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A recent survey from the Industrial Research Institute reveals that companies are focusing their research and development activities by collaborating with academic and government labs to provide concrete business results.

The National Journal of Young Investigators will provide undergraduates an understanding of the world of science. The journal is being funded with over $150,000 from organizations that include the National Science Foundation, Glaxo Wellcome, and Duke University. The periodical is published as an electronic journal on the web site http://www.jyi.org.

Liberal arts colleges are expected to gain a higher number of students pursuing a science PhD than undergraduates graduating from research universities. The difference can be brought about by the positive effect of close student-faculty interaction, research opportunities, and the supportive environment provided by institutions that focus on undergraduates.

Research by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the TWA Flight 800 incident concludes that a fuel-vapor explosion due to increased temperatures in the fuel tanks caused the accident. The board is considering the recommendations of the Federal Aviation Administration of substituting Jet A and A-1 fuels with JP-5 fuels used by the Navy which have higher flash points, making them less susceptible to combustion. The NTSB believes that the accident could have been averted if the fuel tanks were not explosive.

Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is looking on the possibility of using plants as a source of food and gas in space explorations. The problem is actually centered on finding the right combination of plants and volatiles which would enhance the recirculation of waste gases and materials in a closed system. Some of the potential volatiles under analysis include ethylene, nitrous oxide, organics and salts.

Researcher Joseph C. Hall has formed the Innovative Reproductive Technologies, a company aimed at commercializing his research in contraceptives. Scheduled for development is Hall's male contraceptive compound which blocks the enzyme used by sperm cells to detect and fertilize eggs. Experimental trials in rats showed 92% effectivity. The compound is analogous to the N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase, the enzyme used by sperm cells to cut through the egg cell's protective sugar coating. The compound will be developed either as a patch or as an oral contraceptive.