A delegation from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Project is meeting with South African astronomers to discuss collaboration on constructing a large astronomical telescope. The proposed telescope would be similar in design to the existing Hobby-Eberly Telescope, featuring an 11m primary mirror and 91 hexagonal segments.
Researchers at Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center are developing an electromechanical artificial heart to save thousands of lives. The device is expected to be widely available by 2005 and could implant over 50,000 patients per year.
Orthostatic intolerance affects at least 70% of returning astronauts due to the body's adaptation to weightlessness. Astronauts often struggle with standing and may have puffy faces and thin legs during and after space travel. Researchers are studying this condition to improve astronaut health for future long-duration missions.
A large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients with mild asthma do not need to take albuterol regularly. The study suggests that using albuterol only during symptoms can effectively manage asthma without negative consequences.
Researchers developed a new sediment basin design that reduces silt removal by using a skimmer system. The system removed 37 pounds of soil during simulated events, outperforming other methods tested.
Researchers analyzed ancient methane levels in ice cores, revealing patterns of climate change over the past 110,000 years. The study confirms high methane levels during warm periods and suggests a link between global warming and changes in terrestrial climate.
A prototype propulsion system powered by a kitchen microwave has the potential to reduce propellant needed by up to 50%, enabling longer satellite lifespans and cost savings. The microwave-powered thruster operates more efficiently than chemical systems and is safer, as it only produces thrust when microwaves are active.
Researchers at Penn State have discovered that certain vegetable oil formulations can perform as well or better than commercial standards in tests for high-temperature resistance, slipperiness, and evaporation loss. This breakthrough has the potential to provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional lubricants.
Researchers are investigating the history of forests, fire incidence, and signs of early settlers in the Lake Tahoe Basin due to a bark beetle infestation. The study aims to reconstruct the forest structure before logging, the history of fire in the area, and the age of trees.
Researchers challenge conventional wisdom that scraping off bee stings is more effective than pinching them out. Immediate removal of the sting, rather than its method of removal, reduces the amount of venom injected. Delaying removal increases welt size and envenomization.
Researchers investigated nausea in a study of 1,695 Penn State students, discovering 17 descriptors that define the feelings associated with nausea. These descriptors were clustered into three groups: somatic, gastrointestinal, and emotional distress, highlighting the variability in nausea experiences among individuals.
Researchers at Penn State University have developed a method to recover fossil iron meteorites from coal using tramp iron magnets. The method involves examining magnetic materials pulled out of coal by these electromagnets, which could potentially yield up to 5 pounds of iron meteorites per year.
Researchers find that parents' management of their children's emerging autonomy during the Terrible Twos significantly impacts future behavioral problems. The study reveals that families with less income, negative emotions, social isolation, and authoritarian parenting styles are more likely to experience troubled interactions.
Researchers at Penn State have developed advanced computer techniques to improve the efficiency of nuclear and fossil fuel power plants. These new techniques can help extend the lifetime of fuel, increase operating efficiency, and save money, potentially leading to lower costs for consumers.
The Penn State students will test off-the-shelf semiconductor chips to learn the effect of high energy particle radiation on standard semi-conductors. They will also measure how much micro debris hits the shuttle using a piezoelectric device, and map the Earth's magnetic field as it flies through it.
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that rosemary significantly inhibited the binding of a known cancer-causing agent to DNA in mammary cells, reducing tumor formation by 76 percent in rats fed a diet supplemented with 1 percent rosemary.
Researchers at Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory develop a 'roadmap' for applying machine sensor technology to human health. The technology could enable constant surveillance of bone cracks and heart activity, alerting physicians to intervene before it's too late.