Sushi Tuesday

Stellar Fireworks Ablaze in Galaxy NGC 4449

On July 4, fireworks blaze over the skies of American cities in the annual Independence Day celebrations. But nearly 12.5 million light-years away in the dwarf galaxy NGC 4449 stellar "fireworks" are going off all the time.

--Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531236/?sc=swtn

 

Electric Fish Conduct Electric Duets in Aquatic Courtship

Cornell's Carl D. Hopkins and a former undergraduate student have discovered that African electric fish couples not only use specific electrical signals to court but also engage in a sort of dueling 'electric duet.'

J. of Experimental Biology, July 1, 2007

--Cornell University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531256/?sc=swtn

 

Solving Mystery of How DNA Strands Separate

Cornell researchers have answered a fundamental question about how two strands of DNA separate to start a process called replication, in which genes copy themselves. The research examined the role of an enzyme called a helicase, which plays a major role in separating DNA strands.

Cell

--Cornell University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531260/?sc=swtn

 

"Smart" Traffic Boxes Could Help Monitor Roads, Save Money

Ohio State University engineers are working to make the traffic control boxes that stand beside major freeways smarter. They've developed new software that helps the computerized boxes locate road incidents and notify transportation authorities at lower cost, especially in rural areas.

Transportation Research Part A

--Ohio State University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531268/?sc=swtn

 

Most Boaters Speed Through Manatee Conservation Zones

Caring but careless boaters are the greatest threat to Florida's manatees, according to a new University of Florida study that caught more than half of boat drivers speeding through conservation zones despite their professed support for the endangered animals.

--University of Florida

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531270/?sc=swtn

 

Coal-to-Liquid Researchers Are Ahead of National Debate

As the national debate over energy independence intensifies, researchers at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research are refining methods to convert coal into liquid fuel.

--University of Kentucky

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531293/?sc=swtn

 

Thousand Year Old Arctic Ponds Are Disappearing Due to Global Warming

Research has uncovered alarming evidence that high Arctic ponds, many have been permanent bodies of water for thousands of years, are completely drying out during the polar summer. These shallow ponds are important indicators of environment change and are especially susceptible to the effects of climate change because of their low water volume.

PNAS

--University of Alberta

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531146/?sc=swtn

 

Texas Tech Curator Discovers Secret of Flight for World's Largest Bird

Argentavis maginicens glided over Andes Mountains more than 6 million years ago.

PNAS

--Texas Tech University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531217/?sc=swtn

 

Marine Worm Opens New Window on Early Cell Development

University of Oregon biologists studying a common ocean-dwelling worm have uncovered potentially fundamental insights into the evolutionary origin of genetic mechanisms, which when compromised in humans play a role in many forms of cancer.

Developmental Cell, Jul-2007

--University of Oregon

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531218/?sc=swtn

 

New Catalyst May Revolutionize Biodiesel Production

Victor Lin, a chemistry professor at Iowa State University, has developed a catalyst that he thinks will revolutionize biodiesel production. Lin has founded a company in Ames, Catilin Inc., to develop and market that technology.

--Iowa State University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531238/?sc=swtn

 

Tough Tubes: Carbon Nanotubes Endure Heavy Wear and Tear

The ability of carbon nanotubes to withstand repeated stress yet retain their structural and mechanical integrity is similar to the behavior of soft tissue, according to a new study from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. When paired with the strong electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes, this ability to endure wear and tear, or fatigue, suggests the materials could be used to create structures that mimic artificial muscles or interesting electro-mechanical systems, researchers said.

Nature Nanotechnology

--Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531241/?sc=swtn

 

Mother-of-Pearl: Classic Beauty and Remarkable Strength

While the shiny material of pearls and abalone shells has long been prized for its iridescence and aesthetic value in jewelry and decorations, scientists admire mother-of-pearl for other physical properties as well.

