Science and Enterprise

Month: February 2011

  • Nursing Home Liquid, Cream, Inhaler Drug Error Rates Higher

    A study in British nursing homes finds wide variations in medicinal delivery error rates depending on the formulation and type of delivery system. The results are published in the online edition of the journal BMJ Quality and Safety (paid subscription required). The research team from University of Leeds, University of London, and the London School…

  • Company Plans Robotic Lunar Mission

    Astrobotic Technology Inc. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has signed a contract with spacecraft company SpaceX to launch Astrobotic’s robotic payload to the moon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The company says the mission could launch as soon as December 2013. The project is expected to search for water and deliver payloads, with the robot narrating…

  • Math Techniques Developed to Aid HIV Drug Discovery

    Researchers at Princeton University in New Jersey, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland have developed mathematical methods for discovering new drugs for HIV and eventually for a range of diseases. Their results were published in a recent issue of Biophysical Journal. The new methods forecast the effectiveness of potential medicines by…

  • FDA Clearance Granted for Blood Tissue Monitor

    Ornim Inc. in Santa Clarita, California said it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its the CerOx 3210F monitor. The FDA action, known as a 510(k) clearance, is a pre-market notification required for medical devices to be sold in the U.S. Ornim says the FDA action clears the CerOx…

  • Nanolasers Grown on Silicon, Boost New Chip Prospects

    Engineers at University of California – Berkeley have grown nanoscale lasers directly on a silicon surface, an achievement that opens new possibilities in microprocessors, biosensors, and optical-electronic chips. Their findings are published in a paper the appeared 6 February in an advanced online issue of the journal Nature Photonics (paid subscription required). Greater demands on…

  • World Bank Contract Awarded for Off-Grid LED Tests

    The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York received a World Bank contract to perform laboratory testing of LED-based, off-grid lighting products. The LED-based lights are developed for Lighting Africa, a joint initiative between the World Bank and International Finance Corporation. Over the next 18 months, the LRC will lab…

  • New Techniques Developed to Bind Peptides, Proteins

    Research chemists at University at Buffalo in New York have devised two new ways of binding peptides to helix-shaped proteins, making the peptides more resistant to enzymes and more valuable in therapies. One of those binding techniques, called photoclick stapling, is described in a paper published online last month in the journal Bioorganic and Medicinal…

  • U.S., Europe Agree on Patent Classification Principles

    The U.S. and European patent authorities have agreed on the principles for a new system of classifying patents in their respective jurisdictions. A common classification system is expected to make it easier to search for patents across national boundaries. The United States Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) and European Patent Office (EPO) agreed that the new…

  • New Process Developed for Thin-Layered Nanomaterials

    An international research team has devised a new, yet practical method for creating super-thin layered materials with chemical properties potentially useful to electronics and energy storage technologies. The team from Ireland, U.K., U.S., and Korea published their findings in the 4 February edition of the journal Science (paid subscription required). Materials built at nanoscale —…

  • Long-Term Impacts of Biofuels on Land Analyzed

    A team of university, government, and national laboratory researchers ran simulations to gauge the impact of biofuel feedstocks on agricultural land. The findings are published in the January/February 2011 issue of Agronomy Journal (free full-text access for 30 days following publication). The study, funded by the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service, simulated experiments lasting from 79…