Curated News: Scientific Meetings

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In the past, international trade of organic products between the U.S. and other countries has been difficult because of the wide variations in international organic standards and certification requirements. However, according to a June 22nd panel discussion at the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo® in New Orleans, tremendous strides have been made in the development of organic trade agreements with other countries.

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New and improved manufacturing technologies, as well as a greater focus on the individual steps of the production process, are helping to enhance spice safety in the U.S. and throughout the world, according to a June 22 panel discussion at the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo® in New Orleans.

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In his Robot Learning Lab, Ashutosh Saxena, assistant professor of computer science at Cornell University, is teaching robots to understand instructions in natural language from various speakers, account for missing information, and adapt to the environment at hand.

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Food waste that is unused, yet nutritionally viable, may help to feed a growing and nutritionally “insecure” world population and minimize the impact of food production on the environment, according to Doug Rauch, former president of Trader Joe’s, Inc. and current CEO of the nonprofit Conscious Capitalism, Inc. Rauch was the keynote speaker during the opening session at the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo® in New Orleans.

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Land use policies and preferential tax treatment for housing – in the form of federal income tax deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes – have increased carbon emissions in the United States by about 2.7 percent, almost 6 percent annually in new home construction, according to a new Georgia State University study.

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Computer scientists at Virginia Tech have developed a unique anomaly protection security approach for the detection of malicious activities on networked computers. The work was performed using a National Science Foundation CAREER award and is being presented at an international conference in Tokyo, Japan.

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Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have assembled a comprehensive picture of the evolving universe — among the most colorful deep space images ever captured by the 24-year-old telescope. This study, which includes ultraviolet light, provides the missing link in star formation.

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A scalable computer code developed at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) was used to run complex equations on a blisteringly fast supercomputer, resulting in advances in understanding solar wind and the heliosphere.

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Alan Alda announced the winners of Stony Brook University’s Flame Challenge contest, in which scientists had to explain “what is color?” in a way that would interest and enlighten 11-year-olds. The winners, Melanie Golob and Dianna Cowern, received trophies and congratulations from Alda and hundreds of children at the “What is Color?” event at the World Science Festival in New York City.

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The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has named Leslie L. Robison, Ph.D., of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital the recipient of the 2014 Pediatric Oncology Award for his contributions to the field of childhood cancer survivorship research.

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An interdisciplinary Kansas State University research group is taking used coffee grounds from a campus coffee shop and using them as compost to cultivate gourmet mushrooms at the student farm.

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Dr. Nicola Mason, DVM and ACVIM DIplomate in Small Animal Internal Medicine, is evaluating the first vaccine for canine osteosarcoma at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Scientists delivered a mostly negative forecast for how climate change will affect Ohioans during the next year or so, and well beyond. But Ohio may fare better than its neighbors in one respect: its farmers will likely suffer less than those in the rest of the Corn Belt.

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On Wednesday May 21, a panel of leading experts in astrophysics and astronomy will describe the scientific and technological roadmap for discovering habitable worlds among the stars. The panel, entitled "The Search for Life in the Universe," is part of the 30th Space Symposium to be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 19 to 22.

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This story uses reader-friendly language to summarize a finding being presented May 19, 2014 at a scientific conference.

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New research suggests that methanogens — among the simplest and oldest organisms on Earth — could survive on Mars.

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Dr. Scott Weese will present on how pet food and treat manufacturing practices play a major role in pathogen control for pets.

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Visitors to the country’s National Parks may be seeking tranquil communion with nature, but what they sometimes encounter is the noise of airplanes and helicopter tours. In a study to be presented at the 167th meeting of the ASA, researchers with the U.S. Department of Transportation report on recent results of a joint FAA and National Park Service study to assess potential effects of such flights on the experience of park visitors.

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The obvious cognitive symptoms of minor traumatic brain injury can dissipate within a few days, but blast-exposed veterans may continue to have problems focusing attention on one sound source and ignoring others, an ability known as "selective auditory attention.” According to a new study, such apparent "hearing" problems actually may be caused by diffuse injury to the brain's prefrontal lobe -- work that will be described at the 167th meeting of the ASA.

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Scientists have developed a computer program to screen for diabetic retinopathy, a potentially blinding condition that may affect every person with diabetes. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week.

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Musicians can now perform as the soloist with a full philharmonic orchestra from the comfort of their own living rooms, thanks to a new computer system that will be described in a presentation at the 167th meeting of the ASA.

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Previously, hair cells have long been considered the most vulnerable elements in the inner ear, but researchers have now shown that nerve fibers are even more vulnerable to damage. They will report their findings of “hidden hearing loss” at the 167th meeting of the ASA.

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Researchers have found that, contrary to previous clinical trial findings, monthly injections to counteract age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may not be necessary. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla.

