The age of information is also the age of organization. The authors set an agenda to make organizations more responsive to the ethical needs of information handling, as well as usage.
Using $1.29 acrylic boxes from a dime store and simple electronics, undergraduate students and their lab instructor at The University of Alabama in Huntsville are doing cutting edge research into sonoluminesence, a little understood phenomenon sometimes referred to as "a star in a jar."
Two viruses, the feline leukemia virus -- FELV -- and the feline immunodeficiency virus -- FIV -- are infecting the cat population in a manner similar to the AIDS-related human immunodeficiency virus -- HIV.
A special symposium, "Integrating Watershed Ecosystem Studies for Improved Natural Resource Management" will be presented in Seattle, WA, on February 15 as part of the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The symposium will highlight the use of long-term, ecosystem-level studies for detecting changes in biological, chemical, and physical processes associated with watersheds.
Researchers at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center have found that population-wide sperm counts vary significantly from year to year, and that these variations coincide with yearly changes in birth rates. The findings, to be published in the March issue of the Journal of Urology, may also explain why previous fertility studies have concluded that sperm counts around the world are declining.
Scientists believe there is little doubt that compounds called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) cause cancer in animal studies. It has been illegal to produce PCBs in the United States since 1977, but huge amounts of the compounds remain in the environment, raising serious concerns for public health officials. A new study, however, has found that many of the PCBs in the environment in this country may not be as carcinogenic as previously thought.
Biochemists at the University of Georgia have discovered an unusual phosphorus-containing compound in an extreme-heat-loving bacterium -- a discovery that will advance thinking about how life exists near the boiling point in underwater volcanic vents.
Technology transfer may have found its way from "Star Trek's" starship Enterprise to Earth. Many Star Trek fans are familiar with clear "data cubes" frequently seen on the television program and used by the crew to access information. A researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville believes the Enterprise's technology isn't so futuristic. Using holographic technology, a similar data storage device could hold a tremendous amount of data and provide rapid access.
Rushing radically innovative new products to market with a minimum of "polish" may give large U.S. companies a competitive edge over their Japanese counterparts in emerging or "high uncertainty" markets, according to research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. This "radical" recommendation comes from a seven-year study of 104 new electronics products developed in the U.S. and Japan.
Three-D View of Molecular Switch Assists Drug Development, Basic Science Discovery Made by Howard Hughes Researcher at Children's Hospital in Boston and Researchers at Harvard Medical School
HOUSTON, February 11, 1997 -- Of the three teams in the world that can coax the elusive Bose-Einstein condensation into existence, only the Rice University team can make it using atoms that attract each other. This provides a unique situation for studying the interactions of the atoms in this rare state of matter. For this reason, the Rice team is taking an especially close look at the mechanics of how their condensate forms and the special properties it possesses. Their findings contribute to a basic understanding of interactions on the atomic level.
With a little more than spit and a sponge, researchers at Northwestern University Medical School can now test whether an ndividual is experiencing physical or emotional stress. The test measures concentration of an enzyme, called amylase, in saliva. Researh has shown that salivary amylase concentration reflects the body's level of catecholamines, substances produced by the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress.
Two Johns Hopkins University comet experts are heading research projects on Comet Hale-Bopp and are available for comment to reporters. The astronomers have also completed a yearlong study of the comet with the Hubble Space Telescope, learning new details about the comet. This release also contains a fact sheet about Hale-Bopp and comets in general.
Picture an ideal university: it has a pervasive culture promoting collaborative research between professors and students; there are internet links between research labs, libraries and students; and there is an emphasis on discovery-based learning techniques throughout science and engineering curricula.
Cornell clinical psychologist and gradate student find that sexually abused girls have less secure intimate relationships and compromised interpersonal functioning in adulthood.
Researchers at Resources for the Future have found a deposit/refund system to be the most cost-effective policy among those that rely on economic incentives to reduce municipal solid waste. They suggest that a modest reduction in recyclable wastes -- including glass, paper and plastic -- could be achieved if the federal government used a deposit/refund policy that charged the deposit fee to manufacturers of consumer products, with the subsequent refund then granted to collectors of recyclable materials.
