Wa

Washington, Feb 8 : Inspired by the discovery that butterfly wings have scales that act as tiny solar collectors, scientists in China and Japan have designed a more efficient solar cell that could be used for powering homes, businesses, and other applications in the future.

In the study, Di Zhang and colleagues note that scientists are searching for new materials to improve light-harvesting in so-called dye-sensitized solar cells, also known as Gratzel cells for inventor Michael Gratzel.

Washington, Feb 8 : Scientists in California, US, have developed tiny electronic circuits that could pave the way for transparent electronics and other futuristic applications, including flexible electronic newspapers and wearable clothing displays.

In the new study, Chongwu Zhou and colleagues point out that although scientists have previously developed nano-sized transparent circuits, previous versions are limited to a handful of materials that are transparent semiconductors.

The researchers describe the development of transparent thin-film transistors (TTFTs) composed of highly aligned, single-walled carbon nanotubes - each about
1/50,000th the width of a single human hair.

They are transparent, flexible, and perform well.

Washington, Feb 8 : Mothers in chaotic households are likely to be obese, according to a new study.

The researchers found that although mothers' weight increases along with household instability, their young children's weight does not.

Thirty-eight percent of mothers in low-instability households were obese, while nearly 48 percent in high-instability households were obese.

The researchers also looked at parental stress (for instance, whether mothers felt alone or trapped by their responsibilities), financial instability and ability to keep food on the table.

The average age of the mothers was 28, and 40 percent of children did not have a father in the house.

Washington, Feb. 8 : U. S. President Barack Obama has called on America's defence chiefs to review their strategy in Afghanistan before going ahead with a troop surge.

According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, some senior Democrats have expressed concern about the military preparing to send up to 30,000 extra troops without a coherent plan or exit strategy.

The Pentagon is set to announce the deployment of 17,000 extra soldiers and marines, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates postponed the decision after Obama raised some questions about the lack of strategy.

Washington, Feb 8 : Wondering why the bloke you went out with last night has not called back yet? Don't console yourself by thinking he's shy, the truth is he's just not into you.

A researcher has delved into the female psyche to uncover why women pursue men that are just not that into them.

According to a Loyola University Health System relationship expert, women tend to ignore the signs that clearly indicate: "he's just not that into you," but try harder to change the man's feelings.