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Science News for February 12, 2010


IEEE-USA awards $8,000 to undergraduates, journalists

IEEE-USA presents $8,000 in scholarship awards and honoraria to recognize outstanding engineering video entries and public awareness contributions. Five undergraduate students from UNLV and LeTourneau University receive scholarships, while two journalists from Fox 5 Morning News and National Academy of Engineering are honored for their...

Breakthrough for mobile television

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has developed a breakthrough technology for mobile television using Long Term Evolution (LTE), which offers higher performance capacity than UMTS. This enables seamless adaptive communication without disruptions, ensuring high-quality video streaming on the go.

Epigenetic signals differ across alleles

Epigenetic signals vary across alleles in numerous genomic regions, influencing gene expression and regulation. The study reveals over 35,000 such sites across the genome, with implications for genetic studies of complex diseases, including psychiatric conditions.

SourceKing's College London·JournalAmerican Journal of Human Genetics·DateFeb 12, 2010

Scientists synthesize unique family of anti-cancer compounds

Researchers at Yale University have streamlined the synthesis of a family of compounds known as kinamycins, which are naturally produced by bacteria and show potent toxicity. By reducing the number of steps required to synthesize them from 24 to 12, the team can now prepare these molecules in larger quantities for further studies.

SourceYale University·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateFeb 12, 2010

Positioning with awiloc

awiloc software uses received signal strength data from WLAN transmitters to calculate position without data communications. This technology is integrated into various platforms, including Windows Mobile and Android, with support for iPhone expected by summer.

The cost of being on your toes

A University of Utah study shows that heel-first walking is more economical for humans than ball-of-foot or toe walking. The research suggests that early human hunter-gatherers may have retained this foot posture due to its stability and agility advantages, despite being less efficient for running.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateFeb 12, 2010

Are high speed elephants running or walking?

Researchers measure forces exerted on elephants to determine their movement patterns, finding that high-speed elephants exhibit characteristics of both running and walking. The study reveals that elephants' cost of transport is low due to efficient energy conversion, with a step frequency higher than expected.

SourceThe Company of Biologists·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateFeb 12, 2010