Welcome to Science Saturday, where the Overnight News Digest crew, consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors maggiejean, wader, Man Oh Man, side pocket, rfall, and JML9999, alumni editors palantir, Bentliberal, Oke, jlms qkw, Interceptor7, and ScottyUrb, guest editors annetteboardman and Doctor RJ, and current editor-in-chief Neon Vincent, along with anyone else who reads and comments, informs and entertains you with this week's news about science, space, health, energy, and the environment.
With the general election concluded, Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday will highlight the research stories from the public universities in cities and states with runoff elections and unresolved contests. Vermont has an unresolved race for Governor and Austin, Texas, had a runoff election for Mayor on December 16th. Also, between now and the first NCAA Division 1-A College Football Championship decided by playoff, OND will feature the research stories from universities with teams in post-season play. This week, stories will come from schools involved in bowl games held between December 22nd and December 27th.
This week's featured story comes from The Huffington Post.
Winter Solstice 2014: Shortest Day Of The Year Marked By Pagan Celebrations
By HuffPost Religion Editors
December 20, 2014
In 2014, the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere will begin on Dec. 21 at 6:03 p.m. EST. To calculate the turning point in your time zone, click here.
Officially the first day of winter, the winter solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. This is the longest night of the year, meaning that despite the cold winter, the days get progressively longer after the winter solstice until the summer solstice in 2015.
More stories after the jump.
Recent Science Diaries and Stories
Spotlight on green news & views: No fracking around in NY, Lima talks, chemical spill execs indicted
by Meteor Blades
Republicans Enact Anti-Science, Anti-Biodiversity Legislation in Michigan
by LakeSuperior
Written in Bone: Cynognathus
by Lenny Flank
Global Selfies - The Critically Important View From Above
by xaxnar
Seemingly early Camillias
by enhydra lutris
This week in science: possible Martian gift still under wraps
by DarkSyde
Slideshows/Videos
Duke University: Beautiful Images, Inspiring Research
An eye-catching look back at 2014
Year-end lists typically celebrate great movies, newsmakers and the like. But 2014 was also a year of amazing research and discovery, at least at Duke. Here are some of the year’s most stunning images and accompanying stories of how the university’s faculty, students and alumni expanded the frontiers of knowledge to serve society:
Rice University: Rice University: A look back at 2014
NASA: All About That Space
"All About That Space" is a volunteer outreach video project created by interns at NASA's Johnson Space Center. It was created as a parody (to raise interest and excitement for Orion's first flight) of Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass". The lyrics and scenes in the video have been re-imagined in order to inform the public about the amazing work going on at NASA and the Johnson Space Center.
JPL: NASA's SMAP: Mapping the Water Under Our Feet
Launching in January 2015, NASA's next mission to study Earth is a soil moisture mapper know as SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive). Data from SMAP will be used to enhance understanding of processes that link the water, energy and carbon cycles, and to extend the capabilities of weather and climate prediction models including improved flood prediction and drought monitoring capabilities.
JPL: Voyager 1 Experiences Three "Tsunami Waves" in Interstellar Space
The Voyager 1 spacecraft has experienced three "tsunami waves" in interstellar space. This kind of wave occurs as a result of a coronal mass ejection erupting from the sun. The most recent tsunami wave that Voyager experienced began in February 2014, and may still be going. Listen to how these waves cause surrounding ionized matter to ring like a bell.
Discovery News: No, We Don't Have Proof Of Life On Mars
Earlier this week, the Mars Curiosity rover announced it found methane on Mars. Does this mean we're closer to finding life on another planet?
Astronomy/Space
Arizona State University: Dunes on Titan need firm winds to move, experiments at ASU show
December 8, 2014
Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is one of the few solar system bodies – and the only planetary moon – known to have fields of wind-blown dunes on its surface. (The others are Venus, Earth and Mars.)
New research, using experimental results from the high-pressure wind tunnel at Arizona State University's Planetary Aeolian Laboratory, has found that previous estimates of how fast winds need to blow to move sand-size particles around on Titan are about 40 percent too low.
A team of scientists led by Devon Burr of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville reported the findings Dec. 8 in a paper published in the journal Nature. James K. Smith, engineer and manager of ASU's Planetary Aeolian Laboratory, is one of the paper's co-authors.
Climate/Environment
Arizona State University: What will tomorrow's cities and food systems look like?
December 16, 2014
No matter who you are or where you are, you need to eat.
In a few decades, it will be harder to find food because climate change, overpopulation and urban development are posing threats to the world’s food supply.
It’s predicted that between now and 2030, the majority of the world’s population growth will occur in cities. Maximizing urban spaces for food growth will be of the utmost importance for a sustainable existence.
