The UC San Diego-Venter Institute partnership aims to create a community resource for metagenomic data, facilitating advances in marine microbial ecology and evolutionary biology. The project will develop a novel cyberinfrastructure to store, analyze, and draw conclusions from large-scale microbial genomic sequence data.
Climate change is exacerbating landslides worldwide, particularly in Asia and the Americas, resulting in significant human and financial losses. International experts propose various strategies to mitigate landslide risks, including land use planning, building codes, and infrastructure development.
The Paraguay River Basin, home to the Pantanal wetlands, faces critical threats from agriculture, cattle grazing, and coal mining. Deforestation has already destroyed almost 45% of the original vegetation, with some areas losing over 90%. Conservation efforts are needed to protect the region's biodiversity and ecosystems.
A Swedish study found that peacetime grenade stockpiling leads to environmental harm from metal mining and explosive residues. Replacing plastic with copper could make grenades more environmentally friendly, according to the authors.
Researchers propose an alternative mode for characterizing and quantifying information, focusing on individual perception and attention. Their theory outperforms existing methods in capturing human bias toward surprising locations, with potential applications in data mining and understanding complex environments.
The UK's top science stories highlight significant advancements in bone health technology, underwater archaeology, and superconductors. These innovations hold promise for improving human health, enhancing technological capabilities, and shaping the nation's future economic development.
The University of Queensland is leading a world-first consortium to create an Australian Minerals Science Research Institute, funded by a $8.6 million ARC grant. The five-year research program will focus on sustainable mining and mineral processing, with potential applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals and food production.
A recent study using lipid biomarker techniques has identified complex and productive microbial ecosystems in prehistoric rocks from southeastern Brazil. This finding challenges the 'Snowball Earth' theory by suggesting that thin ice might have allowed for photosynthesis to occur during extreme glaciation.
Federal, provincial and territorial mines ministers agree that vulnerable mining communities are a priority. The conference discussed ways to maintain community viability through cooperation on exploration initiatives, processing technologies, and Aboriginal engagement.
The research aims to design and test protocols that incentivize participants to follow rules, reducing misbehavior in settings where users act in their own best interests. Incentive-compatible solutions can provide robust security at a lower cost.
The workshop explored the government's use of commercial data for homeland security, raising important privacy concerns. Stevens' Wright discussed her work on PORTIA project, which addresses handling of sensitive information in a networked world and provides cryptographically strong methods for maintaining data privately.
The Linked Environments Atmospheric Discovery project aims to create a high-speed computing infrastructure for timely and accurate weather forecasts. The system will pool data from various sources, including ground sensors, satellites, and radars, to launch hundreds of simulations at the same time, resulting in more accurate predictions.
Research found that coral and rock reefs offshore played a key role in shaping the severity of tsunami inundation. Healthy coral reefs in the Maldives islands may have contributed to their narrow escape from destruction.
Researchers have developed a new statistical method to identify linked genomic loci influencing gene expression in yeast, revealing 37% of gene expression traits link to two loci. The technique bypasses overwhelming computations and provides insights into the genetic basis of complex traits.
A US delegation of 22 researchers led by Dr. Wright participated in a workshop with Japanese researchers, exploring topics like network forensics and biometric key encapsulation. The event aimed to promote bilateral cooperation in protecting critical information infrastructure.
Two scientists outline China's environmental impact on the world, including pollution, resource consumption, and human health dangers. They recommend education, environmental law enforcement, market tools, and lifestyle changes to address these issues.
A study in South Africa found that a new treatment approach, including isoniazid and cotrimoxazole, reduced tuberculosis incidence among HIV-infected employees by 32%. The intervention was part of a clinic established in 1999 to provide specialist care for HIV-infected employees.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1d for Indiana limestone, which is a critical component in various industries. The SRM will support the production of cement, concrete, and iron steel.
Researchers have discovered a way to levitate heavy objects, such as diamonds and precious metals, using a safe mixture of liquid nitrogen and oxygen. This technology has potential applications in mining and pharmaceutical industries.
A study of gene expression in a microbial community found over 2,000 proteins produced by five key species, including unique enzymes that maintain protein structure in acidic conditions. The community thrives in hot, highly acidic environments, with large numbers of proteins not resembling any other known proteins.
