science wire

Mosquito behavior may be immune response, not parasite manipulation
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Malaria-carrying mosquitos appear to be manipulated by the parasites they carry, but this manipulation may simply be part of the mosquitos' immune response, according to Penn State entomologists. "Normally, after a female mosquito ingests a blood meal, she matures her eggs and does not take another one until the meal is digested," said Lauren J. Cator, postdoctoral fellow in entomology and a member of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Penn State.

Getting to the bottom of the zombie ant phenomenon
The cadaver of a zombie ant clings to a leaf in the tropical understory. Emerging from its head are spores of the parasitic fungus that killed it.

Research suggests modular design competence can benefit new product development
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A new research study suggests that supplier integration into the new product development process can be more beneficial if buyers increase their competency in modular design. Penn State Smeal College of Business faculty member Veronica H. Villena and her colleague Fabrizio Salvador of the IE Business School in Madrid examined the ways modular design competence can mitigate costs and challenges associated with supplier integration while making best use of the benefits.

Married Penn State Guggenheim Fellows a rarity
Guggenheim Fellows Judith Kroll and David Rosenbaum. The married recipients will use their fellowships to do research at UCLA in Los Angeles.

Larson Institute hosts international friction workshop
Josh Jones of Oklahoma-based Blastrac showed off a machine designed to remove tire rubber, residue and surface contamination from asphalt surfaces to improve skid resistance, micro textures and macro textures.

Guide adds new voices to history of Gettysburg battle
This Confederate artillery location on Benner's Hill played a key role on day-one at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Car wars: Advanced vehicles show range of technologies
The 21st Century Automotive Challenge will give visitors a chance to check out vehicles powered by a number of alternative energy sources, including electricity, compressed natural gas and biodiesel.

GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Project underway at The Navy Yard
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful collaboration of researchers, manufacturers and economic development officials are embarking on a groundbreaking demonstration project for smart-grid, net zero energy buildings called the GridSTAR Center - a Smart Energy Campus initiative at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia.

GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Project under way at The Navy Yard
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful collaboration of researchers, manufacturers and economic development officials are embarking on a groundbreaking demonstration project for smart-grid, net zero energy buildings called the GridSTAR Center - a Smart Energy Campus initiative at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia.

A revolution in three dimensions ... maybe four: PSU explores 3-D printing
David Saint John, an instructor in Penn State's College of Engineering, working with a 3-D printer constructed by engineering students.

A revolution in three dimensions, maybe four: Penn State explores 3-D printing
David Saint John, an instructor in Penn State's College of Engineering, working with a 3-D printer constructed by engineering students.

The Mexican Children of Immigrants Program: Interpreting the numbers
Deborah Graefe, Nancy Landale, and Jennifer Van Hook (left to right), are key researchers for the Mexican Children of Immigrants Program at Penn State.

Whole walnuts and their extracted oil improve cardiovascular disease risk
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Consumption of whole walnuts or their extracted oil can reduce cardiovascular risk through a mechanism other than simply lowering cholesterol, according to a team of Penn State, Tufts University and University of Pennsylvania researchers. "We already know that eating walnuts in a heart-healthy diet can lower blood cholesterol levels," said Penny Kris-Etherton , Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, Penn State.

Logan named deputy editor of new environmental journal
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Bruce Logan, Evan Pugh Professor and the Stand and Flora Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering, has been named the inaugural deputy editor of the newly launched Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T) Letters journal. The journal, from American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications, is designed to accelerate the pace of research across the environmental field by providing the global multidisciplinary research community with an outlet to highlight urgent critical findings in a letters format.

Probing Question: Do women dominate the field of forensic science?
Exhuming corpses, analyzing bloodstained clothing, collecting "crime scene insects" (yes, maggots)...these are some of the grittier realities of life as a forensic scientist.

Report: A seller's conspicuous consumption can undermine bond with consumers
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - What kind of judgments do buyers make based on the way a sellers present themselves?