But what will food production look like in our cities?
University of Nebraska: Long-term cliff swallow study uncovers effects of climate change
December 18, 2014
A 30-year study of cliff swallows, a long-distance migrant bird species, has revealed that global climate change is altering their breeding habits.
"When we began the project in 1982, we didn't intend to complete an analysis of global climate change effects or evolutionary effects," said Mary Bomberger Brown, research assistant professor in UNL's School of Natural Resources and coordinator of the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership. "But since we collected data in a consistent, repeatable and reliable way for 30 years, we had data available to us that we could use to address these global climate change questions."
In a paper recently published in the journal Ecology, Bomberger Brown and co-author Charles R. Brown, professor of biological sciences at the University of Tulsa, detail the extent to which climate change has affected the breeding times of cliff swallows.
For one, breeding time has become earlier -- in some instances, it's up to two weeks early. This advancement in breeding time is best predicted by the severity of the drought in the breeding area.
Penn State University: Rolling lab tracks methane to its source
How much comes from natural gas drilling?
By Anne Danahy
December 19, 2014
McHenry Township, Lycoming County. Equipped with a gray box, a map and an SUV, Thomas Lauvaux and a team from Penn State's Department of Meteorology has been at it for hours, taking measurements and racking up the miles.
It's one in a series of road trips across northcentral and northeastern Pennsylvania, and neighboring southern New York, aimed at figuring out how much methane is in the air and how much of it is coming from the booming natural gas industry.
"Isotopes of methane will tell us how much comes from natural gas and how much comes from other methane sources, such as cows, landfills, wetlands and natural seeps," Lauvaux explains.
Penn State University: Penn State, AccuWeather researchers collaborate on storm prediction system
Stephanie Koons
December 16, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and ice storms, cause billions of dollars of damage every year worldwide. While meteorologists use advanced technologies and the power of big data to make weather forecasts, advanced graphical techniques can be used to improve the accuracy of the current systems. Researchers at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), in partnership with the weather forecasting company AccuWeather, are developing a system that leverages satellite images and historical storm reports to more accurately predict severe storms.
“If we can effectively make use of that archived information to find patterns with predictive value, we can potentially make the (storm) predictions more accurate,” said James Wang, a professor at the College of IST who is working on the project.
Wang and his fellow researchers describe their proposed weather forecasting system in their paper “Locating Visual Storm Signatures from Satellite Images,” which was written by Wang; Yu Zhang, a doctoral student at the College of IST; Jia Li, a professor of statistics at Penn State; and Stephen Wistar and Michael Steinberg, meteorologists at AccuWeather, which provides daily weather forecasts and information to more than a billion people worldwide through new and traditional media as well as customized weather products and services to more than 175,000 clients worldwide in business and government.
Rutgers University: Climate Change Pushing Some Fish to Cooler Waters
Rutgers studies suggest updated regulations needed to protect stability of marine life
by Ken Branson
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Climate change seems to be pushing several species of fish and crustaceans northward along the east and west coasts of North America which could have serious effects on birds, marine mammals and those who depend on fishing for food and income.
“As temperatures have warmed in the waters off our coasts, animals with a low tolerance for that warming have just picked up and shifted,” says Malin Pinsky, a marine biologist at Rutgers who is leading a team researching these shifts. “I hesitate to say ‘moved,’ mainly because we don’t yet know whether fish are actually swimming, or whether they’re simply reproducing more slowly in their old ranges and faster in their new ranges.”
Pinsky says lobsters that were once abundant off Long Island have moved to cooler waters of Maine while summer flounder and black sea bass, once common to the waters off Cape Hatteras, have moved north and are now more abundant off the coast of New Jersey.
Biodiversity
Arizona State University: ASU study finds varied fish response to unexpected droughts
December 12, 2014
When faced with sudden environmental change, some species fare more favorably than others.
Albert Ruhí, a post-doctoral researcher in ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, examines how freshwater biodiversity responds to environmental change, which becomes increasingly erratic as the earth warms.
His latest study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, examines how native and non-native fish respond to significant unexpected variations in water flow, like droughts and floods. The conclusions reached by Ruhí and his team provide insight into the long-term health of each population.
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The results of the study were enlightening. While native fish quantities decreased during droughts, and increased during floods – demonstrating sensitivity to water flow variation – non-native fish proved largely indifferent.
Duke University: Using Turtles As A Measure of Stream Restoration Success
By Kati Moore (MEM ’16)
December 16, 2014
DURHAM, N.C. – Though many stream restoration projects are implemented across North Carolina and the Southeast every year in an effort to conserve and restore ecosystems, little is known about the overall ecological impacts of these projects.
