Released: 2-Jun-2008 4:10 PM EDT
Toad Research Could Leapfrog to New Muscle Model
Northern Arizona University

The deceptively simple, remarkably fast feeding action of toads offers a new look at how muscles work. This fresh perspective could lead to designing more efficient electric motors, better prostheses and new medical treatments for neuromuscular diseases like Parkinson's. Science has long held that muscles behave largely like motors. Northern Arizona University researcher Kiisa Nishikawa suggests that muscle acts more like a spring.

Released: 30-Jul-2008 8:00 AM EDT
Geophysics and Earthquakes Expert Available for Comment
Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University's Dr. David S. Brumbaugh, Director of the Arizona Earthquake Information Center, is available for comment about the earthquake in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 29, 2008.

Released: 27-Feb-2009 1:00 PM EST
Forestry Expert: Western U.S. Faces Similar Threat as Deadly Australian Wildfires
Northern Arizona University

The raging Australian wildfires that have killed more than 200 people and destroyed some 1,800 homes over the last few weeks can "absolutely happen in the western United States at any time this year," says forest ecosystem expert Wallace Covington.

Released: 27-May-2009 2:35 PM EDT
Discovery Could Help Feed Millions
Northern Arizona University

When scientist Loretta Mayer set out to alleviate diseases associated with menopause, she didn't realize her work could lead to addressing world hunger and feeding hundreds of millions of people.

Released: 22-Jun-2009 2:40 PM EDT
Northern Arizona University Building Among 'World's Best'
Northern Arizona University

1) Research facility is the only building in the United States to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects' 2009 International Award; 2) Award spokesperson says the building "might be claimed as perhaps the most environmentally efficient building to-date" in the U.S.

Released: 22-Jun-2009 2:45 PM EDT
Ethics Training Is Key to Fighting Teachers' Sexual Misconduct, Professor Says
Northern Arizona University

An NAU professor is one of only a handful of researchers in the United States who have examined the unseemly topic of teacher sexual misconduct with students.

Released: 4-Sep-2009 2:00 PM EDT
Arctic Lakes Help Scientists Understand Climate Change
Northern Arizona University

Professor's research bolsters evidence that humans influence climate change.

Released: 14-Dec-2009 11:45 AM EST
Biologist Explores Bizarre Give-and-Take Between Species
Northern Arizona University

Marty Crump’s new book, 'Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers,' takes readers on a voyage of discovery into the world of extraordinary interactions involving animals, plants, fungi and bacteria.

Released: 3-Feb-2010 4:50 PM EST
Beat the Beetles: Researchers Crank Up the Volume to Fight Tree-Killing Pests
Northern Arizona University

A phenomenon dubbed “Beetle Mania” is playing out in northern Arizona. As can be expected, it involves rock music, but instead of screaming fans there are cheering scientists who have found a way to drive bark beetles crazy with sound.

Released: 12-Feb-2010 4:20 PM EST
Obesity and Diabetes Study Weighs Influence of Genetics, Lifestyle
Northern Arizona University

A team of Northern Arizona University-led researchers is using nearly $1.3 million in new funding from the National Institutes of Health to continue with the world’s longest-running study on obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Released: 2-Mar-2010 10:00 AM EST
Research Team Breaks the Ice with New Estimate of Glacier Melt
Northern Arizona University

The melting of glaciers is well documented, but when looking at the rate at which they have been retreating, a team of international researchers steps back and says not so fast.

Released: 14-Jul-2010 8:00 AM EDT
Professor Weighs Dual Use of Scientific Research
Northern Arizona University

Recently named interim chair for the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, NAU pathogen biology expert Paul Keim finds himself the national spokesperson when significant scientific findings are released.

Released: 25-Aug-2010 1:20 PM EDT
Potential Medical Treatment Surfaces in Squid Research
Northern Arizona University

The complex circulatory system of cephalopods teaches researchers how accessory hearts can remedy peripheral arterial disease in humans.

Released: 25-Aug-2010 2:15 PM EDT
Scientists Bring New Species of Turtle Out of Its Shell
Northern Arizona University

Discovery of a new species of turtle in the southeastern United States brings the number of the country's endemic species to 57, with approximately 320 species of turtle documented worldwide.