AMON: An Eye on the Universe
Among the creation gods of ancient Egypt, Ra, the Sun God, was master of the physical, concrete world.

Undergraduate research project to be published in international journal
An independent research study written by class of 2013 Smeal College of Business Marketing major Setenay Kucukemiroglu has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Commerce and Management. Kucukemiroglu's study, titled "Online Word-of-Mouth Communication on Social Networking Sites: An Empirical Study of Facebook Users," was co-authored with Ali Kara, professor of marketing at Penn State York.

Bonding with your virtual self may alter your actual perceptions
PARIS - When people create and modify their virtual reality avatars, the hardships faced by their alter egos can influence how they perceive virtual environments, according to researchers.

People may welcome talking tissue boxes and other smart objects
PARIS - Just as people have embraced computers and smart phones, they may also give their blessing to talking tissue boxes and other smart objects, according to Penn State researchers. "Smart objects will become more and more a part of our daily lives," said S. Shyam Sundar , Distinguished Professor of and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory.

Leadership emerges spontaneously during games
PARIS - Video game and augmented-reality game players can spontaneously build virtual teams and leadership structures without special tools or guidance, according to researchers.

Changing cellulose-forming process may tap plants' biofuel potential
Lin Fang, graduate student in agricultural and biological engineering at Penn State, displays a purified microbial cellulose sample in her lab on the University Park campus. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Changing the way a plant forms cellulose may lead to more efficient, less expensive biofuel production, according to Penn State engineers.

New research center tackles concussions
Recent strides made in concussion research emphasize the importance of giving a traumatic brain injury enough time to heal.

Literary scholar contributes to new 'Gatsby' film
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A Penn State literary scholar, James L. W. West III, the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English, has played a key behind-the-scenes role as a consultant to the director and cast of the upcoming Warner Brothers film "The Great Gatsby .

Marketing activities can lead to better IPO performance
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Oral supplement increases body's storage of antioxidant
Oral supplementation of glutathione is effective in increasing the body's stores of the antioxidant, said Penn State College of Medicine researchers in study results presented at a conference today (April 22). Glutathione is involved in protecting cells and tissues from oxidants and other toxins.

Probing Question: Are we running out of helium?
Party planners, take note: the atmosphere may become a little deflated at gala events in the future.

Better coordination necessary to reduce hospital readmission rates
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Achieving widespread reductions in preventable hospital readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries may take longer than many health care professionals originally anticipated, according to researchers at Penn State, the Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania.

Better coordination necessary to reduce hospital re-admission rates
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Achieving widespread reductions in preventable hospital readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries may take longer than many health care professionals originally anticipated, according to researchers at Penn State, the Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania.

WHO grant will fund infectious disease research in Tanzania
Three Maasai discuss local dynamics of infectious disease with Isabella Cattadori (second from left) and other researchers (not shown) from the Huck Institutes.

Maya Long Count calendar and European calendar linked using carbon-14 dating
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Maya are famous for their complex, intertwined calendric systems, and now one calendar, the Maya Long Count, is empirically calibrated to the modern European calendar, according to an international team of researchers. "The Long Count calendar fell into disuse before European in the Maya area," said Douglas J. Kennett, professor of environmental archaeology, Penn State.

Neighborhood park renovations enhance visitor behaviors and experiences
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Renovating public parks enhances visitor behaviors and experiences, according to researchers at Penn State, who surveyed park visitors in Allentown, Pa., about their use of a neighborhood park after it was renovated.

Penn State researching ways to improve computer speed, efficiency
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Remember when each new crop of computers was ever so much faster than the previous models? Well, those good-old days ended about five years ago when the accelerating rate of computing speeds crashed into the impenetrable wall of fundamental physics.

Tracking Yellowstone Wolves
Huck Insitutes graduate student Emily Almberg harnesses the passion of the wolf-watching community with a citizen science website aimed at improving research and public awareness.

Flexible electronics could transform the way we make and use electronic devices
Example of a flexible-circuit film displayed by a member of Professor Tom Jackson's Electronics Research Group on Penn State's University Park campus.