AESEDA aims to entice minority students to enroll in Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, with a focus on Africa connection. The program involves partnerships with HBCUs and Nigerian universities to develop natural resources and energy management in Africa.
A study of 474 older adults found no association between mercury exposure and adverse neurobehavioral effects. The research suggests that low blood mercury levels may not pose a concern for this vulnerable population, requiring further studies to confirm the findings.
Satellite images help model sediment transport in New Caledonia's southwest lagoon, providing a three-dimensional picture of the process. The combined use of remote sensing and numerical models refines predictions of erosion rates and improves precision.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $12 million to the Center for Advanced Separation Technologies (CAST) at Virginia Tech to develop advanced separation technologies for efficient coal cleaning. The project aims to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, and mercury content, while increasing domestic energy production.
Researchers Marcel Just and Tom Mitchell use computer models to interpret fMRI brain scans, developing a computational theory of brain activity during language processing. They also demonstrate how reading different words and sentences influences brain activity and identify specific brain regions involved in language comprehension.
The world's largest freshwater wetland is under unprecedented pressure from economic development, alterations of its water courses, and conversion to other land uses. Climate change poses a significant threat to the Pantanal's ecosystem, biodiversity, and species composition.
Forecasts project Illinois water use to grow faster than population, with increased demand for energy production. The Midwest region will need almost 17 billion gallons of water per day by 2025, mostly for electricity generation.
The National Centre for Text Mining provides a groundbreaking service for the academic community, utilizing natural language processing and data mining to uncover hidden patterns and associations. This innovative approach has already shown promise in fields like drug discovery and predictive toxicology.
The pharmaceutical industry is struggling with declining productivity and increasing R&D costs, prompting the need for innovative solutions. Personalized medicine offers a promising approach by targeting drugs to individuals likely to respond well, while regional development and cluster formation can foster collaboration and competitiv...
The project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of data-mining tools in identifying threat levels and national security interests. The UC Riverside team, including graduate students and staff, will work closely with experts from Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies.
A partnership between The Beard Company and Pinnacle Mining Company will utilize patented Microcel TM technology to recover clean coal from fine coal impoundments, providing a new energy resource. The project is expected to produce 240,000 tons of clean coal per year.
Penn State researchers are conducting a project to develop a technique for detecting mine voids using seismic signals. The initiative aims to locate and record voids near existing coal mine tunnels, which could help prevent flooding incidents like the Quecreek disaster.
Researchers found that tumbleweeds and other native plants in arid regions can effectively absorb depleted uranium from contaminated soils. The study, led by geologist Dana Ulmer-Scholle, suggests using these plants as a low-cost method for cleaning up DU-contaminated areas.
Scientists discover new mineral that absorbs toxic metals like a sponge, revealing hidden reservoirs of lead, arsenic, and copper. The findings shed light on the migration patterns of these pollutants and could inform efforts to clean up contaminated sites.
Researchers at Virginia Tech are investigating the transport of arsenic in a headwater stream adjacent to an old mine site. The team has discovered that groundwater is releasing arsenic into the stream, but some of it is being retained in the streambed.
The book provides detailed explanations of procedures used to manage and minimize environmental impacts of aggregate mining, processing, and transportation. It also highlights successful reclamation projects that convert mined areas into beneficial uses such as recreation areas and natural habitats.
A new project aims to produce software that can discover, visualize, and explore patterns in large collections of full-text humanities resources. The goal is to make these collections more useful for research and teaching.
A $2.9 million NSF grant will support a Cornell-led consortium developing techniques to anonymize census data while maintaining confidentiality. The project aims to create synthetic and coarsened datasets using virtual households and geographic information systems.
Researchers at Purdue University are developing a computer environment that enables experts to talk naturally in their specific scientific language, allowing them to take full advantage of advanced visualization capabilities. This system, called discovery informatics, promises to speed up the process of discovery in many areas of resea...
The four-year project aims to produce new techniques for analyzing spatio-temporal data, making it accessible to researchers, conservation biologists, educators, and citizens. The grant will integrate machine learning and modeling techniques with existing ornithology projects, increasing the power and scope of data tools.
