Newswise: SciNews

The Greening of a Motor Pool

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Michigan Technological University's fleet of vehicles is going hybrid.

New Abbott Technology Offers Rapid Alternative to Culture for Microbial Detection

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Research presented today at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) annual meeting indicates that a new molecular diagnostic technology from Abbott identified more microbes and delivered more rapid results than traditional culture testing methods.

Researchers Begin to Decipher Metabolism of Sexual Assault Drug

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

4-HB is a naturally occurring brain chemical that can be abused or used as a date-rape drug if taken by mouth.

New Map of Variation in Maize Genetics Holds Promise for Developing New Varieties

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST

A new study of maize has identified thousands of diverse genes in genetically inaccessible portions of the genome. New techniques may allow breeders and researchers to use this genetic variation to identify desirable traits and create new varieties that were not easily possible before.

New Tsunami Education Web Site Developed by Oceanographers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Scientists and Web developers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have created a new educational Web site with crucial tips on how to prepare for and survive a tsunami. Tagged as "an interactive guide that could save your life," the site also features the latest tsunami-related science research and compelling tsunami survivor videos and interviews.

Researchers Pioneer New Approach to Assist Scientists, Farmers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:40:00 EST

Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Los Alamos national laboratories.

WHOI'S Bruce A. Warren Is Awarded Sverdrup Gold Medal

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST

Bruce A. Warren-- one of the world's pre-eminent researchers of deep ocean currents and scientist emeritus at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)--is the 2010 winner of the prestigious Sverdrup Gold Medal, awarded by the American Meteorological Society (AMS).

Sweet Corn Story Begins in Lab

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

This week, scientists are revealing the genetic instructions inside corn, one of the big three cereal crops. Corn, or maize, has one of the most complex sequences of DNA ever analyzed, says University of Wisconsin-Madison genomicist David Schwartz, who was one of more than 100 authors in the article in the journal Science.

After Mastodons and Mammoths, a Transformed Landscape

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Roughly 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, North America's vast assemblage of large animals -- including such iconic creatures as mammoths, mastodons, camels, horses, ground sloths and giant beavers -- began their precipitous slide to extinction.

Like Humans, Ants Use Bacteria to Make Their Gardens Grow

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities.

Amaizing: Corn Genome Decoded

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

In recent years, scientists have decoded the DNA of humans and a menagerie of creatures but none with genes as complex as a stalk of corn, the latest genome to be unraveled. A team of scientists led by The Genome Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis published the completed corn genome in the Nov. 20 journal Science, an accomplishment that will speed efforts to develop better crop varieties to meet the world's growing demands for food, livestock feed and fuel.

An Atomic-level Look at an HIV Accomplice

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:50:00 EST

Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of thwarting its infection-promoting activity.

Study Shows Brain's Ability to Reorganize

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:15:00 EST

Scientists from the UCLA Department of Neurology have confirmed that blindness causes structural changes in the brain, indicating that the brain may reorganize itself functionally in order to adapt to a loss in sensory input.

Cigarettes Harbor Many Bacteria Harmful to Human Health

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher and microbial ecologists at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France.

Developing "Green" Tires That Boost Mileage and Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

A new generation of "green" automobile tires that can boost fuel efficiency without sacrificing safety and durability is rolling their way through the research pipeline. The new tires could help add an extra mile or two per gallon to a car's fuel economy. That's the topic of the cover story of the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, (C&EN) ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

Saliva Proteins Change as Women Age

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST

In a step toward using human saliva to tell whether those stiff joints, memory lapses, and other telltale signs of aging are normal or red flags for disease, scientists are describing how the protein content of women's saliva change with advancing age. The discovery could lead to a simple, noninvasive test for better diagnosing and treating certain age-related diseases in women.

Bioreactor for Bone Tissue Engineering Wins Professor Venture Fair

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

John Fisher, associate professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, won the Best Inventor Pitch at the 2009 Bioscience Research and Technology Review Day with a tissue engineering bioreactor system that grows bone and other types of tissue for implantation.

Hidden Threat: Elevated Pollution Levels Near Regional Airports

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST

Scientists are reporting evidence that air pollution -- a well-recognized problem at major airports -- may pose an important but largely overlooked health concern for people living near smaller regional airports. Those airports are becoming an increasingly important component of global air transport systems.

New On-Off "Switch" Triggers and Reverses Paralysis in Animals with a Beam of Light

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST

In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet light. The animals stay paralyzed even when the light is turned off. When exposed to ordinary light, the animals become unparalyzed and wake up.

NIEHS Awards Recovery Act Funds to Focus More Research on Health and Safety of Nanomaterials

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, is increasing its investment in understanding the potential health, safety and environmental issues related to tiny particles that are used in many everyday products such as sunscreens, cosmetics and electronics. The NIEHS will award about $13 million over a two-year period, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to bolster the NIEHS's ongoing research portfolio in the area of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs).

Why Israeli Rodents Are More Cautious than Jordanian Ones

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

A series of studies carried out at the University of Haifa have found that rodent, reptile and ant lion species behave differently on either side of the Israel-Jordan border.

Time Magazine Names JQI Work Among Year's Best Inventions

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Time Magazine has named research led by the Joint Quantum Institute on the 'quantum teleportation' of information from one atom to another in its '50 Best Inventions of 2009' feature.

Certification and Accreditation Process for Federal Information Systems Transformed

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST

A revised draft publication on computer security guidance issued by NIST is focused on transforming the episodic information system certification and accreditation processes at federal agencies by reinforcing and specifying procedures for continuous monitoring and updating.

Technology Innovation Program Seeks Comments on Potential Future Funding Areas

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:10:00 EST

NIST is asking for public comment on four white papers that outline potential areas for research funding grants under the institute's Technology Innovation Program (TIP).

Publication Offers Constructive Advice for Construction Industry Efficiency

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:05:00 EST

A new workshop report from the National Research Council identifies five key activities to advance the competitiveness and effectiveness of the nation's construction industry.