Tag: economics
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Software Helps Farmers Determine Pesticide Spray Dates
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed software that helps farmers decide on the best days to spray pesticides on their fields. The software was developed by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service at its Fort Collins, Colorado research facility. The software, called PhenologyMMS (Modular Modeling System), was developed by agronomist Greg McMaster and plant science technician…
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Study: Genomics R&D Generates $796 Billion Return to U.S.
An analysis by Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio estimates that the Human Genome Project and associated activities generated an economic return of $796 billion between 1988 and 2010, from an investment of $3.8 billion ($5.6 billion in constant dollars). In addition, Battelle calculates genomics research and development directly and indirectly resulted in personal income…
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Lower Cost Has Little Effect on Hearing Aid Purchase
A study conducted at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan finds that lower costs for hearing aids are not enough to motivate adults with mild hearing loss to purchase a device at a younger age or before their hearing worsens. The findings are published in the May issue of The Hearing Journal. Hearing loss…
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Math Model Developed to Determine Vaccine Combinations
Engineers and computer scientists at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and University of Illinois in Urbana have developed a mathematical model to determine the optimum combination of vaccines for children that keeps the injections affordable yet remains financially attractive to manufacturers. The team led by RIT’s Rubén Proaño published their findings last month…
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Grants Awarded for Biomass Research and Development
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy have awarded a new series of grants for research on the production of biofuels and related bio-based products from a variety of biomass sources. The eight project awards — four recipients in the private sector and four university or federal lab projects — total $47 million. Funding is…
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One Nation, Under Geeks
Review: Geek Nation by Angela Saini. Hodder & Stoughton (3 Mar 2011). Science writer Angela Saini describes the rise of science and engineering in India in her new book Geek Nation. But if you’re looking for a triumphant Indian victory march you may be disappointed. The book instead offers a sophisticated and nuanced analysis of…
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Global Venture Capital Volume Up in Q1, Deal Number Down
The volume of venture deals for companies in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Israel, China, and India jumped 20 percent to $9.8 billion in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same quarter in 2010. However, the number of deals worldwide declined 7 percent in the first quarter, to 967. The data compiled by Dow…
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Dutch-Chinese Project to Simulate Shipping Port Traffic
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands and Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China will develop a traffic model for shipping in congested port areas, which they hope will provide a better understanding of the ports’ capacity and improve safety. The project is part of a program by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific…
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Grant Funds Cross-Border Illegal E-Waste Tracking
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $2.5 million grant to help international efforts that curb improper disposal of hazardous electronic waste. EPA estimates that only about five percent of the more than 40 million metric tonnes of annual global e-waste are being recovered. The five-year grant to the United Nations University (UNU)…
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American Express to Open IP Marketplace
The financial services company American Express in New York says it is creating a marketplace for buying and selling intellectual property. The project called Intellectual Property (IP) Zone, now in beta testing, will cover trades involving patents, trademarks, software, and other IP products. The current beta version works with a closed group of buyers and…