The increased frequency of drought observed in eastern Africa over the last 20 years is likely to continue as long as global temperatures continue to rise, according to new research published in Climate Dynamics. (more…)
EAST LANSING, Mich. — It’s commonly known, at least among microbiologists, that microbes have an additional option to living or dying — dormancy.
Dormant microbes are less like zombies and more like hibernating bears. What isn’t known, however, is how large numbers of dormant microorganisms affect the natural environments when they act as microbial seed banks. In the current issue of Nature Reviews: Microbiology, Jay Lennon, Michigan State University assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, examines the cellular mechanisms that allow microbes to hibernate and addresses the implications they can have on larger ecosystems such as soil, oceans, lakes and the human body. (more…)
ANN ARBOR, Mich.— As a child in Mali, Abdrahamane Traoré often did his homework by the sooty, dim light of a kerosene lamp.
As an adult in Michigan, he sometimes has a tough time reaching his family back home. Traoré’s mother must walk to a neighboring village to keep a cell phone charged. (more…)
*Study Shows Creative Quality Drives More Than Half of the Sales Changes for Brands Analyzed*
RESTON, VA, January 27, 2011 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released findings from 
comScore ARS indicating the importance of a strong upfront strategy and creative execution in driving campaign effectiveness for TV and digital advertising campaigns in Canada. Extensive research conducted by comScore ARS also shows that creative quality drives more than half of the sales changes for brands analyzed, four times higher than the impact of the specific media plan involved, highlighting the importance of optimizing creative in ad campaigns. (more…)
Research could rescue fragile ecosystems and halt complex cascade events
In an effort to better understand the dynamics of complex networks, scientists have developed a mathematical model to describe interactions within ecological food webs. This research, performed by Northwestern University physics professor Adilson Motter and his student, Sagar Sahasrabudhe, is published in the January 25 issue of Nature Communications. The work illustrates how human intervention may effectively aid species conservation efforts. (more…)
Yale graduate student James Franco will be in the spotlight on the night of the Academy Awards as both co-host of the ceremony (with Anne Hathaway) and a “Best Actor” nominee (for “127 Hours”). But also vying for its share of the glitter will be a short Yale film on a big topic: the fledgling environmental movement in China.
“The Warriors of Qiugang” — co-produced by Yale Environment 360 (e360), an online publication of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies — has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category “Best Documentary: Short Subject.” (more…)
ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Mercury contamination, a worldwide environmental problem, has been called “public enemy No. 1” in California’s San Francisco Bay. (more…)
Low Click-Through Rates Lead to Under-Valuation of Online As Brand Building Channel
Munich, Germany, January 26, 2011 – TOMORROW FOCUS AG and comScore, Inc. presented the results of a 
study showing the potential of the internet as a brand building channel at the DLD (Digital Life Design) conference in Munich. The study, building upon previous research which shows that click-through rates are extremely low across the world and have continually declined over the past few years, found that measuring campaign effectiveness using click-through rates (CTRs) alone under-values the ability of the online channel to build brands. (more…)
