http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/archive.htm A biweekly tip sheet for journalists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. en-us Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss michael.baum@nist.gov gail.porter@nist.gov http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/rss/techbeatlogo_rss144px.gif http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/archive.htm 144 34 NIST TechBeat logo http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#mice Researchers from NIST, Oregon Health and Science University and the New York University School of Medicine have demonstrated that deleting two genes in mice responsible for repairing DNA strands damaged by oxidation leads to several types of tumors, providing additional evidence that such stress contributes to the development of cancer. The work may lead to the development of new measurement methods and reference materials for accurate and reproducible assessments of DNA damage and repair.

]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#mice http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#trap A novel ion trap demonstrated at NIST could usher in a new generation of applications, because the device holds promise as a stylus for sensing very small forces or for an interface for efficient transfer of individual light particles for quantum communications.

]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#trap http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#magnetism A tiny grid pattern has led materials scientists at NIST and the Institute of Solid State Physics in Russia to an unexpected finding - the surprisingly strong and long-range effects of certain electromagnetic nanostructures used in data storage.

]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#magnetism http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#school NIST researchers took a week this summer to teach the next generation of scientists how to use these beams of slow-moving neutrons to explore innovative materials from proteins to nanoparticles.

]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#school http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#srm NIST has issued four new Standard Reference Materials to help researchers accurately measure organic contaminants in human body fluids, including milk and blood serum.

]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#srm http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#tip NIST announced today that it is extending the deadline for submitting proposals to its Technology Innovation Program competition to 3 p.m. Eastern Time, Tuesday, July 7, 2009. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#tip http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#grid NIST is requesting public comment on a draft report that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing interoperability standards for a 'smart' electric power grid. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#grid http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#baldrige Senior leaders from the three organizations selected for the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, as well as representatives from past Award recipients, will share their best practices and results at one-day regional conferences in Septmeber (Milwaukee, Wisc.) and October (Cambridge, Mass.) Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#baldrige http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#voting Creating voting machines that are both trustworthy and easy to use is the goal of the End-to-End Voting Systems Workshop, which should interest anyone concerned with ensuring that elections are run fairly, smoothly and with verifiable results. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#voting http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#youtube The latest addition to the growing selection of videos on the NIST YouTube Channel is a look at the agency's new super-accurate method of measurement - using lasers to quickly pinpoint the absolute distance between multiple objects to within a few nanometers. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#youtube http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#flemming NIST physicist Sae Woo Nam and chemist Stephan Stranick are among 12 federal employees who were presented with the Arthur S. Flemming Award in ceremonies held June 1, 2009, at George Washington University. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:01 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0630.htm#flemming http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#gold Biophysicists at JILA have made gold more precious than ever - at least as a research tool - by creating nonstick gold surfaces and laser-safe gold nanoposts to aid in trapping and fixing individual biomolecules for study.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#gold http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#toxin A new NIST assay using a 'glow or no glow' technique may soon help the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defend the nation against a spectrum of biological weapons that could be used in a terrorist attack.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#toxin http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#fire To better understand increasingly prevelant Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires - and how best to prevent or fight them - NIST researchers have issued an in-depth case study on fire behavior and defensive actions taken in a community during a major WUI fire in California.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#fire http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#cobalt New studies by scientists at NIST show that changing the shape of cobalt nanoparticles from spherical to cubic can fundamentally change their behavior.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#cobalt http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#crystal Scientists at NIST have found evidence of an important similarity between the behavior of polycrystalline materials - like metals and ceramics - and glasses, research that could lead to better predictions of how many valuable materials behave under stress.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#crystal http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#soccer NIST will be serving up 'soccer under glass' - the glass of a microscope lens - when nanosoccer makes its second appearance at the RoboCup games at the international competition in Graz, Austria from June 29 to July 5, 2009.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#soccer http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#htc NIST researchers have discovered that a reduction in mechanical strain at the boundaries of crystal grains can significantly improve the performance of high-temperature superconductors.

]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#htc http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#fellowships NIST has announced that it is establishing a financial assistance program to help selected institutions develop and implement a NIST measurement science and engineering fellowship program. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#fellowships http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#sp800-53 NIST, DOD, the intelligence community and the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) has released the first installment of a three-year effort to build a unified information security framework for the entire federal government. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#sp800-53 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#sp800-46 NIST has released the final version of an updated publication to help organizations and employees secure their computer systems for telecommuters. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#sp800-46 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#vcat The NIST Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), the agency's primary private-sector advisory group, has sent its 2008 annual report to Congress. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:48:02 -0400 http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2009_0616.htm#vcat