Researchers test for quake safety

Researchers at the School of Information are using a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation to create a virtual laboratory to study earthquake-safe structures.

Plans for the lab include data storage facilities and access to the latest research tools. It will link multiple earthquake engineering sites across the country in a network called the NEES grid.

With a wide range of equipment at their desktop, including shake tables, centrifuges, tsunami wave tanks and computer simulation software, researchers will exchange ideas and data quickly from many geographic locations across the country.

Tim Finholt, director of the Collaboratory for Research on Electronic work, will lead the University division of the team. He also played a large role in the development of the Space Physic and Aeronomy Research Collaboratory, which is another NSF-funded internet research effort.

Drug-resistant HIV strains on the rise

Physicians treating HIV patients without recognizing the risks and demands of drug treatment programs could be to blame for the rise of drug-resistant HIV strains, according to researchers at UCLA/UCSF.

Led by Dr. Sally Blower, a biomathematics professor at UCLA and a member of the AIDS Institute, the research team found that incorrect use of antiretroviral medications contributes to the increase in resistant strains due to the demands on dosages and the severe side effects.

The team created a theoretical model using variables, including treatment rate, the number of infected drug-resistant cases and the rate of emerging drug treatment in members of the San Francisco gay community from 1996 to 2001.

The team estimated that, by 2005, 42 percent of all HIV cases will be drug-resistant, compared to 3 percent in 1997 because of the conversion of drug-sensitive cases to drug-resistant during therapy, not sexual transmission of the virus.

New technique developed for battling sun

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a technique to look at the skin and the effects of ultraviolet radiation, noting that most sunscreen products do not provide adequate protection against the sun.

Though SPF 15 sunscreens block up to 94 percent of UV light, residual light can create highly reactive free radicals, which lead to weaker cell membranes. These molecules also harm DNA, create age spots and wrinkles and weaken the immune system, which increases the risk of skin cancer.

The research, conducted by post-doctoral research scientist Kerry Hanson, focused on the effects of UV radiation on free radical formation and skin damage using two-photon laser fluorescence-imaging microscope.

Research shows new handgun laws provide benefits

A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health"s Center for Gun Policy and Research shows that states that require licensing and registration of handguns make it harder on criminals and juveniles to attain a gun.

Researchers examined the proportion of 25 cities" crime guns that were sold by dealers in-state, and found that cities with a high percentage of out-of-state gun purchases had low levels of homicides involving guns.

These findings, according to researchers, suggest that states may benefit from having registration and licensing requirements, rather than one or the other. This requires handgun buyers to directly contact law enforcement agencies and be fingerprinted. Registration also makes it easier to trace a gun back to its owner if used in a crime.

Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Lisa Hoffman.