SRI International Digest #22 - Summer 2007
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Robots Use New Mapping Technology
SRI Joins NASA's NEEMO 12 Undersea Mission and Demonstrates Image-Guided Remote Surgery
SRI Protects Computer Networks with Unique Blacklisting Software
Explore Mars at the Next Café Scientifique Silicon Valley @ SRI
Researchers Outline Benefits of Undergraduate Research
Crisis Simulation Technology for the National Guard
SRI and Blanca Pharmaceuticals Collaborate to Develop Antibiotics for Drug-Resistant Infections
Toward Strategic Technology Transfer for South Korea and the U.S.
Admiral Vernon Clark Joins SRI Board of Directors
Upcoming Tradeshows and Conferences
In the News
Robots Use New Mapping Technology
SRI’s Karto(TM) robot mapping technology is now available. Karto is advanced mapping and localization software for developers using various robotic platforms and development environments, including Microsoft Robotics Studio.
As an invitation to the mobile robotics development community to experiment with and provide feedback on SRI’s mapping technology, the Karto web mapping service is offered as a free download through the end of 2007 at www.kartorobotics.com. 
SRI Joins NASA's NEEMO 12 Undersea Mission and Demonstrates Image-Guided Remote Surgery
In collaboration with the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 12 undersea mission, SRI presented the first demonstration of image-guided remote, or telerobotic, surgery from the American Telemedicine Conference on May 11 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The NEEMO 12 mission takes place on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aquarius Underwater Laboratory, located more than 900 miles from Nashville and 60 feet underwater off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. This "extreme environment" allows astronauts and other crewmembers to experience some of the same tasks and challenges as they would in space.
Medical procedures demonstrated and refined during NEEMO missions will help surgeons overcome time latency issues and may one day be used to respond to improve the care of astronauts on future missions. The technology could also be applied in situations on Earth where there is limited access to medical care. 
Read a recent San Jose Mercury News article about SRI’s breakthroughs in robotic surgery for hospitals, space, and the battlefield.
SRI Protects Computer Networks with Unique Blacklisting Software
Individual lists of a computer network's most probable attackers can now be acquired through SRI's Highly Predictive Blacklisting (HPB) software, available for complimentary experimental use via DShield, a community-based firewall log correlation system that receives logs from worldwide volunteers and uses them to analyze attack trends.
SRI's HPB algorithm offers a radically different strategy than traditional network blacklisting methods by providing individualized lists of the most probable attackers that are likely to penetrate a network. SRI's experiments demonstrate that the HPB algorithm consistently creates firewall filters that are exercised at much higher rates than those from conventional blacklist methods. The complimentary experimental HPB service is available to DShield contributors at www.dshield.org/hpbinfo.html. 
Explore Mars at the Next Café Scientifique Silicon Valley @ SRI
Come to the next Café Scientifique Silicon Valley meeting on Tuesday, June 12 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. to learn about Mars exploration from Scott Hubbard of the SETI Institute and Stanford University. Dr. Hubbard is also a former center director of NASA Ames Research Center. Café Scientifique Silicon Valley, hosted at SRI in Menlo Park, California, provides a forum for the public to engage with scientists and technologists outside a traditional academic setting and in "plain English". Events are free. 
Researchers Outline Benefits of Undergraduate Research
As published in the April 27 edition of Science, SRI has released the results of a large-scale, National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded study assessing the benefits of undergraduate research opportunities.
SRI’s Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Development reviewed the characteristics of undergraduates who participate in undergraduate research opportunities, why faculty and students choose to participate, characteristics of research opportunities, the effects of such opportunities on students’ academic and career decisions, and whether different kinds of research experiences are more effective with some types of students than with others (e.g., minorities vs. nonminorities, men vs. women).
The study found that undergraduate research increases a student's research-related understanding, confidence, and awareness, while increasing anticipation of a doctorate degree.
Read the Science magazine article or SRI’s press release for more information.
