Latest Virginia Tech Stories
As the U.S. policy makers renew emphasis on the use of nuclear energy in their efforts to reduce the country's oil dependence, other factors come into play. One concern of paramount importance is the seismic hazard at the site where nuclear reactors are located.Russell A. Green, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, spent five years as an earthquake engineer for the U.S. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board in Washington, D.C., prior to becoming a...
New research finds that crop-killing mildews are able to sneak into plants undetected as "stealth bombers" by shedding genes to conceal themselves thus thwarting the plants' defenses.In a pair of studies, researchers mapped the genomes of two of the plant-killing mildews, and then described how the diseases shed giveaway genes to trigger an immune attack in the host plants.Although powdery mildew plagues seem to come out of nowhere, they can devastate barley, corn, grapes,...
Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have discovered how abscisic acid, a natural plant hormone with known beneficial properties for the treatment of disease, helps fight inflammation. The results (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/210882970), which are published in the November 2010 Journal of Biological Chemistry, reveal important new drug targets for the development of treatments for inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases.The scientists had reported...
Scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have discovered some of the key molecular events in the immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. The results, which help researchers move one step further in their efforts to develop new drugs to treat inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, are reported in the November 2010 edition (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21068720) of the journal Mucosal Immunology from the Nature Publishing...
When an antibiotic is consumed, researchers have learned that up to 90 percent passes through a body without metabolizing. This means the drugs can leave the body almost intact through normal bodily functions.In the case of agricultural areas, excreted antibiotics can then enter stream and river environments through a variety of ways, including discharges from animal feeding operations, fish hatcheries, and nonpoint sources such as the flow from fields where manure or biosolids have been...
A well-known paper-based medical chart used by pediatric emergency personnel across America is undergoing a 21st century boost in an collaborative effort between Virginia Tech's College of Engineering, Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic Children's Hospital, and the physician who created the original method some 25 years ago.The Broselow Pediatric Emergency Tape "“ otherwise known as the Broselow Tape -- has been a staple of ERs and child trauma units for nearly three decades. Created by Hickory,...
Using hyperthermia, Virginia Tech engineering researchers and a colleague from India unveiled a new method to target and destroy cancerous cells. The research was presented at the 63rd annual meeting of the American Physical Society Nov. 23 in Long Beach, Calif.The cancer treatment uses hyperthermia to elevate the temperature of tumor cells, while keeping the surrounding healthy tissue at a lower degree of body heat. The investigators used both in vitro and in vivo experiments to confirm...
A researcher at Virginia Tech has been studying an unusual breed of Asian snake that can glide long distances in the air in order to unlock its secrets. The "flying snakes" of Southeast Asia, India and southern China are able to glide in the air without fixed wings. Video of the reptiles show they undulate from side to side to create an aerodynamic system. It allows the snakes to travel from the top of the biggest trees in the region to a spot about 780 feet away from the...
Scientists are investigating new combined therapies to deliver cancer treatments that target only the tumor without damaging normal tissueThe treatment of cancer has greatly improved in the last few decades, and according to the National Cancer Institute, the overall incidence has declined since 1999.Despite these facts, most patients see the diagnosis of cancer as synonymous with a high probability of death and potentially drastic treatments including aggressive surgery, radiotherapy and...
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- ERIS Technologies, LLC, announced today that it has entered into a public-private partnership with Virginia Tech and L-3 STRATIS to co-develop an integrated security and incident management center of excellence at Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg, Va. This landmark initiative establishes a new infrastructure for fostering continuous development and advancement in the field of campus and facility security and management. The center will...
