MedWorm: Virginia Tech

Guns and Mental Illness

About.com Bipolar Disorder — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The Virginia Tech shootings in April 2007 brought the issue of guns and mental illness very much in the public eye. The U.S. Congress, responding, passed a measure to strengthen existing laws regarding the purchase of firearms by some people with mental illnesses. Speaking about the House bill, National Rifle Association president Wayne LaPierre used language that anyone with any form of mental illness would find extremely offensive - mentally defective. (Source: About.com Bipolar Disorder)

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Researchers introducing sustainable agriculture practices to improve food security

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Two Virginia Tech professors are leading research teams that will work with scientists and small-scale farmers in South America and the Caribbean to increase food production, improve soil quality, and reduce risks associated with climate change. Central to both projects are conservation agriculture techniques. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Environmental engineers receive top science paper award for investigative work

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Research that contradicted years of government assertions that no residents in Washington D.C. had been harmed by years of unnecessary exposure to very high levels of lead in their potable water has received the Environmental Science and Technology Editor's Choice Award for Best Science Paper of 2009. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Women More Affected Than Men By Air Pollution When Running Marathons

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Poor air quality apparently affects the running times of women in marathons, according to a study by Virginia Tech civil and environmental engineer Linsey Marr. Marr's findings come from a comprehensive study that evaluated marathon race results, weather data, and air pollutant concentrations in seven marathons over a period of eight to 28 years. The top three male and female finishing times were compared with the course record and contrasted with air pollutant levels, taking high temperatures that were detrimental to performance into consideration... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Women More Affected Than Men By Air Pollution When Running Marathons

Water Quality / Air Quality News From Medical News Today — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Virginia Tech's David Dillard receives international adhesion science award

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) A major thrust of Dillard's research work is the development of appropriate test methods for evaluation of adhesive bonds, analysis and design procedures for adhesive joints, and studies of the durability of such systems when exposed to a variety of environmental conditions. Recent efforts include durability of fuel cell materials and behavior of adhesives under impact conditions. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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After 5 years, free systems biology markup language has proven popular

EurekAlert! - Biology — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) A scientific paper that describes a file format used by scientists to represent models of biological processes has exceeded 500 citations. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is designed to enable the exchange of quantitative models of biochemical networks between different computer software packages, allowing the models to be shared and published in a form other researchers can use in various software environments. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Women more affected than men by air pollution when running marathons

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Findings come from a comprehensive study that evaluated marathon race results, weather data, and air pollutant concentrations in seven marathons over a period of 8 to 28 years. The top three male and female finishing times were compared with the course record and contrasted with air pollutant levels, taking high temperatures that were detrimental to performance into consideration. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Treatment of breast cancer through the application of irreversible electroporation using a novel minimally invasive single needle electrode

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:44:08 +0100

Abstract Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a therapeutic technology for the ablation of soft tissues using electrodes to deliver intense but short electric pulses across a cell membrane, creating nanopores that lead to cell death. This phenomenon only affects the cell membrane, leaving the extracellular matrix and sensitive structures intact, making it a promising technique for the treatment many types of tumors. In this paper, we present the first in vivo study to achieve tumor regression using a translatable, clinically relevant single needle electrode for treatment administration. Numerical models of the electric field distribution for the protocol used suggest that a 1000 V/cm field threshold is sufficient to treat a tumor, and that the electric field distribu...

Virginia Tech researchers engage communities to support women in IT careers

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Interactions with others dissuade young girls with an interest in technology from considering a career in information technology. "There's nothing wrong with the girls," said one of the researchers. "They have as much interest, ability, and access as boys their age. What is lacking is encouragement from those around them and knowledge of local opportunities." (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Predicting the Unpredictable: A Comment on Recent Shooting Tragedies

Psychology Today Personality Center — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:45:54 +0100

On February 12th 2010, Amy Bishop reportedly killed three university colleagues, while seriously wounding three others. She was an Assistant Professor of Biology at University of Alabama at Huntsville, and it is widely believed that her actions were motivated by anger caused due to being denied tenure at the university (AP, 2/13/2010). This tragic incident re-opened wounds inflicted by recent shooting tragedies at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois Universities.For most, the shock experienced after these events is palpable. For some, it is life-long. One of the first reactions to such extreme events is a search for an explanation. Why did the person do this? What about their personality or life history lead them to such extreme actions? How could have this been prevented? Such questions a...

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Biologists Use Mathematics To Advance Our Understanding Of Health And Disease

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Math-based computer models are a powerful tool for discovering the details of complex living systems. John Tyson, professor of biology at Virginia Tech, is creating such models to discover how cells process information and make decisions. "Cells receive information in the form of chemical signals, physical attachments to other cells, or radiation damage, for instance," Tyson said. "On the basis of this information, the cells must make the correct response, such as to grow and divide, or to stop growing and repair damage, or to commit suicide... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Biologists Use Mathematics To Advance Our Understanding Of Health And Disease

IT / Internet / E-mail News From Medical News Today — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Math-based computer models are a powerful tool for discovering the details of complex living systems. John Tyson, professor of biology at Virginia Tech, is creating such models to discover how cells process information and make decisions. "Cells receive information in the form of chemical signals, physical attachments to other cells, or radiation damage, for instance," Tyson said... (Source: IT / Internet / E-mail News From Medical News Today)

Biologists use mathematics to advance our understanding of health and disease

EurekAlert! - Biology — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Math-based computer models are a powerful tool for discovering the details of complex living systems. John Tyson, professor of biology at Virginia Tech, is creating such models to discover how cells process information and make decisions. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Finches Seek Out Sick Dining Companions

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:03:08 +0100

When you’re looking for a table in a crowded cafeteria, you probably give wide berth to the family that sounds like it’s sharing a big dish of whooping cough. Well, not if you’re a house finch, particularly a male. Because a study in the journal Biology Letters [by Karen M. Bouwman and Dana M. Hawley at Virginia Tech; see http://bit.ly/afHGw7 ] shows that male finches actually prefer feeding near males who are visibly ill. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Better Knowledge Of Cell Structure Could Aid Organ Reconstruction, Energy Harvesting, More

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Cornel Sultan, assistant professor of aerospace and ocean engineering at Virginia Tech, is the latest faculty member at the university to learn he has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. Sultan joins a phenomenal list of more than 70 Virginia Tech CAREER award winners, of which some 60 have been members of the College of Engineering since the award was created in 1994. He will receive some $400,000 from NSF to help him in his research and teaching endeavors. http://www.aoe.vt.edu/people/faculty... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Better Knowledge Of Cell Structure Could Aid Organ Reconstruction, Energy Harvesting, More

Medical Devices News From Medical News Today — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Engineer studies tensional integrity of biological structures

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Cornel Sultan, assistant professor of aerospace and ocean engineering at Virginia Tech, has received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development award to look at biological discoveries to develop new controllable structures. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Research Experiences for Undergraduates Cognitive Communications @ Virginia Tech

ScanGrants feed — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Applications Accepted Through March 10, 2010 The NSF REU Site at Virginia Tech (VT) supports 10 (ten) undergraduate students to participate in the ongoing research activities of faculty members in the field of Cognitive Communications during an exciting 10-week summer session. The REU participants will receive formal instruction on Cognitive Communications and will investigate various problems related to software defined radios, cognitive radios, wireless networks, wireless communication circuits, and human factors engineering in communications. This research will be performed under the day-to-day supervision of four VT faculty mentors. This integrated educational and research experience will be enhanced by weekly formal individual meetings, weekly formal research group meetings, and week...

