Articles tagged with Environmental Engineering
The Georgia Institute of Technology's NSF ADVANCE program is addressing subtle inequities that affect women's advancement in academia. The research-driven approach focuses on how environments shape positive or negative outcomes, with a emphasis on improving collaboration, equitable evaluations, and access to tacit knowledge.
A recent study by the American Chemical Society found that MTBE alternatives pose a similar environmental threat to their predecessor, with TBA contamination occurring at a scale similar to MTBE. The researchers suggest that better storage tank design and leak detection techniques can prevent such threats.
The inaugural report highlights key findings on technology alignment, IT security, and business prospects, providing a dynamic tool for organizations to sharpen their technology strategies. The GTCI report covers five major categories, including General Economic and Globalization, Human Capital, Technology Alignment, Technology Innovat...
Materials scientist George Harman suggests using corrosion-resistant metals like gold and newer polymers to create microelectronic interconnections that can withstand extreme temperatures. He also proposes the use of flip chips with gold contacts to produce heat-resistant spacecraft electronics.
The new yellow bus features alternative fuel, a low floor, and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), providing easy accessibility for passengers. The bus is designed to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources and protect national parks' pristine environment.
Researchers are investigating how ethanol content affects exhaust emissions from vehicles meeting current and upcoming emission standards. The study aims to better understand the impact of fuel properties on toxic emissions entering the atmosphere.
New technique uses electron beams and ultraviolet light to remove chlorine ions from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), reducing toxicity and enhancing biodegradation prospects. The method shows promise for decontaminating sediments contaminated with PCBs, a potential risk factor for cancer.
The Change Detection System (CDS) technology developed by INEEL researchers uses computer analysis and human reflex to highlight subtle differences between digital images. This breakthrough technology has potential applications in various fields, including medicine, security, forensics, and field research.
A new microdialysis probe can detect cytokine markers indicating early infection or rejection responses to implants. This detection method aims to bioengineer the site for optimal device performance, ultimately benefiting public health and economic development.
Researchers at UC Riverside have made a breakthrough in single neuron positioning on microelectrodes, enabling the study of brain functions and diseases like dementia. This technology has the potential to benefit public health directly by providing a better understanding of how the brain functions.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed polymeric brushes with gradient compositional densities, allowing materials to alter their response to environmental changes. These structures can be used in applications such as artificial skin, wound healing, and coatings that provide a barrier against corrosive substances.
Researchers from Delft University of Technology found that reinforced high-strength concrete cracks less quickly than previously believed. By omitting extra steps during the hardening process, costs can be saved and environmental impact reduced.
STERIS's Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) technology has been demonstrated to be effective in decontaminating large areas contaminated with anthrax spores. The process breaks down into water vapor and oxygen, producing no hazardous by-products or reactivity with other materials.
Birks, a renowned Boulder chemist, has won the ACS Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology. He is developing smaller instruments to measure atmospheric gases using balloons, which may have medical benefits, such as tracking nitric oxide levels for asthma treatment.
The 'What's That Stuff?' column in Chemical & Engineering News is one of five top sites recognized by Scientific American for informative and engaging chemistry content. The column has been widely shared among scientists, students, educators, and industry professionals, who appreciate its ability to make everyday materials fascinating.
Researchers successfully recovered a mooring from the seafloor near the North Pole, retrieving 3,500 pounds of instruments and equipment. The mooring was in place for a full year, eight times longer than the previous record, providing valuable data on the Arctic Ocean's climate and water conditions.
Researchers at Stanford University studied the Caribbean spiny lobster's ability to track odors using its antennules, finding that rapid downstroke allows high-resolution information capture while slow upstroke provides time for analysis. The findings could help develop robots for plume tracing underwater.
Researchers successfully tested a corn-based activated carbon for removing mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, achieving results comparable to commercial products. The technology demonstration marked the first time this approach was applied to high-sulfur Illinois coal flue gas.
Researchers at INEEL have developed a revolutionary Super Hard Steel coating with unparalleled hardness properties, surpassing existing commercial coatings in wear and corrosion resistance. The coating can withstand extreme conditions, including high velocity blasting, and is nearly impossible to remove.
A $2.75 million endowment will enhance Cranfield's research in nanotechnology, enabling the creation of new professorial posts and research fellowships. The donation is seen as a timely boost to support Britain's wealth creation through this key technology.