A new study by researchers at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment and the Duke University Wetland Center explores the potential ecological impacts of stream restoration by observing turtle abundance and species composition.
The researchers, led by Maura Dudley (MEM ’10), caught and released turtles at six restored streams and six comparable natural streams across seven counties in the NC Piedmont. They found, on average, more than twice as many turtles at restored streams compared to natural streams. They found seven different species of turtles in restored streams and five species in natural streams.
Biotechnology/Health
Arizona State University: Creating a treatment for cocaine addiction
December 19, 2014
Unlike other drug addictions, there are no pharmacological treatments for cocaine dependence. According to Arizona State University School of Life Sciences professor Janet Neisewander, it’s because cocaine addiction is tricky.
“Cocaine produces its psychoactive effects by increasing the levels of brain chemicals that serve as messengers from one neuron to another,” Neisewander said. “While much attention has been given to one of these chemicals, dopamine, attempts to develop treatments have not been successful due to dangerous side effects.”
However, thanks to a $1.7 million grant renewal from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Neisewander and her team will continue searching for a safe treatment for cocaine addiction. Instead of focusing on dopamine, Neisewander has been looking at one of the other neurological messengers: serotonin. The chemical affects mood, motivation and a number of psychiatric disorders, such as addiction, and Neisewander’s research has shown it may play a key role in treating cocaine dependence.
Arizona State University: Quest to unravel mysteries of our gene network
December 17, 2014
There are roughly 27,000 genes in the human body, all but a relative few of them connected through an intricate and complex network that plays a dominant role in shaping our physiological structure and functions.
Part of the complexity involves the varying and diverse functions and interplay of the genes themselves. Some genes are activators. They trigger actions by other genes. Some genes are inhibitors. They stop other genes from acting in particular ways, for better or worse. Some genes are both activators and inhibitors, and do different things under different conditions.
A particular action by one gene can set off a kind of chain reaction that reverberates throughout parts of the gene network and affects the overall genetic and cellular functioning. Arizona State University biomedical engineer Xiao Wang is leading research to understand the fundamental nature of gene networks.
Arizona State University: Probing bacterial resistance to a class of natural antibiotics
December 17, 2014
Antimicrobial peptides are a distinctive class of potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics produced by the body’s innate immune system – the first line of defense against disease-causing microbes.
In a new study, Yixin Shi and Wei Kong, researchers in the Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, explore the clever techniques used by bacteria to survive destruction from antimicrobial peptides – potent defense factors produced by all living forms, including humans.
Professor Shi underscores the importance of antimicrobial peptides in the pitched battle against multi-drug resistant bacteria: “All bacteria treated with conventional antibiotics will develop antibiotic resistance,” he says, “but antimicrobial peptides have a unique function. Many of them target the bacterial membrane, making it very difficult for bacteria to develop resistance.” After fusing with the invasive bacteria’s membrane, antimicrobial peptides cause membrane leakage, leading to cell destruction, or lysis.
University of North Carolina: Two UNC doctors participating in Ebola clinical trial
December 16, 2014
Two physicians from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine are participating in an Ebola treatment clinical trial now underway in Liberia — one of the West African nations hardest hit by the current Ebola outbreak.
William A. Fischer II and David Wohl, joined by faculty at Duke University, are working in Liberia for the duration of the clinical trial, in which plasma taken from survivors of Ebola virus disease (EVD) is given to patients who are actively sick in an effort to help them combat this disease.
The trial is being run by ClinicalRM of Hinckley, Ohio, and is being funded through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Penn State University: Main reason for lifespan variability between races not cause of death
By Matt Swayne
December 16, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Eliminating health disparities between races is a goal of many groups and organizations, but a team of sociologists suggests that finding the reasons for the differences in the timing of black and white deaths may be trickier than once thought.
Life expectancies for black people are shorter and more uncertain, on average, than to those of whites, according to Glenn Firebaugh, Roy C. Buck Professor of American Institutions and professor of sociology and demography, Penn State. A higher lifespan variability -- the variability in the ages at which people die -- among blacks is usually explained by higher rates of certain causes of death, such as murder, which are more common among the young. However, the researchers found that higher rates of other causes of white deaths among the young appear to offset this.
"We initially suspected that the greater variance in lifespan for blacks would be a result of differences in the causes of death, for instance, the higher homicide rates among blacks," said Glenn Firebaugh. "But, as we looked closer, we saw that suicides and deaths due to drug poisoning -- deaths that are more common among whites -- offset the higher homicide rates for blacks."
Black homicide rates account for about 38 percent of the greater variance for blacks. However, the higher rates of white suicide and death due to drug overdose nearly cancels out the homicide effect, Firebaugh said.