Southern California may soon be the best-surveyed area on the planet, thanks to powerful tools used by scientists seeking to understand the region's earthquake potential.
Communication among glial cells--once regarded as just "glue" for the brain--has been identified in intact retinal tissue by researchers at the University of Minnesota. The discovery is a step forward in understanding the function of these cells, which play a role in multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, as well as in regulating the transmission of impulses along nerve fibers and regenerating injured or severed nerves.
As Congress begins to consider the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposals to tighten standards for two major air pollutants, Resources for the Future today releases a briefing paper on the key issues in the clean air debate. It describes EPA's proposed new rules for ground-level ozone and particulate matter, both of which have been linked to adverse effects on human health, and discusses the major policy questions that the proposals raise.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting requests from professional journalists to visit Antarctica during the 1997-1998 field season to report on research by the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP).
A miniature forest of robotically controlled optical fibers has sprouted from the end of the 120-inch Shane Telescope at Lick Observatory near San Jose, letting astronomers capture and analyze faint rays of light from dozens of distant stars or galaxies at the same time.
A national meeting to discuss ways to encourage minorities to join medical clinical trials will be held February 23-25 in Tuskegee, AL, the site of the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study which involved 400 impoverished African-American men.
The first national seminar March 21-28 in Community Economic Development will teach people how to make a valuable contribution in their community by helping it prosper economically. Participants gain skills in community leadership and economic development while gathering knowledge about the popular new field.
The commonly used methods for measuring the efficiency of soil to remove viruses from human waste may be providing inaccurate and misleading information about virus retention and transport in the subsurface, says Dr. Yan Jin of the University of Delaware.
The hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) used to replace the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) banned by the Montreal Protocol have low or no potential to deplete ozone in the stratosphere, but they may contribute to climatic change, says Dr. Garry D. Hayman of the National Environmental Technology Centre in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
The catalytic converter in your automobile may be removing most of the air pollutants in the car's exhaust gases, but it is also emitting a fine dust containing platinum, a precious metal that is the key ingredient in making the converter effective in controlling air pollution, according to Dr. R. R. Barefoot of the University of Toronto.
Mutagens have long been known to be present in urban air, but their detection and potency has mostly been measured with a bacterial test. However, extrapolating the observed mutagenic effects from bacteria to humans continually leads to questions about the relevance of bacterial assays. New research represents the first time a human cell mutation assay has been applied to an atmospheric particle monitoring network.
After extensively studying models of Internet pricing among competing networks, researchers at the University of Texas found that usage-based pricing can be far more profitable than the flat pricing scheme introduced by America On Line (AOL). The customer dissatisfaction with on-line congestion and pending law suits against access providers highlight the short-sightedness of this current pricing strategy.
First there was "channel surfing." Then came "surfing the Net." A Purdue University researcher now has found that spacecraft might be able to "surf" through space. Her efforts could help lower costs of planetary missions.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced the outline for the PresidentÃs fiscal year 1998 budget request to provide the agency with $3.367 billion, a three percent rise over the current yearÃs estimate.
Equity investments in entrepreneurial firms continue to grow in number and dollar amounts from both venture capital and private investment sources. Increasingly, these two sources of capital play an important role in the development of new and existing entrepreneurial ventures. Due to the sometimes hurried attempt to turn their dream into a reality, entrepreneurs may fail to consider similarities and differences in the value-added benefits supplied by venture capital firms and private investors. Who the entrepreneur gets his/her money from is just as important as how much capital is obtained initially.
Story ideas: Study shows outpatient stem cell tranplantation is safe and effective; new method allows faster recovery from shoulder injury; the last run of the day is often a skier's downfall;during heart month; heart disease still number one killer of women as well as men; new portable CT scanner helps improve patients care; new guidelines developed to prevent and treat steroid-induced osteoporosis.
A red seaweed that wiped out native species as it proliferated in European and African waters has now taken root for the first time in the northeastern United States. The seaweed was discovered by two marine biologists in Rhode Island.