Research by Wayne Ahr and his team seeks to improve recovery methods for mature oil fields, aiming to extract between one-third and one-half of the remaining oil. The team uses computer modeling, geological analysis, and detergents to force out residual oil from porous rocks.
The Idaho National Laboratory's Rapid Solidification Process (RSP) Tooling has been recognized by the Department of Energy for its innovative approach to fabricating precision tooling. This process enables mass-produced items to be created more quickly and cheaply, reducing production costs and turn-around time.
Professor Shuji Nakamura of University of California, Santa Barbara, has been awarded the 2000 Honda Prize for his inventions of blue, green, and white light emitting diodes (LEDs). The energy-efficient white LED will replace incandescent lights, reducing energy consumption by up to 50%.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a tele-immersion technique that uses digital cameras, tracking gear, and polarized glasses to create a three-dimensional 'telepresence' experience. This allows participants from different locations to feel as if they're in the same room, enabling new possibilities for remote ...
High-tech entrepreneur Michael J. Fitzpatrick and his wife, Patty, are donating $25 million each to establish new centers for advanced photonics at Stanford and Duke universities. The centers will attract top students and faculty, and facilitate industry partnerships to develop cutting-edge photonics technologies.
The US-funded Mag-train propulsion prototype, Seraphim, uses magnetic repulsion to push a vehicle forward and provide braking. It is expected to decrease environmental degradations and enable high-speed connections between cities in the western suburbs.
A new complex launched at the University of Warwick features a 3D cinema that enables large groups of senior managers and engineers to visualize and collaborate on product design projects in 3D. This technology will facilitate geographically dispersed teams across large enterprises to work together more efficiently.
Researchers at University of Warwick develop Cybersphere, a VR system that allows users to move freely in virtual environments. The technology combines high power projectors and rotation sensors to provide a fully immersive visual experience.
A new study by Georgia Tech finds that industrializing countries in Asia are catching up with the US in technology exports, thanks to an information-based economy. The US remains the leader but faces tougher competition, particularly from China and India.
The new Marshall Institute is a concept for delivering training to employees, based on a commitment to lifelong learning. It will feature a catalog of courses, an advisory council, and partnerships with industry and academia to keep employees abreast of the latest learning processes and technologies.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a 25-year research effort to improve understanding of the vadose zone, where contaminants can migrate into groundwater. The initiative aims to advance characterization, monitoring and modeling science and technology to support cleanup and long-term stewardship decisions.
The Magic Book project enables readers to move from a real-world reading experience to an immersive virtual environment, interacting with characters and objects. This technology has applications in storybooks, technical manuals, and textbooks, offering a seamless transition between physical and virtual environments.
Researchers at Purdue University have created microspheres that protect medicines from stomach acid and allow controlled release in the intestines. The microspheres use polyacrylic acid, a superabsorbent material, to absorb liquids and release medicine in the small intestine.
LSU will create a new engineering discipline to address design concepts behind buildings and infrastructure in hurricane-prone regions. The program will offer courses in civil engineering and disaster engineering for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students.
Representatives from over 20 organizations, including universities and government labs, will share their latest technology innovations at the fair. The event aims to facilitate collaboration between innovators and potential investors or producers.
The stern flap design has reduced the power required to propel Spruance and Ticonderoga-class destroyers, resulting in annual fuel savings of 3,600-4,700 barrels. The Navy plans to retrofit these ships with stern flaps, as well as Arleigh Burke and Oliver Hazard Perry classes, leading to an estimated $380 million in life cycle savings.
The lab has developed a Knife Failure Detector to reduce food production losses and ensure product quality, as well as a radiation dose measurement system for safe food irradiation. Additionally, ultra barrier coatings have been created to enable the use of plastic in electronic display panels.
The Sandia Red Team has demonstrated that competent outsiders can hack into almost all networked computers, regardless of their security measures. The team's goal is to improve the security of information systems by identifying weaknesses and providing recommendations for improvement.
The report recommends creating a new NASA research program to study the effects of low-gravity environments on various technologies. This includes power generation, propulsion, and life-support systems, which will be crucial for human exploration and development of space.
Gallium nitride is used to produce very bright light emitting diodes and lasers, and very high power transistors that can operate at high temperatures. The technology has potential applications in mobile phone base stations, surgery, and dentistry, promising huge energy savings and CO2 reductions.
