steam" method from Rice's Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP) is so effective it can even produce steam from icy cold water.

Details of the solar steam method were published online today in ACS Nano. The technology has an overall energy efficiency of 24 percent. Photovoltaic solar panels, by comparison, typically have an overall energy efficiency around 15 percent. However, the inventors of solar steam said they expect the first uses of the new technology will not be for electricity generation but rather for sanitation and water purification in developing countries.

"This is about a lot more than electricity," said LANP Director Naomi Halas, the lead scientist on the project. "With this technology, we are beginning to think about solar thermal power in a completely different way."

The efficiency of solar steam is due to the light-capturing nanoparticles that convert sunlight into heat. When submerged in water and exposed to sunlight, the particles heat up so quickly they instantly vaporize water and create steam. Halas said the solar steam's overall energy efficiency can probably be increased as the technology is refined.

"We're going from heating water on the macro scale to heating it at the nanoscale," Halas said. "Our particles are very small -- even smaller than a wavelength of light -- which means they have an extremely small surface area to dissipate heat. This intense heating allows us to generate steam locally, right at the surface of the particle, and the idea of generating steam locally is really counterintuitive."

To show just how counterintuitive, Rice graduate student Oara Neumann videotaped a solar steam demonstration in which a test tube of water containing light-activated nanoparticles was submerged into a bath of ice water. Using a lens to concentrate sunlight onto the near-freezing mixture in the tube, Neumann showed she could create steam from nearly frozen water.

Steam is one of the world's most-used industrial fluids. About 90 percent of electricity is produced from steam, and steam is also used to sterilize medical waste and surgical instruments, to prepare food and to purify water.

Most industrial steam is produced in large boilers, and Halas said solar steam's efficiency could allow steam to become economical on a much smaller scale.

People in developing countries will be among the first to see the benefits of solar steam. Rice engineering undergraduates have already created a solar steam-powered autoclave that's capable of sterilizing medical and dental instruments at clinics that lack electricity. Halas also won a Grand Challenges grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create an ultra-small-scale system for treating human waste in areas without sewer systems or electricity.

"Solar steam is remarkable because of its efficiency," said Neumann, the lead co-author on the paper. "It does not require acres of mirrors or solar panels. In fact, the footprint can be very small. For example, the light window in our demonstration autoclave was just a few square centimeters."

Another potential use could be in powering hybrid air-conditioning and heating systems that run off of sunlight during the day and electricity at night. Halas, Neumann and colleagues have also conducted distillation experiments and found that solar steam is about two-and-a-half times more efficient than existing distillation columns.

Halas, the Stanley C. Moore Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, professor of physics, professor of chemistry and professor of biomedical engineering, is one of the world's most-cited chemists. Her lab specializes in creating and studying light-activated particles. One of her creations, gold nanoshells, is the subject of several clinical trials for cancer treatment.

For the cancer treatment technology and many other applications, Halas' team chooses particles that interact with just a few wavelengths of light. For the solar steam project, Halas and Neumann set out to design a particle that would interact with the widest possible spectrum of sunlight energy. Their new nanoparticles are activated by both visible sunlight and shorter wavelengths that humans cannot see.

"We're not changing any of the laws of thermodynamics," Halas said. "We're just boiling water in a radically different way."

###

Rice University: http://media.rice.edu

Thanks to Rice University for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125351/Super_efficient_solar_energy_technology_unveiled

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Documentary: Inmate may be involved in OJ case

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? A documentary about an inmate on Florida's death row says the convicted killer might have been involved in the murder of O.J. Simpson's ex-wife and her friend.

The Investigation Discovery show, "My Brother the Serial Killer," will air Wednesday.

The film is a look at Glen Rogers, who was convicted by a Florida jury in 1997 for killing a woman.

Rogers was also convicted of murder in California and is a suspect in homicides in several other states.

Rogers, who is from Hamilton, Ohio, met Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994 when he was living in Southern California, his family says in the documentary.

A criminal profiler in the film says he received paintings by Rogers with clues possibly linking him to the 1994 murders of Simpson's ex-wife and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Simpson was accused in those killings but the so-called "trial of the century" in Los Angeles ended with his acquittal in 1995.

Simpson never testified at the criminal trial, but memorably demonstrated in court that a glove found near the slaying scene did not fit his hand. He testified at length in a wrongful death trial that led a Los Angeles civil court jury in 1997 to find him liable for damages in the case.

Much of the film is narrated by Rogers' brother, Clay Rogers, who used to rob homes with Glen Rogers as a teen but in 1993, called police on his brother after finding a body at the family's Kentucky cabin.

