Science & Technology

UC Davis researchers made a surprising discovery while exploring the unusual electronic properties of a multi-layered nanoscopic structure.Depending on which way its electrons move,the material either behaves like a typical semiconductor or exhibits peculiar features unique to a single-layer carbon material that is now touted for its promising potential in electronic applications.

You know the slogan “milk does a body good.” But amid new research,scientists might soon be able to tell you how and why– then produce better milk. Researchers at UC Davis,among others around the country,published a study onApr.24thatmarks the end of an initial18-month scientificeffort,but the beginning of what some believe might lead to healthier,cheaper and more ecologically friendly milk.

Popular nutrition professor Liz Applegate hasn’t left UC Davis since she came here as a student in the1970s. Born in a nunnery in South Africa,Applegate’s family of nine children moved around a lot for her father’s chemistry researchbefore finally settling in the Bay Area.She attended UC Davis for both undergraduate and graduate school,received her Ph.D.in nutrition science in1983and started teaching right after.

Reminders of old age may negatively impact memory When combating memory loss,the key may be to think young. A new study indicates that older people who believe that old age and memory loss go together may be undermining their own performance.

As researchers scramble to make sense of the new H1N1influenza virus that is spreading across the globe,the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported encouraging signs last Sunday on the outbreak’s severity,but kept a wary stance on how the virus will behave in the future.

High energy physicists at Fermilab in Illinois,with the help of the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator,are racing to discover the universe’s best kept secret.They smash protons and antiprotons together at nearly the speed of light to find what some call the “Holy Grail of physics” while others just consider it the essential ingredientfor life.

As we move deeper into the digital age,some of us may wonder how much faster our cameras can process images while others may rue the carbon footprint left by constantly recharging ourcell phone and iPod batteries.The good news,it seems,is that high speed processing and green technology can go hand in hand to power everyday electronics.

Peter Richerson has traveled the world learning about ecology and biology.Since his time as a UC Davis undergraduate and graduate student in the1960s,he has written two books and hashelped pioneer the field ofcultural ecology.After returning to UC Davis as a faculty member in1971he has done research on topics ranging from plankton populations in Lake Tahoe to the role of culture in human evolution.

Risk of heart disease strongly linked to waist size Researchers have found more evidence that a larger waist size alone,even in those of normal weight,raises the risk for heart disease significantly. The strong link was uncovered by analyzing data from over80,360Swedish men and women between the ages of45and85who were enrolled in two long-term health studies over a period of seven years ending in2004.Over the course of the studies,over1,100of the participants were either hospitalized or died from heart disease.

Thirty years after PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were banned in the U.S.,UC Davis researchers have discovered how the class of toxic chemicals may cause behavioral disorders in some children,even at the low levels that people encounter now. The series of three new studies together reveal that PCBs can disrupt cellular signals crucial for normal brain development and function.

Today Transforming Transportation and Energy:Politics and Technology Dan Sperling,director,Institute of Transportation Studies,andprofessor ofcivilengineering andenvironmentalscience andpolicy– UC Davis 360Shields Library12:10to1p.m. Sponsored by the Institute of Governmental Affairs Sequential Speciation:Why Are There So Many SMALL Animals? Andrew Forbes,postdoctoral scholar– UC Davisdepartment ofentomology 122Briggs12:10to1p.m. Sponsored by entomology Signalingin Electric Fish:Behavior,Neurobiology,Molecular Evolution Harold Zakon,Dr.– University of Texas at Austin 1022Life Sciences1:10to2p.m. Sponsored by Neurobiology,Physiology and Behavior College of Biological Sciences

Environmental Protection Agency designates carbon dioxide a pollutant The EPA formally declared on Fridaythatcarbon dioxide as well as five other heat-trapping gasesare pollutants endangering public health and welfare. The move,which has beenanticipated since the election of President Barack Obama,begins a60-day comment period thatmust be completed before any regulations can be set in motion.