Science News: 12-ene-2007

Brookhaven lab scientists stabilize platinum electrocatalysts for use in fuel cells

Brookhaven lab scientists stabilize platinum electrocatalysts for use in fuel cells
Platinum is the most efficient electrocatalyst for accelerating chemical reactions in fuel cells for electric vehicles. In reactions during the stop-and-go driving of an electric car, however, the platinum dissolves, which reduces its efficiency as a catalyst. This is a major impediment for vehicle-application of fuel cells.Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have overcome this problem.

ONR sponsors award-winning nanotechnology researchers

ONR sponsors award-winning nanotechnology researchers
Two nanotechnology researchers whose work is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) are among Scientific American's SA-50, a list of 50 American technology and policy leaders for 2006. A third ONR-funded nanotechnology investigator has earned a 2006 TR35 Young Innovator award from MIT's Technology Review. Each year, this publication's editors honor 35 researchers under the age of 35 whose work they deem "most exciting."

Japan issues tsunami warning after 8.3 quake (AFP)

Japan issues tsunami warning after 8.3 quake (AFP)
AFP - Japan issued a tsunami warning and urged coastal residents to head to higher ground after a massive 8.3-magnitude quake in the Pacific Ocean Saturday, the meteorological agency said.

Japanese residents told to flee tsunami (AP)

Japanese residents told to flee tsunami (AP)
AP - Japan's Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings Saturday following a powerful 8.3 magnitude earthquake in the Pacific Ocean and officials ordered coastal residents to flee to higher ground.

Prenatal cocaine's lasting cellular effects

Prenatal cocaine's lasting cellular effects
A recent study by investigators at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development may help explain the long-term behavioral and neurological problems associated with prenatal exposure to cocaine.

Donald H. Sebastian receives award from SMART

Donald H. Sebastian receives award from SMART
Donald H. Sebastian, Sr. PhD, senior vice president for research and development at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) received the "Academia Award" from Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow.

Japan detects deadly frog fungus (AP)

Japan detects deadly frog fungus (AP)
AP - At least five frogs have died in Japan's first confirmed cases of a fungal infection linked to sharp reductions in amphibians in other parts of the world, an expert said Friday.

1 dead, 8 missing in stormy Britain seas (AP)

AP - Severe gales and heavy rains powered by an Atlantic storm have left at least one person dead and eight missing, sunk two fishing trawlers and disrupted travel across Britain and Ireland, meteorological officials said Friday.

Sri Lanka floods displace 60,000 (Reuters)

Sri Lanka floods displace 60,000 (Reuters)
Reuters - Around 60,000 people have been displaced in Sri Lanka by flooding caused by torrential monsoon rains, the government said on Saturday, while the death toll from landslides a day earlier rose to 13.

FDA investigates Texas embryo business (AP)

AP - Federal officials are investigating a business that produces batches of ready-made embryos and lets prospective parents select one based on the donors' looks, ethnicity, education and other factors.

US 'celebrity' whale shark dies

US 'celebrity' whale shark dies
A star attraction at Georgia Aquarium in the US - Ralph the whale shark - dies.

US 'celebrity' whale shark dies

US 'celebrity' whale shark dies
A star attraction at Georgia Aquarium in the US - Ralph the whale shark - dies.

EU plans attack on car emissions

EU plans attack on car emissions
The cost of gas-guzzling cars may soar under plans from the European Commission to cut the amount of CO2 emissions.

First stars in telescope's sights

First stars in telescope's sights
Hubble's successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, will shed light on the beginnings of the Universe.

Stone tools may be oldest on continent (AP)

Stone tools may be oldest on continent (AP)
AP - Archaeologists have discovered stone tools atop a hill in this northern Minnesota town that may be 13,000 to 14,000 years old, according to a published report.

Italian scientists give Dante a makeover (AP)

AP - Dante Alighieri, traditionally portrayed as a stern figure with a large hooked nose, is now showing a softer side, thanks to a reconstruction of his face by Italian scientists.

Black Hole Grabs Planet-Sized Snack (SPACE.com)

Black Hole Grabs Planet-Sized Snack (SPACE.com)
SPACE.com - SEATTLE--An ancient X-ray outburst from the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy caused surrounding gas clouds to glow brightly in a cosmic light show that is only now being detected.

In Calif., environmental efforts at odds (AP)

In Calif., environmental efforts at odds (AP)
AP - Alameda County supervisors approved a deal with environmental groups and energy companies to reduce bird deaths in the Altamont Pass, home of California's oldest wind farm.

Leading physicists convene in Tucson for January 22-24 conference on gravity

Leading physicists convene in Tucson for January 22-24 conference on gravity
More than three dozen leading researchers will convene in Tucson for the conference, "Rethinking Gravity -- From the Planck scale to the size of the Universe," January 22-24, 2007. They share a common goal -- to probe and test gravity at all scales, from the subatomic level to the entire universe. It's believed to be the first meeting on the topic to draw scientists from so many diverse research fields.

