Researchers at Georgia Tech built a robot that can penetrate and “swim” through granular material. In this study, they show that by varying the shape of the robot’s head or by tilting it up or down, they can control the robot’s vertical movement in complex environments.
Tests of a new antibody-based “biosensor” developed by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science show that it can detect marine pollutants like oil much faster and more cheaply than current technologies. The device is small and sturdy enough to be used from a boat.
It was “busy, controlled chaos” in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital emergency room Wednesday night in the aftermath of the deadly tornado outbreak that pounded Central Alabama, said Loring Rue, M.D., chief of trauma surgery.
Wednesday's storm system had all the ingredients and the trigger -- all seen days in advance.
People in Alabama are experiencing a real tragedy in the aftermath of yesterday’s deadly storms. It’s important to realize just how severely the many losses are being felt, and while emergency responders are helping those with physical injuries, it’s important to care for those with psychological wounds as well, says Joshua C. Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the UAB School of Public Health.
First of seven American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) post-disaster assessment teams deployed to Japan over the weekend to study the tsunami effect.
Follow-up on a group of Swedish tourists who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami shows slower psychological recovery for those exposed to more severe trauma, according to a report in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Providing routine care for people with a host of issues from chronic diabetes to imminent childbirth was one of the most difficult challenges for doctors following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
With the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill approaching, Florida Atlantic University faculty members are available to discuss the state of the Gulf and the effects of the oil spill.
George Washington University Experts to Speak on Topics Related to the Earthquake in Japan
There are many ways to minimize or mitigate damage caused by radioactive materials, such as the ones being released by Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Although the situation in Japan is dangerous and uncertain, there’s no need to panic. People need to follow expert advice.
Physicists are detecting radioactivity arriving in Seattle from Japanese nuclear reactors damaged in a tsunami following a mammoth earthquake, but the levels are far below what would pose a threat to human health.
Arthur Wheaton, an automotive expert and senior extension associate at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, comments on the impact of the Japanese earthquake on Honda, Toyota and other automakers.
In support of disaster relief efforts in Japan following the recent earthquake and tsunami, Ovid and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, part of Wolters Kluwer Health, are providing free online access to emergency, disaster, trauma, and radiation contamination resources to Japanese hospitals and healthcare institutions affected by the disasters via the Wolters Kluwer Health Emergency Resources Portal. The access will be immediate and extend for 30 days.
Hirokazu Miyazaki is a professor of Anthropology at Cornell University and studies the social science of hope in Japan. He offers insight on the recent natural disaster in his native country.
Ahead of the next fire season in parched areas of southern California, research groups at the University of California, San Diego are building a scalable computer infrastructure to provide better access to camera feeds from rural areas when fires, earthquakes, flash floods or other natural disasters hit San Diego County.
A new study published by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of California, Davis, foresees improvements in patient outcomes after a major earthquake through more effective use of information technology. A control tower-style telemedicine hub to manage electronic traffic between first responders and remote medical experts could boost the likelihood that critically injured victims will get timely care and survive, according to the team's computer simulation model.
Predicting what happens to radioactive materials released by Japan's crippled nuclear plants is even more difficult than forecasting the weather, and depends on several key factors, University of Maryland atmospheric scientists say. They’re preparing daily long-range projections of air ‘parcel’ movements from Fukushima, and posting them online.
The University of Chicago has numerous experts who can comment on the scientific, social, political and cultural dimensions of the ongoing crisis in Japan. Our news officers can assist reporters looking for help with stories on nuclear science, radiation exposure, geology, as well as Japanese culture, law, politics, religion and history.
These University of Washington experts are available for reporters to contact in the wake of the massive Japan earthquake of March 11 and resulting tsunami and nuclear crisis.
Grinnell College geologist Larry Aspler teaches a course on "Natural Hazards and Disasters," that examines the science, social, political, and economic factors that contirbute to risk and severity.
Christine Shea, associate dean for graduate programs and research, and professor of technology and operations management at the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics, is available to discuss supply chain and operations management issues that may develop as a result of the crisis in Japan.
Western Illinois University's unique emergency management program prepares future emergency management professionals with practical field-study opportunities. Students in the program will participate in the Dept. of Homeland Security/FEMA National Level Exercise this May that will simulate the aftermath of a sizable earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone.
Reactor problems at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant could lead to exposure to large amounts of radioactivity, which can be lethal to humans and has long-term health consequences.
From radiation safety to economic impact, The University of South Carolina Media Relations Office has prepared a list of faculty experts who can discuss various aspects of the Japan crisis.
A gallon of gas is already getting pricy, but one UAB professor says the problems in Japan could lead to a domino effect on gas prices.
