Tags : education | research | science

EurekAlert! - Education
Sun Apr 24 04:23:14 EDT 2011
Home: http://www.eurekalert.org
Feed: http://www.eurekalert.org/rss/education.xml

Renowned glaucoma researcher receives University of Houston’s highest honor - (University of Houston) One of the world's foremost glaucoma researchers, Ronald S. Harwerth, is the recipient of the 2011 Esther Farfel Award, the highest distinction bestowed upon faculty by the University of Houston. In addition to his bevy of international glaucoma research awards and close to 130 articles published in peer-reviewed journals cited by thousands, the common thread among all his nomination letters describes Harwerth as a humble, respectful and friendly gentleman.

Over range of ADHD behavior, genes major force on reading achievement, environment on math - (Case Western Reserve University) Researchers found that genes and environment both play a role in ADHD behavior and troubles with reading and math. But genes more so with reading, and the environment more so with math.

17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference - (The Earth Institute at Columbia University) “Moving Toward a Sustainable Future: Opportunities and Challenges” is the theme of this three-day annual gathering of the International Sustainable Development Research Society, bringing together experts in agriculture, urban development, climate, business, education, architecture, public health and other fields. The fundamental question: how can global society’s aspiration for continued economic growth be harmonized with the limits imposed by earth’s resources? Speakers include Nina Federoff, Lester Brown, Sanjeev Chadha, Christiana Figueres, Achim Steiner and Jeffrey D. Sachs.

Carnegie Mellon researchers build time machine to visually explore space and time - (Carnegie Mellon University) Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have leveraged the latest browser technology to create GigaPan Time Machine, a system that enables viewers to explore gigapixel-scale, high-resolution videos and image sequences by panning or zooming in and out of the images while simultaneously moving back and forth through time.

Students tackle deforestation, win first prize with video game design - (University of Houston) Tackling deforestation, water pollution and poverty earned University of Houston students top honors in computer game designing at the US finals of the 2011 Microsoft Imagine Cup competition. With the annual contest drawing more than 74,000 of the nation's brightest technology students to Microsoft's headquarters, UH made quite an impact with three of its four finalists winning in game design.

Lecture at UC Riverside explores how unnatural disasters can be prevented cost-effectively - (University of California - Riverside) While earthquakes, droughts, floods, and storms are natural hazards, "unnatural disasters" are the deaths and damages that result from human acts of omission or commission. But can unnatural disaster be prevented, and, if yes, how could such prevention be achieved cost-effectively? Apurva Sanghi, senior economist at the World Bank, will explore these issues in a free, public lecture, titled "Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters: The Economics of Effective Prevention," at noon, April 22, at UC Riverside.

Wayne State University chosen as Michigan's sole participant in EcoCAR 2 - (Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research) A team of Wayne State University students from the College of Engineering have been chosen to participate in EcoCAR 2: Plugging in to the Future, a one-of-a-kind program established by the US Department of Energy and General Motors. This three-year collegiate engineering program will educate the next generation of automotive engineers, giving them the knowledge and skills needed to continue the evolution of automotive propulsion technology and energy efficiency.

Prenatal exposure to common insecticide linked to decreases in cognitive functioning at age 7 - (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) Researchers from the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health report evidence of a link between prenatal exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos and deficits in IQ and working memory at age seven. This is the first study to evaluate the neurotoxicity of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure on cognitive development at the time of school entry.

Prenatal exposure to certain pesticides may negatively impact cognitive development in children - (The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine) Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that exposure during pregnancy to a family of pesticides called organophosphates may impair child cognitive development. The findings are published online in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Discovery identifies elaborate G-protein network in plants - (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center) "The next step will be to try and engineer plants to express altered amounts of these G-proteins to see how they affect their overall growth and can enable them to better respond to stresses that may be involved in limiting crop yield," Pandey said.

Presenting cancer treatment options in small doses yields smarter choices - (University of Michigan) Women who choose among different breast cancer treatment options make smarter choices when getting the information and making decisions in small doses rather than all at once, as is customary, a University of Michigan study found.

Press registration now open for Transcatheter Valve Therapies - (Cardiovascular Research Foundation) Transcatheter Valve Therapies: An Advanced Scientific and Clinical Workshop (TVT) is a unique educational event, offering an in-depth review of the diagnostic and therapeutic options for the treatment of valvular heart disease.

