Tech | Page 1539 | Science Codex

Analyzing long-term impacts of biofuel on the land

Madison WI, FEBRUARY 03, 2011 – The growing development and implementation of renewable biofuel energy has considerable advantages over using declining supplies of fossil fuels. However, meeting the demands of a fuel-driven society may require utilizing all biofuel sources including agricultural crop residues.

While a useful biofuel source, crop residues also play a crucial role in maintaining soil organic carbon stock. This stock of organic carbon preserves soil functions and our global environment as well ensures the sustainable long-term production of biofuel feedstock.

Helping feed the world without polluting its waters

A growing global population has lead to increasing demands for food. Farmers around the world rely, at least in part on phosphorus-based fertilizers in order to sustain and improve crop yields. But the overuse of phosphorus can lead to freshwater pollution and the development of a host of problems, such as the spread of blue-green algae in lakes and the growth of coastal 'dead zones'.

Homeless people without enough to eat are more likely to be hospitalized

Homeless people who do not get enough to eat use hospitals and emergency rooms at very high rates, according to a new study. One in four respondents to a nationwide survey reported not getting enough to eat, a proportion six times higher than in the general population, and more than two thirds of those had recently gone without eating for a whole day. The report will appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and has been released online.

States should extend benefits for youth in foster care, MU expert says

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Each year, 29,000 foster youths are released from care as they become adults. A University of Missouri foster care expert says these young people encounter tremendous challenges as they transition out of care. However, those who receive care benefits through age 21 have greatly improved outcomes. Clark Peters, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, says all states should consider extending benefits for foster youth.

Loss of oyster reefs a global problem, but one with solutions

(February 3, 2011) Those familiar with Chesapeake Bay know that its once-vast oyster population stands at a tiny fraction of its historical abundance. A new study by an international team including professor Mark Luckenbach of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science shows that the decline of oyster reefs is not just a local problem.

Morning-after spike in ozone air pollution from Super Bowl XLV?

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2011 — Not even the most avid fans could notice, but those spectacular aerial images of a brightly-lit Cowboys Stadium during Sunday's Super Bowl XLV symbolize one of the hottest new pieces of scientific intelligence about air pollution:

Oil in Gulf of Mexico: Biologists cite need for critical data to determine ecological consequences

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Twenty years after biologists attempted to determine the ecological damages to marine life from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, scientists dealing with the BP disaster find themselves with the same problem: the lack of critical data to determine the ecological consequences of human-induced environmental disasters, a University of Florida researcher said.

NASA measuring Tropical Storm Yasi's inland rainfall from space

Tropical Cyclone Yasi has continued moving through inland Queensland, Australia and has weakened to a tropical depression today. NASA and JAXA's TRMM satellite passed over Yasi as it continued to drop moderate to heavy rainfall.

An Olympic gold medal costs a government $55 million

An Olympic gold medal costs a government $55 million

Space Agency investigates novel analog self-steered antennas

Bulky present generation satellite dishes and ground terminals could become relics of the past thanks to research currently being conducted for the European Space Agency (ESA) by Queen's University Belfast's Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) aimed at developing discrete self-aligning flat antennas.

It is hoped the work could lead to a one-size-fits all solution that could be optimised for a variety of technologies presently used to deliver satellite broadband and television to travellers as well as customers in broadband 'not spots'.

Metamaterials approach makes better satellite antennas

Metamaterials approach makes better satellite antennas

Cheaper, lighter and more energy-efficient broadband devices on communications satellites may be possible using metamaterials to modify horn antennas, according to engineers from Penn State and Lockheed Martin Corp.

New transistors: An alternative to silicon and better than graphene

An alternative to silicon and better than graphene

Smaller and more energy-efficient electronic chips could be made using molybdenite. In an article appearing online January 30 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, EPFL's Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES) publishes a study showing that this material has distinct advantages over traditional silicon or graphene for use in electronics applications.

Study: African-American men say doctor visits are often a bad experience

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---A majority of African American men said they do not go to the doctor because visits are stressful and physicians don't give adequate information on how to make prescribed behavior or lifestyle changes, a new University of Michigan study shows.

When they did go, the majority of the 105 men questioned said they disliked the tone physicians used with them. When those men did visit the doctor, they said it was because they were seeking test results or their family encouraged them to go.

Powerful 3-D X-rays for kids in braces should be the exception, not the rule

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Some orthodontists may be exposing young patients to unnecessary radiation when they order 3-D X-ray imaging for simple orthodontic cases before considering traditional 2-D imaging, suggests a paper published by University of Michigan faculty.

There is ongoing debate in the orthodontic community over if and when to use cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning, said Dr. Sunil Kapila, lead author of the paper and chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at the U-M School of Dentistry.

'Air laser' may sniff bombs, pollutants from a distance

'Air laser' may sniff bombs, pollutants from a distance

Princeton University engineers have developed a new laser sensing technology that may allow soldiers to detect hidden bombs from a distance and scientists to better measure airborne environmental pollutants and greenhouse gasses.