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Virtual Reality Used to Study Food Addictions
A faculty member at University of Houston in Texas is using virtual reality technology to study food cravings as a form of addiction. Tracey Ledoux, assistant professor of health and human performance, bases her research on studies showing food stimulates the same reward and motivation centers of the brain that respond to addictive drugs. In…
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North Africa, Middle East Entrepreneurial Programs Unveiled
Two new programs aimed at spurring innovation based on science and technology in North Africa, Middle East, and South Asia were unveiled at a kick-off meeting in Rabat, Morocco last week. The Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) in Arlington, Virginia manages the programs, with funding from the U.S. Department of State. One of new…
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Neuromuscular Drug Gets Fast-Track, Orphan Approval
Repligen Corp. in Waltham, Massachusetts says its drug candidate for spinal muscular atrophy received fast-track and orphan drug status from U.S. and European regulators. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted fast-track status to Repligen’s RG3039, while the European Medicines Agency gave the drug its orphan medicinal product designation. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is…
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Head Injuries Decline After Bicycle Helmets Mandated
Investigators at University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia report that bicycle-related head injuries fell significantly in the months after mandatory helmet legislation came into effect in that province. The researchers published their findings in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention (paid subscription required). Australia was the first country to introduce mandatory helmet…
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University, Foundation Establish Translational Awards
University of Missouri in Columbia and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation have established a a $5 million grant agreement for projects between biomedical engineers and clinicians to take research discoveries to the marketplace. The foundation has set up similar programs with some 15 universities nationwide. The agreement calls for the Coulter Foundation to fund two-thirds…
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Challenge Seeks Increase in Hepatitis C Treatment
A new challenge at InnoCentive, a company that conducts challenge contests for sponsoring organizations, seeks ways to increase the treatment rate of hepatitis C in Europe. The sponsor of this challenge, with a prize of $15,000, is not disclosed. The deadline for submissions is 22 August 2011. InnoCentive says the goal of the challenge is…
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Process Devised to Verify Safety of Assisted Driving Systems
Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have developed ways to verify the safety of driver assistance technologies, such as adaptive cruise control and automatic braking. Faculty member Andre Platzer and doctoral students Sarah Loos and Ligia Nistor will present their findings at the International Symposium on Formal Methods, on 22 June at the…
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Researchers Find New Properties in an Old Material
Researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg have devised a way to measure and manipulate the internal structure of Nafion, a common polymer, to expand the material’s applications. The research chemists’ results are published in the 19 June issue of the journal Nature Materials (paid subscription required). Nafion was developed in the 1960s by DuPont, and…
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Engineers Calculate, Write Software for Solar Fluctuations
A faculty-student engineering team at University of California, San Diego has developed a computer model to calculate fluctuations in the solar power grid caused by changes in cloud cover. The team of professor Jan Kleissl and Ph.D. student Matthew Lave have also written software to help power grid managers predict fluctuations in the solar grid…
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U.S. Patent Office Signs New, Expanded Reciprocity Deals
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced new or expanded patent reciprocity agreements with Israel, Korea, and the Nordic Patent Institute that covers Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. All of the agreements involve pilot tests of expedited patent examinations between the U.S. and partner countries. USPTO calls the overall reciprocity program the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH).…