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A team of researchers in Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Britain and the United States has demonstrated that remotely monitoring the acoustical structures of dolphin vocalizations can effectively detect "evolutionarily significant units" of the mammal—distinct populations that may be tracked for prioritizing and planning conservation efforts.

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Scientists have developed the first reversible glue that could be used on the battlefield to treat eye injuries, potentially saving soldiers’ vision. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla.

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Scientists have developed a model that mimics the complex structure of the cornea to enable the transplant of healthy corneal stem cells. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando Fla.

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New research finds that cataract surgery dramatically decreases the number of falls individuals suffer due to poor vision. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla.

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In an effort to avoid serious side effects suffered after surgery to repair retinal detachment, vision scientists have developed a new product to help stabilize the eye while it heals. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla.

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More than two decades ago, University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher and some of his students began the laborious task of digitally scanning the bones of mastodons, mammoths and other prehistoric creatures so the images could be displayed on computers.

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In two separate studies, vision scientists have developed healthy genes to prevent blinding diseases that stem from genetic defects. The research is being presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Orlando, Fla

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When loved ones lose their hearing, audiologists often counsel spouses and family members to speak clearly so they are better understood. But hearing loss professionals say that this well-meaning advice can backfire: clear speech can make you sound angry. A new study, to be presented at the 167th Meeting of the ASA, supports the idea that clear speech can carry negative overtones even when the phrase itself is emotionally neutral.

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Due to increased interest in drilling for hydrocarbons in the Arctic and the associated environmental concerns, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution researchers are working to evaluate whether broadband active acoustic techniques can be used to remotely detect oil spills under sea ice.

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If you've ever heard the boisterous courtship sounds being made at night by male frogs gathered around a pond or "watering hole" to attract mates, you may have noticed some communication similarities to those of humans enjoying a loud night out at a cocktail party or bar—that familiar cacophony with everyone essentially shouting over each other to be heard. At the 167th meeting of the ASA, researchers will describe how studying how frogs communicate is addressing some long-standing basic questions about how evolutionary processes shape the diversity of communication systems.

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Lay-language papers describing breakthroughs to be presented at upcoming Acoustical Society Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island are now available online

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In mice, a drug produces evidence of a mood lift within 24 hours and then continues working for sustained depression relief. A fast-acting antidepressant would be a welcome development for patients who must wait weeks for current drugs to take effect.

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Pregnancy affects how drugs are metabolized, which makes it difficult for physicians to prescribe appropriate dosing. A research team at the University of Illinois at Chicago has revealed new details about one particular enzyme that’s responsible for the metabolism of one-fifth of drugs on the market.

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Product designers rarely consider those over 65 to be a viable user group for popular activity-monitoring technologies.

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Researchers discover that newt hearts can regenerate, a finding that may pave the way to new therapies for people with damaged heart tissue.

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Customers paying more at a restaurant buffet perceive the food as tastier than the same food offered at a lower price, suggesting taste perception can be manipulated by price alone.

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Some preterm babies have lungs that develop abnormally. While long-term health effects of prematurity are still unclear, researchers have found that adults who were born early may have problems handling the pulmonary demands of exercise.

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Exercise-induced body temperature increases can make symptoms worse for some patients with multiple sclerosis. Researchers at Southern Methodist explore the underlying causes of the temperature regulation problems so MS patients can better reap the benefits of exercise.

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Researchers have discovered a new class of proteins capable of blocking the HIV virus from penetrating T-cells, raising hope that the proteins could be adapted for use in gels or sexual lubricants to provide a potent barrier against HIV infection.

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Breast cancer and brain tumors are not caused by viruses, according to a genetic analysis of more than 4,000 tumors that mapped the linkages between viruses and 19 different types of cancer. Study calls into question some drug trial regimes.

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Scientists successfully cure mice of acute liver failure after an overdose of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States, by boosting the liver’s ability to heal itself.

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Technion researchers have developed an underwater imaging system that allows submariners to view objects above the water's surface - without a periscope. Researchers at Israel's Technion have developed an underwater imaging system that allows submariners to view objects above the water's surface - without a periscope.

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Study suggests microbes living on our skin influence how quickly wounds heal. The findings could lead to new treatments for chronic wounds, which affect 1 in 20 elderly people.

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With lifespans of up to 31 years, naked mole rats live decades longer than would be expected based on their size. A new study links their remarkable lifespans to high levels of a quality-control protein, offering new insights on age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

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Heat and dehydration can cause a “perfect storm” of risk factors for concussion among competitive football players. University of Windsor researchers looked at the effects of extreme temperature on concussion rates during NCAA football games.

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Unhealthy lifestyle habits can accelerate the process of senescence (cell death) and the release of damaging substances from dying cells. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic for the first time demonstrate that exercise can prevent or delay this fundamental process of aging.

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Researchers from Louisiana State University found that drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks helped increase sleep time by nearly 90 minutes among older adults with insomnia.