Progress in developing renewable energy using photovoltaics
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Jeffrey Brownson, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering and materials science and engineering , presented "Power Quest: Are We Solving the Sustainable Energy Puzzle?" at a recent Research Unplugged event in downtown State College.

Ozone masks plant's volatiles, plant eating insects confused
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to researchers from Penn State and the University of Virginia. "Ozone pollution has great potential to perniciously alter key interactions between plants and animals," the researchers said in a recent issue of Environmental Research Letters.

NASA selects Penn State nanosatellite for launch
Aerospace engineering senior Andre Coleman Jr. serves as the thermal subsystems lead for the Penn State OSIRIS nanosatellite mission, slated to be launched by NASA between 2014 and 2016.

Monosaturated fats reduce metabolic syndrome risk
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Canola oil and high-oleic canola oils can lower abdominal fat when used in place of other selected oil blends, according to a team of American and Canadian researchers.

Monounsaturated fats reduce metabolic syndrome risk
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Canola oil and high-oleic canola oils can lower abdominal fat when used in place of other selected oil blends, according to a team of American and Canadian researchers.

Theory and practice key to optimized broadband, low-loss optical metamaterials
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The union of theory and practice makes broadband, low-loss optical devices practical, which is why two groups of Penn State engineers collaborated to design optical metamaterials that have custom applications that are easily manufactured.

Organizations benefit from fluid team dynamics, less rigid authority lines
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Team dynamics should be fluid, Smeal researchers report
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Smeal research studies effects of opening, closing retail stores on firm value
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For many large chain retailers, closing store locations is more strongly associated with increases in firm value than opening new stores, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Retailing. Decisions on store openings and closings are commonly made to effect performance at the product and consumer levels, but this study is one of the first to examine how these openings and closings impact overall firm value.

Fighting fire with fire
A wildfire in Lassen National Forest in northern California, where Penn State Professor Alan Taylor studied the impact of fire suppression policy.

Suppression of naturally occurring blazes may increase wildfire risk
A wildfire in Lassen National Forest in northern California, where Penn State Professor Alan Taylor studied the impact of fire suppression policy.

Endangered lemurs' complete genomes are sequenced and analyzed for conservation
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the first time, the complete genomes of three separate populations of aye-ayes - a type of lemur - have been sequenced and analyzed in an effort to help guide conservation efforts.

Probing Question: Why do we waste so much food?
Chalk it up to one of the many contradictions of modern life in developed nations: we cajole our kids into eating all the food on their plates "because children in poorer countries are starving" at the same time as we face a growing obesity epidemic worldwide.

Penn State, Pratt & Whitney inaugurate most advanced turbine testing lab in U.S
Al Brockett, Pratt & Whitney's vice president of engineering module centers, has spearheaded the company's collaboration with Penn State.

Penn State team receives Google grant for app security
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - An international research team including Penn State computer engineers has received a $50,000 Google Faculty Research Award focusing on smartphone application security.

Comparing to others may improve motivation for self-care
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Comparing yourself to others who are either worse off or are not coping well may increase your motivation to take better care of yourself when facing an illness or disease, according to researchers at Penn State and Drexel University. "Sustaining motivation for self-care behaviors involving illnesses or diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, is challenging, and the role of social influence on motivation and behavior is underappreciated," said Joshua Smyth , professor of biobehavioral health and of medicine, Penn State.

Postpartum anxiety more common, less recognized than postpartum depression
HERSHEY, Pa. - New mothers are more likely to experience postpartum anxiety than they are postpartum depression, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers, yet screening for anxiety does not routinely occur during maternity hospital stays or during the postpartum period. "Many clinicians would anecdotally tell you that they have seen anxious women after childbirth, but the important thing is that few people really talk about it," said Ian Paul, M.D., professor of pediatrics and public health sciences.

