A University of Pittsburgh-led team has developed a single-electron transistor with exceptional sensitivity to electric charge, enabling long-lasting ultradense computer memories and quantum computers. The device's properties make it suitable for solid-state memory and nanoscale sensing applications.
John McDowell, a Pitt philosophy professor, received a prestigious award for his work on combining philosophical thought with the natural sciences to understand human experience. He plans to use the grant to focus on graduate teaching, publishing research, and presenting at conferences.
Researchers discovered that a supposedly inactive protein ROP5 plays a crucial role in Toxoplasma gondii's ability to cause disease, suggesting the possible role of similarly errant proteins in other diseases. The team engineered strains without ROP5 and found the pathogen was unable to cause disease in mice.
Researchers create a new model of how self-repairing materials function, revealing that an ideal amount of weak bonds can make a material stronger and more resilient. The findings are corroborated by nature's example of the abalone shell, which absorbs stress through stretching and sliding.
Rebeiz aims to understand how regulatory switches change to produce evolutionary novelties, such as the horn on a beetle or the eyespots on a butterfly's wings. His research could apply to human genetics, helping to better understand how genetic alterations lead to disease and deformities.
A research team at the University of Pittsburgh is re-engineering the US power grid to deliver electricity from power plants to homes and businesses more efficiently. The goal is to tap into renewable resources like solar and wind power by reducing energy loss and increasing capacity.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh developed a new donor-liver distribution system that could lead to up to 14% more transplants annually. The proposed regions aim to better account for population differences and geographic distance to increase organ availability.
Researchers extracted a 6,000-year climate record from Washington state's Castor Lake, revealing longer, more extreme dry spells since 1200 AD, linked to changing El Niño/La Niú patterns.
Pitt researchers have successfully grown arteries with high elasticity using baboon smooth muscle cells, containing 20% of the protein elastin found in natural arteries. The process resembles how it would be used in a patient and has the potential to overcome a major barrier to creating living-tissue replacements for damaged arteries.
Researchers recorded neuron activity in adolescent rat brains during a reward-driven task, showing that teen brains react with erratic excitement above adult levels. This finding could explain why teenagers are more prone to rash behavior, addiction, and mental diseases.
A recent study by University of Pittsburgh researchers suggests that nonchemical treatment devices may not be effective in controlling bacterial growth in water-based cooling systems. The two-year study found that standard chlorine treatment controlled the organisms even after they had proliferated.
A University of Pittsburgh study will test a technology-enhanced weight loss program using text messaging reminders and wearable exercise monitors. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of this intervention with a standard behavioral weight loss program.
Researchers investigated causes of software company success and failure, examining factors such as marketing, research and development, and operating capabilities. Higher operating capability has the greatest influence on survival, while firms with strong innovation-related competitive actions also have a greater likelihood of survival.
Researchers created a nanoscale light sensor that can be combined with electronic circuitry to produce hybrid optic and electronic devices. The device can detect optical properties at the nanoscale and deliver this information in electronic form.
Biopolymers are considered more eco-friendly due to biodegradability and low toxicity, but farming and energy-intensive chemical processing make them less environmentally friendly to produce. Traditional plastics can be cleaner to produce, according to a study in Environmental Science & Technology.
A population-based survey by Pitt's UCSUR found that African American seniors are twice as likely to be mentally abused and five times more susceptible to financial exploitation than elders of other races. The study collected data from face-to-face and telephone interviews with senior citizens in Pennsylvania's Allegheny County.
A team of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon researchers are leading a $2 million federally funded project to improve life-cycle assessments and predict environmental impacts. They aim to redesign the scientific method guiding sustainable construction and develop a digital simulator to predict a structure's ultimate footprint.
A team of researchers led by Pitt's Jeremy Levy will combine semiconductor and superconducting materials to create a single material for quantum computers, tackling challenges like information loss and quantum simulation. The $7.5 million MURI award aims to accelerate research and application development.
A team of University of Pittsburgh engineers has designed artificial cells capable of self-organizing, performing tasks, and transporting cargo. The cells interact through nanoparticles and can be controlled to perform specific functions, offering a significant step towards synthetic cells that behave like natural organisms.
The University of Pittsburgh has received a total of $2 million in grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to support its precollege and undergraduate science education initiatives. The four-year grants will fund academic programs that encourage high school and undergraduate students to engage in active research, fosteri...
A study found that shoppers frequently estimate how much they'll spend on unplanned items and are remarkably accurate. In-store slack refers to the mental budgeting strategy used by consumers to accommodate unforeseen purchases.
A team of researchers identified a human enzyme, myeloperoxidase, that can break down carbon nanotubes, reducing their unhealthful effects. The study also found that neutrophils can be directed to attack specific nanotubes, opening the door to novel drug delivery and natural biodegradation.
Researchers found that adolescent brains are more sensitive to internal and environmental factors, leading to compulsive behavior. The study suggests that teenage impulsiveness and psychological disorders may stem from this susceptibility.
A Pitt-led study examining 348 burial urns reveals that around a fifth of the children were prenatal at death, contradicting claims of systematic infant sacrifice. The research suggests young Carthaginian children were cremated and interred in ceremonial urns regardless of cause of death.
A study by Pitt researchers reveals that organizing products tailored to customers' knowledge levels can improve consumers' learning and satisfaction. Highly knowledgeable consumers preferred novel product formats, while novice consumers benefited from familiar groupings.