Penn State University: Receptor may be key to treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
By Matt Swayne
December 15, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Inhibiting a nuclear receptor in the gut could lead to a treatment for a liver disorder that affects almost 30 percent of the Western world's adult population, according to an international team of researchers.
The researchers found that tempol, an antioxidant drug, and antibiotics can treat and prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice that were fed a high-fat diet. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- NAFLD -- is a build up of fat in liver cells that disrupts liver function and, if left untreated, can lead to liver failure.
"The effects of this disease are staggering in the United States and around the world," said Andrew Patterson, assistant professor of molecular toxicology, Penn State. "Some patients with NAFLD can develop a range of health problems, such as steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis that, if it gets this far, may require a liver transplant."
Virginia Tech: Fluid flow research may unlock cancer secrets
BLACKSBURG, Va., Dec. 19, 2014 – Sometimes, good health might be all about the fluids.
In the human body, the channels that fluids take as they migrate through tissues can impact a person's health. Abnormal fluid flow can help account for the development or progression of diseases, such as cancer.
By incorporating these fluid forces into tumor models in a laboratory, cancer cell responses to those forces and to anti-cancer drugs better represent the responses by cells in the body. The knowledge gained from studying these responses is advancing the growing field of personalized medicine that allows each person to be treated somewhat differently.
Researchers worldwide are investigating these physiological responses.
Psychology/Behavior
BYU: Research shows E.B. White was right in Charlotte’s Web
The spider shows the other kind of humble
December 18, 2014
Before Charlotte the spider spelled the word “humble” in her web to describe Wilbur the pig, she told Templeton the rat that the word meant “not proud.”
That’s probably what most people say if you put them on the spot. But if you give them time to think about it deeply, like a new study just did, other themes emerge that have a lot to do with learning.
And these intellectual dimensions of humility describe the spider as well or better than the pig.
“Wilbur has many of the dimensions of humility in general: regard for others, not thinking too highly of himself – but highly enough,” said Peter Samuelson, the lead study author. “Charlotte shows some of the unique aspects of intellectual humility: curiosity, love of learning, willingness to learn from others.”
BYU: Daily “technoference” hurting relationships, study finds
December 2, 2014
New research finds that the seemingly small, everyday interruptions that come with smart phones and other devices are interfering with romantic relationships.
A study involving 143 women in committed relationships found that 74 percent of them think that cell phones detract from their interactions with their spouse or partner.
And researchers found this “technoference” – even if infrequent – sets off a chain of negative events: more conflict about technology, lower relationship quality, lower life satisfaction and higher risk of depression.
University of Cincinnati: New Research is a Rare Study of Fake Pot Use Among College Students
UC researchers find that for the college population, curiosity is the main motivator behind synthetic THC use.
By Dawn Fuller
December 15, 2014
A survey of more than 300 college students reveals that college students who use “fake weed” or synthetic THC are most likely to have tried the drug because they were curious.
Rebecca Vidourek, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor of health promotion and assistant director of the Center for Prevention Science; Keith King, a UC professor of health promotion and director of the Center for Prevention Science; and Michelle Burbage, a graduate student and graduate assistant for UC’s Health Promotion and Education Program, published their findings in the current issue of the Journal of Drug Education.
The study found that 17 percent of the students surveyed reported taking synthetic THC at least once in their lifetime. Three percent of those surveyed had reported recent use. “Based on the study’s findings, it appears senior year of high school and the first year of college is the primary time for initiating use of THC,” write the authors of the study. “Perhaps, targeting middle and high school students with education programs on the negative effects of THC is needed to prevent initiation and regular use.”
University of Illinois: Low-crime, walkable neighborhoods promote mental health in older Latinos
By Sharita Forest
December 8, 2014
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Older Latinos living in the U.S. who perceive their neighborhoods as safer and more walkable are less likely to develop severe depressive symptoms, and the effect may be long term, a new study suggests.
Researchers examined links between the onset of depressive symptoms in 570 older Latino adults and various characteristics of the Greater Los Angeles neighborhoods they lived in, including crime, the availability and quality of sidewalks, traffic safety and aesthetics.
Participants ranged in age from 60 to 90, and 351 of them screened positive for low levels of depression at the outset of the study. When participants were rescreened 12 and 24 months later, a total of 19 (5.4 percent) of those with depression showed elevated symptoms.
However, people who perceived their neighborhoods as low in criminal activity and more walkable were less likely to develop severe depression, according to lead author Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois.
University of Southern California: Big differences in big spenders’ behavior city to city
What you buy when you’re trying to impress depends on where you live
by David Medzerian
December 15, 2014
Where you live has a huge impact on what you spend money on, but not just because of climate and geographic differences.