Pre-college talk between parents and teens likely to lessen college drinking
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Deer dispersal research and chronic wasting disease
Deer and elk infected by chronic wasting disease may not produce any visible symptoms for a number of years. And older animals, especially males such as this handsome buck, are most likely to be infected. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Between 2001 and 2005, when Duane Diefenbach was studying the dispersal of young white-tailed deer, he had no idea the research would prove useful in trying to contain an outbreak of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the Keystone State.

Unhealthy eating can make a bad mood worse
MIAMI, Fla. - Taking part in unhealthy eating behaviors may cause women who are concerned about their diet and self-image to experience a worsening of their moods, according to Penn State researchers. In a study, college-age women who were concerned about their eating behaviors reported that moods worsened after bouts of disordered eating, said Kristin Heron, research associate at the Survey Research Center.

Professors: School choice policies can relieve or exacerbate segregation
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Violence returns to the streets of Northern Ireland
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In 1998, the Real Irish Republican Army, an IRA splinter group, detonated a car bomb in a shopping area of Omagh, Northern Ireland, that killed 29 people.

Richards Center trains next generation of Civil War scholars
At 4:30 a.m. on a Friday in April 1861, a shell from a 10-inch rebel mortar burst 100 feet over Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, beginning a bombardment that lasted nearly 34 hours.

Earth-sized planets in habitable zones are more common than previously thought
The graphic shows optimistic and conservative habitable zone boundaries around cool, low mass stars. The numbers indicate the names of known Kepler planet candidates. Yellow color represents candidates with less than 1.4 times Earth-radius. Green color represents planet candidates between 1.4 and 2 Earth radius.

College enrollment does not lead to problem drinking in adulthood
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Despite the high levels of binge drinking that take place on college campuses, college enrollment does not lead to substance abuse problems later in adulthood, and it may actually prevent adult substance abuse among youth who would not be expected to attend college, according to researchers at Penn State.

Closest star system in a century
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A pair of newly discovered stars is the third-closest star system to the sun, according to a paper that will be published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. The duo is the closest star system discovered since 1916. The discovery was made by Kevin Luhman , an associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and a researcher in Penn State's Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds.

Device may lead to quicker, more efficient diagnostics
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A twist on thin-film technology may provide a way to optically detect and analyze multiple substances simultaneously, leading to quicker diagnostics in such industries as health care and homeland security, according to Penn State researchers.

Farmers who commit totally to sell locally can make a profit
Buy Fresh Buy Local is a nationally promoted trademark of the FoodRoutes Network, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) located in Millheim, PA.

Probing Question: Is being overweight always bad for your health?
Fat. Sugar. Salt. Americans have a love-hate relationship with these ingredients. We know we should consume them in moderation.

Dr. Michael Michalisin's study on use of new technology published
Michael Michalisin co-authored an article on new technology use for the Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability. Michael D. Michalisin, professor of management and business program coordinator at Penn State Worthington Scranton, and two co-authors, recently published an article in the Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability.

Why do we eat what we eat?
When it comes to food choice, Nadia Byrnes is something of a natural. "My friends always joke that when they need a new place to eat they don't Google it, they just ask me," says the Penn State doctoral student.

Faculty Publications Showcased at Campus Library
Faculty members at Penn State DuBois engage in research that helps to provide solutions to global problems and improve the lives of people around the world.  The discoveries these educators make alon

Jets’ contrails contribute to heat-trapping high-level clouds
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Condensation trails that airplanes produce mean not only a white-streaked sky on some days, but an increase in the amount of high-level clouds and, by extension, warming temperatures, according to a Penn State researcher. By comparing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite images showing contrail occurrence with data from eastern U.S. stations that record sky-coverage for different levels in the atmosphere, Penn State Professor of Geography Andrew Carleton was able to confirm that contrails contribute to the occurrence of high-level clouds.

Children learn better when they figure things out for themselves
MEDIA, Pa. - Research conducted by Penn State Brandywine Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Jennifer Zosh has discovered that toddlers learn new words more effectively by using their knowledge about the world to infer the label of an object, rather than by simply being instructed and told which word goes with which object.

