WASHINGTON  –  U.S. Naval Research Laboratory research physicist Lynda E. Busse, Ph.D., was named a Fellow of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, for outstanding technical contributions to the development of novel infrared (IR) optical materials and photonics devices.   Announced December 2023, the 47 new Fellows represent high-profile leaders in academia, industry, and government, and are being honored for their technical achievements as well as for their service to SPIE and the optics and photonics community. Dr. Busse was recognized along with many of the other new Fellows at the 2024 SPIE Photonics West Conference in San Francisco, California ...

In May 1953, Filipino ornithologist D. S. Rabor collected a single female fruit dove on the forested slopes of an active volcano on the Philippine island of Negros. The small apple green bird, which had yellow edgings on its wings and prominent circles of bare skin around its eyes,      was unlike any other known pigeon species. In 1954, Rabor and Yale professor Dillon Ripley described the unique specimen as Ptilinopus arcanus, a name inspired by the Latin word for “secret.” The Negros Fruit Dove, as it is commonly known, has never been ...

As interest in wearable technology has surged, research into creating energy-storage devices that can be woven into textiles has also increased. Researchers at North Carolina State University have now identified a “sweet spot” at which the length of a threadlike energy storage technology called a “yarn-shaped supercapacitor” (YSC) yields the highest and most efficient flow of energy per unit length. “When it comes to the length of the YSC, it’s a tradeoff between power and energy,” said Wei ...

New York, NY (February 6, 2024)—Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial infections. The findings were described in the February 6 online issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology [DOI # 10.1038/s41594-024-01220-x]. The team found a way to turn on a vital bacterial defense mechanism to fight and manage bacterial infections. The defense system, called cyclic oligonucleotide-based antiphage signaling system (CBASS), is a natural mechanism ...

Using the Nutrition Facts labels to make food choices is significantly associated with healthy eating among eighth and 11th grade students in Texas, although the proportion of students using nutrition labels to make their food choices is low, according to research from UTHealth Houston. A study led by first author Christopher D. Pfledderer, PhD, MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, and senior author Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, the John P. McGovern Professor in Health Promotion and regional dean of the ...

AMHERST, Mass. – A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently published a pioneering study that answers a central question in biology: how do organisms rally a wide range of cellular processes when they encounter a change—either internally or in the external environment—to thrive in good times or survive the bad times? The research, focused on plants and published in Cell, identifies the interactions between four compounds: pectin, receptor proteins FERONIA and LLG1 and the signal RALF peptide. In particular, the team discovered that a molecular condensation process, called liquid-liquid phase separation, that ...

New findings led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) show more than one-third of cancer patients had a major adverse financial event – bankruptcy, lien, or eviction – before their cancer diagnosis. These patients with adverse financial events (AFEs) had a later-stage diagnosis compared with patients with no events. The findings are published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). “Patients with a previous AFE not only face greater likelihood of more advanced cancer but also may encounter substantial barriers to receiving recommended care ...

PHILADELPHIA (February 6, 2024) – A groundbreaking study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing), recently published in Innovation in Aging, has shown promising results in improving the quality of life (QOL) and sleep quality in individuals living with memory problems. The research delves into the efficacy of a nonpharmacological approach in a trial known as the Healthy Patterns Sleep Program. Nancy Hodgson, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor in Nursing and Chair of Department of Biobehavioral Health ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Emeritus Professor Mitsuo Uematsu on his selection as a Fellow. The citation for this honor recognizes his pioneering research on long-range atmospheric transport of Asian dust across the Pacific Ocean and its impact on marine biogeochemistry. The nomination materials noted that Dr Uematsu’s research is of the highest quality and notable for its interdisciplinarity and international leadership, as well as its pioneering and continuing nature. These contributions are exemplified through his service on several international scientific committees such as Future Earth and the Executive ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Claudia Benitez-Nelson on her selection as a Fellow. The citation on her certificate recognizes her outstanding contributions to understanding marine biogeochemical cycling and her exceptional commitment to mentoring and increasing diversity in ocean sciences. The nomination materials noted that Dr. Benitez-Nelson is “one of the leading oceanographers of her generation…the world leader in the global phosphorus cycle, the use of isotopes (thorium) for quantifying export processes, and how carbon is transformed as it flows from coastal systems ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL) team on its selection as the recipient of the TOS Ocean Observing Team Award. This award recognizes innovation and excellence in sustained ocean observing for scientific and practical applications. The citation on the team’s certificate recognizes RUCOOL for transforming oceanography by sharing their pioneering sampling platforms, sensing methods, and their integration in models and education. Rutgers University’s Center of Ocean Observing Leadership has ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Phillip R. Taylor for being named a Fellow. The citation on Dr. Taylor’s certificate recognizes him for the “expansion and diversification of the ocean sciences at national and international levels and for building cooperative interactions among agencies and scientific fields.” Dr. Taylor’s nomination noted his “singular strength was a willingness to work with agency partners (within and outside of NSF) and science community leaders to develop novel programs that attracted additional investment, ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Susan B. Cook on her selection as a Fellow. The citation recognizes her for pivotal contributions toward expanding and strengthening ocean programs in higher education and for documenting and promoting the involvement of women and underrepresented groups in ocean science. Dr. Cook’s contributions to the ocean sciences community extend well beyond her impactful service to The Oceanography Society, where she held the position of Secretary from 2007 to 2018. As one example, she expanded the focus of ocean education to the national level, first playing a pivotal role as an original ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Frank Müller-Karger on his selection as a Fellow. The citation recognizes him for extraordinary contributions and leadership in furthering our understanding of Earth and, in particular, the ocean, through the use of remote sensing and field work. Frank Müller-Karger’s work encompasses a broad range of satellite observations and field time series in biological oceanography in open ocean, coastal, and benthic ecology applications. His research has laid ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates N. Ross Chapman for being selected as the 2024 recipient of The Oceanography Society’s Walter Munk Medal. The citation on his certificate recognizes him for applications of advanced signal processing approaches to acoustical oceanography and contributions to geo-acoustic inversions. Among Dr. Chapman’s many achievements, the Medal Selection Committee noted his extraordinary contributions to geo-acoustic inversions, acoustic propagation modeling, ambient noise measurements, ...