Conspicuous consumption — spending on goods and services that people think will enhance their social standing — varies widely across the country, USC’s Elizabeth Currid-Halkett found after studying household spending data from 2007 to 2012.
“It will not shock you to learn that if you live in one of the five boroughs of New York City or in Los Angeles, you spend more money on conspicuous goods, on average … than you do if you live in Boston or Phoenix,” she wrote in Sunday’s New York Times. “But it is revealing that you do this whether you are rich or poor or somewhere in between.”
Archeology/Anthropology
University of Cincinnati: Research shows clearing rain forests caused climate change
by Melanie Titanic-Schefft
December 19, 2014
Droughts and climate change led to the eventual abandonment of Tikal, a major Maya city of affluence that thrived for about 1,500 years in present-day Guatemala.
According to University of Cincinnati research just published in the prestigious “Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS),” effective and sophisticated land-use practices sustained the thriving Maya city of Tikal for more than 1,000 years until drought and climate change led to the abandonment of the city, which was once home to tens of thousands of people at its peak in AD 700.
Those are the findings of David Lentz, UC professor of biological sciences in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, and colleagues. They analyzed surveys, satellite imagery, archaeological information, water, food and forest resources and pollen data at Tikal to establish the timeline and causes of its rise and subsequent demise of the prominent Maya city. Their paper, “Forests, Fields and the Edge of Sustainability at the Ancient Maya City of Tikal,” is in the December issue of PNAS.
annetteboardman is taking a well-deserved night off.
Paleontology/Evolution
University of Illinois: New method helps map species' genetic heritage
By Liz Ahlberg
December 11, 2014
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Where did the songbird get its song? What branch of the bird family tree is closer to the flamingo – the heron or the sparrow?
These questions seem simple, but are actually difficult for geneticists to answer. A new, sophisticated statistical technique developed by researchers at the University of Illinois and the University of Texas at Austin can help researchers construct more accurate species trees detailing the lineage of genes and the relationships between species.
The method, called statistical binning, was used in the Avian Phylogenetics Project, the subject of a Dec. 12 special issue of the journal Science.
Geology
LiveScience: Violent Volcanic Blasts Ripped Through Antarctic Ice Sheet Twice
by Becky Oskin, Senior Writer
December 17, 2014 01:12pm ET
SAN FRANCISCO — Volcanoes punched through a remote part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet twice in the last 50,000 years, according to research presented Monday (Dec. 15) here at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
Distinctive layers of brown ash in a deep ice core are evidence of violent volcanic explosions that occurred about 22,470 and 45,381 years ago, near the West Antarctic divide. Their source, however, is a mystery.
The closest active volcanoes that rise above the ice are more than 185 miles (300 kilometers) away, said study leader Nels Iverson, a volcanologist and graduate student at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. Powerful eruptions from these peaks have dusted the West Antarctica divide with ash, leaving glassy shards embedded in younger layers of the ice core. However, the ash particles described here Monday are too blocky and coarse to travel long distances, even on Antarctica's fierce winds. The ash is also chemically different from eruptions at the distant volcanoes. And to draw the circle in tighter, neither ash layer appears in an ice core drilled about 60 miles (100 km) to the southeast.
Energy
Arizona State University: New energy innovation report highlights central role of emerging economies
December 10, 2014
Innovation in clean energy technologies is a truly global phenomenon, and the most active efforts to develop next-generation technologies are in rapidly industrializing countries, where energy demand is high and deployment opportunities are abundant.
From advanced nuclear reactor technologies in China and solar projects in Brazil to South African experiments in clean coal and Indian shale gas exploration, the global landscape for clean energy innovation has never been more fertile.
To take advantage of these opportunities, governments must strengthen international collaborative efforts to supply the global public of clean, cheap energy, says a new report from a group of 12 energy scholars.
University of Nebraska: UNL engineers identify, address cause of persistent solar cell issue
December 15, 2014
University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineers have doubled the efficiency of a prominent solar cell technology by unraveling the origins of a phenomenon known to hinder cell performance, stability and evaluation.
The researchers investigated a persistent problem with solar cells made of perovskite, which refers both to a type of atomic structure and any material that features it.
As a naturally abundant and inexpensive material, perovskite has gained significant interest among solar cell manufacturers and researchers in recent years. However, a certain class of perovskite-based cell exhibits photocurrent hysteresis – undesirable shifts in electrical conductivity that arise when applying increasing or decreasing amounts of voltage to a cell for the purpose of measuring its photocurrent.
San Diego State University: The Power to Manage Your Power
A new app developed by an SDSU researcher helps SDG&E customers save energy with real-time data.