FDA probing embryo-production service (AP)

FDA probing embryo-production service (AP)
AP - Federal officials are investigating a San Antonio embryo broker, which bills itself as the first company to produce ready-made embryos for prospective parents and allow them to choose the egg and sperm donors' characteristics before buying.

Baby panda makes media debut (AP)

AP - The giant panda cub Mei Lan made her media debut Friday, romping about a Zoo Atlanta exhibit area for a crowd of reporters and cameras while her mother chomped bamboo.

Necropsy performed on dead whale shark (AP)

AP - The first necropsy on a whale shark in the United States was performed Friday at the Georgia Aquarium following the animal's sudden death Thursday night. The 22-foot whale shark, Ralph, was one of the first two whale sharks to be held in captivity in North America.

Japan finds first frog fungal infections (AP)

Japan finds first frog fungal infections (AP)
AP - At least five frogs have died in Japan's first confirmed cases of a fungal infection linked to sharp reductions in amphibian numbers in other parts of the world, an expert said Friday. The discovery prompted animal and research groups in Japan to jointly declare "a state of emergency," urging frog owners to contact veterinarians immediately for any abnormalities.

<a href="http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Main_Page" Scholarpedia : peer reviewed online neuroscience and computational intelligence encyclopedia

Scholarpedia : peer reviewed online neuroscience and computational intelligence encyclopedia
...And now there's Scholarpedia , which combines Wikipedia's open-source principles with a healthy dash of peer review. Scholarpedia looks almost exactly like the pioneering site that inspired it, but it has a much more rigid hierarchy: All the articles on...

Bush signs fishing reform legislation (AP)

Bush signs fishing reform legislation (AP)
AP - President Bush on Friday signed into law a measure that overhauls management of marine fisheries and strengthens protections against further depletion of dwindling stocks.

Officials track E. coli strain to Calif. (AP)

AP - Contaminated California-grown lettuce was the possible source of the E. coli outbreak that sickened more than 80 people late last year at Taco John's restaurants in two states, health officials said Friday.

New method provides better earthquake warnings

New method provides better earthquake warnings
A new method of stress analysis in earthquake research has been developed by FOI, the Swedish Defense Research Agency.

Russia celebrates 100th birthday of space pioneer (AFP)

AFP - Russia has marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Soviet space programme founder Sergei Korolev, the man behind iconic breakthroughs in space exploration including the Sputnik satellite and the first man in orbit.

Universal knowledge

Universal knowledge
Fascinating developments in the understanding of our origins, of the early beginnings of the universe, of how planets are formed, and how stars live out their lives and die occur every month. Rarely is such information offered in one place -- until now. The new annual "State of the Universe 2007" fills the gap between research and everyday news.

BP says to build 5 wind projects in U.S. (Reuters)

BP says to build 5 wind projects in U.S. (Reuters)
Reuters - BP Plc said on Friday it expects to begin construction of five wind power generation projects in the United States in 2007.

UC San Diego environmental education initiative promotes engineering to girls

UC San Diego environmental education initiative promotes engineering to girls
University of California, San Diego engineering faculty and students are launching an environmental education initiative they hope will keep middle school girls excited about science, and eventually, careers in engineering. The UCSD team will help San Diego county students monitor the air quality, solar radiation, and other environmental factors surrounding their own schools and will use the environmental data to create a multiplayer online science challenge game designed specifically for 12-15 year-old girls.

Flash floods kill 14 in Sri Lanka (AFP)

AFP - At least 14 people were killed and another 61,000 made homeless in south and central Sri Lanka in flash floods caused by heavy monsoon rains.

Arctic cold and crippling ice (weather.com)

Arctic cold and crippling ice (weather.com)
weather.com -

US House backs stem cells

US House backs stem cells
The House of Representatives in the US backs embryonic stem cell research, in a major challenge to President Bush.

Scientists decode sex bug genes

Scientists decode sex bug genes
Scientists crack the genetic code of an organism that causes millions of sexually transmitted infections a year.

US House backs stem cell research

US House backs stem cell research
The House of Representatives in the US backs embryonic stem cell research, in a major challenge to President Bush.

NASA's Pluto Probe Prepares for Jupiter Flyby (SPACE.com)

NASA's Pluto Probe Prepares for Jupiter Flyby (SPACE.com)
SPACE.com - NASA's New Horizons probe bound for Pluto is headed for a Jupiter flyby, its camera eyes wide open, in preparation for its swing out towards the fringe of the solar system.

Avian deaths in Australia not bird flu (AP)

Avian deaths in Australia not bird flu (AP)
AP - Wildlife authorities investigating why thousands of birds fell from the sky over a town in remote southwestern Australia have ruled out infectious diseases but are no closer to figuring out what killed them, a state official said Friday.

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine from SAGE explores how lifestyle affects heart disease

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine from SAGE explores how lifestyle affects heart disease
Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Although some risk factors, such as age and heredity, cannot be controlled, many factors, including smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity and inactivity can be modified, thus, lowering the risk. This lifestyle concern is thoroughly explored in the headline article of the debut issue of the new American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM) published by SAGE.

viernes 12 de enero de 2007

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