Scans May Predict
Cognitive Decline
By Sarah Yang

Jagust

Brain scans may detect neurological changes in people who exhibit no outward signs of cognitive decline but who later develop dementia or mental impairment, according to a new study led by Berkeley Lab life scientist William Jagust. The study provides encouraging evidence that positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could eventually be used to detect preclinical signs of Alzheimer's disease. Full story.

Forced Virus Evolution
Helps Gene Therapy
By Robert Sanders

Schaffer

Viruses and humans have evolved together over millions of years in a game of one-upmanship that, often as not, left humans sick or worse. Now, UC Berkeley researcher and Berkeley Lab physical bioscientist David Schaffer and colleagues have shown that viruses — in this case, a benign one — can be forced to evolve in ways to benefit humans. Full story.

Koomey

Sun Microsystems and the Environmental Protection Agency held a conference recently to tackle the growing crisis of power hungry data centers. Representatives from Intel, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and others agreed metrics was a priority. However, they are looking for the most advantageous method. "How do you measure energy efficiency? If you can't measure it, you can't manage it," said conference host Jonathan Koomey, with Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Full story.

Ethanol Use Debated
On Radio Program

Patzek

While a UC Berkeley study published last week found ethanol can replace gasoline with significant energy savings and comparable impact on greenhouse gases (authored by Berkeley Lab guest Alex Farrell), another Berkeley Lab researcher, earth scientist Tadeusz Patzek, begs to differ. His views on the ethanol debate were recently reported on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition." Go here to listen to the program. Go here to read a UC Berkeley press release on Farrell's study.