Tracking The Spread Of Disease, Malware And Power Outages

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100

An assistant professor with the Virginia Tech College of Engineering has won a $750,000 federal grant to formulate a mathematical framework that can track the spread of pandemics among populations and malware across wireless computer networks, as well as how a blackout occurring on one major power grid can cause a cascade of additional neighboring networks to fail. Funded by the U.S... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Tracking The Spread Of Disease, Malware And Power Outages

Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses News From Medical News Today — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0100

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Shakespeare and School Shooters, Part 2 (Romeo and Juliet)

Psychology Today Personality Center — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:50:07 +0100

As noted in my last blog, Eric Harris cited The Tempest twice in his personal writings. This piece examines references to Romeo and Juliet by three rampage shooters: Kimveer Gill, Seung Hui Cho, and Kip Kinkel. Kimveer Gill was the 25-year-old who shot 20 people at Dawson College in Montreal in 2006. He lived with his parents and younger siblings. He was not enrolled in college, and apparently had no job, no friends, and no significant relationships. His online postings expressed interest in women, but there is no indication that he ever dated. Kimveer seems to have been an unusually isolated individual. In fact, his level of isolation and lack of social functioning, along with evidence of paranoia in his postings, suggests that perhaps he was suffering from schizophrenia (I believe...

Virginia AG Works To Increase Outpatient Treatment For Mentally Ill; Iowa Hospitals Oppose Medicare Fraud Bill

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0100

News outlets report on health care developments in Virginia, the District of Columbia, California, Iowa, Maryland, Maine and Michigan. The Virginia attorney general wants to increase access to outpatient treatment for the mentally ill, The Washington Post reports. "After the shootings at Virginia Tech by a mentally ill student in 2007, the Virginia General Assembly changed the law the next year to allow more outpatient treatment. But even fewer people were ordered into outpatient treatment in the law's first year... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Researcher to track spread of disease, malware and power outages

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) An assistant professor with the Virginia Tech College of Engineering has won a Department of Energy Early Career Award to formulate a mathematical framework that can track the spread of pandemics among populations and malware across wireless computer networks, as well as how a blackout occurring on one major power grid can cause a cascade of additional neighboring networks to fail. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Engineers explore environmental concerns of nanotechnology

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) As researchers around the world hasten to employ nanotechnology to improve production methods for applications that range from manufacturing materials to creating new pharmaceutical drugs, the national Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology looks at potential environmental exposure, biological effects, and ecological consequences. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Lab On A Chip Features Advances In Cancer Detection Research By Virginia Tech Engineer

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100

New advances for the detection of cancer led by Rafael V. Davalos of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Science (SBES) are featured as the cover story in the January 19, 2010 Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Lab on a Chip, the premier journal for researchers in microfluidics. Microfluidics is the behavior of fluids at the microscale level. A relatively new technology, it had already shown promise in revolutionizing certain procedures in molecular biology and in proteomics, among other fields... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Lab On A Chip Features Advances In Cancer Detection Research By Virginia Tech Engineer

Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100

New advances for the detection of cancer led by Rafael V. Davalos of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Science (SBES) are featured as the cover story in the January 19, 2010 Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Lab on a Chip, the premier journal for researchers in microfluidics. Microfluidics is the behavior of fluids at the microscale level... (Source: Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today)

Advances in cancer detection research by Virginia Tech engineer featured in British magazine

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) An assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech helped engineer microsystems for the detection of water-borne pathogens using a technique called dielectrophoresis, which separates and identifies cells and microparticles suspended in a medium based on their size and electrical properties. Now he and colleagues have found a way to provide "the nonuniform electric field required for DEP that does not require electrodes to contact the sample fluid." (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

ARRA Broadband Workshop Outreach Event: Broadband Workshop 8

Rural events via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:12:30 +0100

Feb 9, 2010. The Inn at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. Sponsored by USDA Rural Development (Source: Rural events via the Rural Assistance Center)

Judy Riffle elected international fellow

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Judy S. Riffle, professor of chemistry and director of Virginia Tech's Macromolecular Science and Engineering program, was one of only three chemists worldwide to be named a Fellow in the Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering division of the American Chemical Society in 2010. She was recognized for her significant contributions to the science and engineering of polymeric materials. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

CAREER grant will help understand cell cycle model

EurekAlert! - Biology — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Yang Cao, an assistant professor of computer science, is developing computer simulation methods to help biologists understand the complex, discrete, and stochastic cell cycle and provide the ability to switch between different models and algorithms as dictated by the scales of underlying problems, with seamless transition. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

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Engineers Seek To Stem Massive, Deadly Flow Of Heart Disease

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Virginia Tech researcher Pavlos Vlachos and his students in the College of Engineering have a tall order to tackle: Stem the grim progression of heart disease, which kills hundreds of thousands of people each year in the United States alone. Vlachos, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Advanced Experimental Thermofluid Engineering Research Laboratory, is waging this fight with what he calls his four children. That's not a condescending term for his researchers, but a parental pride in the series of cardiac-related projects he's working on... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Engineers Seek To Stem Massive, Deadly Flow Of Heart Disease

Cardiovascular / Cardiology News From Medical News Today — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Study Shows Serious Emotional Disturbances Among Children After Katrina

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100

A team made up of mental health professionals, emergency response experts, and researchers from several universities, including Virginia Tech, has published the results of a study that shows serious emotional disturbances among children who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Category 3 storm ravaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005. The study, published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, showed the estimated prevalence of serious emotional disturbances (SED) among residents of the affected areas was 14.9 percent. Of those, 9... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Study Shows Serious Emotional Disturbances Among Children After Katrina

Pediatrics News From Medical News Today — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0100