Clay Rogers said that in 1994, his brother told him about meeting Nicole Brown Simpson.

"They've got money, they're well off and I'm taking her down," Clay Rogers recalls Glen Rogers saying.

Other family members also said Glen Rogers talked about meeting Simpson's ex-wife.

In a statement, Goldman's sister criticized the new documentary.

"I am appalled at the level of irresponsibility demonstrated by the network and the producers of this so-called documentary," Kim Goldman said. "This is the first time we are hearing about this story, and considering that their 'main character,' Glen Rogers, confessed to stabbing my brother and Nicole to death, you would think we would be in the loop."

Simpson is currently serving a prison sentence in Nevada after being convicted in 2008 of leading five men, including two with guns, in a September 2007 confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers and a middleman at a Las Vegas casino-hotel.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-20-Serial%20Killer%20Documentary-OJ/id-9dac51b6242a43fe9a2b92a50f20e154

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Video: What Mid-East violence means for Obama

>> wrote that this crisis could become a giant political hot potato for the president. we will talk more about that. so the president has kept a close eye on this situation while he's been on that visit through asia, making repeated calls to benjamin netanyahu , the israeli prime minister and keeping close contact with the egyptian president , morsi, who is overseeing some type of cease-fire and now we know that hillary clinton is being dispatched to the region. for the president, how important of a diplomatic crisis is this to come out looking as if the u.s. was able to broker and help with the cease-fire of what we have been watching over the last week?

>> it's kind of a necessary role for the united states where it's trying to figure out the new geopolitical landscape. how is iran factoring into hamas? with the israeli elections about to happen, you know, what is the new and post- u.s. election what is the new geopolitical landscape. so the united states really cannot afford to have another hot bed, potential big, big problem on its hands again in the middle east with israeli/palestinian relationship. so, you know, the united states has to play a crucial role. the president understands that. and that's why you see secretary of state clinton there.

>> the money that the u.s. promises in aid to egypt , $2 billion is that enough leverage to be able to keep mohamed morsi overseeing this process and peace in the region, continuing not only to be a partner to the u.s., but once again considered an ally?

>> well, we have seen a difference between the public rhetoric of morsi and the muslim brotherhood run government in egypt and what it knows behind the scenes , what's known on the behind the scenes , egypt being a key player in trying to negotiate at least a cease-fire in the region. because they know that they have the -- the big card it does have is that billion-plus dollars in aid that goes -- that goes to egypt . now, the u.s. still has a close relationship with the egyptian military and that's why you see, you know, morsi having to play his own political game to try to figure out what kind of role he can play, keep the u.s. at least if not happy, pacified. and not see this thing blow up on its watch.

>> thank you, sir.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/49906437/

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Free Work At Home Easy Money Making Ideas Business Opportunity ...

TreasureTrooper Online Business Opportunity Ideas

TreasureTrooper Take Surveys, Complete Offers, Signup For Free Trials, Refer Friends Get Paid Paid For All Types Of Signups

TreasureTrooper is a popular GPT ( Get Paid To ) site that has been online and paying since 2005.

Treasure Trooper is free and doesn?t charge any fees. You can stop using the site whenever you want. The minimum age requirement to join is 13 and they do accept new members from outside of the United States, but the problem is non US residents can expect a limited selection of offers and paid online surveys. If you live in the US, you will get the most out of the site. You have to earn at least $20 before you get paid. One thing I like is that you have the choice to receive payment by PayPal or check. The majority of paid online surveys only pay by check.

There are surveys to complete, offers to go through, free and paid trials to try, completing tasks, participating in contests, getting cash back from shopping online stores, and, of course, earning from referrals. All these earning features from TreasureTrooper may sound typical from any other GPT site, however, what sets this one apart from others are their treasure items and prizes. These items may be exchanged for other special items or prizes (Amazon gift cards, iPod Nanos, XBox 360 consoles, etc.).

Offers

Offers are the most important part of TreasureTrooper. Even without a credit card, you can make over $50 with free offers, and if you have access to a credit card, you can make over $1000. There are many different kinds of offers: 100% Free, Free Trials, Shopping, Credit Cards, and Gambling. Unfortuanately, if you don't have a credit card, you are basically restricted to the 100% Free section. However, and I give credit to DarknessUndead for this, if you get a Visa Gift Card, you can use it on as a credit card on offers. This means that if you get a Visa Gift Card with just $5, you can do all the Free Trial offers that don't require any money.

