February 2013 story tips from Oak Ridge National Laboratory
2013-02-05
(Press-News.org) HEALTH – Neutron imaging breast cancer . . .
More precise optical imaging is vital for better diagnosis of breast cancer, which strikes one in eight women annually in the United States alone. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee are using the neutron imaging beam line at ORNL's High Flux Isotope Reactor to evaluate neutron imaging as a powerful new tool for early detection. The study, led by Dr. Maria Cekanova of UT, working with imaging instrument scientist Hassina Bilheux, is using tissue from dogs treated at the UT College of Veterinary Medicine. Canine cancers have a similar composition to human cancers, and researchers noted that no animals were hurt or euthanized for this study. [Contact: Agatha Bardoel, (865) 574-0644; bardoelaa@ornl.gov]
MATERIALS – Grand-scale graphene . . .
In the race to make graphene available for flexible touch screens, smart phones, flat-panel displays, solar panels and more, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and New Mexico State University have produced a graphene sheet 40 inches in diagonal. This sheet, the largest demonstration in the United States, was made using an atmospheric pressure setup that eliminated significant difficulties with the approach previously used, known as low-pressure chemical vapor deposition. Team leader Ivan Vlassiouk noted the achievement represents a major step toward the goal of industrial roll-to-roll graphene manufacturing that could produce literally miles of graphene. The process is highlighted in a paper titled "Large scale atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition of graphene" published in the journal Carbon. The paper is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2012.11.003. [Contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]
CLIMATE – Adapting to change . . .
By studying the effects of climate change on the Gulf Coastal region's economy, agriculture and energy production, ORNL researchers are addressing key questions posed by the Department of Energy while designing a tool that the scientific community can use to predict how climate change will impact small localized areas elsewhere. Researchers are using information gained from computer modeling to assess the effects of sea level rise, increases in hurricanes, higher temperatures, sporadic droughts and more on individuals living in particular regions of the United States. [Written by Jennifer Brouner; media contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]
TECH TRANSFER -- Bridging the Gap event . . .
Several of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's most promising applied R&D capabilities will be in the spotlight March 5-6 as dozens of entrepreneurs, investors and scientists gather at the lab's third annual Bridging the Gap conference. "This is a great opportunity for the region's business community to receive capability briefings from some of the lab's most dynamic researchers and to explore commercialization and collaboration opportunities," said Tom Rogers, ORNL's director of Industrial Partnerships and Economic Development. Last year's conference attracted 135 attendees. The agenda includes talks on energy, advanced materials and big data and tours of ORNL's new Carbon Fiber Technology Facility and Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. Registration info can be found at http://www.ornl.gov/adm/partnerships/events.shtml. [Contact: Morgan McCorkle, (865) 574-7308; mccorkleml@ornl.gov]
INFORMATION: END
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2013-02-05
VIDEO:
A new discovery might lead to alpha particle therapy for different types of cancer in the near future.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. ¬— We've all heard that "it's not wise to use a cannon to kill a mosquito." But what if you could focus the cannon's power to concentrate power into a tiny space? In a new study, University of Missouri researchers have demonstrated the ability to harness powerful radioactive particles and direct them toward small cancer ...
2013-02-05
By broadly comparing the DNA of children to that of elderly people, gene researchers have identified gene variants that influence lifespan, either by raising disease risk or by providing protection from disease.
"This research is the first genome-wide, population-based study of copy number variations in children associated with human longevity," said study leader Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
The study appeared Jan. 30 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
Copy number variations ...
2013-02-05
New York City experienced a historic decline in crime rates during the 1990s, but it was not due to the implementation of CompStat or enhanced enforcement of misdemeanor offenses, according to an analysis by New York University sociologist David Greenberg. The study, which appears in the journal Justice Quarterly, did not find a link between arrests on misdemeanor charges and drops in felonies, such as homicides, robberies, and assaults. In addition, the analysis revealed no significant drop in violent or property crime attributable to the NYPD's introduction of CompStat ...
2013-02-05
Gravity affects the ecology and evolution of every living organism. In plants, the general response to gravity is well known: their roots respond positively, growing down, into the soil, and their stems respond negatively, growing upward, to reach the sunlight. But how do plants sense gravity and how do they direct or signal their cells to grow in response to it? Although botanists understand a great deal about how this works, a recent article in the recent issue of the American Journal of Botany reviews what we know so far, from mechanical to genetic approaches; it reveals ...
2013-02-05
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- A typical cancer cell has thousands of mutations scattered throughout its genome and hundreds of mutated genes. However, only a handful of those genes, known as drivers, are responsible for cancerous traits such as uncontrolled growth. Cancer biologists have largely ignored the other mutations, believing they had little or no impact on cancer progression.
But a new study from MIT, Harvard University, the Broad Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital reveals, for the first time, that these so-called passenger mutations are not just along for the ride. ...
2013-02-05
ANN ARBOR—Women in developed countries survive roughly 10 years longer after a breast cancer diagnosis compared to women in poor-to-middle-income countries, a new University of Michigan study suggests.
The report demonstrates the lack of access to good health care faced by women in poor countries, said the study's principal investigator Rajesh Balkrishnan, an associate professor at the U-M schools of Pharmacy and Public Health.
Early diagnosis and sustained treatment were the biggest hurdles and also the main indicators of patient survival, he said.
Balkrishnan and ...
2013-02-05
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A telltale boost of activity at the back of the brain while processing emotional information predicted whether depressed patients would respond to an experimental rapid-acting antidepressant, a National Institutes of Health study has found.
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2013-02-05
Healthy eating not only promotes growth and development, but also provides important opportunities for children to socialize during meals. A new, comprehensive analysis of feeding behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) indicates that these children are five times more likely to have a feeding problem, including extreme tantrums during meals, severe food selectivity and ritualistic mealtime behaviors.
Researchers at Marcus Autism Center and the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of ...
2013-02-05
A new NOAA research report finds that both fish populations and commercial and recreational anglers have benefited from "no-take" protections in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
The report, "An Integrated Biogeographic Assessment of Reef Fish Populations and Fisheries in Dry Tortugas: Effects of No-take Reserves," is the first to evaluate how the 151-square nautical mile Tortugas Ecological Reserve affects the living marine resources of the region and the people whose livelihoods are connected to them.
The report's analysis ...
2013-02-05
Boston, MA – Having adequate levels of vitamin D during young adulthood may reduce the risk of adult-onset type 1 diabetes by as much as 50%, according to researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The findings, if confirmed in future studies, could lead to a role for vitamin D supplementation in preventing this serious autoimmune disease in adults. The study was published online February 3, 2013 and will appear in the March 1 print edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
"It is surprising that a serious disease such as type 1 diabetes could perhaps ...
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[Press-News.org] February 2013 story tips from Oak Ridge National Laboratory