Physical Review Letters, June 29, 2007

--University of Wisconsin-Madison

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531240/?sc=swtn

 

More Swimmers Means More Pathogens in the Water

The levels of potentially harmful waterborne microorganisms in rivers, lakes and other recreational waterways may be highest when the water is most crowded with swimmers. Researchers recommend that water-quality testing be conducted during busiest times for swimmers.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

--Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531246/?sc=swtn

 

ORNL Wins Six R&D 100 Awards, Pushing Total to 134

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have won six R&D 100 Awards, given annually by R&D Magazine to the year's most technologically significant new products.

--Oak Ridge National Laboratory

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531231/?sc=swtn

 

$2.5 Million Awarded to CU to Study Insecticide Risk on Humans

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded Cornell insecticide toxicologist David Soderlund two grants, providing more than $2.5 million over five years, to study how insecticides affect human health.

--Cornell University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531259/?sc=swtn

 

UAH Lab Leads to Improved Reliability of Weapons

A new laboratory at The University of Alabama in Huntsville will determine the durability of the equipment used by American soldiers. The Highly Accelerated Life Testing chamber can produce environments that accelerate the life cycle of various parts through extreme environments.

--University of Alabama Huntsville

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531224/?sc=swtn

 

Inexpensive 'Adaptive Optics' Achieved by Sandia's Optical Clamp

Sandia National Laboratories has received a U.S. patent for a new tool that efficiently but inexpensively uses a single mirror to achieve some of the same effects as adaptive optics, where individually angled mirrors correct distortions in laser beams.

--Sandia National Laboratories

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531262/?sc=swtn

 

Breakthrough Polymer is Lightweight, Conductive, Corrosion-Proof, Flexible

University of Virginia engineer unites the virtues of plastics and metals in a new ultra-lightweight, conductive material that may revolutionize electromagnetic shielding and more.

--University of Virginia

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531279/?sc=swtn

 

Bats Avoiding Hibernation

A Ph.D. student in Indiana State University's Department of Ecology and Organismal Biology is conducting research questioning the conventional wisdom that bats should maximize hibernation when no insects are available to eat. The research is being conducted at Indiana State University's Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation, one of the largest bat research facilities in the world.

--Indiana State University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531212/?sc=swtn

 

New Method for Reading DNA Sheds Light on Basis of Cell Identity

By using a new kind of genomic technology, a new study unveils a special code -- not within DNA, but within the so-called "chromatin" proteins surrounding it -- that could unlock the mysterious developmental choices made by mammalian cells, allowing them to assume roles as diverse as liver cells and neurons.

Nature, 1-Jul-2007

--Broad Institute

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531142/?sc=swtn

 

Doing Nature One Better: Expanding the Genetic Code in Living Mammalian Cells

Researchers have developed a novel strategy to expand the natural repertoire of 20 amino acids in mammalian cells, including neurons, and successfully inserted tailor-made amino acids into proteins in these cells. In a powerful demonstration of the method's versatility, they then used unnatural amino acids to determine the operating mechanism of the "molecular gates" that regulate the movement of potassium ions in and out of nerve cells.

Nature Neuroscience

--Salk Institute for Biological Studies

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531193/?sc=swtn

 

Early Fire Risk for Mountains Near Los Angeles

Researchers at the University of Utah and elsewhere have developed a new way to predict when vegetation dries to the point it is most vulnerable to large-scale fires in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles. This year's forecast says the highest-risk fire period will begin July 13 - weeks earlier than usual.

International Journal of Wildland Fire

--University of Utah

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531213/?sc=swtn

 

Key to Male Infertility

A factor in immune cells regulates human semen and seems to determine whether a man will be fertile.

Molecular Medicine

--North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531207/?sc=swtn

 

Earliest-known Evidence of Peanut, Cotton and Squash Farming Found

Anthropologists working on the slopes of the Andes in northern Peru have discovered the earliest-known evidence of peanut, cotton and squash farming dating back 5,000 to 9,000 years. Their findings provide long-sought-after evidence that some of the early development of agriculture in the New World took place at farming settlements in the Andes.

Science, 29-Jun-2007

--Vanderbilt University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531067/?sc=swtn

 

Loss of Cell's "Antenna" Linked to Cancer's Development

Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers described dismantling proteins in journal Cell.