Crisis Simulation Technology for the National Guard
At the National Guard’s Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC) in Indiana in May, SRI participated in the Ardent Sentry national training exercise, a multi-agency simulation of a national crisis. SRI provided a live demonstration of the Joint Training Experimentation Program (JTEP), a readiness training system that creates a realistic environment through the integration of live exercises with computer-based simulators to enhance training for both combat and Military Assistance to Civilian Authority (MACA) missions.
Ardent Sentry provides an opportunity for homeland defense and civilian first-responders to enhance training effectiveness, coordination, and preparation in a realistic environment. 
SRI and Blanca Pharmaceuticals Collaborate to Develop Antibiotics for Drug-Resistant Infections
Therapy against hospital-acquired infections will benefit from preclinical studies being conducted by SRI and Blanca Pharmaceuticals. The program will concentrate on compounds BP-101 and BP-102, which have broad-spectrum bactericidal activity against the most problematic Gram-positive bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and epidermidis (MRSA/E), penicillin-resistant streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP), and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), as well as most Gram-negative bacteria.
The studies will support Investigational New Drug (IND) application filings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Read the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal report.
Learn about SRI’s drug discovery and development capabilities at the SRI Biosciences website.
Toward Strategic Technology Transfer for South Korea and the U.S.
The recently concluded South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement signals a dramatic change in South Korea’s place in international science and technology and industrial competitiveness, from a time when it relied heavily on technology from other countries to spur economic growth. Today, South Korea is the world’s tenth largest economy and the seventh largest exporter and importer of goods and services.
Mary Ellen Mogee, Ph.D., a senior science and technology policy analyst in SRI’s Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Development, gave the keynote presentation at the Korean Industrial Technology Foundation’s 2007 Global Technology Transfer Workshop: Post Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement Outlook & Challenges of Technology Cooperation and Transfer with U.S. in Seoul, South Korea on May 10. Dr. Mogee noted that South Korea should act more like its competitor countries to maintain its economic growth, specifically with more focus on technology exchange. "The new technology strategy must be a two-way street," Dr. Mogee said. She also urged South Korea to place more emphasis on basic scientific research at universities.
Learn more about SRI's economic development programs.
Admiral Vernon Clark Joins SRI Board of Directors
Admiral Vernon E. Clark (U.S. Navy, Retired) has been elected to SRI's board of directors, effective March 1, 2007. Admiral Clark becomes the ninth member of SRI's board, joining a prestigious group that includes leaders from business, financial, and academic sectors. Admiral Clark's experience in national defense complements the expertise the Board provides SRI, which meets the needs of mostly government clients.
Admiral Clark retired in 2005 after completing the Navy's second-longest tenure as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). He served aboard naval destroyers and commanded the Carl Vinson Battle Group/Cruiser Destroyer Group Three, the Second Fleet, and the Atlantic Fleet. 
Upcoming Tradeshows and Conferences
Meet SRI at these upcoming events:
In the News
- Omaha World-Herald, April 22: Money for Minds: Some of Omaha's Richest Support Initiative to Help Poor Kids Succeed
This article reports on "Building Bright Futures," an Omaha program to address education barriers that affect poor children. The article notes that the program commissioned SRI to conduct a study of the challenges faced by Omaha youth. Report findings are explained in the article.
- New York Times Magazine, April 15: The Power of Green
This column about "green ideology" by Thomas Friedman quotes SRI CEO Curt Carlson explaining the "China price" regarding the growth of alternative energy in developing countries.
Visit the SRI Newsroom for more news.
CONTACT US
For more information on SRI's innovations and how we can help you, contact SRI Digest editor Marty Mallonee at marty.mallonee@sri.com. The SRI Digest welcomes your feedback. Please send suggestions or comments to newsletter@sri.com. Start or discontinue a subscription by sending an email to newsletter@sri.com.
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Copyright 2007 SRI International. All rights reserved.
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