EurekAlert! - Mathematics and Statistics

SFU cell biologist Lynne Quarmby will address top-flight American high school science students at AAAS conference in Vancouver

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Simon Fraser University) Lynne Quarmby, a Simon Fraser University cell biologist with a passion for promoting science, will deliver a talk to 30-top flight American high school science students and their teachers about the importance of basic science. Quarmby will be the keynote speaker at the Feb. 16 AJAS meeting at SFU Burnaby. It strategically brings together the crème de la crème of young American science students during the AAAS meeting in Vancouver.

New drugs schedule makes horse racing a sure thing

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Queensland University of Technology) QUT professor of biosciences, Martin Sillence, said the new research pinpointed the length of time it took for 18 of the most commonly used therapeutic drugs to work their way out of a horse's system, providing greater certainty for horse owners, trainers and vets."Because horses are prohibited from racing with any trace of drugs in their system, the administration of therapeutic drugs to horses in need of care has been a risky business," professor Sillence said.

From the University of Houston's Texas Obesity Research Center

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Houston) TORC and the CDC: Recently awarded more than $4 million dollars over four years from the Center for Disease Control, the Texas Obesity Research Center has developed a research group to create a comprehensive evaluation system to examine three childhood obesity programs.

Aid missions get cutting-edge assistance from ONR

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Office of Naval Research) A Web-based tool suite that helps first responders rapidly coordinate resources during disasters, co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, is being introduced at a University of Connecticut panel Feb. 8-11 as part of a month-long rollout. The Resiliency Assessment and Coordination System tool takes data from United Nations sites and displays it on a map-based diagram showing the locations of various resources, such as food, shelter, sanitation and health supplies and provides a checklist.

Storm warning: Financial tsunami heading this way

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(American Friends of Tel Aviv University) Dror Kenett and professor Eshel Ben-Jacob of Tel Aviv University recently devised a financial market "seismograph" that can measure the interconnections between stock markets across the globe. Their research has the potential to serve as an early warning system and provide measures to manage and mitigate the spread of financial crisis.

Model analyzes shape-memory alloys for use in earthquake-resistant structures

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Georgia Institute of Technology Research News) Recent earthquake damage has exposed the vulnerability of existing structures to strong ground movement. At Georgia Tech, researchers are analyzing shape-memory alloys for their potential use in constructing seismic-resistant structures.

Fighting crimes against biodiversity

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Queen Mary, University of London) Invasive species which have the potential to destroy biodiversity and influence global change could be tracked and controlled in the same way as wanted criminals, according to new research from Queen Mary, University of London.

Night owls and star gazers to gather at Night of the Open Door Festival

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Arizona State University) ASU's Night of the Open Door shines a spotlight on more than 165 activities to celebrate the sciences, arts, humanities and engineering on March 3 in Tempe, as part of the Arizona SciTech Festival.

Barriers to the use of fingerprint evidence in court is unlocked by statistical model

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Penn State) Fingerprints that are potential key pieces of evidence in court currently are not being considered due to shortcomings in the way this evidence is reported. Now, a statistical model has been developed that enables the weight of fingerprint evidence to be expressed in quantitative terms, paving the way for its full inclusion in the process of identifying criminals, according to a report that will be published in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society.

Chief of naval research to speak at robotics conference

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Office of Naval Research) The chief of naval research will speak about autonomy and other robotics challenges and opportunities during a presentation at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's Unmanned Systems Program Review 2012 on Feb. 9. Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, who heads the Office of Naval Research, will give his remarks at 9 a.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C. Klunder will update conference attendees about ongoing efforts and discuss opportunities for engagement in various programs.

Utilizing risk-adjustment strategies to navigate an equitable road toward health-care reform

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examine why health reform could lead to favorable or adverse risk selection across health plans. The article reviews provisions within the Affordable Care Act legislation and discusses key risk-adjustment implementation issues for states establishing health insurance exchanges. Results from a simulation using data from 5 million insured persons show how risk-adjusted transfer payments will be essential to help minimize selection bias across participating health plans.