By Michael Price
December 19, 2014
The holidays are an energy-intensive time of year. Whether you hang just a few lights or illuminate the entire neighborhood with a winter wonderland display, chances are your carbon footprint will be just a little higher for the month of December. Scheduling your appliance-related chores for off-peak hours can help ease strain on the local power grid, and could even save you money in lower electric rates down the line. A new app developed by San Diego State University computer engineering professor Yusuf Ozturk makes it easy to know the best time to plug in.
Currently, most San Diego homeowners are billed for their total electricity usage by the local electric utility regardless of time of use. But some consumers with special electricity needs, such as owners of electric vehicles, can opt to be billed using a dynamic pricing model which charges them less for electricity used during off-peak hours and more for usage during peak hours. That’s a model many San Diego businesses already operate under, and it could become an option available to all residents in the near future.
Using electricity during off-peak hours not only saves business owners and some other consumers money, it may also leave a smaller carbon footprint, Ozturk said. “It’s extremely difficult to convince people to cut their overall energy usage very much because you have to wash the dishes, you have to do your laundry,” Ozturk said. “But you can shift your usage from peak hours to non-peak hours pretty easily for most tasks.”
Physics
Arizona State University: ASU professors named National Academy of Inventors Fellows
December 16, 2014
Arizona State University research scientists Stuart Lindsay and Michael Kozicki have been named fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
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Lindsay is a professor and the director of the Center for Single Molecule Biophysics at ASU's Biodesign Institute. His inventions in the field of atomic force microscopy led to the founding of Molecular Imaging Corporation, a pioneer in chemical applications of atomic force microscopy. It is now the Nanomeasurements Division of Agilent Technologies (Keysight). His inventions in the field of molecular electronics have laid the groundwork for a new single molecule sequencing technique, currently licensed to and under development by Roche. He has published over 200 papers and written the first comprehensive textbook on nanoscience. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Antennas and Propagation Society and the Institute of Physics.
Kozicki serves as the director of the Center for Applied Nanoionics and as a professor in ASU's School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, where he has graduated 24 doctoral and 37 master's (thesis) students. He invented ionic memory, a low energy technology that is destined to replace Flash and enable devices for the Internet of Things. He is the founder of Axon Technologies and Idendrix, Inc., and was instrumental in the launch and growth of Adesto Technologies. He holds 48 U.S. patents (with around 1,000 citations) and 27 international patents, licensed to three companies. He published 144 journal and proceedings papers, with over 1,650 citations, two books and two book chapters, and presented 48 invited talks out of 180 conference appearances. He is a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh, a Chartered Engineer and member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Institute of Physics. Kozicki has made several television appearances to promote public understanding of science.
University of Southern California: USC trio to be inducted into National Academy of Inventors
Khoshnevis, Willner and Thompson named as fellows by the stellar group of scientists
by Robert Perkins
December 16, 2014
Three USC professors were announced today as new fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, an elite group of innovators that includes 21 Nobel laureates from around the world.
USC’s Mark Thompson, Behrokh Khoshnevis and Alan Willner will be inducted into the three-year-old organization in a ceremony at the California Institute of Technology on March 20.
“USC’s fellows are not just outstanding researchers, but they also have the rare talent to produce innovations that help people in their everyday lives,” said Randolph Hall, USC vice president of research.
Chemistry
Louisiana Tech: Chemistry professor named a National Academy of Inventors Fellow
By Dave Guerin
December 16, 2014
Dr. Yuri Lvov, professor of chemistry and T. Pipes Eminent Endowed Chair in Micro and Nanosystems at Louisiana Tech University, has been named a 2014 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
Lvov is one of only two academic inventors from Louisiana institutions to earn the NAI’s Fellow distinction for 2014. Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional designation accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.
Lvov’s groundbreaking work in nanomaterials, including nanoassembly of ultrathin films, bio and nanocomposites, ordered nanoshells, organic-inorganic composites and clay nanotubes with controlled release of chemical agents, has earned him international acclaim and recognition.
North Carolina State University: New Technique Moves Researchers Closer to New Range of GaN Biosensors
Matt Shipman
December 18, 2014
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a way of binding peptides to the surface of gallium nitride (GaN) in a way that keeps the peptides stable even when exposed to water and radiation. The discovery moves researchers one step closer to developing a new range of biosensors for use in medical and biological research applications.
GaN is a biocompatible material that fluoresces, or lights up, when exposed to radiation. Researchers are interested in taking advantage of this characteristic to make biosensors that can sense specific molecules, or “analytes,” in a biological environment.
To make a GaN biosensor, the GaN is coated with peptides – chains of amino acids that are chemically bound to the surface of the material. These peptides would respond to the presence of specific analytes by binding with the molecules.
