Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News Archive July 2009 - Page 13


Page 13 of 23

Capturing CO2 in a bowl

Scientists have discovered a bowl-shaped molecule that can pull carbon dioxide out of the air, offering new possibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The molecule's unique properties make it suitable for industrial use in removing CO2 from ambient air and potentially even from living organisms.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalInorganic Chemistry·DateJul 15, 2009

Market-style incentives to increase school choice have opposite effect

A study by University of Illinois expert Christopher Lubienski found that market-based approaches to school choice lead to exclusionary strategies, favoring affluent students. Schools compete to attract high-need students, but often leave them marginalized, and instead target 'active families' with resources.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalAmerican Journal of Education·DateJul 15, 2009

Fighting drug-resistant flu viruses

Researchers discover potential drugs that block the first step in the infection process, preventing flu viruses from infecting cells. This breakthrough could lead to a new genre of antivirals and be used to develop treatments for other medical problems.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalJournal of Medicinal Chemistry·DateJul 15, 2009

University of Michigan survey: Ask permission to use newborn data, parents say

A University of Michigan survey reveals that most parents would allow researchers to use their children's newborn screening samples for research purposes if permission is obtained beforehand. However, over half of the parents surveyed said they would be very unwilling to permit use of their child's sample without granting or denying pe...

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalPublic Health Genomics·DateJul 15, 2009

Wastewater used to map illicit drug use

The study found that methamphetamine was present in all municipalities, while MDMA was at quantifiable levels in less than half of the communities. Urban areas had significantly higher index loads of cocaine metabolite BZE, while rural areas had lower levels or none detected.

SourceOregon State University·JournalAddiction·DateJul 15, 2009

Environmental factors instruct lineage choice of blood progenitor cells

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich used new bioimaging techniques to show that hematopoietic progenitor cells are instructed by cytokines, steering their lineage choice. This discovery confirms the influence of environmental factors on cell differentiation and has important implications for optimizing therapeutic stem cell applications.

UM Rosenstiel School's Aplysia summer research program heats up

The UM Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science has received a $82,128 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus grant to enhance its Aplysia summer research program. The program will provide hands-on training to undergraduate students and middle/high school science teachers in sea hare research, improving egg ...

Classifying 'clicks'

Researchers used high-speed ultrasound imaging to categorize N|uu clicks, a series of consonants distinct to southern Africa's Kalahari Desert. This breakthrough could change how linguists describe click languages and aid speech scientists in understanding speech production.

SourceU.S. National Science Foundation·JournalJournal of the International Phonetic Association·DateJul 15, 2009

The minerals on Mars influence the measuring of its temperature

Researchers confirm that Mars' surface minerals influence its soil temperature measurements using infrared spectroscopy, with significant increases and falls in reflectance values. This study has implications for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, allowing for more accurate interpretation of data from the soil temperature sensor.

SourceSpanish Foundation for Science and Technology·JournalJournal of Environmental Monitoring·DateJul 14, 2009