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Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
Pathogen protection and virulence: Dark side of fungal membrane protein revealed Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and Montana State University have discovered a fungal protein that plays a key role in causing disease in plants and animals and which also shields the pathogen from oxidative stress. Contact: Barry Whyte Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
Carnegie Mellon researchers link health-care debate to risk of dying in US and Europe A new Web site, www.DeathriskRankings.com, developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon allows users to explore differences in the probability of dying across European countries and the US states for men and women of different ages and races. Contact: Chriss Swaney Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
DNA molecules in moss open door to new biotechnology Plasmids, which are DNA molecules capable of independent replication in cells, have played an important role in gene technology. Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden have now demonstrated that plasmid-based methods, which had been limited to single-cell organisms such as bacteria and yeasts, can be extended to mosses, opening the door to applications of a number of powerful techniques in plant research. The findings have been published in the distinguished journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Contact: Hans Ronne Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
SNM applauds House action to build medical isotopes reactor in the US SNM applauds the US House of Representatives for its passage of H.R. 3276 -- the American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2009. Contact: Amy Shaw Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
Computer predicts reactions between molecules and surfaces, with ‘chemical precision’ An international team of scientists from the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Argentina and the United States has shown in a paper to be published in Science shortly how the chemistry of surface reactions underpinning catalysis can be modeled accurately with computers. Contact: Professor Geert-Jan Kroes Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
A new computer simulator allows to design military strategies based on ants' movements Researchers from the University of Granada (Spain) have designed a system for the mobility of military troops within a battlefield following the mechanisms used by ant colonies to move They have used settings of Panzer General, a commercial war video game, for the development of this software . Contact: Antonio Miguel Mora García Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
Perfectly proportioned The manufacture of parts by compaction and sintering involves filling a die with metal powder. Research scientists have simulated this process for the first time to achieve an evenly distributed powder density. This improves the cost-efficiency of sintering. Contact: Claas Bierwisch Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
Lasers put a shine on metals Polishing metal surfaces is a demanding but monotonous task, and it is difficult to find qualified young specialists. Polishing machines do not represent an adequate alternative because they cannot get to difficult parts of the surface. A new solution is provided by laser polishers. Contact: Edgar Willenborg Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
Magnetic nanoparticles to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat The future for magentic nanoparticles (mNPs) appears bright With the design of "theranostic" molecules. mNPs could play a crucial role in developing one-stop tools to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat a wide range of common diseases and injuries. Contact: Joe Winters Public Release: 6-Nov-2009
DNA barcodes: Creative new uses span health, fraud, smuggling, history, more Some 350 experts from 50 nations gathering in Mexico for their 3rd global meeting will outline the latest creative applications of DNA barcoding, including several projects related to human health, fraud, smuggling, the food chain and reconstructing environmental history. Contact: Terry Collins Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Researcher: 'Optical biopsy' for breast cancer increasingly accurate Most biopsies following mammograms reveal benign abnormalities, not cancer. Contact: Huabei Jiang Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
November 2009 story tips from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fuel economy ratings for the new 2010 model year automobiles are posted at www.fueleconomy.gov, which ORNL maintains for the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency. A team led by ORNL's Nina Balke has moved closer to developing more rugged memory and logic devices. Heavy trucks are less heavy but just as safe and rugged because of steel rail frames. A new approach to crunching massive volumes of data uses neural networks like an artificial brain. Contact: Ron Walli Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Dartmouth professor finds that iconic Oswald photo was not faked Computer Scientist Hany Farid has new evidence regarding a photograph of accused JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Farid digitally analyzed the iconic image of Oswald pictured in a backyard setting holding a rifle in one hand and Marxist newspapers in the other, and he says the photo almost certainly was not altered. Contact: Sue Knapp Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Carnegie Mellon researchers receive grant Carnegie Mellon's Lucio Soibelman, H. Scott Matthews and Jose M.F. Moura received a three-year $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to identify inexpensive ways to track energy consumption. Contact: Chriss Swaney Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