Statistical model unlocks barriers to use of fingerprint evidence in court

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Wiley-Blackwell) Potentially key fingerprint evidence is currently not being considered due to shortcomings in the way it is reported, according to a report published today in Significance, the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association. Researchers involved in the study have devised a statistical model to enable the weight of fingerprint evidence to be quantified, paving the way for its full inclusion in the criminal identification process.

'Explorers,' who embrace the uncertainty of choices, use specific part of cortex

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Brown University) As they try to find the best reward among options, some people explore based on how uncertain they are about the outcome of the options. Those who employ that thought process, unlike people who use other strategies, uniquely harness the computational power of the rostrolateral prefrontal cortex, a new study finds.

New Kavli Institute announced at the University Of Tokyo

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(The Kavli Foundation) The Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, receives a major endowment from the Kavli Foundation, joining the family of Kavli institutes.

Warning! Collision imminent!

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(McGill University) Researchers at The Neuro and the University of Maryland have figured out the mathematical calculations that specific neurons employ in order to inform us of our distance from an object and the 3-D velocities of moving objects and surfaces relative to ourselves.

Fair to bring future scientists and engineers to UC Riverside

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - Riverside) What are you really eating when you’re eating chicken? Do different types of wood produce the same heat when burned? Do twins have similar fingerprints? How does sleep affect your memory? Does your eye color matter? Hundreds of K-12 students from 33 local schools will answer these and other intriguing questions at the 23nd annual Science and Engineering Fair at the University of California, Riverside, Feb. 7-9.

Odds of living a very long life lower than formerly predicted

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of Chicago) The chances to reach extreme old age are much lower than previously thought, new research shows. Research just published by a team of demographers at the social science research organization NORC at the University of Chicago contradicts a long-held belief that the mortality rate of Americans flattens out above age 80. It also explains why there are only half as many people in the US age 100 and above than the Census Bureau has predicted.

Fellowships to assist 9 UC Riverside students secure doctoral degrees

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(University of California - Riverside) The University of California, Riverside has awarded nine first-year graduate students an annual stipend of $30,000 for two years to increase underrepresented minority students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at the doctoral level. In addition to the stipend that covers living expenses, each student's graduate tuition and fees are fully covered. Because of the fellowships, the nine students will be fully engaged in research from the outset.

AIBS names emerging public policy leaders

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(American Institute of Biological Sciences) The American Institute of Biological Sciences has selected two graduate students to receive the 2012 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award. Lida Beninson is a Ph.D. candidate in Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder. Andrew Reinmann is a Ph.D. candidate in Biology at Boston University.

NYU Courant researchers weigh methods to more accurately measure genome sequencing

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(New York University) Researchers at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences evaluate some current methods to sequence individual genomes -- a study that serves as a "stress test" of the efficacy of these practices.

Hand counts of votes may cause errors, says new Rice University study

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Rice University) Hand counting of votes in postelection audit or recount procedures can result in error rates of up to two percent, according to a new study from Rice University and Clemson University.

Predicting system crashes in nature and society

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Public Library of Science) The researchers present a mathematical methodology that uses easily obtainable information to providing early warning of crashes in natural or societal systems such as fisheries or economies.

2011 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge winners announced

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(American Association for the Advancement of Science) A colorful computer illustration that depicts the emergence of structure in the universe, spanning 240 million light years, is among the entries being recognized by the 2011 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, which is sponsored jointly by journal Science and the US National Science Foundation.

Shane Ross garners CAREER Award to advance understanding of fluid flows from blood inside the body to oil spills in bodies of water

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(Virginia Tech) The researcher's work is an attempt to expand the applicability of dynamical systems methods to real world data, particularly in the context of fluid flows.

A new system of stereo cameras detects pedestrians from within the car

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

(FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) A team of German researchers, with the help of a lecturer at the University of Alcalá, has developed a system that locates pedestrians in front of the vehicle using artificial vision. Soon to be integrated into the top-of-the-range Mercedes vehicles, the device includes two cameras and a unit that process information supplied in real time by all image points.