Change in Presque Isle Bay status based on Penn State Behrend analysis
A six-year study of bullhead catfish in Presque Isle Bay prompted state and federal regulators to reclassify the water's environmental quality.

Organizations need new architectures to remain competitive
Increasingly dynamic and complex business environments necessitate a retooling of hierarchical organizational schemes, according to research co-authored by Penn State Smeal College of Business Charles Snow.

Playing devil's advocate
Students study maps in the Red Cell Analytics Lab at Penn State's Information Sciences and Technology Building on the University Park campus.

Penn State researchers part of $194 million national semiconductor effort
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Penn State researchers part of $194 million STARnet national semiconductor effort
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Red Cell Lab offers realistic terrorism lessons for future intelligence analysts
Students study maps in the Red Cell Analytics Lab at Penn State's Information Sciences and Technology Building on the University Park campus.

Engineering control theory helps create dynamic brain models
BOSTON - Models of the human brain, patterned on engineering control theory, may some day help researchers control such neurological diseases as epilepsy, Parkinson's and migraines, according to a Pe

Penn State Harrisburg research improves high-speed digital signals
Our digitized world of instant communication is enabled by the transfer of high-speed signals across many systems within a device. As modern signal speeds are pushed to quickly accommodate gigabytes of data, disturbances that were once considered minor, such as weather changes, now become more serious, with the potential to stop systems and corrupt data.

Research on Ice
Antarctica's recent summer season was a success for the Penn State researchers who camped out on the ice for nearly two months.

Key to cleaner environment may be right beneath our feet
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - While many people recognize that clean water and air are signs of a healthy ecosystem, most do not realize that a critical part of the environment is right beneath their feet, according to a Penn State hydrologist.

Evolution helped turn hairless skin into a canvas for self-expression
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Hairless skin first evolved in humans as a way to keep cool - and then turned into a canvas to help them look cool, according to a Penn State anthropologist.

Flow of research on ice sheets helps answer climate questions
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Modern life may cause sun exposure, skin pigmentation mismatch
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As people move more often and become more urbanized, skin color - an adaptation that took hundreds of thousands of years to develop in humans - may lose some of its evolutionary advantage, according to a Penn State anthropologist.

Flu outbreaks modeled by new study of classroom schedules
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Classroom rosters combined with human-networking theory may give a clearer picture of just how infectious diseases such as influenza can spread through a closed group of people, and even through populations at large. Using high school schedule data for a community of students, teachers and staff, Penn State's Marcel Salathé, an assistant professor of biology, and Timo Smieszek, a post-doctoral researcher, have developed a low-cost but effective method to determine how to focus disease-control strategies based on which individuals are most likely to spread the infection.

Wild plants are infected with many viruses and still thrive
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Researchers have studied viruses as agents of disease in humans, domestic animals and plants, but a study of plant viruses in the wild may point to a more cooperative, benevolent role of the microbe, according to a Penn State virologist. "Most of these wild plants have viruses," said Marilyn Roossinck, professor of plant pathology and environmental microbiology and biology, who has examined more than 7,000 individual plants for viruses.

Decoys could blunt spread of ash-killing beetles
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As the emerald ash borer ravages North American ash trees, threatening the trees' very survival, a team of entomologists and engineers may have found a way to prevent the spread of the pests.

Preserving biodiversity can be compatible with intensive agriculture
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Probing Question: Can a shy person be an actor?
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - You're the type of person who stands back in a crowd, taking it all in. When out with a group of friends, you linger on the edges, contributing to the conversation only when you feel you have something worthwhile to share.

Compound stimulates tumor-fighting protein in cancer therapy
HERSHEY, Pa. - A compound that stimulates the production of a tumor-fighting protein may improve the usefulness of the protein in cancer therapy, according to a team of researchers, including several from the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute and College of Medicine. TRAIL is a natural anti-tumor protein that suppresses tumor development during immune surveillance - the immune system's process of patrolling the body for cancer cells.

THON influences doctor's career and cancer research
For Sinisa Dovat, THON and the Four Diamonds Fund are not only sources of funding for his novel research into leukemia, but also were inspirations to come to Penn State Hershey.