Theralase Technologies Research Successfully Destroys Breast Cancer Cells

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE:TLT) announces revolutionary results of a pre-clinical study of its patented photodynamic compounds (PDCs) and their ability, when used with Theralase lasers, to destroy breast cancer cells. Theralase plans to submit results to the US Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, as part of its collaborative work with Virginia Tech... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Theralase Technologies Research Successfully Destroys Breast Cancer Cells

Breast Cancer News From Medical News Today — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Theralase Technologies Inc.: Theralase Technologies Research Successfully Destroys Breast Cancer Cells

Market Wire - Pharmaceuticals and Biotech — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:00:00 +0100

TORONTO, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE: TLT) announces revolutionary results of a pre-clinical study of its patented photodynamic compounds (PDCs) and their ability, when used with Theralase lasers, to destroy breast cancer cells. Theralase plans to submit results to the US Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, as part of its collaborative work with Virginia Tech. (Source: Market Wire - Pharmaceuticals and Biotech)

Study shows serious emotional disturbances among children after Katrina

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) A team of mental health professionals, emergency response experts, and researchers has published the results of a study that shows serious emotional disturbances (SED) among children as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The Category 3 storm ravaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Characteristics of SED include inappropriate behavior, depression, hyperactivity, eating disorders, fears and phobias, and learning difficulties. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Virginia Tech licenses GenoCAD source code to ISCB

EurekAlert! - Biology — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) The source code for a Web site that allows users to design synthetic genetic systems for biological research has been licensed to the International Society for Computational Biology with the aim of developing open source tools for the synthetic biology community. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Scientists Study Effects of Crashes on Pregnant Women

OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:32:12 +0100

Biomedical researchers at the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences recently completed a three-year project that studied how to better protect pregnant women in car accidents. Partly funded by Ford, the study... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)

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Lasers And Photodynamic Drugs Zap Breast Cancer

About.com Breast Cancer — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Breast cancer grows in the dark, low-oxygen, sealed environment of your body. It is usually removed with surgery and treated with chemotherapy and radiation. But medical lasers may be able to shed some targeted light on a new treatment for breast cancer. Scientists at Virginia Tech have been working with researchers at Canadian company Theralase to test a combination of photodynamic compounds (PDCs) and medical lasers on breast cancer cells. Not yet tested on people, the labs test results of the laser and PDC combination looks very exciting. Roger Dumoulin-White, President and CEO of Theralase announced that in-vitro testing of Theralase photodynamic compounds caused the destruction of breast cancer cells. Dr. Lothar Lilge, principal investigator of this study, is very happy with the study...

Gun laws and the involuntarily committed: a California road map. - Zahedi S, Burchuk R, Stone DC, Kopelowicz A.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:14:17 +0100

The 2007 incident at Virginia Tech brought the question of gun ownership by the mentally ill to the forefront of public attention. Moreover, it underscored the potentially devastating consequences of the imperfect connection between federal and state laws ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Radical Embitterment: The Unconscious Psychology of Terrorists

Psychology Today Personality Center — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 05:53:31 +0100

Yesterday, Christmas Day, 2009, a twenty-three-year-old Nigerian with purported Al-Qaeda connections, apparently tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines jet carrying almost three-hundred-passengers-plus-crew as it prepared to land in Detroit, Michigan. Miraculously, as with the infamous "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid in 2001, the allegedly "sophisticated" device he attempted to detonate did not work as planned, and disaster was once again averted. But authorities, who are officially calling it an act of terrorism, are concerned that this could be part of a concerted effort by other similarly armed individuals intending to bring down passenger planes. In 2006, British police broke up a plot to blow half-a-dozen commercial airliners out of the sky on their way to the U.S., using a chemical explosi...

Virginia Tech teams with automaker to improve car safety for women, fetuses

OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:45:00 +0100

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Shifting the focus from infants and children in safety seats, researchers and car manufacturers are looking to prevent fetal deaths by making automobile travel safer for expectant mothers. Biomedical researchers are working... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)

Glacier melt adds ancient edibles to marine buffet

EurekAlert! - Biology — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Glaciers along the Gulf of Alaska are enriching stream and near shore marine ecosystems from a surprising source -- ancient carbon contained in glacial runoff. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

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Modern tests demonstrate soundness of old iron bridge

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:00:00 +0100

An unusual bowstring truss iron bridge that carried traffic across Roaring Run in Bedford County, Va. for almost 100 years is now a picturesque footbridge at the I-81 Ironto, Va. rest stop. Built in 1878, it is the oldest standing metal bridge in Virginia. In early December, a Virginia Tech undergraduate conducted a load-bearing analysis of the structure. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Study shows link between working memory and reactive parenting

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Any parent knows that sometimes maintaining your cool with misbehaving children is a challenge. A new study by psychologists at Virginia Tech and two other universities suggests that parents with poorer working memory skills are less likely to be able to control their emotions with their children. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Studying Simulated Car Crashes Involving Pregnant Women

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0100

Although states are not required to report fetal deaths in accident data, between 300 and 1,000 unborn babies die in car accidents each year. This accident fatality rate is about four times the rate for victims between infancy and four years old, said Stefan Duma, head of the Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Science (SBES). "There is no silver bullet to solving these problems," Duma added... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Studying Simulated Car Crashes Involving Pregnant Women

IT / Internet / E-mail News From Medical News Today — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0100

Although states are not required to report fetal deaths in accident data, between 300 and 1,000 unborn babies die in car accidents each year. This accident fatality rate is about four times the rate for victims between infancy and four years old, said Stefan Duma, head of the Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Science (SBES)... (Source: IT / Internet / E-mail News From Medical News Today)

Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Ford study simulated car crashes involving pregnant women

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) The model being developed could help Ford safety researchers better understand how crash forces specifically affect pregnant women and their developing babies. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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New Data Point to Extent of Trauma At Virginia Tech: More than 15% of students had PTSD.

Clinical Psychiatry News — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

ATLANTA — Research is starting to demonstrate the extent to which the differential loss and trauma experienced by students and staff at Virginia Tech on the morning of a shooting rampage more than 2 years ago relates to risk for posttraumatic stress disorder and development of mental illness in general. (Source: Clinical Psychiatry News)

Quantitative approach to forensic fingerprint comparison studied

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) There is no quantitative standard used by the worldwide fingerprint community to determine the quantity and quality of information in an image or for the number of points of comparison required for identification. The National Institute of Justice has awarded researchers at Virginia Tech a two-year, $854,907 grant to develop a quantitative approach to measuring and establishing a standard for "sufficiency" of information available in fingerprint patterns. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

The Multi-faceted Influences of Estrogen on Lymphocytes: Toward Novel Immuno-interventions Strategies for Autoimmunity Management

Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:07:52 +0100

Abstract Early studies of the immune system disclosed that, generally, females exhibit stronger responses to a variety of antigens than males. Perhaps as a result of this response, women are more prone to developing autoimmune diseases than men. Yet, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms remain under investigation. Recently, interferon-gamma and the related pro-inflammatory interleukin-12 were found to be under effects of sex steroid hormones, with potential implications in regulating immune cells and autoimmune responses. In B lymphocytes, functional binding sites for estrogen receptors were identified in the promoter of the gene encoding activation-induced deaminase, an enzyme required for somatic hypermutation, and class-switch recombination. The observation tha...