Like water beds designed to better support the whole body, a water-based pillow may help people with chronic neck pain to sleep better and lessen their discomfort, a Johns Hopkins study shows.
The USGS FY 98 budget calls for increasing the availability of water quality information, for expanding earthquake monitoring to reduce hazards and support the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, and for increasing biological science in support of Federal land managers.
Sandia scientist Dr. Charles 'Jack' Jakowatz has been selected to receive a 1996 Ernest O. Lawrence Award, one of the Department of Energy's top prizes, for achievements that advance the use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to detect exceptionally small changes in landscape.
Research Triangle Institute and Adams Consulting Group, Inc. have announced the availability of a tool that will help organizations evaluate whether Virtual Reality (VR) training programs are appropriate for specific training needs. VR Training Decision Tool gives managers and professionals in training, performance improvement, information technology, human resources, multimedia development, safety, manufacturing and other fields a way of quantifying the decision to use VR. This tool is available free of charge.
Faulty human eyesight can be corrected with glasses, but itÃs a different matter to fix vision problems that afflict instruments used by scientists who explore the microcosmos. Two Oregon scientists conducting research with National Science Foundation (NSF)-support, however, have found a way to do it. As with many problems in human eyesight, the culprit in the world of microscopes is the lens.
One of the hot new trends in management -- worker participation -- has been touted as a boon to employees because it allows them to play an active role in making decisions involving their jobs. But such management systems, which often involve workplace teams, may hurt relations among co-workers, a new study suggests.
First came drugs to break apart clots that can cause a stroke when they block an artery carrying blood to the brain. Now researchers are developing a new family of drugs called neuroprotectants designed to minimize the disabling damage to brain tissue that can occur downstream from the clot, caused by the loss of blood flow that characterizes these ischemic strokes.
A new three-minute screening test that detects one-sided motor paralysis allows paramedics and other first-responders to rapidly identify people experiencing a stroke, and may soon enable on-the-scene treatment with drugs that can limit the potentially extensive damage caused by these ìbrain attacks,î Los Angeles researchers reported here today at the American Heart AssociationÃs 22nd International Joint Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation.
A bit of alcohol can protect against stroke, but even a little cigarette smoke carries a hidden stroke risk, researchers reported here today at the American Heart AssociationÃs 22nd International Joint Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation. Light or occasional alcohol consumption lowered stroke risk by up to 62 percent compared to non-drinkers in a New York City study. But people who had at least five drinks daily tripled their stroke risk.
The ability to recognize symptoms and risk factors for stroke, the nationÃs third leading cause of death and leading cause of serious disability, appears to be woefully inadequate among the general public and people experiencing ìbrain attack,î Cincinnati researchers reported here today at the American Heart AssociationÃs 22nd International Joint Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation.
Clot-dissolver tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) can reduce the disability of people who survive an ischemic stroke, one caused by a clot that blocks an artery carrying blood to the brain. But given the drugÃs cost of over $2,000 a dose, are the benefits worth the money? Yes, according to a new study.
Preventive Nutrition: Pediatrics to Geriatrics will be the focus of an American Heart Association scientific conference, Feb. 24-26, at the Salt Lake Hilton in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The biggest winners in an investment market may be playing the game according to their own rules, rather the "rational" economic rules followed by most investors.
Fourteen of the most widely used global climate models, which are used by scientists to predict global climate change and by policy makers to formulate appropriate environmental policy, were less prescient than expected in a major test designed to determine their accuracy in predicting global warming or cooling.
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have shined a bold new light on the future treatment of childhood leukemia. Results of a study published in the Jan. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine not only refute a 30-year-old dogma universally held by the medical community, but also open new doors to a better understanding of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer. Using two sensitive assays, M. D. Anderson researchers found that up to thousands of leukemia cells may remain in a patient long after successful treatment.
1) Kindergarten Behavior Can Predict Illegal Substance Abuse; 2) Anxiety and Depression May Signal Future High Blood Pressure; 3) Nonprescription Eyedrops Can Cause Conjunctivitis; 4) Freezing Technique May Change Early Breast Cancer Treatment; 5) Pertussis Costly, Preventable Disease