Connecting Research and Experts with Journalists

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The cold, barren crust of Mars conceals ancient remnants of its fiery youth 4 billion years ago, when an "active dynamo" in the red planet's interior hummed with magnetism, much like Earth, researchers report April 30 in Science. Like faded tattoos on an aging space sailor, magnetic stripes now adorn the Martian crust, perhaps where sea floors spread apart.

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A "matchmaker" protein may help pair sticky fibrinogen with hook-like receptors on blood platelets, thereby setting the stage for clots, which can trigger heart attacks, strokes and arterial inflammation, a University of Delaware scientist explains.

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Philadelphia and Baltimore television stations too often paint an inaccurate portrait of violent crime, leaving viewers feeling frightened, helpless and uninformed about real dangers, a University of Delaware researcher says in a new report.

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A test-tube photosynthesis system--described in the March 5 issue of Science--mimics a metal cluster that helps green plants harness sunlight to turn water into oxygen, says a University of Delaware chemist.

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By harnessing glowing bacteria, scientists at the DuPont Co. and the University of Delaware have created inexpensive biosensors that rapidly detect a key toxin in poultry feed, as well as broad classes of other environmental contaminants, including herbicides and metals. Embargoed until 6:00 p.m. ET 3-18-99.

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Good insect moms ferociously protect their young by fanning their wings and charging predators--but only when they must pin all their hopes on a single batch of eggs, a University of Delaware scientist reports in the new issue of the journal, Animal Behaviour. Bug moms who lay multiple batches are far more likely to "turn tail and run" from egg-munching predators, says Douglas W. Tallamy.

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A new, short, streamlined and straightforward IQ test, designed by a University of Delaware professor, will be available for use beginning in May. The Wide Range Intelligence Test (WRIT) is designed for persons ages 4 to 80 and takes approximately a half hour to administer.

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Sandpaper's cousin, silicon-carbide, may set the stage for a rugged, powerful new breed of semiconducting devices, a UD researcher will report April 6 during the Materials Research Society meeting. An alloy of silicon-carbide and germanium might handle hot, high-power, high-frequency microelectronic and microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices better than silicon, James Kolodzey says.

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UD research may someday help Type I diabetes mellitus patients better control their blood-sugar levels using an implantable insulin pump, scientists said during the AAMI conference.

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Green watermelons--a serious economic threat to farmers and a disappointment for consumers--may be quickly and automatically rejected by a new machine invented by four University of Delaware engineering students. The computer-controlled ripeness sensor ultimately could result in huge savings for the global watermelon industry.