Research

April 22, 2009 -- A research team from Northeastern University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has discovered, serendipitously, that a residue of a process used to build arrays of titania nanotubes—a residue that wasn’t even noticed before this — plays an important role in improving the performance of the nanotubes in solar cells that produce hydrogen gas from water.

Their results, published online on March 27, 2009 in the Journal of Materials Chemistry, indicate that by controlling the deposition of potassium on the surface of the nanotubes, engineers can achieve significant energy savings in a promising new alternate energy system.    » read more »

April 22, 2009 -- Oklahoma City - Citing misconceptions about pending legislation on stem cell research, Gov. Brad Henry announced late today his plan to veto House Bill 1326, legislation that would have made it a crime for a scientist to perform any form of embryonic stem cell research, the same kind of research supported by such pro-life, conservative leaders as Nancy Reagan and U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Although proponents billed it as a “pro-life” measure, the governor noted that HB 1326 does not address abortion in any manner or save a life.

“There are all kinds of misconceptions and misinformation about this issue, and that’s regrettable,” said Gov. Henry.    » read more »

Application for Part 1 of California's State Stabilization Funds Approved Today

April 17, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that nearly $4 billion is now available for California under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. California will be eligible to apply for another $2 billion this fall. Today's funding is being made available per California's successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available April 1. California is the first state to be approved for the first round of state stabilization funding.    » read more »

Synthesis Should Boost Research Stalled for More Than a Decade by Inadequate Supplies

LA JOLLA, CA, April 17, 2009—Kapakahines, marine-derived natural products isolated from a South Pacific sponge in trace quantities, have shown anti-leukemia potential, but studies have been all but stalled by kapakahines' lack of availability. But using only acetylene gas, a handful of amino acids, and a dozen inventive steps, a team from The Scripps Research Institute has finally established the first technique to synthesize kapakahines in the laboratory in large quantities, more than a decade after their discovery. With supplies now in hand, and unlimited production potential established, research on the compound can proceed and may eventually lead to new drug treatments.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 04/15/2009 - The 2008 election was the first in which more than half the voting-age population used the Internet for political purposes. Some 55% of all adults – and 74% of all Internet users – said they went online for news and information about the election or to communicate with others about the race.

This is among the findings of a new report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, which also found that social media platforms such as blogs, social networking sites and video-sharing sites played a key role in 2008 as voters went online to share their views with others and try to mobilize them to their cause. Among some of the key activities and technologies that grew in prominence in the election:    » read more »

San Francisco, CA - 04/12/2009 - A team of UCSF researchers has for the first time used tiny molecules called microRNAs to help turn adult mouse cells back to their embryonic state. These reprogrammed cells are pluripotent, meaning that, like embryonic stem cells, they have the capacity to become any cell type in the body.

The findings suggest that scientists will soon be able to replace retroviruses and even genes currently used in laboratory experiments to induce pluripotency in adult cells. This would make potential stem cell-based therapies safer by eliminating the risks posed to humans by these DNA-based methods, including alteration of the genome and risk of cancer.    » read more »

New Version Provides Transparency & Accountability to Taxpayers

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2009 – Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today unveiled an updated version of USDA's Research, Education and Economics Information System (REEIS), which allows the public to measure the impact and effectiveness of the Department's research, education and extension programs. The latest version adds additional data sources, opens data to Google Search and provides for extended data analysis.    » read more »

April 10, 2009 -- UPTON, NY -- By creating a “family tree” of genes expressed in one form of woody plant and a less woody, herbaceous species, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have uncovered clues that may help them engineer plants more amenable to biofuel production. The study, published in the April 2009 issue of Plant Molecular Biology, also lays a foundation for understanding these genes’ evolutionary and structural properties and for a broader exploration of their roles in plant life.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 03/26/2009 - As many as three million registered voters did not cast a ballot in the 2008 General Election due to voter registration problems, suggests a survey cited today by Doug Chapin, director of Election Initiatives for the Pew Center on the States in testimony before the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration. The problem was most acute for younger voters and registered voters who moved less than a year ago, one in four of whom said that a problem with their registration was a major reason why they did not cast a ballot.    » read more »

Lower sodium recommendation applies to almost 70 percent of American adults

March 26, 2009 -- Most Americans consume more than double the amount of their daily recommended level of sodium. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 2 out of 3 adults are in population groups that should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) per day of sodium. During 2005-2006 the estimated average intake of sodium for persons in the United States age 2 years and older was 3,436 mg per day.

A diet high in sodium increases the risk of having higher blood pressure, a major cause for heart disease and stroke. These diseases are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States.    » read more »

March 25, 2009 -- ATLANTA — Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Georgia is one of three states selected by the Pew Center on the States to participate as a government “laboratory” for projects that will enable the state to use resources more efficiently. Georgia will receive $50,000 and intensive management support from Pew experts to assist it in delivering better value through its purchasing power.

“Working with the Pew Center on this project will be a major step forward in our state’s goal to provide better value for the taxpayer’s dollar,” said Governor Perdue. “This project will allow us to leverage our buying power and drive down the prices we pay for supplies, equipment and services that are essential to state operations.”    » read more »

March 24, 2009 -- A new report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Lessons of the Financial Crisis, calls for major economic reforms, both to avoid fueling excessive corporate and individual borrowing in the future and to make the financial system much more resilient in the face of falling asset prices. "The crisis offers a sobering lesson about the dangers of policies that fuel the rapid buildup of debt across the economy," says the report. "Excessive leverage in the economy needs to be prevented because credit does not return to normal once asset prices stop rising and start falling. It becomes dangerously scarce."    » read more »

March 23, 2009 -- Upton, NY -- Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $1.2 billion in new science funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for major construction, laboratory infrastructure, and research efforts sponsored across the nation by the DOE Office of Science. Secretary Chu made the announcement during a visit to the Brookhaven National Laboratory.    » read more »

Funds are part of $1.2 billion from Recovery Act to be dispersed by Department of Energy’s Office of Science

March 23, 2009 -- UPTON, NY — The U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory will receive $184.3 million in new science funding from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, principally to accelerate construction of the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), a new $912 million project approved to start construction earlier this year by the Department of Energy (DOE).    » read more »

Funds are part of $1.2 billion from Recovery Act to be disbursed by Department of Energy’s Office of Science

March 23, 2009 -- BERKELEY, CA – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will receive $115.8 million from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The funds are part of $1.2 billion announced by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today from funding allocated under the Recovery Act to DOE’s Office of Science. The funds will support an array of Office of Science-sponsored construction, laboratory infrastructure, and research projects across the nation. The Secretary made the announcement during a visit to Brookhaven National Laboratory, in Upton, NY.    » read more »