The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has been awarded a $825,000 grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to create a 'one-stop shopping' site for young scientists. The site will feature an extensive database on fellowships, graduate programs, job openings and other opportunities.
The article presents data on crash rates and driver experience to argue in favor of adopting graduated licensing systems. An ideal system starts learner's process at age 16, limits graduation until age 18, and restricts late-night driving.
Lee R. Berger receives the top prize for his groundbreaking discoveries in southern Africa, including the oldest known footprints of an anatomically modern human dating back 117,000 years. He aims to piece together data on the environment that spawned early humans.
Researchers at PPPL and USDA's ERRC are collaborating on a $120,000 project to develop radio frequency pasteurization methods. The new techniques use RF waves and microwave heating to effectively pasteurize raw liquid foods like eggs and milk without overheating them.
Researchers found that using rapid diagnostic methods for M. tuberculosis can decrease diagnosis time from 38.5 to 23 days, time to therapy from 6.6 to 2.0 days, and mortality by 22-33%. This also reduces healthcare costs per patient.
A recent field study found that use of ethanol fuels leads to increased levels of toxins called aldehydes and peroxyacyl nitrates (PAN), which can last for many days in the air. PAN is highly toxic to plants and a powerful eye irritant, posing health and environmental risks.
A UT Southwestern researcher has re-examined reports of stress in Gulf War veterans, finding minimal support for the theory that symptoms are stress-related. The data suggests a very low prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Gulf War veterans.
University of Michigan scientists used insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) to stimulate growth of new myelin membranes around neurons in a culture dish. The results showed that IGF-I promotes myelination by triggering biochemical changes that help Schwann cells attach to nerve fibers.
A study by Cornell University Medical College researchers suggests that atherosclerosis and some forms of cancer may be linked to a single-cell mutation in the Type II TGF-beta receptor gene. This finding could provide new avenues for understanding cardiovascular disease progression and developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Electromyography has proven more reliable than high-tech diagnostic tools in pinpointing some back disorders, according to a researcher at the University of Michigan Medical Center. A new technique called mini-paraspinal mapping can accurately diagnose many back problems while reducing EMG needle insertions from 45 to 12.