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Prof. Charitha Bandula Pattiaratchi for being selected as the 2024 recipient of The Oceanography Society’s Mentoring Award. The citation on Dr. Pattiaratchi’s certificate recognizes him for an enviable record of mentoring students and young scientists. Over the course of his career, he has developed a world-renowned research and training program for early career researchers and graduate students in coastal oceanography at The University of Western Australia. To date, he has supervised more than 300 people including direct supervision of 277 dissertations. Pattiaratchi is currently Professor of Coastal ...

The brains of people with ADHD function in ways that can benefit them as entrepreneurs, according to research from the West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics. Associate Professor Nancy McIntyre said her paper in the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research broadens the scope, in an entrepreneurial context, from “if ADHD functions” to “how ADHD functions.” The paper is based on a study demonstrating an entrepreneur with ADHD is able to use routines, patterns and habits like a big net ...

“Trust me, I’m a doctor.”   While this expression has become an advertising slogan and meme, physicians and nurses continually rank among the most trusted professions in the U.S.   Now, a new study by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health shows that how Americans view the medical profession shapes whether they are likely to get vaccinated against COVID-19.   Among people who were hesitant or initially didn’t want a COVID-19 vaccine, those who trust the medical profession were more likely to ultimately get vaccinated. In ...

Philadelphia, February 6, 2024 – Food waste is a global issue, with the estimated value of wasted food totaling $230 billion CAD in 2023. In Canada, estimates suggest half of the food wasted occurs at the household level, which roughly equals $1,000 CAD per family per year. A recent research brief in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, demonstrated the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a family-based food literacy program that promotes meal preparation and food waste reduction. Lead study author Amar Laila, PhD, Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, ...

Most women agree that menopause has its advantages and disadvantages. Some relish the end of menstruation and concerns about unplanned pregnancies, while others dread the possibililty of hot flashes, moodiness, and other unpleasant symptoms. What some women consider a brief and barely noticeable phase in their lives can evolve into lasting changes and discomfort for others. Now, a new paradigm around the biological processes of menopause is capturing the attention of a small group of scientists around the country. The primary question: can menopause be delayed in healthy women, allowing them to extend their child-bearing years—and perhaps ...

Key takeaways Lithium-sulfur batteries have the potential to transform energy storage, with exceptional theoretical capacity and performance in combination with an element in abundant supply. But the intricate reaction mechanism, particularly during discharge, has been challenging to solve. UCLA researchers have identified the key pathways to a complex sulfur reduction reaction that leads to energy loss and reduced battery life span.   The study’s findings establish the whole reaction network for the first ...

EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 6, 2024) – A group of researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso are behind an emerging lithium extraction technology that won the inaugural Hill Prize from the Texas Academies of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST) on Monday. The $500,000 in prize funds will support a joint research effort by Alma Energy and UTEP to extract lithium from hydrothermal waters. “If this technology succeeds, it would be a really massive breakthrough in environmentally-friendly lithium extraction,” said Benjamin Brunner, Ph.D., the co-inventor of the technology ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Extreme events wipe out entire forests, dramatically eliminating complex ecosystems as well as local communities. Researchers have become quite familiar with such attention-grabbing events over the years. They know less, however, about the more common moderate-severity disturbances, such as relatively small fires, ice storms, and outbreaks of pests or pathogens.  “Since they’re more common, they’re probably playing a larger role in the ecosystem than we might have appreciated before,” said Brady Hardiman, associate professor of forestry and natural resources and environmental ...

ATLANTA — Influenza A viruses with induced resistance to a new candidate antiviral drug were found to be impaired in cell culture and weakened in animals, according to a study by researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University. In a study published in PLoS Pathogens, the authors explored the developmental potential of 4’-fluorouridine (4’-FlU), a clinical drug candidate, for influenza therapy. They resistance profiled the compound against influenza viruses and mapped possible routes of viral escape, addressing specifically ...

Microbes are social beings. Much like humans, they communicate and cooperate with each other to solve problems bigger than themselves. In a microbial community, there will even be free riders, and others that police them. So, what if researchers could influence their social evolution to promote certain behaviors? Doing so can be vital to solving many of today’s challenges such as combating infection and antibiotic resistance, developing microbial strategies for wastewater treatment or harvesting alternative energy sources. A research group led by Dervis Can Vural, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at ...