Cell, 29-Jun-2007

--Fox Chase Cancer Center

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531082/?sc=swtn

 

Hubble Catches Jupiter Changing Its Stripes

Massive Jupiter is undergoing dramatic atmospheric changes that have never been seen before with the keen "eye" of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Jupiter's turbulent clouds are always changing as they encounter atmospheric disturbances while sweeping around the planet at hundreds of miles per hour. But these Hubble images reveal a rapid transformation in the shape and color of Jupiter's clouds near the equator, marking an entire face of the globe.

--Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531164/?sc=swtn

 

Invisible Nano-fibers Conduct Electricity, Repel Dirt

Tiny plastic fibers could be the key to some diverse technologies in the future -- including self-cleaning surfaces, transparent electronics, and biomedical tools that manipulate strands of DNA.

Nature Nanotechnology, Jun-2007

--Ohio State University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531184/?sc=swtn

 

Research Programs Focus on Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea

In the past few years, two scientific projects have focused on research to help prevent eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. A summary of the work and management of the projects is published in the latest issue of Ambio.

Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment

--Allen Press

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531191/?sc=swtn

 

PhD Student to Study Ocean's Garbage - Up-close and Personally

Graduate student Bryson Robertson sets sail Sunday from La Paz, Mexico on a unique and potentially life-altering journey in pursuit of his PhD. Over the next three years, the Civil Engineering student from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario will sail around the world to study ocean garbage and the health of coral reefs, documenting among other things the huge amount of debris that washes up daily on even the most remote beaches.

--Queen's University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531161/?sc=swtn

 

Research Explores Link Between Pesticides and Colony Collapse Disorder

Honey bees' colony collapse disorder might be related to pesticide exposure. For the past decade, beekeepers have treated their hives with pesticides to combat two kinds of mites that parasitize the bees and entomologist Walter (Steve) Sheppard said that the pesticides can accumulate in the wax and reach a concentration that over time harms the bees.

--Washington State University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531175/?sc=swtn

 

T-Rays vs. Terrorists

Terahertz radiation can see through clothes and tell if that's Play-Doh in your pocket or a pound of plastique.

--IEEE Spectrum Magazine

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531195/?sc=swtn

 

The Athens Affair

Some extremely smart hackers pulled off the most audacious cell-network break-in ever.

--IEEE Spectrum Magazine

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531196/?sc=swtn

 

American Physiological Society Debuts "Author Choice"

Authors who publish with the American Physiological Society (APS) and want to provide the public with immediate access to their research results will now be able to do so under a plan announced by the APS. The program, known as Author Choice, takes effect July 1, 2007.

--American Physiological Society (APS)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531216/?sc=swtn

 

Shigetada Nakanishi to Receive $500,000 Gruber Prize for Neuroscience

Over the last forty years, Shigetada Nakanishi has unraveled many of the molecular secrets that underpin the function of the brain. For his achievements, Nakanishi, director of the Osaka Bioscience Institute, will receive the 2007 Gruber Prize for Neuroscience. The prize consists of a gold medal and $US500,000.

--Gruber Foundation

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531162/?sc=swtn

 

Tasmanian Tiger Extinction Mystery

A University of Adelaide project led by zoologist Dr Jeremy Austin is investigating whether the world-fabled Tasmanian Tiger may have survived beyond its reported extinction in the late 1930s.

--University of Adelaide

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531132/?sc=swtn

 

Neutron Stars Join the Black Hole Jet Set

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has revealed an X-ray jet blasting away from a neutron star in a binary system. This discovery may help astronomers understand how neutron stars as well as black holes can generate powerful beams of relativistic particles.

Astrophysical J. Letters

--Chandra X-ray Observatory

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531136/?sc=swtn

 

Scientists Reveal Mechanism for Healthy Nerve Development

In many neurological diseases, including MS, the protective myelin surrounding the nerves is damaged. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute have identified an important line of communication between nervous system cells that is crucial to developing myelinated nerves - a discovery that may help restore the normal function of affected nerve fibers.