Turkey Genome Sequencing Consortium awarded $0.9 million from USDA

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Turkey is the fourth most economically important source of meat for consumers in the United States. The genome sequence and genomic resources should provide turkey breeders with the tools needed to improve commercial breeds of turkey for production traits such as meat yield and quality, health and disease resistance, and fertility and reproduction. The sequence work is now about 90 percent complete. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

A Virginia Tech MFT ethics class reflects on the shootings at Virginia Tech. - Piercy F, Banker J, Traylor R, Krug S, Castanos C, Cole E, Ciafardini AJ, Jordal C, Rodgers B, Stewart S, Goodwin A.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:22:44 +0100

The authors of this article include the professor and most of the students in a doctoral course on marriage and family therapy ethical and professional issues that met the semester that a disturbed student shot and killed 32 Virginia Tech students and facu... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

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Pediatric Patients Hospitalized with Myocarditis: A Multi-Institutional Analysis

Pediatric Cardiology — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:49:28 +0100

In conclusion, pediatric patients with myocarditis have considerable variability in their presentations and outcomes, use more resources, and die more often than children with other diagnoses. Attempts at using characteristics that uniformly predict illness severity or survival were not successful. Despite increased use in the sickest patients, IVIG conferred no survival advantage. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ArticleDOI 10.1007/s00246-009-9589-9Authors Darren Klugman, The George Washington University School of Medicine Critical Care Medicine and Cardiology, Children’s National Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics Washington DC 20037 USAJohn T. Berger, The George Washington University School of Medicine Critical Care Medicine and Cardiology, Children’s ...

Underground mine ventilation subject of study

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech researchers will use gas tracers as a means of remotely ascertaining information about ventilation control systems following a mine collapse or explosion. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Hope, Rage and Fort Hood

Psychology Today Depression Center — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:55:44 +0100

Greetings Welcome to my blog. My name is Tony Scioli (pronounced "showli"). I am a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology who has been studying hope for several decades. For the past 10 years I have been working on a new theory of hope. Along the way, I've written two books on the topic as well as conducting a number of related experiments and developing tests to measure hope and hopelessness. Starting today, I will be blogging on hope for Psychology Today (Hence the title for this post, "Hope for Today"). In this first post, my intention was to devote most of this blog to giving you a sense of my general perspective on psychology, and introduce you to my way of understanding hope. But with news of the recent events at Fort Hood in Texas, I am going to shift my focus to this tra...

Dust control research leads to a NIOSH grant to facilitate adoption of hazard controls

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) In the construction industry, respiratory disease, often leading to disability or an increased risk of cancer, is a major public health concern. Studies led by Deborah Young-Corbett of Virginia Tech's School of Construction have shown that specific types of sanding tools are highly effective in reducing the dust that causes these health hazards. Theodore Koebel of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech has identified strategies to encourage the construction industry to adopt the new technologies. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Orlando shooter, US army Fort Hood shooter both linked to psychiatric drugs

NaturalNews.com — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0100

(NaturalNews) US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan shot and killed 13 people and wounded 30 others in a violent attack at a Texas Army base this past week. He reportedly opened fire at the Fort Hood army base without any particular reason or motivation. In fact, as a psychiatrist, he had counseled many other soldiers on how to cope with the consequences of extreme violence (losing limbs, mental anguish, etc.).As an army psychiatrist, he was also allowed to prescribe powerful psychiatric drugs to both his patients and himself. Many psychiatrists self-medicate, and Hasan was extremely anxious about the possibility of being sent overseas by the army, according to statements from family members (Reuters, below). Although official confirmation will probably never be made, it seems altogether likely ...

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Murder, Malice, and Hope

Psychology Today Personality Center — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:22:01 +0100

We are made uncomfortable by the radomness in our lives. When something terrible happens we search for explanations in the same way that primitive people did when puzzled by the complexity of the universe. Why does one person kill another, or 13 others? The fact that murder has always been a routine phenomenon of human existence does not dispel the horror that it implies or our desire to reassure ourselves that we are less likely to die this way if only we can understand the "motive" for such acts. We can better grasp the idea of murder in certain contexts. We accept that jealousy, or greed, or hatred drives some people to kill. We expect a certain amount of killing on the streets of the inner city perpetrated by by those with cr...

Pathogen protection and virulence: Dark side of fungal membrane protein revealed

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and Montana State University have discovered a fungal protein that plays a key role in causing disease in plants and animals and which also shields the pathogen from oxidative stress. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Medical Mysteries:

Wash Post Health — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:04:03 +0100

When Shannon Aud, a freshman at Virginia Tech, came home for winter break last December, she was looking forward to a few weeks relaxing with her family, hanging out with her friends and skiing at a West Virginia resort. But on Christmas Eve, when she developed a bad sore throat, Aud figured she'... (Source: Wash Post Health)

Widely used virus assay shown unreliable when compared to other methods

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) In the course of doing research on the mosquito-borne pathogens chikungunya virus and o' nyong-nyong virus, Virginia Tech researchers have discovered an inconvenient truth about an assay, strand-specific quantitative real-time PCR (ssqPCR), increasingly being used to detect and measure replicating viral RNA in infected cells and tissues. The method most labs are using for ssqPCR is unreliable. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Virginia Tech Receives Funding for Disease Tracking Database

RWJF News Digest - Public Health — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Blacksburg-based Virginia Tech's Virginia Bioinformatics Institute has received a $27.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish an infectious disease database, the Roanoke Times reports. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Public Health)

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National Science Foundation Fellow uses ultrasound to research bog turtles

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) National Science Foundation Fellow N. Danielle Bridgers of Suffolk, Va., a fisheries and wildlife sciences graduate student at Virginia Tech, is using ultrasound in her research of the less-than four-inch long bog turtle in order to pinpoint when they will lay their eggs and help protect the endangered creatures. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Va Tech chemist gets grant to study genetic drugs

OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

A chemistry professor at Virginia Tech is getting a $2.3 million grant to develop heart disease and cancer medicines with fewer side effects. The grant from the National Institutes of Health was awarded to Theresa Reineke. Her research group is... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)

EPA fellow studies effect of mercury in toads

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Christine Bergeron of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, a doctoral student in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources, received a fellowship from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Center for Environmental Research for her research on the reproductive success of American toads. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Research with wood ducks earns graduate student 2 national awards

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Sarah DuRant of Saluda, S.C., a fisheries and wildlife sciences doctoral student in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources, received Grants-in-Aid of Research awards from both the scientific research society Sigma Xi and the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology for her work and research with wood ducks. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Johns Hopkins leads in R&D funding

Physics Today News Picks — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Physics Today: Johns Hopkins University is again the leading US academic institution in total research and development spending for the 30th year in a row, according to a new the latest annual NSF Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges. The total funding ranking includes research support not only from federal agencies, but also from foundations, industry and other sources. The university pulled in $1.68 billion in medical, science and engineering research in fiscal 2008, half of which was based at the Applied Physics Laboratory. Since NSF changed its methodology in 1979 to include spending by the Applied Physics Laboratory in the university’s totals, the university has remained top of the list. APL employs 4,300 people working specifically on some...

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Chemist receives NIH New Innovator grant for genetic drug research

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Theresa Reineke, associate professor of chemistry at Virginia Tech, has been awarded a $2.3 million NIH New Innovator grant, which is designed to fund research that is in its earliest stages and holds potential for exceptionally high impact. She is doing research that will aid in the development of new heart disease and cancer medicines that have fewer side effects. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

The Crisis in College and University Mental Health

Psychiatric Times — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:30:01 +0100

In the past few years, college mental health issues have received increasing attention by the mental health community, the public, administrators, and legislators. Events such as the death of MIT student Elizabeth Shin and the subsequent legal battle, and the series of suicides at NYU a few years ago received prominent media coverage.1,2 In the aftermath of the tragic murders/suicides at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, college student mental health issues and campus safety have become pressing public health and policy concerns.3,4 (Source: Psychiatric Times)

Tendon, ligament repair in horses focus of research

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) One method to treat tendon and ligament injuries is to inject stem cells or progenitor cells taken from the patient. However, the cells' healing properties differ, depending on where within the body these cells are harvested. The Virginia Tech research will compare the capacity of different types of cells to repair damaged tendon. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Novel Polymer Delivers Genetic Medicine, Allows Tracking

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Theresa M. Reineke, associate professor of chemistry in the College of Science, and colleagues in her lab at Virginia Tech and at the University of Cincinnati have developed a new molecule that can travel into cells, deliver genetic cargo, and packs a beacon so scientists can follow its movements in living systems. "My lab has been trying to find a way to deliver genetic-based drugs into cells. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Novel polymer delivers genetic medicine, allows tracking

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Researchers at Virginia Tech and at the University of Cincinnati have developed a new molecule that can travel into cells, deliver genetic cargo, and packs a beacon so scientists can follow its movements in living systems. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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NIH funds new phase of high school-university research partnership

EurekAlert! - Biology — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) A five-year-old Virginia Tech outreach program, which has more than 12,000 high school students doing research and providing results that scientists can use, has received a $1.3 million Science Education Partnership Award and a $200,000 administrative supplement to expand benefits to more students and more high schools. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

VBI awarded $27 million from NIH to support infectious disease research

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) The NIAID funding will be used to integrate vital information on pathogens, provide key resources and tools to scientists, and help researchers analyze genomic, proteomic and other data arising from infectious disease research. The overall program will comprise four new Bioinformatics Resource Centers and a new gateway portal for the entire project. Each BRC will focus on one of the following pathogen types: bacterial species; viral families; protozoan species; and invertebrate vectors of human pathogens. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Improved Robotic Hand Captures Mechanical Engineering Top Award

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

The Virginia Tech College of Engineering's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) has captured another top award for its updated innovative robotic hand that can automatically change its grasping force using compressed air. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

National Science Foundation funds systems biology study of crop drought responses

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Water scarcity, caused by factors such as climate change and rapid population growth, can limit crop production, especially when it occurs during essential periods of plant growth. Cereal crops such as maize, wheat, rice, and barley can be drastically affected by even slight water deficits at critical reproductive stages. Developing a more comprehensive understanding of drought and plants' complex responses to this environmental stress requires a global view of the multiple interactive components involved. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

NSF CAREER award recipient to study work practices of global engineering professionals

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) It is Aditya Johri's hope that his research will advance understanding of how engineers work on teams spread across the world using information technology, and lead to insights that can help educators better prepare future engineers. Such international collaboration in the classroom can transform how engineering students are educated, Johri said. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Disease Ecology To Be Studied By NIH Fellowship Recipient

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Camille Harris of Ridgeland, Mississippi, a graduate student in biological sciences at Virginia Tech, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Graduate Research Fellowship for her study of forest disturbance and its ecological impacts on LaCrosse Virus, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause seizures, coma, paralysis, and permanent brain damage in severe cases. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Improved robotic hand captures mechanical engineering top award

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) The Virginia Tech College of Engineering's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory has captured the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' top award for its updated innovative robotic hand that can automatically change its grasping force using compressed air. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

NIH fellowship recipient to study disease ecology

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Camille Harris of Ridgeland, Mississippi, a graduate student in biological sciences at Virginia Tech, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health Graduate Research Fellowship for her study of forest disturbance and its ecological impacts on LaCrosse virus, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause seizures, coma, paralysis, and permanent brain damage in severe cases. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Draft potato genome based on unique potato variety

EurekAlert! - Biology — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) The Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium, an international team of scientists from industry and academia in 14 countries, has released a draft sequence of the potato genome. Richard Veilleux, professor of horticulture at Virginia Tech, contributed a unique phureja type of potato variety that accelerated the development of a blueprint for one of the world's most important food crops. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Engineering Team To Design And Study Liver Mimics

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Virginia Tech College of Engineering researchers will use more than $1 million in grant funding to study engineered tissues that mimic the liver, one of the human body's most complex organs. Padma Rajagopalan, an assistant professor in the department of chemical engineering, is designing liver mimics that eventually could form the basis for extracorporeal liver-assist devices. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Engineering team to design and study liver mimics

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech College of Engineering researchers will use more than $1 million in grant funding to study engineered tissues that mimic the liver, one of the human body's most complex organs. The primary research goal of these projects is to assemble 3D cellular structures that mimic the liver using the major cell types found in the liver. Liver mimics could eventually form the basis for extracorporeal liver-assist devices. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Researcher looks for answers about unique disease-resistant gene