The idea is that, when exposed to radiation, the intensity of the light emitted by the GaN would change, depending on the number of analytes bound to the peptides on the surface. This would allow researchers and clinicians to monitor the presence of different molecules in a biological system. But it’s not quite that simple.
Penn State University: Squid supplies blueprint for printable thermoplastics
By A'ndrea Elyse Messer
December 15, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Squid, what is it good for? You can eat it and you can make ink or dye from it, and now a Penn State team of researchers is using it to make a thermoplastic that can be used in 3-D printing.
"Most of the companies looking into this type of material have focused on synthetic plastics," said Melik C. Demirel, professor of engineering science and mechanics. "Synthetic plastics are not rapidly deployable for field applications, and more importantly, they are not eco-friendly."
Demirel and his team looked at the protein complex that exists in the squid ring teeth (SRT). The naturally made material is a thermoplastic, but obtaining it requires a large amount of effort and many squid.
Science Crime Scenes
Arizona State University: Working to make mobile payment more secure
December 19, 2014
Consumers are well aware of several recent security breaches regarding the credit and debit cards they use on a daily basis: Target, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus and more.
Gail-Joon Ahn, an Arizona State University engineering professor, is working on tools that will make transactions more secure and allow individuals to control the privacy of their information. In 2014 he was issued five new patents for that technology and eight more patents are pending related to secure mobile payment.
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“When you disclose your identity, you disclose all kinds of information,” Ahn said. “Your ID, your username, your credit card number, driver’s license number and all kinds of other personal attributes.
“You’ve given that information to the bank, but once disclosed, you don’t know how it’s being used or have any ability to control it.”
University of Southern California: What’s next in cybersecurity?
USC Viterbi researchers demonstrate the future of security at Department of Homeland Security event
by Robert Perkins
December 16, 2014
Two researchers from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Information Sciences Institute will be among the headliners at a federal cybersecurity showcase in Washington, D.C., this week.
Terry Benzel and John Heidemann will present cybersecurity technology developed at ISI to more than 500 industry and government leaders at a three-day workshop hosted by the Department of Homeland Security.
“The DHS Cybersecurity Division 2014 R&D Showcase and Technical Workshop provides a venue to exchange ideas with colleagues in the research community and connect with technology transition partners,” said Benzel, deputy director of the cybernetworks and cybersecurity division of ISI.
Science, Space, Health, Environment, and Energy Policy
Arizona State University: White House cites research of ASU professor on federal child care subsidies
December 18, 2014
The research of Arizona State University public affairs professor Christ Herbst was featured by the White House during its summit on early childhood education Dec. 10.
Herbst has written extensively about the federal child care subsidy program, called the Child Care and Development Block Grant. His articles were among those included by the Executive Office of the President publication, titled “The Economics of Early Childhood Investments.” The document provided background information for those who attended the event.
At the summit, President Obama announced that $250 million in new funding will be awarded to 18 states for child care, including Arizona.
Arizona State University: NIH grants reflect vibrant biomedical engineering research environment
December 18, 2014
Research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are among the hardest to obtain. More than researchers’ past accomplishments and the potential for the success of their projects are weighed in the decision-making process.
The NIH wants researchers who will use new and innovative approaches to making scientific and engineering advances. It wants discoveries the research produces to remedy significant problems, providing solutions that will have far-reaching impacts on improving the lives of the nation’s citizens.
“Only the most promising proposals among those that meet all these criteria are getting grants,” said professor Marco Santello, director of the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, one of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Santello also serves as grant reviewer for the NIH.
North Carolina State University: Will Rapprochement Mean New Research Collaborations Between Cuba and the U.S.?
Matt Shipman
December 18, 2014
On December 17, the White House announced significant changes to the relationship between Cuba and the United States. The announcement has garnered international news coverage, but one aspect of the announcement that has garnered little attention is what this may mean for fostering collaborations between U.S. research institutions and their Cuban counterparts.
To explore this issue, we talked to Dr. Ruben Carbonell, Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at NC State, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and director of both the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center and the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science. Carbonell was born in Cuba and moved to the United States in 1958. He and his wife both have family in Cuba and he is familiar with Cuba’s research sector.
Science Education
University of Central Florida: Transforming Physician Practices Across Florida
December 17, 2014
The UCF College of Medicine is applying for a new federal grant to create a collaborative network for physicians across Florida to improve the health of patients and the providers’ business operations.
The nation’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is funding up to 35 organizations nationally to create collaborative Practice Transformation Networks (PTN). Individual grants are expected to average about $20 million. The UCF grant proposal consists of working with partners statewide, including payers, hospitals and Health IT experts, through a program the medical school is calling the I-EQUIP FL (Implementation of Evidence-Based Quality Improvement into Practice in Florida) network.
