Near-death experiences may be triggered by serotonin - health - 08 September 2011. THE bright light at the end of the tunnel which some people close to death describe may result from a flood of serotonin in the brain. Near-death experiences (NDEs) are reported by around 1 in 5 critically ill people, and their cause is a mystery. Alexander Wutzler’s team at the Charité University of Medicine in Berlin, Germany, wondered if serotonin – a neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation and processing vision and sound – plays a role. They gave six rats an overdose of anaesthetic and found that serotonin levels in their brains had tripled by the time they died (Neuroscience Letters, DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.04.051). Wutzler expects to see a similar increase in dying human brains. He says serotonin could be behind NDEs, but Jakob Hohwy at Monash University in Melbourne is unsure. Topics: Lightweight Cable Made of Braided Nanotubes Could Replace Copper Wires. Cables made out of nanowires could be just as efficient as the copper cables we've been using for more than a century, but at a fraction of the weight, according to a new paper.
Braiding billions of carbon nanotubes into a nanowire cable can efficiently replace copper in a light bulb circuit. Traditional cables are made by braiding or twisting together two or more wires or optical fibers, usually metal or silicon, to carry a current or signal. In a new study, Rice University researchers instead used double-walled carbon nanotubes, made of concentric rolled-up sheets of graphene. To make the cable, the team grew billions of nanotubes and spun them with a polymer into tiny wires just a few centimeters long. The wires were doped with iodine to keep them stable, and then they could be tied together without compromising their conductivity, according to a Rice news release.
The resulting cable is corrosion-resistant and is much lighter and less dense than copper. [via PhysOrg] FiftyYearsOfEclipses.png (PNG Image, 3300x1707 pixels) - Scaled (34%) Choline-Derivate-Modified Nanoparticles for Brain-Targeting Gene Delivery - Li - 2011 - Advanced Materials. Nanostructures from Single Amino Acid-Based Molecules: Stability, Fibrillation, Encapsulation, and Fabrication of Silver Nanoparticles - Koley - 2011 - Advanced Functional Materials. Max Planck Research Networks. Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2011. 9 September 2011Last updated at 09:44 From giant oval storms on the surface of Jupiter to colourful wispy remnants from a supernova explosion and the dazzling green curtain of the Northern Lights - nearly 800 images were submitted for the latest Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
Take a look at some of the winning photos with two of the judges from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, public astronomer Marek Kukula and astronomy programmes manager Olivia Johnson. Continue reading the main story Click the bottom right of the slideshow for detailed captions. The judges' choice of the best images can be seen in a free exhibition at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London, until February 2012.
Astronomy Photographer of the Year is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich and Sky at Night Magazine. All images subject to copyright. Music courtesy KPM Music. Related: National Maritime Museum - Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2011 Royal Observatory Greenwich Sky at Night Magazine Probing plasma. 2011 September 7 - J102815: A Star That Should Not Exist. Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2011 September 7 SDSS J102915+172927: A Star That Should Not Exist Image Credit: ESO, DSS2 Explanation: Why does this star have so few heavy elements?
Stars born in the generation of our Sun have an expected abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium mixed into their atmospheres. Tomorrow's picture: a sharper image Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important NoticesA service of:ASD at NASA / GSFC& Michigan Tech.