Nature Neuroscience, 3-Jun-2007

--Weizmann Institute of Science

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531108/?sc=swtn

 

Transparent Transistors to Bring Future Displays, 'E-paper'

Researchers have used nanotechnology to create transparent transistors and circuits, a step that promises a broad range of applications, from e-paper and flexible color screens for consumer electronics to "smart cards" and "heads-up" displays in auto windshields.

Nature Nanotechnology

--Purdue University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531115/?sc=swtn

 

Oceanographer Developing Next Generation of Hurricane Forecast Tools

An oceanographer who helped develop the most accurate hurricane prediction tool at the National Hurricane Center is completing work on an even better model that for the first time uses satellite technology to help predict a storm's path, intensity and surge.

--University of Rhode Island

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531101/?sc=swtn

 

Wildlife Habitat Protected in First Test of Ecological Investment Markets

Farmers in Jamestown, R.I., are being paid by local residents to delay haying their fields until after birds have completed nesting in a unique test to establish investment markets for ecological services.

--University of Rhode Island

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531102/?sc=swtn

 

Prototype Indoor Climate System Enables User to Control Personal Environmental Preferences Via the Web

Syracuse, N.Y.-based company CollabWorx Inc. and collaborators from the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (Syracuse CoE) and Syracuse University have developed a working prototype of an indoor climate control system that has the ability to make "smart" decisions in response to changing conditions within an office or building based on interaction with the human occupants.

--Syracuse University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531116/?sc=swtn

 

March of the Giant Penguins

Two heretofore undiscovered penguin species - one of which was over 5 feet tall -reached equatorial regions tens of millions of years earlier than expected and during a period when the earth was much warmer than it is now.

PNAS, 25-Jun-2007

--North Carolina State University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530995/?sc=swtn

 

Substance in Tree Bark Could Lead to New Lung-cancer Treatment

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined how a substance derived from the bark of the South American lapacho tree kills certain kinds of cancer cells, findings that also suggest a novel treatment for the most common type of lung cancer.

PNAS

--UT Southwestern Medical Center

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531075/?sc=swtn

 

New Genetic Marker Characterizes Aggressiveness of Cancer Cells

Levels of a small non-coding RNA molecule appear to define different stages of cancer better than some of the "classical" markers for tumor progression. By suppressing genes that are active in the developing embryo, the let-7 family of microRNAs appears to prevent human cancer cells from reasserting their prenatal capacity to divide rapidly, travel and spread.

PNAS, 25-Jun-2007

--University of Chicago Medical Center

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531088/?sc=swtn

 

Maryland Professor Creates Desktop Supercomputer Prototype

A prototype of what may be the next generation of personal computers has been developed by researchers in the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering. Capable of computing speeds 100 times faster than current desktops, the technology is based on parallel processing on a single chip.

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Conference on Supercomputing

--University of Maryland, College Park

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531072/?sc=swtn

 

Team SpelBots Take On the Planet's Robotics Titans at RoboCup 2007

The history-making Spelman College robotics soccer team competes again at the world's most-renowned competition for research robotics. Approximately 321 senior and junior teams representing 33 countries are slated to participate in this year's competition, which seeks to promote artificial intelligence and robotics research.

--Spelman College

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531090/?sc=swtn

 

University of Arizona Starts Research Initiative at Biosphere 2

The University of Arizona announces a major new scientific initiative to tackle the grand challenges, including global climate change, the fate of water and how energy travels through Earth's ecosystems. UA will lease the Biosphere 2 campus and develop it into a center for research, outreach, teaching and life-long learning.

--University of Arizona

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531062/?sc=swtn

 

Swing or Take on 3-0?

What techniques can a general manager borrow from an investment portfolio manager to select a winning roster? How can a coach use math modeling to tell a batter whether to swing or take on a 3-0 count? These are among the questions that will bring a new strategic dimension to baseball as operations researchers address a special, post-All Star Game symposium.

Symposium on Statistics and Operations Research in Baseball

--Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531139/?sc=swtn

 

Rensselaer Supercomputer Ranks Seventh in the World

The new supercomputer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been ranked seventh in the world, and it is the most powerful of any system based at a university, according to the 29th edition of the closely watched Top500 list.

--Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531145/?sc=swtn

 

ORNL Supercomputer Rises to No. 2 Worldwide

Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Cray XT4 supercomputer, known as Jaguar, is now the second fastest system in the world, according to a semiannual list of the world's fastest computers.

--Oak Ridge National Laboratory

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531151/?sc=swtn

 

ORNL-led Team Wins DOE Bioenergy Center

A team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory has won a bid from the Department of Energy for a $125 million bioenergy research center that will seek new ways to produce biofuels.

--Oak Ridge National Laboratory

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531119/?sc=swtn

 

Conference to Focus on Space Technology

Harnessing its influence as a national center of research in space technology, the University of Arkansas will host the Advanced Microelectronics and Photonics for Space Conference and Small Business Innovation Research Forum this week at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park.

--University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531066/?sc=swtn

 

Sod-Turning Celebration Launches U of S International Vaccine Centre

Today representatives of all three levels of government and the Canada Foundation for Innovation turned the sod to launch construction of the International Vaccine Centre (InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan, a $110.4-million project that will significantly enhance Canada's capacity to fight infectious disease in both animals and humans.

--University of Saskatchewan

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531084/?sc=swtn

 

World's First X-ray Free Electron Laser Is on Course to Completion

Argonne reached another milestone in the design and construction of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) undulator system.

--Argonne National Laboratories

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531087/?sc=swtn

 

New Book On Ecological Restoration Invaluable to Managing Harsh Environments

"A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration: New Hope for Arid Lands" (Island Press, June 25), is the first comprehensive, illustrated guide to practical, field-tested strategies and techniques on desert restoration and an invaluable resource for anyone working in arid lands, including restorationists, farmers, ranchers, gardeners, landscapers, outdoor recreation professionals, and activists.

Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration: New Hope for Arid Lands (Island Press, June 25)

--Alliant International University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531160/?sc=swtn

 

Mapping to the Edge of Information

At the University of Arkansas, department of facilities management and CAST researchers use technology to enhance campus efficiency.

--University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531057/?sc=swtn

 

Without Heat, Much of N. America Would be Underwater

A University of Utah study shows how various regions of North America are kept afloat by heat within Earth's rocky crust, and how much of the continent would sink beneath sea level if not for heat that makes rock buoyant. New York City would sit 1,427 feet underwater and Los Angeles would rest 3,756 feet beneath the Pacific.

Journal of Geophysical Research -- Solid Earth, Jun-2007

--University of Utah

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531052/?sc=swtn

 

Geophysicists Detect Molten Rock Layer Below American Southwest

A sheet of molten rock roughly 10 miles thick spreads underneath much of the American Southwest, some 250 miles below Tucson, Ariz. From the surface, you can't see it, smell it or feel it. But geophysicists detected the molten layer with a comparatively new and overlooked technique for exploring the deep Earth that uses magnetic eruptions on the sun.

Nature, 21-June-2007

--Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531037/?sc=swtn

 

New Picture of Earth's Lower Mantle Emerges from Lab Studies

Laboratory measurements of a high-pressure mineral believed to exist deep within the Earth show that the mineral may not have the right properties to explain a mysterious layer lying just above the planet's core. Scientists made the first laboratory study of the deformation properties of a high-pressure silicate mineral named post-perovskite.

Science, 22-Jun-2007

--Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531038/?sc=swtn

 

Scientists Close in on Missing Carbon Sink

Forests in the United States and other northern mid- and upper-latitude regions are playing a smaller role in offsetting global warming than previously thought, according to a study appearing in Science this week. The study sheds light on the so-called missing carbon sink.

Science

--National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530935/?sc=swtn

 

Antarctic Icebergs: Hotspots of Ocean Life

Global climate change is causing Antarctic ice shelves to shrink and split apart, yielding thousands of free-drifting icebergs in the nearby Weddell Sea. According to a new study in this week's journal Science these floating islands of ice - some as large as a dozen miles across - are having a major impact on the ecology of the ocean around them, serving as "hotspots" for ocean life, with thriving communities of seabirds above and a web of phytoplankton, krill, and fish below.