Researchers found significant changes in eating behavior on weekends and holidays, with higher caloric intake and lower nutritional value. The study's findings suggest that the US Department of Agriculture incorporate recommendations for holiday and weekend eating into its food pyramid guidelines.
A new University of Pittsburgh study reveals that cigarette craving disrupts an individual's meta-awareness, making it harder to notice when the mind has wandered. Participants who craved cigarettes were more likely to acknowledge mind-wandering episodes, but their ability to recognize these episodes was impaired.
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh developed metallic nanoparticles that can withstand temperatures of over 850 degrees Celsius. By sacrificing weaker components as temperatures rise, these particles maintain their structure and continue to catalyze reactions efficiently.
A University of Pittsburgh-led team creates a nanoparticle-based coating that thwarts the buildup of ice on solid surfaces, offering a potential solution to prevent freezing rain damage. The coating, inspired by water-resistant lotus leaves, uses microscopic ridges to reduce surface area for ice adhesion.
Researchers developed nanosized capsules compatible with various substances for medicine and energy applications. The capsules can carry anticancer drugs or medical-imaging agents to specific locations within the human body. A highly sensitive oxygen sensor was also created, detecting minute amounts of oxygen in confined spaces.
A recent Pitt study found that a four-day testing period for pesticide exposure may not account for long-term effects on humans and animals. The highly toxic pesticide endosulfan exhibited a 'lag effect' with delayed toxicity surfacing after direct contact had ended.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a fluorescent probe that glows bright green when exposed to ozone, a harmful pollutant and lung irritant. The probe's sensitivity and specificity make it a potential tool for monitoring indoor and outdoor ozone levels, as well as studying its effects on the human body.
Researchers reject popular DNA analysis suggesting humans are closely related to chimpanzees, proposing a new grouping for humans, orangutans and common ancestors. A scenario of the migration and evolution of 'dental hominoids' is presented.
A new study by University of Pittsburgh researchers found that moderate alcohol consumption increases mind-wandering, while reducing the likelihood of noticing it. This impairment affects an individual's ability to realize their mind has wandered, known as meta-consciousness.
Pittsburgh University researchers teamed up with Berkeley biophysicist George Oster to create a computer program generating complex shell patterns. The model shows how mollusks' neural networks process sensory information and past experiences.
Researchers developed an onsite method to quickly diagnose tuberculosis and distinguish drug-resistant strains from treatable ones. The method uses bacteriophages with a green fluorescence protein to provide rapid and relatively cheap diagnosis in rural African areas.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have created a nanoscale one-stop shop for electronics that can yield transistors two nanometers in size. This breakthrough has potential applications for high-density memory devices, sensors and computer processors, and could pave the way for more advanced technologies.
A University of Pittsburgh research team designed a propulsion system harnessing natural surface tension to propel small boats and robots. The technique uses an electric pulse to destabilize surface tension, causing the craft to move via the water's natural pull.
University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a natural, nontoxic method for biodegrading carbon nanotubes using the horseradish enzyme peroxidase. This finding could help address environmental and health concerns associated with the use of carbon nanotubes in various products.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and NETL demonstrated a molecular chain reaction on a metal surface, rearranging bonds in consecutive molecules. The process has potential applications in information storage and nanotechnology.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have documented early separate-sex evolution in a wild strawberry species still transitioning from hermaphroditism. This finding provides evidence for the theory that males and females developed from hermaphroditic ancestors, with plants serving as models for understanding early evolution.
Pitt researchers have developed a quick and reliable method for detecting mercury in fish and dental samples, utilizing a fluorescent substance that glows bright green when exposed to oxidized mercury. The technique can be used onsite to detect mercury in dental fillings or fish within 30-60 minutes.
A University of Pittsburgh study found that mixing ten common pesticides within EPA safe limits can cause 99% mortality in leopard frog tadpoles. Endosulfan, a banned neurotoxin, is particularly deadly, causing 84% mortality when used alone.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have identified the orbitofrontal cortex as a promising target for developing new antipsychotic drugs to treat schizophrenia. The study found that this brain region responds to both dopamine and glutamate, neurotransmitters linked to schizophrenia.
Research found that malathion, commonly used to control mosquitoes and crop pests, can indirectly kill tadpoles by depleting their primary food source. The study suggests that even low concentrations of the insecticide can have devastating effects on amphibian populations.
A $18.5 million project aims to develop biodegradable implantable devices that adapt to a patient's anatomy and dissolve once they have healed. These devices would reduce follow-up surgeries and potential complications in orthopedic, craniofacial, and cardiovascular procedures.
A recent study from University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University researchers found that smokers who aren't craving a cigarette often underestimate their future urge to smoke, leading them to make decisions they may regret. This 'cold-to-hot empathy gap' can lead to increased nicotine cravings when motivation is low.
Researchers have created the first outline of aortic arch development and identified the role of the gene unc45a in forming AVMs. The study provides new understanding into how these congenital circulatory defects develop, shedding light on genetic and physiological factors that contribute to their formation.
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh's Department of Mathematics will create computer models based on differential equations to predict patient responses to treatment. The models aim to improve therapies for neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease and deep brain stimulation.
Researchers discovered that TB bacteria can form biofilms on surfaces, leading to genetic and physiological differences from lab-grown strains. This finding suggests a possible cause of TB relapses despite intensive treatment.