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More intestinal cells can absorb larger particles

By Guest PostAugust 22, 2013Sciencea peter morello, absorb, brown university, cells, daniel cho, edith mathiowitz, endocytosis in cells, enterocytes, finding in rats, insulin, intestinal cells, joshua reineke, larger particles, m, microfold, microspheres, phagocytosis, protein drugs, wayne state university, yu ting dingle

A new study reports that the small intestine uses more cells than scientists had realized to absorb microspheres large enough to contain therapeutic protein drugs, such as insulin. The finding in rats, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is potentially good news for developing a means for oral delivery of such drugs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The small intestine employs more cells and mechanisms than scientists previously thought to absorb relatively large particles, such as those that could encapsulate protein-based therapeutics like insulin, according to a new study. The findings, published the week of Aug. 5, 2013, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, open another window for drug makers to increase absorption of medicines taken by mouth. (more…)

Engineers Improve Recycling System in Hydraulic Fracturing to Save Water and Energy

By Guest PostAugust 21, 2013Environment, Sciencecosts of fracking, energy savings, fracking, gas drilling process, hydraulic fracturing, membrane based filtration, water recycling system

AUSTIN, Texas — Chemical engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed high-efficiency, durable filters to improve mobile water recycling systems used in hydraulic fracturing, the oil and gas drilling process known as fracking. The filters may significantly reduce the amount of water and energy that fracking requires. (more…)

Do academic rankings create inequality?

By Guest PostAugust 20, 2013Scienceacademic rankings, americans, China, college degree, education, Germany, Global rankings, inequality, Jiao Tong University Brendan Cantwell, michigan state university, Netherlands, President Obama, research journal Minerva, scholar questions, Science, shanghai, Shanghai rankings, stem, Technology, united states, wisdom of investments, world class status

A study led by a Michigan State University scholar questions whether higher education ranking systems are creating competition simply for the sake of competition at a time when universities are struggling financially.

Global rankings that emphasize science and technology research – such as the Academic Rankings of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University – have become increasingly popular and influential during the past decade, said Brendan Cantwell, lead author and assistant professor of educational administration. (more…)

MU Researchers Develop App that Could Save Cattle Lives, Farmers’ Wallets

By Guest PostAugust 19, 2013Science, Technologyandroid market, app, apple app store, database, don spiers, gps location, heat stress, humidity data, life threatening condition, save cattle lives, stress impact, temperature, temperature humidity index, thermalaid, thermalnet, thi, type, university of missouri

App also allows users to communicate with MU animal science experts

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Each year, overheated cattle cost farmers more than $1.2 billion. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have created a smartphone application that can detect when a cow is at risk for heat stress. The app also can offer the best methods for intervention.

“Cows are like the rest of us,” said Don Spiers, professor of animal sciences at MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, who led the team that developed the app. “They slow down in hot and humid weather. When stressed by too much heat, they stop eating, and thus, fail to grain weight or produce milk.” (more…)

Infrared technology

By Guest PostAugust 18, 2013Scienceenergy wavelength, infrared signals, infrared spectrum, infrared technology, optoelectronics

UD-led breakthrough may advance development of mid-infrared light sources, lasers

A research group at the University of Delaware has achieved a breakthrough in the emerging field of “Group IV Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices.” (more…)

Microbial Who-Done-It for Biofuels

By Guest PostAugust 18, 2013Scienceadvanced biofuels, biomass deconstruction, shotgun sequencing, switchgrass biomass, switchgrass feeding consortium, thermophilic microbes

New Technique Identifies Populations Within a Microbial Community Responsible for Biomass Deconstruction

One of the keys to commercialization of advanced biofuels is the development of cost-competitive ways to extract fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic biomass. The use of enzymes from thermophiles – microbes that thrive at extremely high temperatures and alkaline conditions – holds promise for achieving this. Finding the most effective of these microbial enzymes, however, has been a challenge. That challenge has now been met by a collaboration led by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). (more…)

Stunning images of Andromeda demonstrate the world’s most powerful astronomical camera

By Guest PostAugust 17, 2013Scienceandromeda galaxy, astronomical camera, baby galaxy, ceramic lens barrel, cosmic census, dark energy, dark matter, early universe, edge of galaxy, entire picture, hawaiian mountain, hsc, hyper suprime cam, images of andromeda, james bosch, kavli ipmu, light pollution, mauna kea, messier 31, michael strauss, milky way galaxy, naoj, paul price, princeton university, robert lupton, subaru telescope

Stunning images of the Andromeda Galaxy are among the first to emerge from a new wide-field camera installed on the enormous Subaru Telescope atop the Hawaiian mountain Mauna Kea. The camera, called the Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC), is the result of an international collaboration between Princeton University astrophysicists and Japanese and Taiwanese scientists.

With this new camera, researchers will be able to conduct a “cosmic census” of hundreds of millions of galaxies in a wide swath of sky in sufficient depth to probe mysteries such as dark matter and dark energy, while searching for baby galaxies in the early universe. The images of the Andromeda Galaxy demonstrate the new camera’s ability to capture images for a large-scale survey that will help scientists understand the evolutionary history and fate of the expanding universe. The camera’s enormous field of view allowed the entire Andromeda Galaxy, which is some 60,000 light years across, to be captured in a single shot. (more…)

The value of seeing a mind in meditation

By Guest PostAugust 17, 2013Health, Sciencejudson brewer, meditation, mindfulness, neurofeedback techniques, seeing a mind, video, yale university

Using neurofeedback techniques, Dr. Judson Brewer of Yale says he can teach people to “see” the subjective experience known to meditators as mindfulness. Brewer explains that too often we trip ourselves up when we get caught up in our own thinking. In the video and accompanying research papers, Brewer and colleagues describe how subjects can […]

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