PTB Terahertz calibration satisfies US laser manufacturer Terahertz radiation still lies in a metrological no man's land -- a metrology gap. The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt can now close this gap. For the first time, a commercial Terahertz laser was traced back to the international system of units by measuring its output power absolutely. Therefore, this laser is the first THz laser in the field with a reliably proven output power enabled by a novel calibration capability set up at the PTB. Contact: Dr. Andreas Steiger Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Melatonin, a hormone segregated by human body, regulates sleep better than somniferous Scientists of the University of Granada state that the exogenous administration of melatonin corrects the sleep/wakefulness pace when human biological clock gets altered. At present, this substance is being widely used by the pharmaceutical industry to design synthetic medicines, a very interesting therapeutic tool for the treatment of sleep alterations. Contact: Darío Acuña Castroviejo Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Boat tail reduces truck fuel consumption by 7.5 percent A boat tail, a tapering protrusion mounted on the rear of a truck, leads to fuel savings of 7.5 percent. This is due to dramatically improved aerodynamics, as shown by road tests conducted by the Dutch PART (Platform for Aerodynamic Road Transport) public-private partnership platform. Contact: Gandert van Raemdonck Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
A new system preserves the right to privacy in Internet searches A team of Catalan researchers has developed a protocol to distort the user profile generated by Internet search engines, in such a way that they cannot save the searches undertaken by Internet users and thus preserve their privacy. The study has been published in the Computer Communications magazine. Contact: SINC Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Excitation pattern peak is more important determinant of vowel quality Vowel perception is a central problem of speech research, and by far no compelling explanation has been proposed for all phenomena in speech perception. As a kind of inner representative of peripheral auditory system, is the excitation pattern closer to the solution? This paper investigates the perceptions of five Chinese vowel -- u, o, a, y, i -- on basis of the excitation pattern, and the results show a determinant relation between phonetic qualities and the peak positions of excitation pattern. Contact: Shuiyuan Yu Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Airborne nitrogen shifts aquatic nutrient limitation in pristine lakes The impact of airborne nitrogen released from the burning of fossil fuels and wide-spread use of fertilizers in agriculture is much greater that previously recognized and even extends to remote alpine lakes, according to a study published Nov. 6 in the journal Science. Contact: Margaret Coulombe Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
CU-Boulder map of human bacterial diversity shows wide interpersonal differences A University of Colorado at Boulder team has developed the first atlas of bacterial diversity across the human body, charting wide variations in microbe populations that live in different regions of the human body and which aid us in physiological functions that contribute to our health. Contact: Rob Knight Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Complete Genomics publishes in Science on low-cost sequencing of 3 human genomes Complete Genomics, a third-generation human genome sequencing company, today announced publication of a report in the journal Science describing its proprietary DNA sequencing platform, including analysis of sequence data from three complete human genomes. The consumables cost for these three genomes sequenced on the proof-of-principle genomic DNA nanoarrays ranged from $8,005 for 87x coverage to $1,726 for 45x coverage for the samples described in this report. Contact: Andrea Long Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Genomes of biofuel yeasts reveal clues that could boost fuel ethanol production worldwide As global temperatures and energy costs continue to soar, renewable sources of energy will be key to a sustainable future. An attractive replacement for gasoline is biofuel, and in two studies published online in Genome Research, scientists have analyzed the genome structures of bioethanol-producing microorganisms, uncovering genetic clues that will be critical in developing new technologies needed to implement production on a global scale. Contact: Peggy Calicchia Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Gene therapy success in severe brain disorder applauded by the STOP ALD Foundation First gene therapy success in boys with fatal brain disorder -- the Stop ALD Foundation, having spurred a successful European gene therapy trial, is now pressing to bring this therapy to the US. The foundation was started by families with children who have died or suffered from adrenoleukodystrophy, the disease highlighted in the movie Lorenzo's Oil. A report of the trial appears in the current issue of Science. Contact: Amber Salzman Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
How size matters for catalysts University of Utah chemists demonstrated the first conclusive link between the size of catalyst particles on a solid surface, their electronic properties and their ability to speed chemical reactions. The study is a step toward the goal of designing cheaper, more efficient catalysts to increase energy production, reduce Earth-warming gases and manufacture a wide variety of goods from medicines to gasoline. Contact: Lee Siegel |