Released: 3-Sep-2010 8:00 AM EDT
Spitzer Telescope Spots Colorful Mix of Asteroids, May Aid Future Space Travel
Northern Arizona University

New research from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is providing close-up views of near-Earth objects and aiding astronomers in determining the size, composition and origin of more than 100 known near-Earth asteroids so far. Observation of 600 additional near-Earth objects is planned over the next year.

Released: 30-Sep-2010 8:00 AM EDT
Nitrogen, Methane Dominate Icy Surface of Eris
Northern Arizona University

The new ice lab at Northern Arizona University lends greater understanding of the frozen surfaces of dwarf planets Eris and Pluto.

Released: 1-Nov-2010 2:00 PM EDT
DNA Fingerprinting Traces Global Path of Plague
Northern Arizona University

An international team of scientists have traced the plague back to its roots in China and paved the way for future bacteria research.

Released: 10-Mar-2011 2:45 PM EST
Southwestern US Headed for 'Extended Megadrought'
Northern Arizona University

Historical record in sediment deposits indicates the Southwest region should brace for an extended "megadrought" that may last hundreds to thousands of years.

Released: 24-May-2011 9:00 AM EDT
In Living Collar: Elk Don Neckwear to Steer Clear of Danger
Northern Arizona University

Researchers are using high tech collars to collect information about how elk move across the land, ultimately helping to keep them from stepping into danger.

Released: 8-Jun-2011 5:00 PM EDT
‘Overgrown’ Forests Fueling Catastrophic Wallow Fire, NAU Expert Says
Northern Arizona University

Forest experts have warned for years that millions of small-diameter trees are a threat to the nation’s forests, and the massive Wallow Fire in eastern Arizona is further evidence.

Released: 23-Jun-2011 2:10 PM EDT
Massive Fires Remain Destructive After the Burn Has Gone
Northern Arizona University

This season’s massive Arizona fires making headlines around the globe have destroyed dozens of structures and burned nearly three-quarters of a million acres. They also are contributing to global warming, scientists say, by upsetting the carbon balance while they are burning and for years to come.

Released: 28-Jul-2011 10:50 AM EDT
Researcher’s Voice Being Heard in National Education Reform Debates
Northern Arizona University

Barbara Veltri talks about education reform in America with unvarnished urgency. The focus of her research and criticism is an organization known as Teach for America. But the assistant professor insists she is not on a mission to disband Teach for America. Instead, she is on a mission to change it.

23-Aug-2011 12:05 AM EDT
Genomics Used to Find Source of Haitian Cholera Outbreak
Northern Arizona University

Employing technology that reads the entire DNA code, researchers led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the Technical University of Denmark have pinpointed the source of a cholera outbreak in Haiti that killed more than 6,000 people and sickened 300,000.

Released: 9-Sep-2011 8:30 AM EDT
Researcher Sees Spring-Like Protein as Key to Muscle Behavior
Northern Arizona University

An idea with its origins in ballistic prey catching—the way toads and chameleons snatch food with their tongues—may change fundamental views of muscle movement while powering a new approach to prosthetics. After a decade of work, lead author Kiisa Nishikawa, Regents’ professor of biology at Northern Arizona University, and an international team of collaborators have published their hypothesis about spring-loaded muscles.

Released: 9-Sep-2011 8:30 AM EDT
Arizona Backs Groundbreaking Approach to Domestic Violence Intervention
Northern Arizona University

A state-funded project coordinated out of Northern Arizona University will for the first time combine two powerful interventions to prevent domestic violence. The Fatality Reviews and Safety Audits project, headed by Professor Neil Websdale, was recently awarded a $783,090 grant by the Arizona Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families.

Released: 5-Oct-2011 2:05 PM EDT
Aquatic Fish Jump Into Picture of Evolutionary Land Invasion
Northern Arizona University

Researcher Alice Gibb of Northern Arizona University and her team have found that some fully aquatic fishes can jump effectively on land, which has significant implications for evolutional biology.

