In the News
Hollywood's Next Anti-Piracy Crusade: Crappy Cell Phone Copies
Scientists Solve Mystery About Why HIV Patients Are More Susceptible T
Scientists took an important first-step toward the development of new treatments to help people with HIV battle Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. HIV interferes with the cellular and molecular mechanisms used by the lungs to fight TB infection. Protective Role For Copper In Alzheimer’s Disease
New research has shown that there could be a protective role for copper in Alzheimer’s disease. Photoacoustic Images Add Valuable Information To Conventional Mammogra
Photoacoustic techniques can supplement conventional imaging techniques in breast cancer diagnostics. From first tests on patients using the 'photoacoustic mammoscope'researchers conclude that the images obtained add valuable information about the vascularisation of a tumor. In four out of five cases the photoacoustic images of the 'suspect'breast area show areas of high intensity around the tumor. Harvesting Energy From Nature's Motions
By taking advantage of the vagaries of the natural world, Duke University engineers have developed a novel approach that they believe can more efficiently harvest electricity from the motions of everyday life. Gentle Touch May Aid Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Physical therapists studying persons with multiple sclerosis found that excessive force often used for gripping can be eased by gently touching the hand or arm in use, raising the possibility of new therapy approaches. Genes That Increase Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Identified
A genetic region that is associated with increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis has been identified. The disease is a chronic and debilitating inflammatory disease of the joints that affects an estimated 2.1 million Americans. The hope is that by learning more about the genes and their role in the disease, scientists may find clues to influencing treatment of the disease. Nerve-stimulation Therapy For Patients With Treatment-resistant Depres
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is the first in the greater New York City-area to offer Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Therapy as a long-term treatment specifically approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). VNS Therapy is approved as a long-term adjunctive (add-on) treatment for patients 18 years of age and older who are experiencing a major depressive episode and have not had an adequate response to four or more adequate antidepressant treatments. Burning Question: Does Internet Speed Vary by Season?
We started asking around, and everyone gave us the same answer: "I don't have any data for that," said Amanda Sabia, principal analyst for Internet demand at Gartner Group. "Good question," said Comcast's Mary Nell Westbrook. "We're giving it a look." She got back to us the next day: "We just don't have anything." Apparently it's not something companies study. Some engineers at Ciscosurmised that temperature would affect the conductivity of the copper—and thus the average download velocity of a YouTube video. After all, the Wiedemann-Franz lawstates that the electrical conductivity of a metal falls as the temperature rises. Since the vast majority of the world's cable is in the northern hemisphere, the warm summertime months above the equator should see a drop in Internet speeds. "No way," said Doug Webster, a senior director at Cisco. "The infrastructure is engineered to counter those effects." Oh, snap. Fortunately, his company had the data to end this feud. The networking juggernaut regularly surveys 15 to 20 of the world's largest ISPs. And though Cisco had never crunched the numbers to account for seasonal variation until we asked, its data shows that the bits move most swiftly in June, July, and August. How could the Internet thumb its binary nose at the laws of physics? Webster has a theory: The Internet runs faster in the summer because people are outside enjoying the nice weather. It turns out that he's right. Traffic has a far greater effect on speed than the weather does. Download- friendly July has the least Web traffic. In 2008, 56 percent fewer bits moved through the Intertubes in July than in September. Using Webster's logic, you'd think that January and February—when everyone's inside ducking the cold—would have the slowest data-transfer rates. But again, the numbers beg to differ. The Net is most sluggish in September. Webster didn't have an explanation for this. Sure, schools are in session, but the same goes for February. So we called Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, who pointed out that this spike corresponds with a well-known phenomenon: "Economic productivity is highest in the autumn." It makes sense, according to Joe Robinson, who coaches massive corporations like IBM on work-life balance. "I can cite eight studies indicating that performance and productivity go up after vacation," he said. When you return from a long stint at the beach, you're not just recharged, you're more efficient. Even reaction times go up by 30 to 40 percent. It's not surprising then that Internet speeds lag when we're all back from vacay, hustling online, grabbing at that brass ring. 
 Fate Of Nano Waste: Researchers Study How To Make Nanomaterial Industr
Research into making the emerging nanomaterial industry environmentally sustainable is showing promise in a preliminary engineering study conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Rice University.
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