Science, 21-June-2007

--University of California, San Diego

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530967/?sc=swtn

 

On-farm Research Shows Farmers That They Can Use Less Nitrogen

Ongoing on-farm field trials since 2002 by a team that include farmers and Cornell researchers in 10 counties are showing that farmers can use less nitrogen to save money and reduce environmental impact.

--Cornell University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531036/?sc=swtn

 

Explorers to Use New Robotic Vehicles to Hunt for Life and Hydrothermal Vents on Arctic Seafloor

Scientists and engineers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have just completed a successful test of new robotic vehicles designed for use beneath the ice of the Arctic Ocean. The multidisciplinary research team will now use those vehicles to conduct the first search for life on the seafloor of the world's most isolated ocean.

--Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531033/?sc=swtn

 

Helping Chlorine-eating Bacteria Clean Up Toxic Waste

By combining lab experiments with computer modeling, Cornell researchers hope to learn how bacteria that break down pollutants do their job and then make them more effective in cleaning up toxic waste.

--Cornell University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531035/?sc=swtn

 

Sandia Supports Development of U.S. Army's New Lightweight, High-caliber, Self-propelled Cannon System

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in California have emerged as key players in a state-of-the-art program for the U.S. Army that focuses on the design and manufacturing of a lightweight, high-caliber, self-propelled cannon system.

--Sandia National Laboratories

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531015/?sc=swtn

 

Science and Technology Frontiers to Come Alive at June 26, 2007, Capitol Hill Exhibition

Science and Technology Frontiers to Come Alive at June 26, 2007, Capitol Hill Exhibition.

--American Sociological Association (ASA)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531018/?sc=swtn

 

Autism-related Proteins Control Nerve Excitability

Two proteins that are implicated in autism have been found to control the strength and balance of nerve-cell connections, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

Neuron, 21-Jun-2007

--UT Southwestern Medical Center

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530908/?sc=swtn

 

Engineers Develop Higher-energy Liquid-transportation Fuel from Sugar

Reporting in the June 21 issue of the journal Nature, University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineering Professor James Dumesic and his research team describe a two-stage process for turning biomass-derived sugar into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), a liquid transportation fuel with 40 percent greater energy density than ethanol.

Nature, 21-Jun-2007

--University of Wisconsin-Madison

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530918/?sc=swtn

 

Hubble Images of Asteroids Help Astronomers Prepare for Spacecraft Visit

These Hubble Space Telescope images of Vesta and Ceres show two of the most massive asteroids in the asteroid belt, a region between Mars and Jupiter. The images are helping astronomers plan for the Dawn spacecraft's tour of these hefty asteroids.

--Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530974/?sc=swtn

 

Discovery May Lead to Improved Therapies for Anemia

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have determined a key mechanism by which the body regulates iron metabolism, a discovery that may provide new approaches for the treatment of anemia.

J. of Clinical Investigation, 20-June-2007

--University of California, San Diego

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530971/?sc=swtn

 

Giant Magnetocaloric Materials Could Have Large Impact on the Environment

Materials that change temperature in magnetic fields could lead to new refrigeration technologies that reduce the use of greenhouse gases, thanks to new research at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Ames National Laboratory.

Physical Review Letters, 15-Jun-2007

--Argonne National Laboratories

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530977/?sc=swtn

 

Don't Overlook Urban Soil

Just as urban communities feature a mosaic of cultures, an analysis of Baltimore soil revealed a mosaic of soil conditions. Urban soil has been presumed to be highly disturbed, but this study showed that typical urban soil isn't so typical--and isn't so disturbed--after all.

Soil Science Society of America Journal, May/Jun-2007

--Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530976/?sc=swtn

 

New View of Doomed Star

A new composite image of the Eta Carinae from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope shows the remnants of a massive eruption from the star during the 1840s. Eta Carinae is a mysterious, extremely bright and unstable star located a mere stone's throw - astronomically speaking - from Earth at a distance of only about 7500 light years.