EurekAlert! - Biology — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Each year, more than 20 percent of all crops are lost to plant diseases worldwide. An NSF CAREER-funded researcher aims to discover how a disease-resistant gene in corn prevents bacteria from invading distantly related plant species. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Virginia Tech Biomedical Engineering Team To Study Knee Ligament Sprains

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0100

A team of Virginia Tech engineering researchers has won a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to study knee ligament sprains at the micro-mechanical level. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Virginia Tech biomedical engineering team to study knee ligament sprains

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech engineers are examining the role of the structural components of knee ligament in sprains by combining micro-mechanical models, molecular models, and biological and mechanical experiments. The study is expected to clarify micro-structural changes, such as the level of collagen crosslink, associated with partial and complete tears. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Nuclear Engineering At Virginia Tech Supported By NRC

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Virginia Tech's nuclear engineering program will receive $450,000 for faculty development and $399,948 for fellowships from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC awarded nearly $20 million to 70 institutions to boost nuclear education and expand the workforce in nuclear and nuclear-related disciplines. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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The Secrets Of The Lowly Ground Beetle Could Lead To Better Tissue Engineering

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Insects are about to be analyzed in a new way by a host of Virginia Tech engineering faculty. They will be using some fancy state-of-the-art equipment, such as a kilometer-long synchrotron x-ray light source, which might be enough to scare any bug. And first up will be beetles, grasshoppers and silk moths because they have some endearing characteristics. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

The secrets of the lowly ground beetle could lead to better tissue engineering

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) The first engineering study of the internal fluid flows of insects, creatures that have evolved efficiently over millions of years, may provide engineers and scientists with new ideas for how to build better artificial tissues and organs, and for the design of new medically implantable microdevices. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Virginia Tech's proposed next generation nano-CT system will enhance nano-scale research

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech researchers are developing the next-generation nano-CT imaging system, which promises to provide images that will reveal deeply imbedded details, including subcellular features and to greatly reduce the required dose of radiation. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Award Of $1.4 Million For GenoCAD Development From National Science Foundation

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +0100

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a three-year $1,421,725 grant to Jean Peccoud, associate professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech, to develop GenoCAD - a web-based Computer Assisted Design environment for synthetic biology. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

NIH Recovery Act Funding For Infectious Disease Modeling Received By VBI Researcher

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 +0100

A researcher from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech has received a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to support ongoing work to develop high-performance computer models for the study of very large networks. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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VBI researcher receives NIH Recovery Act funding for infectious disease modeling

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) A researcher from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech has received a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to support ongoing work to develop high-performance computer models for the study of very large networks. Simulations of large networks on high-performance computers can be used to study the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, such as H1N1 influenza (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

National Science Foundation awards $1.4 million for GenoCAD development

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) An NSF award supports development of a web-based Computer Assisted Design environment for synthetic biology, which applies methods developed in engineering to design artificial biological systems that meet user-defined specifications. It has also been used to redesign natural systems to better understand the fundamental properties of living organisms. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Researchers evaluate resistance training for diabetes prevention

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Systematic, progressive resistance training -- also called strength training -- is a safe and efficient way for middle-aged and older adults to improve their health. A Virginia Tech led research team that includes experts in behavior, exercise, physiology, and medicine is designing a program to help pre-diabetic adults begin and, most important, maintain resistance training in order to prevent diabetes. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Recruiting Charter Class

AAFP Resident and Student Focus — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:35:00 +0100

Nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute, or VTC, in Roanoke is gearing up for next year. Specifically, the school of medicine is getting the word out to recruit its first class of 42 students for fall 2010. (Source: AAFP Resident and Student Focus)

Va. Tech Gunman's Missing Mental Records Released

Wash Post Health — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:01:58 +0100

The missing mental health records of Seung-Hui Cho were released Wednesday afternoon and indicate that the Virginia Tech gunman was never treated at the school's counseling center, despite orders from a judge that he get the help. (Source: Wash Post Health)

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Geobiologists propose that the earliest complex organisms fed by absorbing ocean buffet

EurekAlert! - Biology — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Research at Virginia Tech has shown that the oldest complex life forms -- living in nutrient-rich oceans more than 540 million years ago -- likely fed by osmosis. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

NSF Emerging Frontiers' program supports development of smart materials based on study of fish

EurekAlert! - Biology — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) After engineers and scientists at Virginia Tech, Harvard and Drexel finish studying the locomotion of fish in water, Michael Phelps may find he has a few new ways to increase his world-breaking Olympic times. The remarkable ability of fish to maneuver in tight places, or to hover in one area efficiently, or to accelerate in a seemingly effortless fashion has researchers wondering if they can create smarter materials that emulate the biology of these vertebrates. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Math model accurately mimics cell division in carbon-cycling bacterium

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech scientists have developed a quantitative, mathematical model of DNA replication and cell division for the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Algebra Adds Value To Mathematical Biology Education

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0100

As mathematics continues to become an increasingly important component in undergraduate biology programs, a more comprehensive understanding of the use of algebraic models is needed by the next generation of biologists to facilitate new advances in the life sciences, according to researchers at Sweet Briar College and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Health literacy beyond knowledge and behaviour: letting the patient be a patient

International Journal of Public Health — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:13:46 +0100

Content Type Journal ArticleCategory CommentaryDOI 10.1007/s00038-009-0052-8Authors Sara Rubinelli, University of Lugano Institute of Communication and Health Via Buffi 13 6904 Lugano (CH) SwitzerlandPeter J. Schulz, University of Lugano Institute of Communication and Health Via Buffi 13 6904 Lugano (CH) SwitzerlandKent Nakamoto, Virginia Tech Department of Marketing Blacksburg VA USA Journal International Journal of Public HealthOnline ISSN 1661-8564Print ISSN 1661-8556 (Source: International Journal of Public Health)

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Algebra adds value to mathematical biology education

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) As mathematics continues to become an increasingly important component in undergraduate biology programs, a more comprehensive understanding of the use of algebraic models is needed by the next generation of biologists to facilitate new advances in the life sciences, according to researchers at Sweet Briar College and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

The Crisis in College and University Mental Health

Psychiatric Times — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

In the past few years, college mental health issues have received increasing attention by the mental health community, the public, administrators, and legislators. Events such as the death of MIT student Elizabeth Shin and the subsequent legal battle, and the series of suicides at NYU a few years ago received prominent media coverage.1,2 In the aftermath of the tragic murders/suicides at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, college student mental health issues and campus safety are pressing public health and policy concerns.3,4 (Source: Psychiatric Times)

