Hammerhead worms are once again making their way to backyards across the United States. They were most recently spotted in Washington, D.C and Virginia but have been around for some time.
A new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease by a Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine faculty member shows that brain levels of dietary lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and vitamin E in those with Alzheimer’s disease are half those in normal brains. Higher dietary levels of lutein and zeaxanthin have been strongly linked to better cognitive functions and lower risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $2.6 million to a Virginia Tech team over five years for a study of high frequency irreversible electroporation (H-FIRE) for tumor ablation and immune system activation in cases of pancreatic cancer.
Virginia Tech researchers examined data from 2009 to 2019 from U.S. institutions with more than $40 million in National Institutes of Health funding and at least 15 utility patents. The presence of a well-funded engineering unit correlated with stronger patent production. The results are in Nature Biotechnology.
A team led by Virginia Tech researchers has developed a new method for upcycling plastics into high-value chemicals known as surfactants, which are used to create soap, detergent, and more.
While engaging in cell division research, Silke Hauf and members of her lab made a surprisingly quiet discovery. When cells express RNA, there are always some fluctuations, or noise, in how much RNA is produced. Hauf’s group found several genes whose noise dips below a previously established minimum threshold, known as the noise floor, during expression “We have solid data for this phenomenon,” said Hauf, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech.
The bacterium commonly referred to as C. diff is sometimes called “C-difficult” because it is so hard to treat, said Mohamed Seleem, director of the Center for One Health Research. Seleem and Nectagen Inc. have received a nearly $275,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study whether synthetic proteins developed by Nectagen can reduce the toxicity of the digestive bacteria.
Safe drinking water is threatened globally by the increased toxicity of phytoplankton — or microscopic algae — blooms. The need for a better understanding of when and where the blooms will emerge spurred Virginia Tech researchers to start developing the first automated, real-time lake phytoplankton forecasting system. Working with the University of Florida, Virginia Tech faculty have been awarded a $2.
Virginia’s most infamous hitchhiker is on the move again: the spotted lanternfly. These insects colonize quickly, disrupt native ecosystems, and potentially cause problems to human health and agriculture. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have partnered to empower the citizens of the commonwealth to take action themselves on these most unwelcome visitors.
There’s more to back-to-school season than snagging the latest notebooks, bookbags, and trendy jackets and jeans. A new routine, new teachers, and new schools signal a big adjustment period for some students. “Anxiety can be associated with the unknown, such as what will the teacher this year be like, what friends will be in my class, where will my classroom be, and likely other worries can pop into children’s minds,” said Cindy Smith, director of the Children’s Emotions Lab at Virginia Tech and an expert in child emotional development, parent-child interaction, and parenting behaviors.
The sounds of Jon Passic’s footsteps inside the Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics Lab in Whittemore Hall were barely discernible over Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” blaring from a small speaker. Passic, who wore a fall protection harness connected to an overhead support system, paced back and forth on the lab’s testing walkway.
With funding from Virginia Catalyst, also known as the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corp., Virginia Tech is engaged in three collaborative bioscience projects to address unmet health care needs in Virginia, according to Michael Friedlander, vice president for health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech. The Catalyst awards, which range from $350,000 to $800,000, support joint research projects between industry and Virginia universities that have the potential to significantly improve human health and create high value jobs in the commonwealth.
Helen is an 8 1/2-year old gentle giant who’s fighting osteosarcoma and, through participation in a clinical trial through the Animal Cancer Care and Research Center, is helping develop a new cancer treatment. The dog's owners have a 1-year-old son enrolled in a clinical trial for a rare liver disease, which gave them the idea to also enroll Helen in a clinical trial.
Zach Hutelin, a doctoral candidate in the Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health (TBMH) Graduate Program, has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship to pursue a new line of research into the health impact of ultra-processed foods. These foods make up the majority of the American diet and are considered contributing factors to the rise in eating choices overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide.
In May, a newly visible supernova dotted one of the spiral arms of Messier 101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy. Dubbed SN 2023ixf by NASA, it’s the closest supernova spotted in five years. An explosion of a dying star, the supernova was visible through amateur telescopes and had both hobbyist astronomers and experts abuzz over catching a glimpse, sharing tips for getting it in sight, and taking long-exposure photographs.
The emerging field of quantum science is adding new dimensions to the age-old question: “What do you want to do when you grow up?” In the ever-expanding field of quantum science, Virginia Tech is working to ensure learning opportunities grow just as fast. One of only a handful of higher education institutions to offer experiential quantum training, Virginia Tech is now working with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to meet the growing demand for a quantum-trained workforce.