Scientists at NRC's Steacie Institute of Molecular Sciences have developed a method to grow organic wires on silicon crystals using a scanning tunneling microscope, overcoming obstacles in microchip technology. The technique enables the rapid growth of molecular lines, paving the way for hybrid devices with unique capabilities.
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has won three R¼D 100 Awards for its groundbreaking technological innovations. The awards recognize the lab's cutting-edge research in X-ray microfocusing mirrors and high-thermal-conductivity graphite foam.
Fred Schubert's Photon Recycling Semiconductor Light-Emitting Diode (PRS-LED) combines up to three wavelengths of light to produce highly efficient, long-lasting white light. The PRS-LED is 15-20 times more efficient than conventional bulbs and has a lifespan predicted to last up to 50 years.
TacMedCS is a tactical medical coordination system designed to expedite assessment, treatment, and transport of injured personnel. The system uses radio-frequency tags to store and transmit medical information, freeing up time for corpsmen to treat more patients.
A University of Iowa biologist is studying the application of new acoustic technologies to manage gas production and potentially eliminate odors in large-scale pork production facilities. The goal is to reduce environmental impact and improve nutrient value of hog manure used in fertilizer.
The Biomedical Informatics Research Group created a Java-based Problem List Generator learning tool to help veterinary students develop higher-order thinking skills through case-based problems. The technology has shown success and is being funded by the US Department of Agriculture for further development.
Researchers will grow functional human heart tissue, aiming for a fully functional heart in 10 years. They'll use scaffolding, stem cells, and patented technology to engineer cardiac muscle and valves.
A new vaccine technology has demonstrated a dramatically enhanced immune response in mice against tumor growth and infection. The PIC vaccine bypasses key steps in the normal chain of events leading to immune response, directly targeting the cellular switch to muster a potent attack on foreign proteins.
The Navy is hosting its first annual Naval-Industry R&D Partnership Conference to discuss reducing barriers between government and commercial industries. The conference aims to leverage commercial products and technology to maintain advanced capabilities and reduce costs.
A new technology developed by Dr. Lawrence Larsen at Sandia National Laboratories can treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) without surgery, reducing side effects and costs. The non-invasive procedure uses radio frequency energy to kill excess cells, shrinking the prostate gland and alleviating urinary obstruction and pain.
A unique residential laboratory is being used to study the impact of technology on domestic lifestyle, with a focus on enhancing home life and family connections. Researchers aim to discover technology combinations that can unobtrusively enhance lifestyle in the home.
Case Western Reserve University researchers have developed a prototype of a miniature fuel cell with a volume of five cubic millimeters. The new cell uses hydrogen as a fuel and is produced using high-tech micro-fabrication techniques, enabling low-cost production.
Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology successfully reversed the aging process in cells, potentially leading to treatments for age-related diseases. The breakthrough involves using cloning technology to reset the cellular clock, allowing cells to divide indefinitely.
A psychologist has developed low-cost methods to reduce pharmacy errors, including the use of larger labels, focused task lighting, and self-monitoring journals. These inexpensive changes can significantly improve accuracy and are relevant for small community drug stores that may not have access to high technology.
Research has revealed that pharmaceuticals and personal care products can contaminate groundwater, rivers, and sewage, posing significant risks to human health and the environment. Studies have shown that these substances can enter the aquatic food chain, affecting marine life, and are also found in human tissues and breast milk.
This special issue of the American Sociological Review explores broad social trends over the past century, discussing topics such as modernization, globalization, industrialization, and secularization. The article also delves into the sociology of the Black working class and the impact of Western society on religion.
VRAM memory has the potential to replace mechanically driven storage media, reducing transistors needed for lower cost and retaining information without constant refreshing. The technology is well-suited for space, avionics, and shipboard applications due to its high-density, non-volatility, radiation-hardness, and low-power attributes.
Research finds that road dust kicked up by traffic can be a source of airborne allergens, including pollen, animal dander, and molds. Residential areas with roadside vegetation are more affected than industrial locations.
Millions of defective low-rise buildings in the US lead to high annual losses from windstorms, with recent hurricanes causing $70 billion in damages. A symposium aims to develop a national plan for wind-hazard mitigation and improve building codes.
The U.S. National Science Board will hold an open session on November 18, where it plans to discuss its interim report on the environment and other key policy topics. The board will also present its strategic plan for NSF and hear from experts on nanoscience and engineering.