Over the Moon0

Scientists test atmosphere on one of Saturn’s moons

Summer 2011

Image Courtesy of NASA Space Science InstituteIt’s much too thin for us to breathe, but there is an atmosphere on Saturn’s icy moon Rhea. For the first time a spacecraft, NASA’s Cassini, has captured molecules from an atmosphere other than the Earth’s. Ben Teolis (Grad ’07), who earned his doctorate in engineering physics from U.Va., and professors Raul A. Baragiola and Robert E. Johnson found that Rhea’s atmosphere is infused with oxygen and carbon dioxide—though the atmosphere itself is about 5 trillion times less dense than Earth’s. “The new results suggest that active, complex...

Trees on the Move0

Russian boreal forests undergoing change in vegetation

Summer 2011

Boreal forest in SiberiaUntil recently, the northern part of the Great Russian forest—which is the size of the continental U.S.—was populated with larch trees, while the slightly warmer southern part was populated by evergreen conifers. U.Va. environmental sciences researchers say that now evergreen conifers are encroaching on the larch-dominated boreal forest due to global warming. Unlike larch trees, evergreen conifers, such as spruce and fir, retain their needles year-round and absorb sunlight, which will make the forest even warmer. “What we’re seeing is a system kicking into overdrive,” says Hank Shugart, a professor of environmental...

In the Red0

U.Va. studies explore money and what happens when there isn’t enough of it

Summer 2011

Making ends meet A quarter of Virginia households don’t have enough money to cover basic needs. A report from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at U.Va. reveals that a family of four needs about $44,000 a year—twice the federal poverty level of $22,050—to cover expenses. The biggest expenses for these families? Housing and childcare. The report also shows how living expenses vary within the state; in Northern Virginia costs are higher and a family of four needs $64,200 to keep their heads above water. “Many Virginians earn incomes above the poverty line but still struggle to make...

R&D Briefs0

Spring 2011

Galactic Insight The discovery of a supermassive black hole in a tiny galaxy has challenged some assumptions held by astronomers. Scientists have long thought black holes and galaxies formed synchronously, and that black holes existed only in galaxies with “bulges”—voluminous spheroidal components. The finding by U.Va. astronomers—Amy Reines, a graduate student; Gregory Sivakoff, a research associate; and professor Kelsey Johnson—suggests massive black holes can predate such galaxies and promises clues about the mysterious holes’ formation in the universe’s infancy. Get Your Protein Research into how testes remove dead or dying immature sperm cells bodes well...

Smoke Alarm0

Nicotine use during pregnancy linked to psychiatric disorders in offspring

Spring 2011

Smoking during pregnancy poses a host of risks to both mother and child. Less oxygen for the baby, more toxic chemicals in the bloodstream, potential lung damage—these and other concerns have been raised by groups ranging from the March of Dimes to the Centers for Disease Control. Now researchers at the University have found another cause to pause: a link between smoking during pregnancy and psychological disorders in children and young adults. A yearlong study of lab mice indicates that heavy use of nicotine alters the formation of myelin, a fatty brain substance that insulates brain cell connections in...

Would You Like Fries With That?0

Fast-food options feed on perceptions of good deals and square meals

Spring 2011

Burger, fries and a soda—they’re the all-American fast-food combo. When packaged with enticing names—happy meals, value meals, old-fashioned combos—they present options that appeal to the taste buds but can be misleading and potentially unhealthy, according to researchers at U.Va. and elsewhere. Fast-food chains typically present combos as good values with supersized portions. For the companies, they’re efficient. For consumers, they’re less hassle to order. “We were very much surprised that people chose the combo meal option even when there was no price discount,” says Kathryn Sharpe, a professor in U.Va.’s Darden...

Bird Food Redux0

Feathers and diet give insights into environmental health

Winter 2010

For one U.Va. researcher, clues about the health of the environment lie in examining the feathers and vomit of birds. Charles Clarkson (Grad ’14), a doctoral candidate in environmental sciences, has compared bird populations on Virginia’s Eastern Shore with those in New York Harbor by poring over regurgitations and feathers of the nestlings of two species: the glossy ibis and the double-crested cormorant. The former gets its food by probing through mud; the latter, from a variety of fish species in fresh, brackish or salt water. By analyzing stomach contents—nestlings regurgitate as a defense mechanism—Clarkson can determine...

Scrub that Theory0

Antiviral hand disinfectants little help in fighting flu

Winter 2010

The fight against flu has an arsenal of weapons—shots, pills, masks and more—but hand sanitizers have little punch in preventing the spread of the virus, researchers have determined. A study led by U.Va. cold expert Dr. Ronald Turner concluded that alcohol-based hand disinfectants failed to significantly reduce the frequency of infection from either the rhinovirus—the cause of the common cold—or the influenza virus. The results run contrary to expectations. “We all thought if you used hand disinfectants, it would have an impact,” Turner says. “These results suggest that hand transmission may be less important for...