Virginia Tech gunman's mental records found

L.A. Times - Health — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0100

The belated emergence of Seung-hui Cho's file marks another embarrassing lapse in the 2007 case and raises questions about how such evidence could be lost for so long. The Virginia Tech gunman's missing mental health records have been found at the home of a former university counseling official more than two years after the bloodbath. (Source: L.A. Times - Health)

Missing Mental Health Records of Va. Tech Shooter Are Discovered

Wash Post Health — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

The missing mental health records of Seung Hui Cho, who was responsible for the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, mysteriously resurfaced last week in the home of the former director of the university's counseling center. (Source: Wash Post Health)

Missing Mental Health Records of Va. Tech Shooter Are Discovered

washingtonpost.com - Health — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

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Vehicle Designed For Blind To Take The Wheel

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:00:00 +0100

A student team in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering is providing the blind with an opportunity many never thought possible: The opportunity to drive. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Systems Biology Recommended As A Clinical Approach To Cancer

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Four researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and their colleagues at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine are advocating the use of systems biology as an innovative clinical approach to cancer. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Invention Of Remote-Controlled Closed System For Inserting Radio-Active Atoms Inside Fullerenes

Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Virginia Tech chemistry Professor Harry C. Dorn, Emory and Henry College chemistry Professor James Duchamp, and Panos Fatouros, professor and chair of the Division of Radiation Physics and Biology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine have co-invented a hands-off process for filling fullerenes with radio-active material. Fullerenes are hollow carbon molecules. Dorn has created new materials by filling them with atoms of various metals. (Source: Cancer / Oncology News From Medical News Today)

Systems biology recommended as a clinical approach to cancer

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine are advocating the use of systems biology as an innovative clinical approach to cancer. This approach could result in the development of improved diagnostic tools and treatment options, as well as potential new drug targets to help combat the many potentially fatal types of the disease. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Petascale Computer Modeling Capabilities To Be Developed At Virginia Bioinformatics Institute

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0100

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a four-year, $1,450,000 grant to the Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory (NDSSL) at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and partners to develop petascale computing environments that model billions of individuals in extremely large social and information networks. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Remote-control closed system invented for inserting radio-active atoms inside fullerenes

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) A hands-off process for filling fullerenes with radioactive material is being tested to see if it will produce multi-modality material for better imaging and targeting of treatment of brain tumors. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Mystery of bat with an extraordinary nose solved

EurekAlert! - Biology — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Soon to be published research explains a 60-year mystery behind a rare bat's nose that is unusually large for its species. Bourret's horseshoe bat uses its elongated nose to create a highly focused sonar beam. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute to develop petascale computer modeling capabilities

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) The goal of the proposal is to use new computer technology to study events like disease pandemics, financial crises, as well as the spread of opinions, attitudes or social beliefs, through populations on a global scale. Current agent-based computer models can simulate the spread of a disease like influenza through a population the size of the United States. Petascale modeling would make comparable agent-based studies of disease transmission possible for global populations. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Researchers looking at climate change, culture to predict land abandonment in Russia

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) A study using socio-demographic data and NASA satellite images will incorporate population trends, cultural factors and climate change to predict land abandonment patterns in Russia. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

VBI Researchers Develop New Method For Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery

Cancercompass News: Breast Cancer — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Three researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech have developed and evaluated a new one-step bioanalytical approach that allows them to profile in detail complex cellular extracts of proteins. The method has allowed the scientists to look at how the levels of proteins change in breast cancer cells when they are treated with hormones or cancer drugs like tamoxifen. VBI Assistant Professor Iuliana Lazar, along with VBI Professor Ina Hoeschele and VBI Postdoctoral Associate Jenny Armenta, developed the method*, which uses proteomic technologies for fast biomarker fingerprinting in complex cellular extracts. The goal of biomarker discovery and screening is to identify changes in the levels of key proteins i... (Source: Cancercompass News: Breast Cancer)

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Scientists Sequence Genome Of The N2-Fixing, Soil-Living Bacterium Azotobacter Vinelandii

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:00:00 +0100

A collaboration of researchers, which includes scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and Virginia Tech, have completed the genome sequence of Azotobacter vinelandii, uncovering important genetic information that will contribute to a more complete understanding of the biology of this versatile, soil-living bacterium. The work will help advance research on A. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Powe Award supports research on how enzymes enable the pathogenicity of 2 human disease organisms

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Oak Ridge Associated Universities presents the Powe award to faculty members who are in the first two years of their tenure track as an investment in promising achievements in an important area. The award to Pablo Sobrado at Virginia Tech will support his research on the mechanism of iron acquisition by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Aspergillus fumigatus. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

New Method For Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery Developed By VBI Researchers

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

New Method for Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery Developed

Huliq Health News — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:37:39 +0100

VBI researchers develop new method for breast cancer biomarker discovery

EurekAlert! - Cancer — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Three researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech have developed and evaluated a new one-step bioanalytical approach that allows them to profile in detail complex cellular extracts of proteins. The method has allowed the scientists to look at how the levels of proteins change in breast cancer cells when they are treated with hormones or cancer drugs like tamoxifen. (Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer)

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Mass Murder Goes to College: An Examination of Changes on College Campuses Following Virginia Tech. - Fox JA, Savage J.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:57:01 +0100

Notwithstanding the historical significance of the Columbine shooting, recent attention has shifted to college campuses following high-profile massacres at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. In this article, the authors compile and discuss the... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

More Potent Vaccine Technology Being Developed By Virginia Tech Virologist

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:00:00 +0100

Virginia Tech virologist Chris Roberts' goal is to develop a platform for a flu vaccine that allows rapid modifications to meet new strains of flu. Since 90 percent of complicated flu cases occur among those over 65, the associate professor in biomedical sciences and pathobiology has been working on a novel flu vaccine for the elderly. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

More potent vaccine technology

Medicineworld.org: New Article Alert — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:11:02 +0100

Blacksburg, Va. Virginia Tech virologist Chris Roberts' goal is to develop a platform for a flu vaccine that allows rapid modifications to meet new strains of flu. Since 90 percent of complicated flu cases occur among those over 65, the associate professor in biomedical sciences and pathobiology (http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/org/dbsp/) has been working on a novel flu vaccine for the elderly. That is still his aim, but he is now more motivated than ever to speed development of his cell culture-based vaccine technology that is more rapid than the egg-based growth system presently used to create vaccines........ (Source: Medicineworld.org: New Article Alert)