--Chandra X-ray Observatory

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530981/?sc=swtn

 

Prey Not Hard-wired to Fear Predators

Are Asian elk hard-wired to fear the Siberian tigers who stalk them? When wolves disappear from the forest, are moose still afraid of them? No, according to a study by Wildlife Conservation Society scientist Dr. Joel Berger, who says that several large prey species, including moose, caribou and elk, only fear predators they regularly encounter.

Conservation Biology

--Wildlife Conservation Society

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530982/?sc=swtn

 

Researchers Develop Buckyballs to Fight Allergy

A research team has identified a new biological function for a soccer ball-shaped nanoparticle called a buckyball - the ability to block allergic response, setting the stage for the development of new therapies for allergy.

J. of Immunology, Jul-2007

--Virginia Commonwealth University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530986/?sc=swtn

 

Scientists Demonstrate High-Performing Room-Temperature Nanolaser

Scientists at Yokohama National University in Japan have built a highly efficient room-temperature nanometer-scale laser that produces stable, continuous streams of near-infrared laser light. Using only a microwatt of power, this nanolaser design should be useful in future miniaturized circuits containing optical devices.

Optics Express

--Optical Society of America (OSA)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530988/?sc=swtn

 

Story Tips from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, June 2007

1) ENERGY -- New life for reactors . . . 2) NANOSCIENCE -- A clean suite . . . 3) MATERIALS -- Super stainless steel . . . 4) ENERGY -- Wet, warm wall worries . . .

--Oak Ridge National Laboratory

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530980/?sc=swtn

 

Archaeologists Rescue Ancient Civilization from Rising Nile

Archaeologists have discovered a gold processing center along the middle Nile and a cemetery that show the first sub-Saharan kingdom controlled more territory than previously thought. The remains of the kingdom of Kush (1500-200 BC) are being covered, however, by the rising waters from a newly built dam.

--University of Chicago

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530866/?sc=swtn

 

Old Math Model Aids Search for Gravitational Waves

A new way of looking at a previously abandoned mathematical model might help astronomers study and accurately identify an exotic clan of gravitational waves.

Europhysics Letters

--University of Alabama Huntsville

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530940/?sc=swtn

 

Geographer: New Tools to Forecast Hurricane Rainfall Inland

All eyes are on where hurricanes make landfall, but the massive storms actually cause the most deaths inland, where severe flooding often surprises residents.

Professional Geographer

--University of Florida

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530945/?sc=swtn

 

Brain's Voluntary Chain-of-command Ruled by Not One but Two Captains

A probe of the upper echelons of the human brain's chain-of-command has found strong evidence that there are not one but two complementary commanders in charge of the brain, according to neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

PNAS

--Washington University in St. Louis

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530953/?sc=swtn

 

How Enzymes Work: Chemists Publish a Major Discovery

In a publication selected as a "2007 Hot Article" by the journal Biochemistry, University at Buffalo chemists report the discovery of a central mechanism responsible for the action of the powerful biological catalysts known as enzymes.

Biochemistry

--University at Buffalo

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530956/?sc=swtn

 

Scientists Develop a "Control Switch" for Protein Activity

Weizmann Institute scientists have developed a unique "switch" that can control the activity of any protein, raising it several-fold or stopping it almost completely. The method provides researchers with a simple and effective tool for exploring the function of unknown proteins.

Nature Methods, 22-Apr-2007

--Weizmann Institute of Science

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530962/?sc=swtn

 

Individual Differences in Sleep Structure are Biologically Determined

Sleeping pattern variability has long been attributed to differences in several non-biological factors. Now a study from the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University Spokane, Wash., has shown that these individual differences are in large part biologically determined and may even prove to be genetic in origin.

Journal of Sleep Research, Jun-2007

--Washington State University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530965/?sc=swtn

 

Project Will Give Bird's Eye View of Virginia Trail System

An Internet-based digital repository of Virginia's existing and planned bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including bike lanes, hiking, and horseback riding trails is being created by Virginia Tech faculty members in forest and the Center for Geospatial Information Technology.

--Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530954/?sc=swtn

 

Virologists Show How "Memory" T Cells Curb the Spread of Viruses Throughout the Body

A scientific discovery by Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers helps explain how "memory" T cells protect the body from viral diseases. The research published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Online Early Edition shows lymph nodes are not just organs where immune cells reside and proliferate, but also are the sites where a major fight against the spread of an invading virus occurs.