If you have more than one email address, it is good to switch them up between offers, as that is also a method of increasing verification odds. However, do not use emails that don't belong to you or you may get banned!

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Just because you've made a lot with the low-paying offers is no excuse not to go for higher ones. For younger people, talk with your parents about TreasureTrooper, and explain to them how it works, and try to get them to help you make money with TreasureTrooper by having them let you use their credit card. Don't steal it, though, because if something goes wrong then you'll have a hard time telling you parents. Trust me, this method has worked for me.

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TreasureTrooper is a website that helps it's members make money by taking paid surveys and completing advertising offers. Unlike other get-paid-to sites Treasure Trooper has a lot of offers to choose from and actually passes on a decent portion of the profits.

The payouts at Treasure Trooper per survey average out to about one dollar, while the rewards for completing offers can range from 5 to 50 dollars. They also have one of the highest paying referral programs that will let you earn a residual income from two tiers.

The downside to TreasureTrooper is that if you're not a US resident then you can't get the full rewards potential. You can still make some extra cash with some of the surveys but the majority of the high paying rewards aren't available.

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The best way of earning with Treasure Trooper is their referral program. They pay a really high 20% commission on the first level and 5% on your second level. Many members have reported that they are earning hundreds of dollars with the referrals.

The thing that took me by surprised and gave me proof this was a legitimate site was Treasure Trooper?s forum. I?m glad that people are able to openly talk and interact with each other. Many of these ?get paid to? sites try to silence your complaints and you don?t really have a say in anything. The forum allows you to interact with the staff and find out what?s working for other members.

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Source: http://www.gempak.org/forum/showthread.php?t=113224

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Fetus suffers when mother lacks vitamin C

ScienceDaily (Nov. 16, 2012) ? Maternal vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the fetal brain. And once brain damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed by vitamin C supplements after birth. This is shown through new research at the University of Copenhagen just published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

Population studies show that between 10-20 per cent of all adults in the developed world suffer from vitamin C deficiency. Therefore, pregnant women should think twice about omitting the daily vitamin pill.

"Even marginal vitamin C deficiency in the mother stunts the fetal hippocampus, the important memory centre, by 10-15 per cent, preventing the brain from optimal development," says Professor Jens Lykkesfeldt. He heads the group of scientists that reached this conclusion by studying pregnant guinea pigs and their pups. Just like humans, guinea pigs cannot produce vitamin C themselves, which is why they were chosen as the model.

"We used to think that the mother could protect the baby. Ordinarily there is a selective transport from mother to fetus of the substances the baby needs during pregnancy. However, it now appears that the transport is not sufficient in the case of vitamin C deficiency. Therefore it is extremely important to draw attention to this problem, which potentially can have serious consequences for the children affected," says Jens Lykkesfeldt.

Too late when damage is done

The new results sharpen the focus on the mother's lifestyle and nutritional status during pregnancy. The new study has also shown that the damage done to the fetal brain cannot be repaired, even if the baby is given vitamin C after birth. When the vitamin C deficient guinea pig pups were born, scientists divided them into two groups and gave one group vitamin C supplements. However, when the pups were two months old, which corresponds to teenage in humans, there was still no improvement in the group that had been given supplements. The scientists are now working to find out how early in the pregnancy vitamin C deficiency influences the development of fetal guinea pigs. Preliminary results show that the impact is already made early in the pregnancy, as the foetuses were examined in the second and third trimesters. Scientists hope in the long term to be able to use population studies to illuminate the problem in humans.

Vulnerable groups

There are some groups that may be particularly vulnerable of vitamin C deficiency: "People with low economic status who eat poorly -- and perhaps also smoke -- often suffer from vitamin C deficiency. Comparatively speaking, their children risk being born with a poorly developed memory potential. These children may encounter learning problems, and seen in a societal context, history repeats itself because these children find it more difficult to escape the environment into which they are born," says Jens Lykkesfeldt. He emphasises that if pregnant women eat a varied diet, do not smoke, and for instance take a multi-vitamin tablet daily during pregnancy, there is no reason to fear vitamin C deficiency. "Because it takes so little to avoid vitamin C deficiency, it is my hope that both politicians and the authorities will become aware that this can be a potential problem," concludes Jens Lykkesfeldt.