A Cardiff University study finds that e-learning attracts those who were already inclined to learn, with ICTs reinforcing existing patterns of education. Most adults use technology for informal purposes, such as hobbies and communication, rather than seeking formal learning.
The Adult Learning@Home project found that e-learning is often associated with the same factors that determine school-leaving age, such as sex and socio-economic background. Despite universal access to ICTs, actual use is limited to just over half of the adult population.
A new study found that three mahogany species require specialized soils with specific plant nutrients, limiting their distribution. The research has significant implications for forest management and 'green' certified timber.
Geologist John Hooke estimates that humans move approximately 45 gigatons of soil and rock annually, surpassing the movement of rivers, glaciers, and oceans. This significant displacement has environmental implications, including acid mine drainage and river sedimentation, highlighting the need for sustainable practices.
A new research center aims to investigate the links between environmental exposures and childhood health in the heavily contaminated Tar Creek area. The center will conduct integrated studies on toxic metals, epidemiology, and animal models to better understand their effects on neurological, behavioral, and mental development.
iHOP, developed by Spanish scientists, is a gene-guided network system that converts 14 million PubMed abstracts into an interlinked resource. The system uses novel text-mining technology to detect biomedical entities and connect distant medical concepts through few intermediate genes.
The study identifies areas with high mortality rates among grizzly bears, primarily caused by human activities such as forestry, oil and gas, and mining. The researchers recommend limiting human access to critical habitat sites and increasing education programs to mitigate the impact on the species.
Deforestation has risen by nearly 50% in Brazil's southern and eastern Amazon since 2002, threatening indigenous plant and wildlife species. The expansion of new highways and infrastructure projects is a key driver of this destruction.
Small earthquakes with magnitudes zero to three are recorded in South African gold mines, providing a unique dataset for scientists. The researchers are using this data to investigate the properties of small earthquakes and bridge the gap between laboratory experiments and real-world seismic activity.
The Wildlife Conservation Society recently rounded up over 300 threatened flamingos in the Altiplano region, collecting data on their health and tracking population trends. The organization has been participating in a banding project for three years, working to conserve vulnerable species like James' and Andean flamingoes.
Researchers pinpoint CO2 sources, geological and terrestrial sinks, and transport requirements in Virginia. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gases and mitigate global warming by developing technologies for removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Lunar experts from the University of Arizona will testify about the benefits and challenges of an extended human presence for scientific exploration and mining. The hearing will focus on using water as a resource for propulsion, life support, and fueling return trips to Earth.
A new multi-million dollar grant from Conservation International aims to save the eastern lowland gorilla by strengthening conservation efforts in the region. The investment will increase protection of over 3 million hectares, preserving a high degree of biological richness and species endemism.
A recent NASA study verified that water vapor in the atmosphere increases with rising temperatures, contradicting some climate scientists' claims of a decrease. The researchers found the positive water vapor feedback to be weaker than expected, which may impact global climate predictions.
A recent study provides new hope for understanding autoimmune diseases like pemphigus foliaceus by identifying an inexpensive blood test that can detect antibodies and intervene to halt disease progression. Environmental factors, including mercury exposure, ultraviolet radiation, and female hormones, are also being investigated as pote...
Researchers have created a computational tool to mine genomic data and identify biologically meaningful gene regulatory networks. The tool uses a probabilistic framework that integrates data from various sources, including microarrays, DNA sequences, and protein-protein interactions.
A study published in Conservation Biology found that climate change is consistently correlated with extinction among desert bighorn sheep. The researchers identified higher temperatures and decreased precipitation as key factors contributing to the decline of these populations, which are already living on a knife's edge.
The private sector is increasingly drawn into addressing biodiversity concerns through socially responsible investment (SRI) portfolios, with $640 billion managed in the UK. SRI funds have grown significantly since their inception, and companies are acknowledging business risks related to public concern about biodiversity.
A $4 million grant aims to conserve Papua New Guinea's rainforest by discovering medicinal plants. The project seeks compounds active against tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, and cancer, with the goal of providing economic development and biodiversity conservation.
The GEMS consortium presents the largest contiguous color image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, comprising over 40,000 galaxies. The team uses this image to investigate how large galaxies evolved over the last nine billion years.