The President requests a 3.4% increase in overall research funding and a 6.3% rise in major equipment funding, with key areas including KDI, life sciences, and education programs. The NSF FY98 budget aims to drive national growth and opportunity through fundamental research and innovation.
A water-based pillow significantly improved quality of sleep and modestly reduced morning pain intensity compared to standard and roll pillows. The pillow contained a pouch of water, adjustable for firmness, and supported neck muscles and structures damaged by injury or disease.
Researchers found that polyethylene glycol-conjugated recombinant human megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) significantly increased platelet counts in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer after chemotherapy. Platelet counts returned to normal within 14 days, faster than in placebo recipients.
The Ocutech VES AutoFocus Telescope is the world's first self-focusing telescopic glasses for the visually impaired, developed by Dr. Henry Greene and his team. The device can help several million people in the US alone, providing improved vision and recognition of faces and objects.
Researchers are developing innovative control concepts, such as electrically-actuated piezoelectric structures and tiny jet turbine engines, to build MicroFlyer aircraft. The vehicles must be autonomous, inexpensive, and able to withstand harsh environments.
The USGS network has been severely impacted by recent floods, with 146 streamflow measuring stations damaged or destroyed. This has hampered efforts to provide basic floodflow measurements, particularly in California where 79 gages were affected.