New data shows half of all children with autism wander and bolt from safe places - (Kennedy Krieger Institute) The Interactive Autism Network, the nation's largest online autism research project, reveals the preliminary results of the first major survey on wandering and elopement among individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and announces the launch of a new research survey on the association between pregnancy factors and autism. The wandering and elopement survey found that approximately half of parents of children with autism report that their child elopes, with the behavior peaking at age four.

30th annual survey shows Houstonians upbeat about city's future - (Rice University) Klineberg said that as a city at the forefront of the country's demographic revolution, Houston offers a glimpse into America's future, and the survey's assessment of the city may offer important lessons for strengthening the rest of the country

Rice wins $1.2 million for heart-valve tissue research - (Rice University) A team of bioengineers from Rice University is bringing a promising new strategy for growing replacement heart valves closer to reality, thanks to a four-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The team hopes to develop gel-like materials that can simultaneously mimic the complex structural and physical properties of heart-valve tissues and act as three-dimensional patterns for tissue-forming stem cells.

Researchers combine active proteins with material derived from fruit fly - (Rice University) The new work from the Rice lab of biochemist Kathleen Matthews, in collaboration with former Rice faculty fellow and current Texas A&M assistant professor Sarah Bondos, simplifies the process of making materials with fully functional proteins.

Outstanding quality of science at 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) underlines conference goal of translating HIV research into practice - (International AIDS Society) The 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention will examine basic, clinical and prevention sciences as well as operations and implementation research. IAS 2011, will be held in Rome, Italy, from July 17-20, and will offer up a strong roster of plenary speakers and a high-quality scientific program in a robust range of topics.

Singapore's first locally made satellite launched into space - (Nanyang Technological University) Singapore's first indigenous micro-satellite, X-SAT, lifted off on board India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C16 at 10.12am Indian Standard Time (12.42pm, Singapore time) on April 20, 2011. The X-SAT, developed and built by Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU), in collaboration with DSO National Laboratories, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Back to the future: EPA's top scientist and Ben Franklin to talk on science and innovation - (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Come join in a lively discussion between EPA's Science Advisor and "Father of Green Chemistry" Dr. Paul Anastas and Benjamin Franklin (played by Ralph Archbold) as they discuss the importance of innovation and invention, creating a better world through curiosity and scientific investigation, and how the current generation can make significant contributions to science and engineering.

Limitations of question about race can create inaccurate picture of health-care disparities - (Rice University) What race best describes your background? That one question, which appears on most paperwork for health care, could leave entire groups of people underserved and contribute to racial health disparities, according to new research from Rice University published in the current issue of the journal Demography.

How American consumers view debt: a case study - (Oregon State University) A new study published this month suggests that while younger Americans are more smitten with credit cards and debt than older Americans, the older generation helps enable their children by encouraging use of credit as a "safety mechanism."

NJIT professor develops a biologically inspired catalyst, an active yet inert material - (New Jersey Institute of Technology) NJIT Associate Professor Sergiu M. Gorun is leading a research team to develop biologically-inspired catalysis active, yet inert, materials. The work is based on organic catalytic framework made sturdy by the replacement of carbon-hydrogen bonds with a combination of aromatic and aliphatic carbon-fluorine bonds. Graduate students involved with this research recently received first place recognition at the annual NJIT Dana Knox student research showcase.

Houston grandmother is nation's first 'Super Wi-Fi' user - (Rice University) Thanks to a partnership between Rice University researchers and Houston nonprofit Technology For All, Houston grandmother Leticia Aguirre began hosting what's believed to be the nation's first residential "Super Wi-Fi" hot spot this month. Super Wi-Fi, a long-range, wall-piercing version of Wi-Fi that is broadcast on unused TV channels, could be a boon for both rural and urban residents who lack broadband access.

How children learn to say 'no' - (Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena) Their numbers are rising, but their age is dropping: children and young adults who drink so much that they have to go to the hospital. Binge-drinking is sadly fashionable amongst the under 20-year-olds. But how can adolescents be effectively protected from alcohol and substance abuse?

Research on adolescents' television diet - (Elhuyar Fundazioa) It is not that adolescent students should stop using the television or Internet, but that they should learn how to use them. This is one of the premises of the UNESCO Cathedra in Communication and Educational Values, based at the Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences of the University of the Basque Country. A premise that responds to the results arising from the research since the Cathedra began in December 2009.