Tag: Rutgers

Who Could Benefit From Exercise and Behavioral Treatment?

sarah JonasResearch Results

Aerobic exercise clearly benefits young adults with major depression, and a Rutgers-led study suggests it may be possible to predict those who would benefit from behavioral therapy with exercise. Unique to this precision medicine study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, is an assessment of cognitive control and reward-related brain activity, two facets of brain function that are impaired in people with depression. Like previous studies, this one showed that aerobic exercise helps young adults with major depression.

Bacteria Can Defuse Dangerous Chemical In Passaic River

sarah JonasResearch Results

Bacteria that can help defuse highly toxic dioxin in sediments in the Passaic River – a Superfund hazardous waste site – could eventually aid cleanup efforts at other dioxin-contaminated sites around the world, according to Rutgers scientists. Their research, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, needs further work to realize the full potential of the beneficial bottom-dwelling microbes.

Quantum Materials Quest Could Benefit From Graphene That Buckles

sarah JonasResearch Results

Graphene, an extremely thin two-dimensional layer of the graphite used in pencils, buckles when cooled while attached to a flat surface, resulting in beautiful pucker patterns that could benefit the search for novel quantum materials and superconductors, according to Rutgers-led research in the journal Nature. Quantum materials host strongly interacting electrons with special properties, such as entangled trajectories, that could provide building blocks for super-fast quantum computers. They also can become superconductors that could slash energy consumption by making power transmission and electronic devices more efficient.

Rutgers Experts Can Discuss Tropical Storm Isaias Threats, Record N.J. Warmth in July

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (Aug. 4, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson and meteorologist Steve Decker are available for interviews on the outlook for Tropical Storm Isaias in New Jersey and the record warmth in July. “Isaias has the potential…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Global Climate Change Mortality Study

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (Aug. 3, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Robert E. Kopp is available to discuss a major study released today on the global consequences of climate change on death rates. The study by the Climate Impact Lab,…

Indigenous People Vital for Understanding Environmental Change

sarah JonasResearch Results

Grassroots knowledge from indigenous people can help to map and monitor ecological changes and improve scientific studies, according to Rutgers-led research. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, shows the importance of indigenous and local knowledge for monitoring ecosystem changes and managing ecosystems. The team collected more than 300 indicators developed by indigenous people to monitor ecosystem change, and most revealed negative trends, such as increased invasive species or changes in the health of wild animals. Such local knowledge influences decisions about where and how to hunt, benefits ecosystem management and is important for scientific monitoring at a global scale.

Decline of Bees, Other Pollinators Threatens U.S. Crop Yields

sarah JonasResearch Results

Crop yields for apples, cherries and blueberries across the United States are being reduced by a lack of pollinators, according to Rutgers-led research, the most comprehensive study of its kind to date. Most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination, so declines in both managed and wild bee populations raise concerns about food security, notes the study in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Seafood Products Made From Cells Should be Labeled Cell-Based

sarah JonasResearch Results

Companies seeking to commercialize seafood products made from the cells of fish or shellfish should use the term “cell-based” on product labels, according to a Rutgers study – the first of its kind – in the Journal of Food Science. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture require food products to have a “common or usual name” on their labels so consumers can make informed choices about what they’re purchasing.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Heat Wave and Hot Summer in N.J.

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (July 20, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the ongoing heat wave in New Jersey and the hot summer weather to date. The worst of the heat wave is expected today,…

Geoengineering is Just a Partial Solution to Fight Climate Change

sarah JonasResearch Results

Could we create massive sulfuric acid clouds that limit global warming and help meet the 2015 Paris international climate goals, while reducing unintended impacts? Yes, in theory, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Earth System Dynamics. Spraying sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere at different locations, to form sulfuric acid clouds that block some solar radiation, could be adjusted every year to keep global warming at levels set in the Paris goals. Such technology is known as geoengineering or climate intervention.

‘Blinking” Crystals May Convert CO2 into Fuels

sarah JonasResearch Results

Imagine tiny crystals that “blink” like fireflies and can convert carbon dioxide, a key cause of climate change, into fuels. A Rutgers-led team has created ultra-small titanium dioxide crystals that exhibit unusual “blinking” behavior and may help to produce methane and other fuels, according to a study in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The crystals, also known as nanoparticles, stay charged for a long time and could benefit efforts to develop quantum computers.