Penn State University: Helping parents understand infant sleep patterns
By Victoria M. Indivero
December 18, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Most parents are not surprised by the irregularity of a newborn infant's sleep patterns, but by six months or so many parents wonder if something is wrong with their baby or their sleeping arrangements if the baby is not sleeping through the night. Healthcare providers, specifically nurse practitioners, can help parents understand what "normal" sleep patterns are for their child, according to researchers.
"Nurse practitioners are at the frontline of healthcare," said Robin Yaure, senior instructor of human development and family studies, Penn State Mont Alto. "They are in an ideal position to help parents understand infant sleep pattern norms. Thus, nurse practitioners can help parents understand that 'sleeping through the night' is not entirely likely in young infants and that infants' sleep patterns change during the first few years of life."
According to the researchers, there are four common areas of concern for both parents and practitioners: what constitutes "normal" infant sleep and waking patterns, whether night wakings are a problem or not, whether a parent's presence is disruptive while an infant is falling asleep, and whether sleep training is safe and healthy for infants. Sleep training is one way to establish a sleep routine for a child, although the methods used may not be appealing to parents or in the best interests of the child, the researchers said.
Science Writing and Reporting
Duke University: Disease Modeler Does Commentary Too
Guest Post by Tingzhu Teresa Meng, NC School of Science and Math
December 19, 2014
How do scientific research and social commentary relate?
The answer became clear during my conversation with Rotem Ben-Shachar, a PhD candidate in the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics program at Duke, who is interested in understanding the infectious disease dynamics of dengue fever. But she’s also pondering the reasons why female scientists are leaving prestigious career paths.
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Thanks to our discussion, I have realized that scientific research and social commentary both strive to understand and solve major issues facing the world and both require skills such as careful observation, analysis and inquiry. Therefore, these seemingly unrelated interests have much in common.
North Carolina State University: Results: Big Data and More
By David Hunt
December 16, 2014
The fall issue of Results, NC State’s biannual research magazine, highlights some of the university’s most promising work, from the use of data analytics to solve challenges in business, medicine and national security to groundbreaking efforts to unmask a pathogen that mimics diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
“There’s no going back on the world’s capacity for collecting data,” says Alan Karr, in the magazine’s cover story. “Soon even your car will have its own Internet address.”
Karr, director of RTI International’s Center of Excellence for Complex Data Analysis, is one of nearly a dozen experts in statistics, microbiology, genetics, innovation management and psychology who explain NC State’s innovative efforts to unlock the potential of big data.
Penn State University: Professor co-authors book on sustainable transportation at national parks
December 19, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Peter Newman, professor and head of the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management in the College of Health and Human Development has co-authored the new book, “Sustainable Transportation in the National Parks: From Acadia to Zion.”
Other co-authors include Robert Manning, who directs the Park Studies Laboratory at the University of Vermont; Steven Lawson; Jeffrey Hallo; and Christopher Monz.
The book, published by University Press of New England, focuses on transportation as it relates to national parks and appropriate visitor capacity while taking into account ecological sensitivity.
“Transportation has been an integral part of national parks from their start in 1916 and the concept of delivering people to a park through transportation systems is really what helped get the national parks off the ground 100 years ago; if you want to protect the parks we need to experience them and transportation systems have been the medium to get people there,” Newman said.
Science is Cool
BYU: The VuePod: Powerful enough for a gamer, made for an engineer
BYU's 3D virtual reality system much cheaper, just as effective as others
December 16, 2014
It’s like a scene from a gamer’s wildest dreams: 12 high-definition, 55-inch 3D televisions all connected to a computer capable of supporting high-end, graphics-intensive gaming.
On the massive screen, images are controlled by a Wii remote that interacts with a Kinnect-like Bluetooth device (called SmartTrack), while 3D glasses worn by the user create dizzying added dimensions.
But this real-life, computer-powered mega TV is not for gaming. It’s for engineering.
Penn State University: Big data may be fashion industry's next must-have accessory
By Matt Swayne
December 17, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Big data may be the next new thing to hit the fashion industry's runways, according to a team of researchers.
By analyzing relevant words and phrases from fashion reviews, researchers were able to identify a network of influence among major designers and track how those style trends moved through the industry, said Heng Xu, associate professor of information sciences and technology, Penn State.
"Data analytics, which is the idea that large amounts of data are becoming more available for finding patterns, establishing correlations and identifying emerging trends, is very hot these days and it is being applied to many industries and fields -- from health care to politics -- but what we wanted to see is if data analytics could be used in the fashion industry," said Xu. "We were drawn to the question of whether or not we could really trace a hidden network of influence in fashion design."
