Science and Technology
HUP reports possible error
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania may have committed an error in the treatment of a prostate cancer patient, according to a report the hospital filed on Feb. 25.
Phila. universities to create statewide electronic database
Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research, a coalition of Pennsylvanian colleges and universities, was awarded $99.6 million in federal stimulus money to construct the Pennsylvania Research and Education Network, or PennREN.
New wireless store to open near campus
A new CLEAR 4G WiMAX store, which offers 4G wireless internet service, will open in mid-March at 140 S. 34th St., between Walnut and Sansom streets.
New website encourages social networking for research
The new site is a social network “predominately designed for the purpose of promoting energy efficiency and sustainability,” T.C. Chan Center Director Ali Malkawi said.
Penn profs portray biological processes with 12-foot lung model
The exhibit, currently housed in a digital art museum in Austria, is a model of the process of blood vessel formation in early lung development.
Penn professor applies science to 'Avatar'
For those mesmerized by the 3D cinematic experience of Avatar, it remains to be answered whether the technology the characters use in the film is a possibility or mere Hollywood creation.
Publishers win lawsuit over digitally shared books
On Feb. 24, six book publishers released a statement announcing a successful legal attempt to prevent Rapidshare, a file-sharing website, from allowing copyrighted works to be uploaded and illegally viewed on the site.
Penn docs to offer genetic testing for heart disease risk
The new test will identify eight potential warning signs in patients’ DNA and help doctors prescribe prevention strategies that tailor to each individual’s medical condition.
Newly invented circuit uses sunlight to self-charge
The circuit could be used in energy-saving devices and future technologies, potentially to power batteries in cell phones with energy from the sun and improve the efficiency of solar panels.
Study finds a link between brain diseases
A recent Penn-led study identified a particularly toxic form of the protein Elk-1, which provides clues to the first link between Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.