Virginia Tech virologist developing more potent vaccine technology

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech virologist Chris Roberts is developing cell culture-based vaccine technology that is more rapid than the egg-based growth system presently used to create vaccines. He is introducing membrane-bound immune-system stimulatory molecules such as cytokines into cells in such a way that the virus will incorporate them as part of its envelope. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

[State Policy] Mental Health System Transformation After The Virginia Tech Tragedy

Health Affairs — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100

On 16 April 2007, a deeply disturbed Virginia Tech student murdered thirty-two fellow students and... (Source: Health Affairs)

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Mental Health System Transformation After The Virginia Tech Tragedy [State Policy]

Health Affairs — Sun, 03 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100

On 16 April 2007, a deeply disturbed Virginia Tech student murdered thirty-two fellow students and... (Source: Health Affairs)

Systems Biology Map Of Iron Metabolism

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Scientists at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have taken the first steps toward constructing a systems biology map of iron metabolism. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Toward a systems biology map of iron metabolism

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Scientists at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have taken the first steps toward constructing a systems biology map of iron metabolism. The team has put together a general network of chemicals and reactions important for the many steps and reactions that constitute iron metabolism. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

A Survey of Perceptions of the Virginia Tech Tragedy. - Fallahi CR, Austad CS, Fallon M, Leishman L.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:03:37 +0100

The recent shootings at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) shocked the nation and brought violence on college campuses to the forefront of the nation's attention. We surveyed college students and faculty/staff three weeks after the incident... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Correlating cumulative sub-concussive head impacts in football with player performance. - Rowson S, Goforth MW, Dietter D, Brolinson PG, Duma SM.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:03:35 +0100

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cumulative sub-concussive head impacts on football player performance. The helmets of three Virginia Tech football players were instrumented with a six accelerometer sensor capable of measuring h... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

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Virginia Tech graduate student receives first Rachel Carson award for scientific excellence

EurekAlert! - Biology — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Rachel Mair received the first-ever Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence from the US Fish and Wildlife Service for her work developing successful culture systems and feeding regimes for the culture and propagation of endangered freshwater mussels. She successfully cultured the endangered northern riffleshell, spiny mussel and oyster mussel. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Development Of Resistance-Breaking Insecticides To Reduce Malaria Transmission Funded By NIH

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Researchers from Virginia Tech and Molsoft LLC have received a five-year, $3.557 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to continue their promising work on a new class of resistance-breaking insecticides to reduce malaria transmission. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

NIH funds development of resistance-breaking insecticides to reduce malaria transmission

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech and Molsoft LLC researchers received the grant to continue their work on a new class of resistance-breaking insecticides to reduce malaria transmission. Two advances from previous research form the basis for the grant: they figured out how to inhibit target site-resistant mosquito AChE (a key enzyme in the mosquito brain) and demonstrated this effect in vitro, and they discovered a way to modify the chemical structures of existing AChE-targeting insecticides to significantly lower toxicity to mammals. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

Virginia Tech, Wake Forest Study Points To Ways To Improve Cancer Therapy

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Cancer and its therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may directly alter and damage taste and odor perception, possibly leading to patient malnutrition, and in severe cases, significant morbidity, according to a Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center compilation of various existing studies. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Introduction for Editor's Workshop

Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Our guest in this issue is Dr. Eduardo Lara Torre. Ed is well known to NASPAG members for his training and expertise in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. He is Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, VA. His responsibilities include serving as Associate Residency Program Director to complement his role as Director of Ambulatory Gynecology. Ed completed his Fellowship training in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine following his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Case Western Reserve University Medical School. (Source: Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology)

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Improving Cancer Therapy Achieved Through Taste, Odor Intervention

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Cancer and its therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may directly alter and damage taste and odor perception, possibly leading to patient malnutrition, and in severe cases, significant morbidity, according to a Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center compilation of various existing studies. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Evolutionary origin of bacterial chromosomes revealed

EurekAlert! - Biology — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Researchers have unveiled the evolutionary origin of the different chromosomal architectures found in three species of Agrobacterium. A comprehensive comparison of the Agrobacterium sequence information with the genome sequences of other bacteria suggests a general model for how second chromosomes are formed in bacteria. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)

Coenzyme rare to bacteria critical to Mycobacterium tuberculosis survival

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Coenzyme F420 is common in archaea, some of which thrive in extreme environments, but rare in bacteria. However, it also helps the bacterium that causes tuberculosis to survive the defenses of the human immune system. Scientists have now discovered at least one way F420 helps to arm the pathogen. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

Acute effects of localized muscle fatigue on postural control and patterns of recovery during upright stance: influence of fatigue location and age

European Journal of Applied Physiology — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:54:28 +0100

Abstract The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of fatigue location and age on changes in postural control induced by localized muscle fatigue, as well as the patterns of recovery post-fatigue. Groups of 16 younger (18–25 years) and 16 older (55–65 years) participants performed submaximal isotonic fatiguing exercises involving the unilateral ankle plantar flexors, knee extensors, and shoulder flexors, and bilateral lumbar extensors. Postural control was assessed during quiet upright stance, from center-of-pressure and center-of-mass time series obtained before and after the fatiguing exercises. Acute effects of fatigue differed between joints, with the most substantial effects evident at the lower back, followed by the ankle. Neither knee ...

Bioinformatics sheds light on evolutionary origin of Rickettsia virulence genes

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Virginia Tech) Scientists from three universities have revealed that genes for a specific type of molecular secretion system in Rickettsia, a structure that is linked in many cases to virulence, have been conserved over many years of evolution. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

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Matched experimental and computational simulations of paintball eye impacts. - Kennedy EA, Stitzel JD, Duma SM.

SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:01:03 +0100

Over 1200 paintball related eye injuries are treated every year in US emergency departments. These injuries can be manifested as irritation from paint splatter in the eye to catastrophic rupture of the globe. Using the Virginia Tech - Wake Forest Universit... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Campus isn't the most stressful thing

L.A. Times - Health — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:00:39 +0100

Whether in college or not, young adults have a lot of mental health issues to sort out. A troubled, gun-wielding 23-year-old student at Virginia Tech goes on a campus rampage, killing 32 people and eventually himself. An MIT student commits suicide by ingesting cyanide, and another dies in a fire after a drug overdose. (Source: L.A. Times - Health)

Mayo Invention Collaboration Focuses on New Treatment For Depression

Mayo Clinic Research News — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:38:59 +0100

Researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., through their technology commercialization efforts, have licensed compounds to AstraZeneca for potential new drug therapies to treat depression. (Source: Mayo Clinic Research News)

Mayo Invention Collaboration Focuses on New Treatment For Depression

Mayo Clinic Jacksonville News — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:38:59 +0100