Social media abuzz about how to breed super queen bees
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - While honey bee populations dwindle across the globe, Penn State researchers aim to use communication technologies to spread revolutionary beekeeping techniques that will help offset the effects of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Computer modeling breaks new ground in study of root architecture
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The UN estimates that one in every seven people around the world are hungry. Fortunately, Jonathan Lynch uses information technology (IT) to get to the root of this problem. Lynch is a professor of plant nutrition in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. His research focuses on plant root architecture, and how the study of plant roots can increase crop yields and improve global food security.

Light-emitting triangles may have applications in optical technology
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the first time, scientists have created single layers of a naturally occurring rare mineral called tungstenite, or WS2. The resulting sheet of stacked sulfur and tungsten atoms forms a honeycomb pattern of triangles that have been shown to have unusual light-emitting, or photoluminescent, properties.

Researchers to investigate Everglades ecosystem, climate change
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - Water management in the Florida Everglades is the focus of a National Science Foundation grant awarded to Jose Fuentes, professor of meteorology.

Hazleton professor studies how relationships make us better
Assistant professor of communication arts and sciences Daniel Hans Mansson spoke Swedish into his office computer at Penn State Hazleton.

Undergraduate astronomer helps people see star clusters
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - When Blair Porterfield outgrew her local summer-camp options at age 14, her father suggested an astronomy camp at the University of Arizona. "I'm not sure why he wanted me to go," Porterfield mused. "I hadn't been interested in science at all up until that point." In a case of "father knows best," astronomy camp couldn't have been a more perfect choice.

Probing Question: Can we reduce the risk of school shootings?
In the wake of every school shooting, the nation struggles to make sense of senselessness, asking how and why such tragic violence could occur in places tasked with nurturing and protecting our children.

Engineering Biofilms
"Anywhere there's a surface and water in the liquid state," Tom Wood confirms, "you're going to have biofilms." In riverbeds and showerheads.

Business, government can span tech divide for people with disabilities
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Forging public and private partnerships that encourage broadband access for people with disabilities may help bridge a technological divide that hinders them from reaching their potential, according to an international team of researchers.

Alumnus receives $5M to develop groundbreaking HIV/heroin vaccine
A Penn State alumnus, who attended both Penn State Hazleton and University Park, has won an award that will pay him $5 million to research his proposal to develop a vaccine against HIV that also prevents heroin addiction.

Portrayal of spring break excess may be stereotypes gone wild
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Mussels inspire innovative new adhesive for surgery
Mussels inspire innovative new adhesive for surgery UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Mussels can be a mouthwatering meal, but the chemistry that lets mussels stick to underwater surfaces may also provide a highly adhesive wound closure and more effective healing from surgery. In recent decades bioahesives, tissue sealants and hemostatic agents became the favored products to control bleeding and promote tissue healing after surgery.

Weight counseling decreases despite rise in obesity
HERSHEY, Pa. - While the number of overweight and obese Americans has increased, the amount of weight counseling offered by primary care physicians has decreased - especially for patients with high blood pressure and diabetes - according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. More than 145 million adult Americans are overweight or obese.

Outsourced radiologists perform better reading for fewer hospitals
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Experience working for a particular hospital matters when it comes to the performance of radiologists who work for outsourcing teleradiology companies, according to a team of researchers, whose finding could have important implications, given the growing use of telemedicine.

Rainfall, brain infection linked in sub-Saharan Africa
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The amount of rainfall affects the number of infant infections leading to hydrocephalus in Uganda, according to a team of researchers who are the first to demonstrate that these brain infections are linked to climate. Hydrocephalus - literally "water on the brain" - is characterized by the build-up of the fluid that is normally within and surrounding the brain, leading to brain swelling.

Geoscientist studies Antarctic ice shelf-ocean interaction
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sridhar Anandakrishnan is away for the winter holiday, somewhere summer is in full swing - an ice sheet at the end of the earth.

