EurekAlert! - Policy and Ethics
Sun Apr 24 04:23:17 EDT 2011
Home: http://www.eurekalert.org
Feed: http://www.eurekalert.org/rss/policy_ethics.xml

SDSC to venture capitalists: Data-intensive supercomputing is here - (University of California - San Diego) The exponentially increasing amount of digital information, along with new challenges in storing valuable data and massive datasets, are changing the architecture of today's newest supercomputers as well as how researchers will use them to accelerate scientific discovery, said Michael Norman, director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego.

What motivates environmental activists, policymakers? asks new research center - (University of Maryland) A new University of Maryland research center will focus on the human side of environmental policymaking and activism -- one of the first of its kind in the field."Environmental legislation and community activism doesn't just spring up in a vacuum," said Dana R. Fisher, a University of Maryland sociology professor who directs the new Center for Society and the Environment.

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.

Does video game violence harm teens? New study weighs the evidence - (Ohio State University) How much scientific evidence is there for and against the assertion that exposure to video game violence can harm teens? Three researchers have developed a novel method to consider that question: they analyzed the research output of experts who filed a brief in a US Supreme Court case involving violent video games and teens.

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

Functional MRI shows how mindfulness meditation changes decision-making process - (Virginia Tech) Neuroimaging research shows that Buddhist meditators use different areas of the brain than other people when confronted with unfair choices, enabling them to make decisions rationally rather than emotionally.

Rice to update influential 'Texas Challenge' study for policymakers - (Rice University) Two influential demography books that have impacted public policy in Texas and other states for years will be updated with 2010 census data and converted for online access, courtesy of a generous grant from the Meadows Foundation to Rice University's Hobby Center for the Study of Texas. "The Texas Challenge" and "An America Challenged" each examine how past and future population change will impact state and federal economies, service structures and governmental revenues and expenditures.

Life in extreme environments paves the way for international collaboration - (European Science Foundation) Life thriving in deserts, the polar regions and the deep sea is the focus of a report released today by the CAREX project, involving over 200 international scientists. The CAREX (Coordination Action for Research Activities on life in Extreme Environments) roadmap outlines priorities for future research into life in extreme environments, giving the basis for international collaboration.

Smart Systems Week in Helsinki June 14-17, 2011 - (EUREKA) EURIPIDES -- in close cooperation with VTT and TEKES -- is proud to announce its 5th Annual Forum at the Scandic Marina Congress in Helsinki from June 14-17, 2011.

Shades of gray: LSU researcher studies South Louisiana's historical ties to the oil industry - (Louisiana State University) In response to the probing questions being asked of science and society, LSU researchers are taking a better look at how oil has influenced Louisiana -- and how Louisiana influences the industry.

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.

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting, July 3-6, 2011, Stockholm - (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) ESHRE's Annual Meeting is the forum where more than 9,000 of the world's leading experts in reproductive medicine gather to give the first public presentation of their latest research findings. Issues that present policymakers and ethicists with some of the most challenging problems and difficult decisions currently facing society will be discussed.

ESHRE sets standards for cross-border reproductive care - (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology is setting the first ever standards in cross-border reproductive care. The safety of patients, gamete donors, surrogates and future children take center stage in ESHRE's Good Practice Guide for Cross Border Reproductive Care, published today.

Immigrant screening misses majority of imported latent TB, finds study - (Imperial College London) Current UK procedures to screen new immigrants for tuberculosis fail to detect more than 70 percent of cases of latent infection, according to a new study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Green environments essential for human health - (University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Research shows that a walk in the park is more than just a nice way to spend an afternoon. It's an essential component for good health, according to University of Illinois environment and behavior researcher Frances "Ming" Kuo.

Gulf oil spill similar to Exxon Valdez in initial social and mental impacts, study finds - (University of Colorado at Boulder) The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused social disruption and psychological stress among Gulf residents that is similar to the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill and the impacts are likely to persist for years, a new study finds.

Political wins celebrated with porn, says Rutgers-Camden Researcher - (Rutgers University) Some celebrate a political candidate's victory with a party. Others, according to a Rutgers-Camden psychology researcher, choose porn.

CD image import reduces unnecessary imaging exams in emergency rooms - (Radiological Society of North America) Each year, more than two million critically ill patients are transferred from one hospital emergency department to another for appropriate care. With the ability to successfully import data from a CD-ROM containing the patient's diagnostic medical images, hospitals may be able to significantly reduce unnecessary medical imaging tests, some of which expose patients to radiation. These findings are reported in a new study.

Putting a price on sea fish - (University of Gothenburg) Håkan Eggert's studies from Iceland and the Gullmar fjord on the Swedish west coast reveal that when commercial fishermen are given fishing rights they voluntarily choose more sustainable fishing methods and earn far more. His research at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, demonstrates that over-capacity in the fishing fleet can be reduced.

For testing skin cream, synthetic skin may be as good as the real thing - (Ohio State University) New research suggests that currently available types of synthetic skin may now be good enough to imitate animal skin in laboratory tests, and may be on their way to truly simulating human skin in the future. Researchers compared the response of synthetic skins to rat skin when they were both exposed to a generic skin cream treatment, and the results indicated they both reacted similarly.

Green transportation experts to speak about future of New York City system at NYAS - (New York Academy of Sciences) Tuesday, April 26, the New York Academy of Sciences presents "Fare and Toll Payment Technologies' Potential Benefits for Sustainability and Society," a panel discussion on the latest trends in green transportation. Learn what may replace your Metrocard and E-ZPass in the next generation of public transportation payment systems and how these will help New York City achieve its sustainability goals in the future.

How do you manage US oceans? Look at local successes - (Brown University) A team of experts led by Brown University has a plan to advance President Obama's directive to manage the nation's waters better. In a paper in Conservation Letters, the natural and social scientists offer several recommendations based on a two-year investigation of marine management efforts by more than two-dozen local and regional groups from California to Maine. The recommendations could be integrated into the National Ocean Policy.

A screening test for cognitive therapy? - (Elsevier) The most effective treatments for depression, including cognitive therapy, are successful for only about half the patients to whom they are given. The ability to predict those individuals who would be most likely to benefit from such treatment would reduce individuals' recovery times, eliminate the delivery of ineffective treatments, and reduce the high costs of care.

'I'm a Mac' -- so what? Study finds way to measure brand personality appeal - (North Carolina State University) Companies spend millions to develop their brand's personality, in hopes that it can help sell products. But they've had no way of measuring whether that personality actually appeals to consumers. Now, research from North Carolina State University lays out a system for measuring the appeal of a brand's personality.