Geoengineering’s Benefits Limited for Apple Crops in India

sarah JonasResearch Results

Geoengineering – spraying sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to combat global warming – would only temporarily and partially benefit apple production in northern India, according to a Rutgers co-authored study. But abruptly ending geoengineering might lead to total crop failure faster than if geoengineering were not done, according to the study – believed to be the first of its kind – in the journal Climatic Change.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Tropical Storm Fay in N.J.

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (July 10, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on Tropical Storm Fay as it approaches New Jersey. “Tropical Storm Fay could deposit several inches of rain across a good portion of the…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Dry, Warm June in N.J., Potential Drought

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (July 8, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the dry, unusually warm June in New Jersey, the dry and very warm first six months of 2020 and the potential for drought…

Where Did the Asian Longhorned Ticks in the U.S. Come From?

sarah JonasResearch Results

The invasive population of Asian longhorned ticks in the United States likely began with three or more self-cloning females from northeastern Asia, according to a Rutgers-led study. Asian longhorned ticks outside the U.S. can carry debilitating diseases. In the United States and elsewhere they can threaten livestock and pets. The new study, published in the journal Zoonoses and Public Health, sheds new light on the origin of these exotic ticks and how they are spreading across the United States.

How to Tackle Climate Change, Food Security and Land Degradation

sarah JonasResearch Results

How can some of world’s biggest problems – climate change, food security and land degradation – be tackled simultaneously? Some lesser-known options, such as integrated water management and increasing the organic content of soil, have fewer trade-offs than many well-known options, such as planting trees, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Global Change Biology.

Harmful Microbes Found on Sewer Pipe Walls

sarah JonasResearch Results

Can antibiotic-resistant bacteria escape from sewers into waterways and cause a disease outbreak? A new Rutgers study, published in the journal Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, examined the microbe-laden “biofilms” that cling to sewer walls, and even built a simulated sewer to study the germs that survive within.

South Pole Warmed More Than Three Times Global Rate in 30 Years

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 29, 2020) – The South Pole warmed more than three times the global rate from 1989 to 2018 – a record period of warming, according to a Rutgers coauthored study in the journal Nature Climate Change.…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss New Home and Property Flood Risk Data

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 29, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professor Robert E. Kopp is available for interviews on new flood risk data for more than 142 million homes and properties in the United States. The data were released by the First Street Foundation, a…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Benefits of Backyard Composting

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 29, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Michele Bakacs can discuss the benefits of composting for soil health and reducing waste going to landfills, how to get started with composting in your backyard, the correct ingredients for success…

Computer Vision Technology Helps Analyze Michigan Dam Collapse

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 26, 2020) – Rutgers engineers have created a 3D model of last month’s devastating break in the Edenville Dam in Michigan, using the emerging technology of computer vision to analyze a smartphone video posted on social…

Dangerous Tick-Borne Bacterium Extremely Rare in New Jersey

sarah JonasResearch Results

There’s some good news in New Jersey about a potentially deadly tick-borne bacterium. Rutgers researchers examined more than 3,000 ticks in the Garden State and found only one carrying Rickettsia rickettsii, the bacterium that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever. But cases of tick-borne spotted fevers have increased east of the Mississippi River, and more research is needed to understand why, according to a study in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Uganda’s Ik are not Unbelievably Selfish and Mean

sarah JonasResearch Results

The Ik, a small ethnic group in Uganda, are not incredibly selfish and mean as portrayed in a 1972 book by a prominent anthropologist, according to a Rutgers-led study. Instead, the Ik are quite cooperative and generous with one another, and their culture features many traits that encourage generosity.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Soil Compaction, Healthy Yards

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 23, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Steven Yergeau is available to discuss the causes of soil compaction and how to correct it to foster healthy yards. Soil compaction can impact lawns and gardens and cause…

Rutgers Climatologist Can Discuss Role of Snow in Climate System

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the role of snow in the climate system, snow variability and the extent of snow cover during the satellite era. “The extent of snow on…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Creating Wildlife Habitat in Your Yard

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Kathleen Kerwin, a wildlife expert at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, is available for interviews on how to create wildlife habitat in your yard. “Creating backyard habitat for wildlife is a relatively easy way homeowners…

Rutgers Extension Agent Can Discuss How to Protect Against Ticks, Lyme Disease

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Amy Rowe is available for interviews on how to protect you and your family from ticks and Lyme disease, including how to reduce tick habitat around your home. “Right now…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Earthwise Lawn and Landscape Care, Farming

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William T. Hlubik is available for interviews on environmentally friendly lawn and landscape care, sustainable gardening and agriculture, home and commercial vegetable and small fruit production, and how to…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Invasive Plants in N.J. and Alternatives