Pickled vegetables in a mason jar. Homemade salsa. Craft ketchup. Each summer, people use a variety of home food preservation methods to make their garden harvest last all year, and many of them involve acidifying food with vinegar. But with low-acidity vinegars becoming increasingly prevalent, consumers can’t just grab any bottle from the shelf.
How are humans motivated to do what we do? That’s the fundamental question driving neuroscientist Pearl Chiu. “On a neurobiological level, each of our brains is similarly composed. We share the same general structures and cell types — yet as people, we’re all so different,” said Chiu, who the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors recently promoted to full professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and the College of Science’s Department of Psychology.
Summertime is synonymous with fresh berries, and there may be no better place to be on a sunny day – besides the beach – than a berry-picking patch. Berry production is a $6 billion industry in the United States, and Virginia has been become a key contributor with a suitable climate and soil types for growing blueberries and blackberries, in particular.
Singer Tony Bennett, dead at age 96, left behind a mountain of musical achievements over a career that spanned eight decades. Singer and Virginia Tech voice expert Ariana Wyatt expounds on Bennett’s many contributions to music and society.
A historic study has provided first-time insights on electric scooters. In September 2019, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) began the first large-scale naturalistic driving study of electric scooter, also known as e-scooter, riders. Over the span of 18 months, 50 scooters, equipped with forward-facing cameras and other research equipment, collected over 9,000 miles of data from over 200,000 rides on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus.
Cranking summer fun up to 11 first requires sensible safeguards against summer hazards. Dr. Stephanie Lareau, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, shares 11 safety tips for keeping summer plans fun and safe.
For more than 40 years, there has been an effort to reduce nutrient loads to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee released a report on its three-year investigation into this effort. The results suggest that significant adjustments are needed to the existing programs as well as public expectations to improve its health.
Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film “Oppenheimer,” shattered expectations on opening weekend, bringing in $80.5 million. The biopic about the so-called “father of the atomic bomb," J. Robert Oppenheimer, science director of the Manhattan Project during World War II, was Nolan’s biggest non-Batman debut. But how accurate is the science and the history behind Oppenheimer’s (portrayed in the film by Cillian Murphy) life portrayed? Virginia Tech’s Kevin Pitts, a physicist and high-energy experimentalist who previously was chief research officer at the Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois, weighs in.
Peter Vikesland believes high-tech tools could help increase the flow of quality water in an equitable manner. Atop a new wave of support from the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Vikesland, the Nick Prillaman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is leading a research team in creating wireless sensor networks to survey microbial threats to water quality and to enable operational control and provide real-world feedback for public transparency.
Patrick Ridge couldn’t help but fall in love with the game of soccer. He played the sport growing up, and he remained hooked by the game’s excitement when he attended matches and World Cup watch parties in Latin America and Spain while studying, teaching, and researching. “I saw the fervor,” said Ridge, now an associate professor of Spanish at Virginia Tech who studies soccer for a living.
Extreme heat is now plaguing parts of the U.S., Europe, and Asia. A Virginia Tech expert explains what is making this one of the hottest summers on record.
Hollywood actors and writers are standing side by side on the picket line for the first time in more than 60 years. Future blockbusters such as the next “Mission: Impossible” and “Deadpool” movies and the fifth season of “Stranger Things” have stopped production. “More than 11,000 writers were involved in the Writers Guild of America strike.
Grocery shoppers may have recently noticed that strawberries seem to be closer to the size of small apples. According to one Virginia Tech expert there are reasons for this change and it doesn’t include injecting them with chemicals to get the larger than life fruit. Jayesh Samtani, a small fruit expert at Virginia Tech, researches how to optimize berry production and determine the kinds that grow best in certain regions.
An estimated 1,200 Americans, on average, are diagnosed with Lyme disease each day. Some of those patients continue to experience negative effects, even after treatment. Lyme disease researcher Brandon Jutras, associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and affiliated faculty of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, recently received a $2.
In busy Los Angeles, few people pay attention to what’s under their feet, but a new underground movement has people looking at the subterranean world just below the surface. A team of scientists discovered a new species of millipede crawling just beneath the soil surface in Los Angeles and Orange counties. These never-before-seen creatures are pale, blind, thin, inch-long burrowers with the ability to produce a silk-like sticky substance, similar to spider silk.
New users signing up for Threads, Meta’s response to Twitter, should be aware of the app’s data collection capabilities, says a Virginia Tech privacy expert. “Threads collects user data across 25 different categories, surpassing Twitter’s data collection capabilities,” says Donna Wertalik, a professor of practice in marketing for the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech and Voices of Privacy co-host.