13-Feb-2012 1:00 PM EST
Evolution of Staph ‘Superbug’ Traced Between Humans and Livestock
Northern Arizona University

A strain of the potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium known as MRSA has jumped from livestock to humans, according to a new study involving two Northern Arizona University researchers and scientists from around the world.

Released: 27-Feb-2012 8:00 AM EST
A Look Back Suggests More Catastrophic Fires Ahead for Western U.S.
Northern Arizona University

Catastrophic wildfires are on the rise in the western United States and a set of conditions may be contributing to a perfect storm for more fires, according to NAU’s Scott Anderson, professor in the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability.

Released: 9-Apr-2012 8:00 AM EDT
Climate Change Helps, Then Quickly Stunts Plant Growth, Decade-Long Study Shows
Northern Arizona University

Global warming may initially make the grass greener, but not for long, according to new research conducted at Northern Arizona University. The study, published this week in Nature Climate Change, shows that plants may thrive in the early stages of a warming environment but begin to deteriorate quickly

Released: 24-Oct-2012 2:50 PM EDT
NAU, TGen Awarded $2 Million to Study Biodiversity Link to Carbon Cycle
Northern Arizona University

Potential connections between the biodiversity of soil microorganisms and the carbon cycle will be studied by Northern Arizona University and the Translational Genomics Research Institute under a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Released: 2-Apr-2013 1:30 PM EDT
Near-Earth Objects and Recent Asteroid Events Top the Agenda for Planetary Defense Conference
Northern Arizona University

“Gathering for Impact!”, the 2013 International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Planetary Defense Conference, will be held in Flagstaff, Ariz., on April 15-19. The conference brings together world experts on subjects related to planetary defense, including what we currently know about potentially threatening asteroids and comets, techniques that might be used to deflect a threatening object, and political and policy issues that might affect a decision to take action. The conference will include an exercise where participants develop civil protection and threat mitigation responses to a hypothetical threat.

Released: 15-Apr-2013 4:00 PM EDT
Of Vectors and Spectrums: Documentary Touches Humanity of Autism
Northern Arizona University

Vectors of Autism presents a frank, artistic portrait of Laura Nagle, who says she is “not good at life.” But at 59, she strives to get better at it. The film, produced by Northern Arizona University professor Susan Marks to tell Nagle’s story as a window into autism, has already earned two awards.

Released: 22-Apr-2013 1:00 PM EDT
Regional Insights Set Latest Study of Climate History Apart
Northern Arizona University

Researchers found pronounced regional differences in past temperature changes while assembling the most comprehensive study to date of temperature change of Earth's continents over the past 1,000 to 2,000 years.

Released: 17-May-2013 12:00 PM EDT
Modern Lab Reaches Across the Ages to Resolve Plague DNA Debate
Northern Arizona University

A plague from 1,500 years ago—a reputed ancestor to the Black Death—found its way back to relevance via labs in Germany and at Northern Arizona University, which collaborated to resolve a debate: The Justinianic Plague that started in A.D. 541 can indeed be placed on the family tree of the disease.

Released: 28-May-2013 11:00 AM EDT
NAU Launches Innovative Competency-Based Online Degree Program
Northern Arizona University

Ushering in a new chapter in 21st century higher education, Northern Arizona University has announced the launch of its Personalized Learning program, offering accredited, competency-based online bachelor’s degrees for just $5,000 a year.

Released: 28-Jun-2013 5:00 PM EDT
Cropland Map of the World to Be Most Detailed Ever
Northern Arizona University

A project funded by NASA will make use of existing satellite imagery to produce the first-ever global survey of croplands.

Released: 6-Aug-2013 5:40 PM EDT
Study Questions Nature's Ability to 'Self-Correct' Climate Change
Northern Arizona University

Forests have a limited capacity to soak up atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a new study from Northern Arizona University.

Released: 10-Sep-2013 5:00 PM EDT
NAU-Led Team Discovers Comet Hiding in Plain Sight
Northern Arizona University

For 30 years, a large near-Earth asteroid wandered its lone, intrepid path, passing before the scrutinizing eyes of scientists while keeping something to itself: (3552) Don Quixote, whose journey stretches to the orbit of Jupiter, now appears to be a comet.