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---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Copenhagen.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Pernille Tveden-Nyborg, Lucile Vogt, Janne G. Schjoldager, Natalie Jeannet, Stine Hasselholt, Maya D. Paidi, Stephan Christen, Jens Lykkesfeldt. Maternal Vitamin C Deficiency during Pregnancy Persistently Impairs Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Offspring of Guinea Pigs. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (10): e48488 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048488

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/child_development/~3/JZU_DvaYTIo/121116085629.htm

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Mexican Americans as ambassadors for Mexico?

MEXICO CITY ? In the United States, some on the nativist fringe suspect that Mexican Americans are reconquistas.

As if we're agents of the Mexican government working quietly to undermine U.S. sovereignty in the Southwest and hasten the day when that real estate reverts to its previous owner. That's loco.

But here in the most populous city in North America, I've just heard a competing argument that is just as far-fetched. Some Mexican politicians and intellectuals now want to bestow another title upon the estimated 35 million Mexican-Americans who live north of the border: ambassador. They want us to represent Mexico, and its people, in the United States.

I've come to Mexico City as part of a delegation of Mexican American and American Jewish leaders organized by the Latino and Latin American Institute of the American Jewish Committee, a global Jewish advocacy organization, with the goal of strengthening relations between Latinos and Jews in the United States.

Perhaps Mexicans view Jewish people as the model. They see American Jews advocating for Israel and sending millions of dollars to the Holy Land to build schools, museums and hospitals, and they want the same things from Mexican-Americans living in the United States. Both groups are part of the diaspora ? people forced to live outside their ancestral homeland who have historically been subject to prejudice. Speaking of ancestral homelands, I've come back to the country where my grandfather was born ? at almost the centennial of that destiny-altering moment when a young boy and his family crossed what was at the time little more than a line in the dirt. The hundreds of thousands of Mexicans who fled their country during the Mexican Revolution, from 1910 to 1920, weren't so much immigrants as refugees. Many of them didn't come just for better lives but, to save their lives.

Now, as their children and grandchildren take their place in American society, some Mexicans are calling the new generations to come back ? at least in spirit. They want Mexican-Americans to reconnect with Mexico.

?We need a closer relationship with the Mexican American community in the U.S., because there is a tremendous opportunity there,? Luis de la Calle, a scholar and political analyst, told us. ?We need to make an effort so that this community sees Mexico as an asset. And Mexico needs to see the Mexican-American community in the U.S. as an asset ? in terms of business, of course, but also in terms of representing Mexico in the U.S. We need to see Mexican-Americans as our ambassadors. It's a difficult thing for Mexicans to accept, but that is exactly the way we should see them.?

Timeout. How about we take a minute and consider how Mexican Americans see Mexicans and, for that matter, Mexico? This ambassador thing isn't just difficult for Mexicans to accept. For many Mexican Americans, it'll be a nonstarter.

One Mexican American in the delegation pushed back against the idea. If we are ambassadors for Mexico, he told de la Calle, then we are ?ambassadors without portfolio.?

Part of the reason, he said, is that we have a ?love-hate relationship? with Mexicans who often consider us to be ?not Mexican enough.?

That's absolutely right. Those in the Mexican ruling class were indifferent to our parents and grandparents, and now they're insulting to us. Our Spanish will never be good enough, our roots never strong enough.

I'm not alone in my resentment. Show me a Mexican American, and I'll show you someone with a family tree that includes an expatriate who fled to the north because Mexico had nothing to offer. Ironically, many of the economic opportunities that Mexico now enjoys come from expatriates living in the north ? the dishwashers in Las Vegas, the housekeepers in Phoenix, the gardeners in Dallas.

These expatriates send home more than $20 billion in remittances. It's a generous gift that helps sustain the Mexican economy, but many of the Mexican elite are too proud to acknowledge it. They like to think they're the ones keeping Mexico afloat. Now, Mexican officials want to enlist Mexican Americans to help give Mexico a makeover.

The relationship is still an open wound, and yet they expect us ? the children and grandchildren of the throwaways ? to open our wallets.

That's not going to happen, amigos. First, acknowledge the wound. And do whatever you can to heal it. Then we'll talk.

?

ruben@rubennavarrette.com

?

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Mexican-Americans-as-ambassadors-for-Mexico-4041321.php

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Housewives On Trial In China For Smuggling In iPhones

Housewives On Trial In China For Smuggling In iPhones - Slashdot

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Quillem writes "Last year, Hong Kong residents were finding it hard to get their hands on the latest Apple iGadget even though supply was plentiful. An investigation revealed that most of the iPhones and iPads that made it into HK were being smuggled sans import duties into mainland China?wher...

Source: http://www.facebook.com/slashdot/posts/126289280860423

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