Thomson Reuters Explores the Impact of U.S. Federal Government Research and Development at Industry Conference

The IP & Science business of Thomson Reuters has posted the sessions from its recent industry conference: “Understanding Federal R&D Impact through Research Assessment and Program Evaluation,” which took place at The National Press Club in Washington, DC.

The conference explored the impact of government research programs and current challenges faced by researchers, information professionals, and administrators. Thomson Reuters hosted panel discussions featuring individuals affiliated with government agencies presenting their best practices for overcoming obstacles related to acquiring and allocating funding, retaining resources, and ensuring the continued success of research programs through evaluation and impact analysis.

 

JoVE now accepting submissions for new environmental sciences section

JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments) is now accepting articles for its new section JoVE Environment. JoVE Environment will launch in September and will be a multidisciplinary section encompassing all aspects of green methodology and environmental sciences. Currently, JoVE is accepting submissions to this section for articles on renewable energy, sustainable materials, environmental engineering, ecological health, marine biology, ecology, agricultural sciences, and geosciences among others.

JoVE is a peer reviewed scientific journal that pairs scholarly text with professional videos. This revolutionary journal allows scientists to publish cutting edge methodologies and innovations in a video-based format that is conducive to new levels of reproducibility and transparency.

“We are especially looking forward to launching JoVE Environment because it is a section that will impact all areas of science,” says Deputy Editorial Director of Physical Sciences Alexa Meehan. “JoVE Environment is long overdue as both academic and industry research have moved towards more environmentally conscientious practices for some time now. This section will give the environmental sciences a platform to effectively present research approaches and will offer an unparalleled forum to disseminate “greener” technology.”

Founded in 2006, JoVE has published over 2200 video articles in seven scientific disciplines. The journal publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts accompanied by professionally made videos. The journal is currently accepting submissions to JoVE Environment; for more information please e-mail environment@jove.com.

About JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments:

JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, is the first and only PubMed/MEDLINE-indexed, peer-reviewed journal devoted to publishing scientific research in a video format. Using an international network of videographers, JoVE films and edits videos of researchers performing new experimental techniques at top universities, allowing students and scientists to learn them much more quickly. As of April 2013, JoVE has published video-protocols from an international community of nearly 6,000 authors in the fields of biology, medicine, chemistry, and physics.

 

Impacts of biochar on bioavailability of the fungicide azoxystrobin: A comparison of the effect on biodegradation rate and toxicity to the fungal community

Fatima Sopeña, Gary D. Bending (2013). “Impacts of biochar on bioavailability of the fungicide azoxystrobin: A comparison of the effect on biodegradation rate and toxicity to the fungal community.”  Chemosphere, online ahead of print. Online at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.12.031
.

Abstract: There is great interest in using biochar (BC) as a soil amendment to provide a long-term repository of carbon to mitigate climate change. BC can have major impacts on soil biogeochemical cycling processes, largely by the sorption and protection of organic matter from microbial turnover. Application of BC to agricultural soil could also affect the efficacy, fate and environmental impact of pesticides. In the current study we investigated the effect of BC on bioavailability of the fungicide azoxystrobin in soil. We found that application of BC had no effect on sorption or degradation of azoxystrobin, even at a rate of 2% w/w. While azoxystrobin reduced dehydrogenase activity, BC addition greatly increased dehydrogenase, although the inhibitory effect of azoxystrobin was still evident in BC amended soil. Using Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of fungal SSU rRNA gene ITS regions it was found that azoxystrobin altered the structure of the soil fungal community, although this effect was dampened by BC addition. BC application had minor effects on fungal community structure. We conclude that measurement of the effect of BC on pesticide bioavailability by analysis of biodegradation rate and non-target effects on fungal community structure gave contrasting conclusions.

 

Climate-Smart Agriculture Conference to be Held March 20-22, 2013 in Davis, California

The University of California Davis has been asked by The World Bank to host a global conference focused on the topic “climate smart agriculture.”  The conference will take place March 20-22, 2013 on the University of California Davis campus.  This will be the second science-based conference on the topic; the first was held in October 2011.  Participants will have the opportunity to contribute science-based knowledge to help shape the global policy discussions about how agriculture can play a positive role in the environmental challenges the world is facing.

For more information, visit:
http://conferences.ucdavis.edu/climatesmart
.

 

U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) Announces Suite of Climate Scenarios

The USGCRP recently announced the online availability of a suite of scenarios on climate, sea level rise, land use and land cover, and other conditions.  These scenarios were developed as input to the U.S. National Climate Assessment.  The scenarios were developed by multiple agencies in consultation with a National Climate Assessment working group whose members include both university-based and federal research scientists.

For more information, including an overview of and links to reports, data sets, graphics, and other information, please visit:
http://scenarios.globalchange.gov/announcements
.

 

EPA Announces Research Forum on Extreme Event Impacts on Air Quality and Water Quality with a Changing Global Climate on February 26-27, 2013 in Arlington, VA

EPA’s Office of Research and Development recently awarded 14 grantee projects on climate-induced changes in extreme events in the context of air and water quality management.  A goal of this research funding is to seek a better understanding of the hazards (the extreme events) and to establish ways for climate scientists, impact assessment modelers, air and water quality managers, and other stakeholders to produce information necessary to form sound policy in relation to extreme events and their impact on air and water quality under a changing climate.  At this upcoming forum, researchers from across the country will present their research plans and early results.

To attend this event in-person, please email Whitney Beck (beck.whitney@epa.gov) no later than Friday, February 15, 2013 and provide name, email address, and affiliation of each person planning to attend.  For those unable to attend in person, the presentations will be broadcast via webinar. Register for the webinar by visiting:
http://www.epa.gov/ncer/events/#feb2613
.

 

Research funding: Same work, twice the money?

Funding agencies may be paying out duplicate grants, according to an analysis by Harold R. Garner, Lauren J. McIver and Michael B. Waitzkin and published in today’s issue of Nature.

 

U of M wins $4.5 million NSF grant to study low-carbon, sustainable cities

Read the full story from the University of Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota announced today that it has received a four-year, $4.5 million Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to design, compare and contrast the development of sustainable and healthy cities in the U.S. and Asia. The grant will explore the specific transformations needed to achieve low-carbon, resource-efficient and healthy city goals in the United States, China and India.

 

Sea trash spiraling out of control, study finds

Read the full story at Mother Nature Network.

After a yacht captain stumbled across the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the late 1990s, scientists soon began finding similar patches of plastic waste in oceans around the world. They’ve since identified at least five, each fed by currents that carry plastic bags, bottles and other trash into vast vortices of seawater known as gyres.

Since most plastic isn’t biodegradable, this trash keeps swirling around for years, often crumbling into smaller pieces but refusing to fully break down. Much like carbon dioxide emissions — which linger stubbornly in the sky as they fuel climate change — garbage patches have come to symbolize the effects of man-made pollution run amok.

And now, thanks to a new study by Australian scientists, we have a clearer picture of just how amok all this pelagic plastic really is. Using GPS-equipped drifter buoys to model the travels of maritime trash, researchers at Australia’s Center of Excellence for Climate System Science report a sobering discovery: Even if no plastic waste entered the oceans after today, Earth’s garbage patches would still continue growing for hundreds of years, both because of plastic’s longevity and its long transit time to the gyres.

 

Recycled tailpipe heat may power car electronics

Read the full story at Great Lakes Echo.

It may soon be possible to use wasted heat from your vehicle’s tailpipe to power electronics in your car, thanks to a new thermoelectric material developed by researchers in Michigan.

That’s just one of many potential uses of the new material, which is based on tetrahedrites, natural minerals found in abundance.