Released: 8-Oct-2013 4:00 PM EDT
Researcher’s Closer Look at Mars Reveals New Type of Impact Crater
Northern Arizona University

Lessons from underground nuclear tests and explosive volcanoes may hold the answer to how a category of unusual impact craters formed on Mars.

Released: 31-Oct-2013 2:00 PM EDT
Plant Production Could Decline as Climate Change Affects Soil Nutrients
Northern Arizona University

As drylands of the world become even drier, water will not be the only resource in short supply. Levels of nutrients in the soil will likely be affected, and their imbalance could affect the lives of one-fifth of the world’s population.

Released: 29-Jan-2014 6:00 PM EST
Analysis of Salamander Jump Reveals an Unexpected Twist
Northern Arizona University

A small, secretive creature with unlikely qualifications for defying gravity may hold the answer to an entirely new way of getting off the ground. Analysis of high-speed film reveals how salamanders—or at least several species of the Plethodontidae family—achieve vertical lift.

Released: 27-Jan-2014 6:00 PM EST
Research Uncovers Historical Rise, Fall and Re-Emergence of Plague Strains
Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University joined an international team of scientists in discovering that two of the world’s most devastating pandemics—the plague of Justinian and the Black Death—were caused by distinct strains of the same pathogen.

Released: 30-Jan-2014 3:00 PM EST
Forests in Central America Paying the Price of Drug Trafficking Shift
Northern Arizona University

A group of researchers focused on sustainable practices, geography and earth sciences found something unexpected during their work in Central America: the effects of drug trafficking are leaving deep scars on a sensitive landscape.

Released: 13-Feb-2014 12:00 PM EST
Energy Harvesting Takes Wing in Merger of Engineering and Biology
Northern Arizona University

A bird flapping its wings or a fish’s deep dive may be pictures of nature in action, but in their elegant simplicity Michael Shafer sees the complex challenges of merging technology with a biological system.

Released: 21-Feb-2014 3:00 PM EST
Easter Island Experience Turns Researcher Toward Education—and Hope
Northern Arizona University

A casual look at Easter Island yields familiar and enduring images of stone statues scattered on a barren, wind-swept landscape—a popularized symbol of catastrophic environmental collapse. But what Britton Shepardson sees with archaeologist eyes is not a sterile monument to human futility.

Released: 14-Apr-2014 5:00 PM EDT
Keim Lab Pathogen Research May Open Pathways to Precision Medicine
Northern Arizona University

Blunting the sinister potential of melioidosis may hold the promise of life-saving precision medicine. With $7 million in Pentagon funding, a research team at Northern Arizona University will use genetic sequencing and high-performance computing in the quest to treat or even prevent the disease.

24-Apr-2014 1:00 PM EDT
Study Finds Accelerated Soil Carbon Loss, Increasing the Rate of Climate Change
Northern Arizona University

Research published in Science found that increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere cause soil microbes to produce more carbon dioxide, accelerating climate change.Two Northern Arizona University researchers led the study, which challenges previous understanding about how carbon accumulates in soil.

Released: 19-Jun-2014 2:00 PM EDT
NASA and NAU Researchers Welcome Unexpected Asteroid Findings
Northern Arizona University

What seemed to be rock-solid assumptions about the nature of small asteroids may end in rubble or even a cloud of dust. Northern Arizona University researchers David Trilling and Michael Mommert presented their findings about asteroid 2011 MD during a NASA event on the Asteroid Redirect Mission.

Released: 16-Jul-2014 11:00 AM EDT
W. M. Keck Foundation Awards NAU $1 Million for Transformative Muscle Research
Northern Arizona University

With a $1 million award from the W. M. Keck Foundation, a transdisciplinary research team at Northern Arizona University aims to transform current understanding about muscle contraction by devising a way to make a direct observation of the protein titin.

Released: 22-Jul-2014 1:45 PM EDT
NAU Researchers Help Save Narrow-Headed Gartersnakes From After-Effects of Slide Fire
Northern Arizona University

Team of researchers from Northern Arizona University organized survey and rescue mission for threatened gartersnake species in Oak Creek Canyon.


close
1.04431