Culture | Page 2640 | Science Codex

Scientists question EPA estimates of greenhouse gas emissions

MADISON, WI, June, 2010 – The approach the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural anaerobic lagoons that treat manure contains errors and may underestimate methane emissions by up to 65%, according to scientists from the University of Missouri.

Anaerobic lagoons treat manure on some animal feeding operations prior to application to crops as a fertilizer. Methane, one byproduct of the treatment process, has 21 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide.

Study confirms benefit of routine, jail-based HIV testing for inmates

PROVIDENCE, RI – Routine, jail-based HIV testing of inmates can successfully identify a substantial proportion of people unknowingly infected with HIV and could play a critical role in preventing the spread of the disease, according to a new report in this week's U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Visual stimulation from attractive males positively affects brooding females

Visual stimulation from attractive males positively affects brooding females

A new therapeutic intervention for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant digestive tumor with a very poor prognosis. Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1α (HIF-1α) is involved in malignant progression in many solid tumors, including PDAC, upregulation of HIF-1α accelerates PDAC progression, but the exact regulatory mechanisms of HIF-1αin PDAC has not been unequivocally addressed.

How the first step affects the (watery) result

How the first step affects the (watery) result

NIST's blast resistance standards keep the boom from the room

NIST's blast resistance standards keep the boom from the room

With summer travel season hard upon us, specialists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have helped create two new standards* designed to increase safety as we rush from gate to gate in crowded mass transit centers. Their efforts will help to fortify against potential bomb threats in the nation's transportation centers.

Teens and alcohol study: After a few drinks, parenting style kicks in

Parents may be surprised, even disappointed, to find out they don't influence whether their teen tries alcohol.

But now for some good news: Parenting style strongly and directly affects teens when it comes to heavy drinking – defined as having five or more drinks in a row – according to a new Brigham Young University study.

Impact of information technology on workers' prosperity:

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2010—Recent research results published in "The Economic Effect of Education in an Information Technology-Penetrating Economy: Evidence From Hong Kong" reflect the impact of education on economic well being in a technological society. The study, conducted by Chi Wai Chan, Open University of Hong Kong, appears in the June/July issue of Educational Researcher, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association.

Media coverage responsible for growth in vaccination rates

Mass media coverage of flu-related topics such as vaccine shortages and delays appears to boost overall vaccination rates and prompt people to get their shots earlier in the flu season. A study published online today in the journal Health Service Research shows that, on average, national news reports involving the flu are estimated to increase annual vaccination rates by as many an 8 percentage points.

Dr. Mitola and cognitive radio are featured on Computing Now

Dr. Joseph Mitola III, Vice President for the Research Enterprise at Stevens Institute of Technology, is the subject of a recent article on Computing Now which details the benefits and development of Cognitive Radio (CR), the intelligent wireless technology coined by Dr. Mitola in 1999.

Sleep quality of soldiers with migraine is poor

LOS ANGELES (June 23, 2010) – Some 19 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq have migraine and migraine is suspected in another 17 percent. While prevalence of migraine among the U.S. military is well documented , little is known about sleep quality in soldiers with chronic headaches including post-traumatic headache and migraine.

Danish children at risk from psychotropic medicines

Between 1998 and 2007, psychotropic medications were associated with 429 adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children under 17 in Denmark. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Research Notes found that more than half of these were serious and several were birth defects – suggesting that tighter controls on the prescription of psychotropic medications to pregnant women may be required.

Comparative effectiveness research: Lessons from the mammography screening controversy

(Garrison, NY) The firestorm that followed the November 2009 release of guidelines that would have reduced use of screening mammograms in women aged 40 to 49 highlights challenges for implementing the findings of comparative effectiveness research (CER), according to a new analysis. Meeting such challenges – which may become more common due to increased funding for CER – requires better communication to the public and stakeholders about evidence and its connection to health care quality and efficiency.

Study finds mixed results on effectiveness of surgical care improvement measures

An analysis of data on adherence to surgical care improvement measures finds that when analyzed as a composite infection-prevention score, the improvement measures were associated with a lower probability of postoperative infection. However, adherence to individual measures – the format of publicly reported performance data – was not associated with a significantly lower risk of infection, according to a study in the June 23/30 issue of JAMA.

Employers took many measures to protect employees and avoid business impact of H1N1 flu outbreak

Boston, MA – In response to the H1N1 flu, most employees at U.S. businesses say their company took measures to protect them from illness, such as encouraging sick employees to stay home, according to a national poll of employees by researchers from the Harvard Opinion Research Program at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). Smaller, but notable, percentages of employees reported that their company took other actions such as creating back-up systems for employees to cover each others' work and expanding leave policies.