Airborne radiation from a meltdown at Japanese nuclear plants poses no immediate risk to the continental United States, say University of Maryland public health and atmospheric scientists. Drawing on research from Chernobyl, they add that for most Japanese, the long term risk may lie in ingestion of milk, as well as direct exposure to contaminated soil.
With the number of traumas currently affecting Japan, it's people will reach a breaking point without some psychological first aid.
The ongoing threat of radiation release from earthquake-stricken nuclear plants in Japan, continues to generate questions regarding the health risks to humans. Thyroid expert and editor in chief of the Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), Leonard Wartofsky, MD, is available to provide insight on the effects of radiation on thyroid function.
He can discuss short- and long-term effects of exposure to high levels of environmental radiation from nuclear accidents.
Bingham Cady is a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University. He helped operate Cornell’s now-closed on-campus nuclear reactor and has been a consultant for several nuclear energy companies.
Earth remote sensing satellites and social networking tools are in use to help respond to the multi-prong tragedy in Japan of earthquake, tsunami, and the crippling of nuclear power plants.
The devastation from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has filled television screens this week, presenting images that are difficult to watch, but hard to turn away from. If it’s hard enough for adults to comprehend the scale of destruction, should parents reach for the remote control when their children are in the room? Not necessarily, says psychology professor Deborah L. Best, who notes that it’s going to be nearly impossible for parents to shield their children from the news.
The situation at Japan's Fukushima nuclear facility has become increasingly serious with the growing possibility of a complete meltdown, says University of Maryland energy policy expert Nathan Hultman. “Damage to the nuclear fuel containment potentially is a very serious problem that complicates efforts to prevent a total meltdown.”
Professors from University of Kentucky's College of Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy are available to comment on Japan’s nuclear crisis. A scientist from Kentucky Geological Survey and professors from the University of Kentucky's College of Arts and Sciences, are available to comment on the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan on Friday, as well as the tsunami warnings that affect the islands in the Pacific, including Hawaii.
Emergency responders, insurers, communicators must factor overconfidence into disaster preparations.
Institute of Nuclear Materials Management encourages donations to Red Cross for Japan disaster Relief.
The damage to three nuclear power plants in Japan will renew debate worldwide, prompting a new look at needed levels of safety and redundancy, says University of Maryland energy policy expert Nathan Hultman. “The events at Fukushima Daiichi will complicate planning for nuclear expansion for the coming years in all countries.”
A new study in Honduras suggests that climate-related weather disasters may sometimes actually provide opportunities for the rural poor to improve their lives.
Panneer Selvam, professor of civil engineering at the University of Arkansas, is available to discuss structural stability of reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex in Japan. Selvam has taught structural loading 20 years. His research has focused on methods for obtaining design loadings for wind, earthquakes and other natural disasters relevant to national and local building codes. He uses computer simulation in nanostructures to model the effect of natural forces on buildings.
The outcome of Japan's compromised nuclear reactors could steer public perception of nuclear reactors in America.
Hundreds are confirmed dead and thousands without shelter or power after an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude, and resulting tsunami, near the Japanese island of Honshu. These University of Wisconsin-Madison experts can provide context and analysis for interested media.
The National Center for Family Literacy’s homepage as well as its Wonderopolis.org site will have special lessons on the disaster in Japan beginning Saturday, March 12. The free, online lessons and activities will help parents explain the natural disasters to their children.
Seismology, geophysics, civil engineering and nuclear power experts at the University of Utah are available for comment and questions about today’s earthquake in Japan and its potential aftermath.
The Florida State University has internationally recognized faculty researchers who stand ready to comment on a variety of topics related to the March 11 Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami. The following experts are available to speak with the news media on potential dangers at Japan’s nuclear facilities, the physical processes that underlie the formation of a tsunami, the challenges that the public health sector faces in the coming hours and days, and how religion figures in to the way the Japanese people react to and deal with a disaster of this magnitude.
An earthquake expert at Michigan Technological University can explain the phenomenon of the life-threatening tsunami that often follows a major earthquake.
The news media can use images from this map with proper attribution.
Dr. John van de Lindt, professor of structural engineering at The University of Alabama, has vast experience with building structures and earthquakes. He has done extensive research in Japan, Chile and the US West Coast.
Columbus State University in Georgia offers several sources on the Japan earthquake, recorded the quake on a seismometer, and has students there now (all are OK).
For questions about damage to buildings and infrastructure due to the earthquake in Japan, please contact Brady Cox, assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Arkansas. A geotechnical engineer, Cox specializes in issues related to earthquake loading, soil dynamics and material characterization and response to stress waves.
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