--Fox Chase Cancer Center

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530925/?sc=swtn

 

Global Climate Change and Toxic Chemicals: A Potentially Lethal Combination

As temperature influences the toxic effects of chemicals, so does chemical exposure influence the temperature tolerance of an organism. The consequences of this harmful reciprocal relationship on four freshwater fish are explored in a new study published in the latest issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

--Allen Press

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530912/?sc=swtn

 

Scientists Report on Last Summer's "Stealth" Tsunami

Though categorized as magnitude 7.8, the earthquake could scarcely be felt by beachgoers that afternoon. A low tide and wind-driven waves disguised the signs of receding water, so when the tsunami struck, it caught even lifeguards by surprise. That contributed to the death toll of more than 600 persons in Java, Indonesia.

Geophysical Research Letters

--Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530916/?sc=swtn

 

Nanotube Adhesive Sticks Better than a Gecko's Foot

Mimicking the agile gecko, with its uncanny ability to run up walls and across ceilings, has long been a goal of materials scientists. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Akron have taken one sticky step in the right direction, creating synthetic "gecko tape" with four times the sticking power of the real thing.

PNAS

--Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530938/?sc=swtn

 

Medical Metal Detector Finds 'Lost' Orthopedic Screws

Johns Hopkins undergraduates have invented a small handheld metal detector to help doctors locate hidden orthopedic screws and removed them from patients' bodies.

--Johns Hopkins University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530917/?sc=swtn

 

Studying Gene Expression of Desert Fruit Flies

Researchers at the University of Arkansas and University of Nevada-Las Vegas will study the genetics of fruit flies in desert habitats to determine how they developed the ability to survive under stressful conditions.

--University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530924/?sc=swtn

 

A Safer Food Supply: Sandia and FDA to Make It So

A team from Sandia National Laboratories research team led the effort to computerize a new FDA program so that it will be distributed as widely as possible. The downloadable program, called "CARVER + Shock," provides a series of interactive questions. The program helps companies of any size determine vulnerabilities along their food-processing chain.

--Sandia National Laboratories

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530939/?sc=swtn

 

U.S. Food Scientist To Receive World's Highest Food Honor

Philip E. Nelson, president of the Institute of Food Technologists in 2002, will be recognized today at the U.S. Department of State as the 2007 recipient of the World Food Prize, the world's highest food honor. Today's announcement will include Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, and other distinguished leaders.

--Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530872/?sc=swtn

 

Bee Researcher is One of 20 New Pew Scholars

Gro Amdam, an assistant professor in Arizona State University's School of Life Sciences who heads social insect studies in laboratories at both ASU and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, is one of only 20 researchers chosen this year to enter The Pew Charitable Trusts' exclusive rolls as a Pew Scholar in the biomedical sciences.

--Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530972/?sc=swtn

 

New President of the International Society for Stem Cell Research Seeks to Advance Stem Cell Science

Continuing Children's Hospital Boston's global leadership in stem cell science, George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, has become the new president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). He plans to continue educating the public and lawmakers about the science of stem cell research, while encouraging international adherence to ethical guidelines in embryonic stem cell research.

International Society for Stem Cell Research

--Children's Hospital Boston

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531008/?sc=swtn

 

Science Students Learn Entrepreneurship Through New Program

Southeastern Louisiana University science students are gaining important business and technology entrepreneurship skills through a new program that puts them in charge of their own non-profit business in cooperation with area businesses and industry.

--Southeastern Louisiana University

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530937/?sc=swtn

 

Fortran and Scientific Programming: Celebrating 50 Years of Mutual Growth

Over half of the century of its existence, the evolving Fortran has been the traditional and major language for scientific programming and it has played a significant role in the research on programming languages and compilers for scientific computing. To mark this occasion, a special issue of Scientific Programming on the role of Fortran in the scientific programming discipline is being published by IOS Press this month.

Scientific Programming

--IOS Press

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/530973/?sc=swtn