Threads, the newest venture from Meta, has become Twitter’s biggest rival in less than a week, registering 100 million users within five days. “Threads has often been discussed as the app that could kill Twitter,” said Virginia Tech multimedia journalism expert Mike Horning.
Jadrian Wooten, a Virginia Tech professor of economics, answers questions about the circumstances that led to the impasse in labor negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters and what the effects could be should UPS workers strike.
The startling, open challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin raises questions about Russia’s future. Virginia Tech international security expert Yannis Stivachtis shares insights on factors that led to the conflict and what to pay attention to as the consequences unfold.
Fascination surrounding spaceflight and rockets is at an all-time high. Sites near launchpads draw crowds of spectators, eager to witness the flash of fire and feel the vibrations as the rumble of the motor becomes a roar. People, squinting and craning their necks to watch the rocket hurtle out of sight, aren’t likely thinking about the science behind the propulsion that makes it all possible.
Adhesive tape fulfills many purposes, from quickly fixing household appliances to ensuring a reliable seal on a mailed package. When using tape with a strong bond, removing it may only be possible by scraping and prying at the tape's corners, hoping desperately that surface pieces don’t tear away with the tape.
Peanut butter and jelly. Fireworks and the Fourth of July. A juicy burger and a crisp German lager. Some things just go together. With the recent rise of craft beer in the U.S., Americans now have more beer choices than ever before. While it’s tempting to serve your favorite adult beverage with every dish, pairing the right beer style with your dish of choice can elevate your Independence Day meal.
Ahead of the July 4th holiday, Virginia Tech experts can speak on a variety of topics, including food & beer pairings for cookouts, pets & fireworks safety, grilling safety tips, and more. To schedule an interview, please contact the media relations office at [email protected]. Safeguarding pets on the 4th of July Summer heat and holiday travel can always be dangerous for pets, and so can the noise of fireworks.
While summer is a time for fun in the sun, we often hear of parents expressing their concern about the “summer slide.” It’s when the loss of learning opportunities during the break lead to regression in reading and math. Some studies suggest up to a month of learning is lost over the summer, but according to Tonya Price, a 4-H youth development extension specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension, there are many things that can be done to keep children learning and engaged while out of the classroom.
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season was among the most damaging and deadly in modern history, but that isn’t necessarily an indicator for 2023. According to Virginia Tech meteorologist Stephanie Zick most seasonal forecasts are predicting a near average season, which goes from June 1 to November 30. NOAA’s outlook predicts a 40% chance of a near-normal season, with numbers similar to last year.
Philadelphia work commuters and vacationers heading to the City of Brotherly Love or the Jersey shore are nearly a week into grappling with and sitting in stand-still traffic after a tanker truck fire collapsed part of a I-95 bridge in the northern part of the city. The fire also heavily damaged the southbound lane of I-95. How all this stress and time-waste affects commuters and their workday performance and/or their behavior at home after the commute is part of larger phenomenon that psychologists call “commuting spillover.
Virginia Tech media expert Megan Duncan provides context for the dramatic resignation of CNN CEO Chris Licht after 13 months as head of the cable news network.
Former U.S. vice president and Indiana governor Mike Pence is expected to announce an historic presidential run Wednesday — historic because he’ll be vying against his one-time boss, former President Donald Trump, for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Revelation of a sharp decline in the valuation of Twitter “illustrates not just the consequences of [Elon] Musk’s stewardship, but the myriad challenges that exist for anyone managing a social media platform,” explains Virginia Tech media expert Megan Duncan. “Buying a social media platform might be easy, but governing it is hard.”
“Simply put, the officer starts off with a command rather than a reason in escalated stops.” Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, the peer-reviewed research also found that Black men could often predict a stop’s outcome simply by listening to those same 45 words, which generally spanned less than 30 seconds.
A stroll through international statistics about walking reveals the grim reality of foot travel in the United States. “People walk less in the United States because it’s more dangerous to walk here and walking conditions are worse compared to other countries,” said Ralph Buehler, professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech.
Each Memorial Day, James Dubinsky takes some time to reflect. A retired U.S. Army veteran and now an associate professor of English at Virginia Tech who works with veteran communities, Dubinsky said each Memorial Day he remembers friends who died while serving, often by reading what other veterans have written. He also reflects on the meaning of Memorial Day.
The weather is warming up which means it's time to watch out for ticks. One way to protect yourself from tick-borne illnesses is to rethink landscaping choices, from the municipal level down to individual yards, according to a Virginia Tech medical geography expert who studies how Lyme cases are associated with certain land cover characteristics and configurations.
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