Not all gamers are low scorers on friendships, relationships
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Not all video game players are destined for lives filled with failing relationships and dwindling friendships, according to Penn State researchers, who say that a lot depends on the role of the game-playing activity in the gamer's life. "There's a common stereotype that if you play video games, then you are a loner," said Benjamin Hickerson, assistant professor of recreation, parks and tourism management.

Study links toddlers' language skills to anger responses in preschool
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Toddlers with more developed language skills are better able to manage frustration and less likely to express anger by the time they're in preschool.

New treatment may relieve chronic shortness of breath
HERSHEY, Pa. - People experiencing chronic shortness of breath may soon have a new way to help alleviate their discomfort, according to a Penn State College of Medicine pulmonology researcher.

Satire is shaping the next generation of American citizens
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Satire has always played an important role in democracy, but a current group of television satirists are more influential than ever with American citizens, particularly younger ones, according to a Penn State researcher.

Spread of cancer cells may be slowed by targeting of protein
HERSHEY, Pa.-The spread of cancer cells may be slowed by targeting the protein km23-1, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine.

Plant sniffs out danger to prepare defenses against pesky insect
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A plant may start to prime its defenses as soon as it gets a whiff of a male fly searching for a mate, according to Penn State entomologists. Once tall goldenrod plants smell a sex attractant emitted by true fruit fly males, they appear to prepare chemical defenses that make them less appealing to female flies that could damage the plants by depositing eggs on them, the researchers said.

Hybrid tunnel may help guide severed nerves back to health
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Building a tunnel made up of both hard and soft materials to guide the reconnection of severed nerve endings may be the first step toward helping patients who have suffered extensive nerve trauma regain feeling and movement, according to a team of biomedical engineers. "Nerve injury in both central nervous system and peripheral nervous system is a major health problem," said Mohammad Reza Abidian, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Penn State.

Analysis of Marcellus flowback finds high levels of ancient brines
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Brine water that flows back from gas wells in the Marcellus Shale region after hydraulic fracturing is many times more salty than seawater, with high contents of various elements, including radium and barium. The chemistry is consistent with brines formed during the Paleozoic era, a study by an undergraduate student and two professors in Penn State's Department of Geosciences found.

Overweight pregnant women not getting proper weight-gain advice
HERSHEY, Pa. - Overweight women are not receiving proper advice on healthy weight gains or appropriate exercise levels during their pregnancies, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

Kupfer book explores new aspects of World War II
When Charlie Kupfer, associate professor of American studies and history at Penn State Harrisburg, began research for his second book, “Indomitable Will: Turning Defeat into Victory from Pearl Harbor to Midway,” he sometimes felt like a time traveler.

The press's experience during the Civil War helped shape today's media
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Just as the Civil War helped reshape the U.S. militarily, new technologies and a growing demand for information during the war influenced the nation's press, according to a Penn State researcher.

Flexible silicon solar-cell fabrics may soon become possible
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the first time, a silicon-based optical fiber with solar-cell capabilities has been developed that has been shown to be scalable to many meters in length. The research opens the door to the possibility of weaving together solar-cell silicon wires to create flexible, curved or twisted solar fabrics.

Invasive grass fuels increased fire activity in the West
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - An invasive grass species may be one reason fires are bigger and more frequent in certain regions of the western United States, according to a team of researchers.

Targeting neurotransmitter may help treat gastrointestinal conditions
HERSHEY, Pa. - Selective targeting of the neurotransmitter that differentially affects brain cells that control the two distinct functions of the pancreas may allow for new medication therapies for conditions like diabetes, dyspepsia and gastro-esophageal reflux, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

Six Faculty named Fellows of AAAS
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Six Penn State faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Reducing sibling rivalry in youth improves later health and well-being
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sibling conflict represents parents' number one concern and complaint about family life, but a new prevention program - designed and carried out by researchers at Penn State - demonstrates that siblings of elementary-school age can learn to get along. In doing so, they can improve their future health and well-being.

Metamaterials manipulate light on a microchip
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.