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 10, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Michele Bakacs is available for interviews on invasive exotic plants in New Jersey that are growing out of control, overrunning forests and other natural areas. She can discuss why this…

Rutgers’ William Roberts, inventor of air-inflated greenhouses, dies

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick faculty are available to discuss the late William Roberts, who had a 41-year career at Rutgers and invented the air-inflated greenhouse covering system that revolutionized agriculture worldwide. Roberts, a Distinguished…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Ethnic or Exotic Crops in N.J., Mid-Atlantic

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick ethnic crop research specialist Albert Ayeni is available for interviews on growing non-native crops in New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic, including exotic peppers, okra, roselle (sorrel), tropical spinach (amaranths) and…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Family’s 43-Year Backyard Bird Citizen Science Project

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 8, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Kimberly Russell is available for interviews on an upstate New York family’s 43-year family tradition – a competition to predict the arrival of American robins in their backyard every spring…

Mangrove Trees Won’t Survive Sea-Level Rise by 2050 if Emissions Aren’t Cut

sarah JonasResearch Results

Mangrove trees – valuable coastal ecosystems found in Florida and other warm climates – won’t survive sea-level rise by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t reduced, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Science. Mangrove forests store large amounts of carbon, help protect coastlines and provide habitat for fish and other species. Using sediment data from the last 10,000 years, an international team led by Macquarie University in Australia estimated the chances of mangrove survival based on rates of sea-level rise.

Men’s Health Month: Top 5 Tips for Dad this Father’s Day

sarah JonasFeature Experts Tip Sheet

June is Men’s Health Month, a national recognition that raises awareness about health care for men. It is also the month during which we celebrate Father’s Day. In celebration of these observances, an expert from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey shares information on cancer screenings and other important tips to encourage dad to lead a healthy lifestyle all year round.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Artificial Intelligence and Art

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 1, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Ahmed Elgammal is available for interviews on the future of art and creativity in the age of artificial intelligence (A.I.). “As artificial intelligence becomes an increasing part of our…

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Chair of Radiation Oncology and Associate Vice Chancellor of Cancer Programs Receives Prestigious National Award

sarah JonasAnnouncement

Bruce G. Haffty, MD, associate vice chancellor for cancer programs and chair, radiation oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has been selected as the 2020 Gold Medal Award winner by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), a prestigious national award recognizing individuals who have made outstanding lifetime contributions in the field of radiation oncology.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Risks of Ocean Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (May 21, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Kay Bidle is available for interviews on the possible risks from the novel coronavirus or other pathogens while swimming or surfing in oceans, bays, lakes and rivers. “We currently know very…

Rutgers Experts Can Discuss 2020 Hurricane Season Outlook in N.J.

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (May 19, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick experts are available for interviews on the 2020 hurricane season outlook in New Jersey, the Garden State’s vulnerability to hurricanes and tropical storms, and the state’s tropical cyclone history. Hurricane…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss How to Reduce Risk on Vacation During COVID-19 Pandemic

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

New Brunswick, N.J. (May 18, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on how to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection on vacation, at vacation rentals and while traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even though everyone in the…

Oyster Farming and Shorebirds Likely Can Coexist

sarah JonasResearch Results

Oyster farming as currently practiced along the Delaware Bayshore does not significantly impact four shorebirds, including the federally threatened red knot, which migrates thousands of miles from Chile annually, according to a Rutgers-led study. The findings, published in the journal Ecosphere, likely apply to other areas around the country including the West Coast and Gulf Coast, where oyster aquaculture is expanding, according to Rutgers experts who say the study can play a key role in identifying and resolving potential conflict between the oyster aquaculture industry and red knot conservation groups.

FDA Approves First At-Home Saliva Collection Test for Coronavirus

sarah JonasFeature

Rutgers’ RUCDR Infinite Biologics received an amended emergency use authorization from the FDA late Thursday for the first SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus test that will allow people to collect their own saliva at home and send to a lab for results. The decision follows the FDA’s recent emergency approval to RUCDR Infinite Biologics for the first saliva-based test, which involves health care workers collecting saliva from individuals at testing sites.

Rutgers’ Greg Moore Elected to National Academy of Sciences

sarah JonasAnnouncement

Rutgers Professor Gregory W. Moore, a renowned physicist who seeks a unified understanding of the basic forces and fundamental particles in the universe, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. Moore, Board of Governors Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, joins 119 other new academy members and 26 international members this year who were recognized for their distinguished and ongoing achievements in original research.