(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2012 — A new episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') popular Prized Science video series features insights into the effects of wind-blown dust on human health and climate from Vicki Grassian, Ph.D. She has jokingly been called "the Dust Queen" and is a noted authority on the tiny particles of sand and dirt, termed mineral dust, that are transported from areas as remote as the Sahara Desert.
The video, produced by the ACS, the world's largest scientific society, is available at www.acs.org/PrizedScience and by request on DVD. Prized Science — Vicki Grassian: Making Sense of Atmospheric Dust is the newest episode in the 2012 Prized Science series, which features the science behind some of ACS' national awards.
ACS encourages educators, schools, museums, science centers, news organizations and others to embed links to Prized Science on their websites. The videos discuss scientific research in non-technical language for general audiences. New episodes in the series, which focuses on ACS' 2012 national award recipients, will be issued periodically.
Grassian received the 2012 ACS Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology. She is an F. Wendell Miller Professor at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The award, sponsored by the ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry, recognizes Grassian's research on the role of mineral dust in atmospheric chemistry, climate and health and on developing better models depicting its likely effects. For example, Grassian discovered that nitrous oxide — which may be a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide — can form during chemical reactions on the surface of dust particles. Grassian explains that dust in the atmosphere also is linked to respiratory and heart diseases.
Previous episodes in the 2012 series featured Robert Langer, Sc.D., and Chad Mirkin, Ph.D. ACS recognized Langer for pioneering work in making body tissues in the lab by growing cells on special pieces of plastic. Mirkin's research is providing patients with faster diagnoses for influenza and other respiratory infections and new tests that improve care for heart disease.
Upcoming episodes feature:
Diane Bunce, Ph.D.: George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education
Peter Wolynes, Ph.D.: ACS Award in Theoretical Chemistry
The 2012 edition of Prized Science is completely refreshed, with a new look and feel, with renowned scientists telling the story of their own research and its impact and potential impact on everyday life. Colorful graphics and images visually explain the award recipient's research.
### The ACS administers more than 60 national awards to honor accomplishments in chemistry and service to chemistry. The nomination process involves submission of forms, with winners selected by a committee consisting of ACS members who typically are technical experts in the nominee's specific field of research.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 164,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
'The Dust Queen's' research stars in new American Chemical Society video
2012-09-25
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
By improving pain treatment, therapy in dogs, research offers medical insight for humans
2012-09-25
MANHATTAN, KAN. -- A Kansas State University professor's research improving post-surgery pain treatment and osteoarthritis therapy in dogs may help develop better ways to treat humans for various medical conditions.
From the use of hot and cold packs to new forms of narcotics, James Roush, professor of clinical sciences, is studying ways to lessen pain after surgery and improve care for small animals, particularly dogs. He is working with the clinical patients who come to the College of Veterinary Medicine's Veterinary Health Center.
Because humans and dogs experience ...
Grief stages can be likened to pinball machine workings, Baylor University Researcher says
2012-09-25
WACO, Texas (Sept. 25, 2012) — Moving through the traditional stages of grief can be as unpredictable as playing a pinball machine, with triggers of sorrow acting like pinball rudders to send a mourner into a rebound rather than an exit, according to a case study by a Baylor University researcher and a San Antonio psychologist.
For some, grieving is complete after the loss is accepted. But for others, such events as the anniversary of a death or a scene that jogs the memory can send them slamming into grief again, according to a case study by Margaret Baier, Ph.D., an ...
Spirituality key to Chinese medicine success
2012-09-25
Are the longevity and vitality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its holistic approach? Indeed, Chinese medicine is not simply about treating illness, but rather about taking care of the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. According to an analysis¹ of TCM's origins and development by Lin Shi from Beijing Normal University and Chenguang Zhang from Southwest Minzu University in China, traditional Chinese medicine is profoundly influenced by Chinese philosophy and religion. To date, modern science has been unable to explain the mechanisms behind TCM's effects. ...
Minority children at a higher risk for weight problems in both the US and England
2012-09-25
Los Angeles (September 25, 2012)- With ties to diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, childhood obesity in wealthy countries is certainly of growing concern to researchers. A new study explores the ties between childhood weight problems, socioeconomic status, and nationality and finds that race, ethnicity, and immigrant status are risk factors for weight problems among children in the US and England. This new study was published in the September issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (a SAGE journal) titled "Migrant Youths and ...
'Green IT' to be presented in Baltimore
2012-09-25
How can laptop users be kinder to the environment by using less power?
University of Cincinnati computer science doctoral student Dippy Aggarwal will be among the leaders in their fields who are sharing emerging research and career interests at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference, Oct. 3-6, in Baltimore. She'll present early results of her research in a poster presentation, "Leveraging Power Analytics and Linked Data for Enterprise Computing," on Wednesday, Oct. 3.
Aggarwal's presentation evolved from a summer 2011 internship at the Digital ...
Human brains develop wiring slowly, differing from chimpanzees, GW University professor finds
2012-09-25
WASHINGTON—Research comparing brain development in humans and our closest nonhuman primate relatives, chimpanzees, reveals how quickly myelin in the cerebral cortex grows, shedding light on the evolution of human cognitive development and the vulnerability of humans to psychiatric disorders, a GW professor finds. Myelin is the fatty insulation surrounding axon connections of the brain.
Recent research by Chet Sherwood, associate professor of anthropology in Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, along with Daniel Miller, a former GW graduate student, and other colleagues, ...
Nothing fishy about fish oil fortified nutrition bars
2012-09-25
CHICAGO—In today's fast-paced society, consumers often reach for nutrition bars when looking for a healthy on-the-go snack. A new study in the September issue of the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) found that partially replacing canola oil with fish oil in nutrition bars can provide the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without affecting the taste.
Producers have been hesitant to incorporate fish oil into foods because it tends to give off a fishy taste or smell, therefore requiring additional processing steps to eliminate ...
Cost-efficient method developed for maximizing benefits from wine waste
2012-09-25
CHICAGO—A new study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), shows that grape skin and seeds generated from winemaking—known as wine pomace—are a good source of antioxidant dietary fiber and can be used to fortify various food products such as yogurts and salad dressings with enhanced nutritional value and extended shelf-life.
The researchers from Oregon State University analyzed pomace from Pinot Noir and Merlot wines to determine the most economically feasible ways to convert the rich source of antioxidants in pomace into ...
Into the mind of the common fruit fly
2012-09-25
Although they're a common nuisance in the home, fruit flies have made great contributions to research in genetics and developmental biology. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher is again turning to this everyday pest to answer crucial questions about how neurons function at a cellular level — which may uncover the secrets of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
Approximately 75 percent of the genes that are related to diseases in humans are also to be found in the fly, says Ya'ara Saad, a PhD candidate in the lab of Prof. Amir Ayali at TAU's Department ...
Georgia Tech creating high-tech tools to study autism
2012-09-25
Researchers in Georgia Tech's Center for Behavior Imaging have developed two new technological tools that automatically measure relevant behaviors of children, and promise to have significant impact on the understanding of behavioral disorders such as autism.
One of the tools—a system that uses special gaze-tracking glasses and facial-analysis software to identify when a child makes eye contact with the glasses-wearer—was created by combining two existing technologies to develop a novel capability of automatic detection of eye contact. The other is a wearable system that ...