A team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Zacharon Pharmaceuticals, have developed a simple, reliable test for identifying biomarkers for mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), a group of inherited metabolic disorders that are currently diagnosed in patients only after symptoms have become serious and the damage possibly irreversible. The findings will be published online January 8 in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. MPS is caused by the absence or malfunctioning of a lysosomal enzyme required to break down ...

Much of what living cells do is carried out by "molecular machines" – physical complexes of specialized proteins working together to carry out some biological function. How the minute steps of evolution produced these constructions has long puzzled scientists, and provided a favorite target for creationists. In a study published early online on Sunday, January 8, in Nature, a team of scientists from the University of Chicago and the University of Oregon demonstrate how just a few small, high-probability mutations increased the complexity of a molecular machine more than ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Those making land use decisions to reduce the harmful effects of climate change have focused almost exclusively on greenhouse gases – analyzing, for example, how much carbon dioxide is released when a forest is cleared to grow crops. A new study in Nature Climate Change aims to present a more complete picture – to incorporate other characteristics of ecosystems that also influence climate. "We know that forests store a lot of carbon and clearing a forest releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change," said University of ...

In a report published in Nature Physics, they used graphene, the world's thinnest and strongest material, and made it magnetic. Graphene is a sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a chicken wire structure. In its pristine state, it exhibits no signs of the conventional magnetism usually associated with such materials as iron or nickel. Demonstrating its remarkable properties won Manchester researchers the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. This latest research led by Dr Irina Grigorieva and Professor Sir Andre Geim (one of the Nobel prize recipients) could prove crucial ...

The decade from 2000 to 2009 was the warmest since global climate has been measured, and while localized studies have shown evidence of changes in mountain plant communities that reflect this warming trend, no study has yet taken a continental-scale view of the situation – until now. With the publication of "Continent-wide response of mountain vegetation to climate change," scheduled for Advance Online Publication (AOP) in Nature Climate Change on 8 January, researchers from 13 countries report clear and statistically significant evidence of a continent-wide warming effect ...

Founder of EditCopyProof, Charlon Bobo, today announced the official launch of a new website featuring products and services specifically developed for evolutionary entrepreneurs. As one of only a few businesses worldwide addressing the specific needs of this market, Bobo is the only copywriter. Affectionately known as the "conscious copywriter," Bobo enjoys the success of a worldwide clientele and a loyal following of evolutionary entrepreneurs; a quickly-emerging market. The term is a relatively new one, coming onto the business scene within the past year. Evolutionary ...

HOUSTON -- (Jan. 8, 2012) – The anxiety and behavioral issues associated with excess MeCP2 protein result from overexpression of two genes (Crh [corticotropin-releasing hormone] and Oprm 1 [mu-opioid receptor MOR 1]), which may point the way to treating these problems in patients with too much of the protein, said Baylor College of Medicine scientists in a report that appears online in the journal Nature Genetics. Much of the work was done at the Jan and Dan L. Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital. MeCP2 is a "Goldilocks" in the protein ...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Unprecedented levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are disrupting normal patterns of glaciation, according to a study co-authored by a University of Florida researcher and published online Jan. 8 in Nature Geoscience. The Earth's current warm period that began about 11,000 years ago should give way to another ice age within about 1,500 years, according to accepted astronomical models. However, current levels of carbon dioxide are trapping too much heat in the atmosphere to allow the Earth to cool as it has in its prehistoric past ...

First Evangelical Methodist Church of Glendora is pleased to announce the official hiring of Mark Quiroz as their new Senior Pastor. He will be replacing the churches long time dedicated pastor Wenzel Sperl who passed away on September 26, 2011. Pastor Quiroz brings to Glendora EMC, five years of church leadership as Youth Pastor of multiple churches. He graduated in 2011 with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Christian Ministry from Crown College in Minnesota. He is currently enrolled in the Master of Ministry program at Point Loma University in San Diego. For more ...

A new study by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers identified a new culprit that leads to atherosclerosis, the accumulation of fat and cholesterol that hardens into plaque and narrows arteries. The research, published online by Nature Immunology on January 8, 2012, explains why cholesterol-laden, coronary artery disease-causing cells called macrophages, accumulate in artery plaques. "We have discovered that macrophages that accumulate in plaques secrete a molecule called netrin-1," said Kathryn J. Moore, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor in the ...

St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired is very pleased to announce it has been selected to participate in the "Year of Making a Difference" program presented by Gallop, a major law firm headquartered in St. Louis. (www.GallopLaw.com). "Year of Making a Difference" is a unique charitable awareness and fundraising initiative managed by Gallop that will benefit not only Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired but additional non-profit organizations in St. Louis that assist people right here in our community. David Ekin, President ...

A new form of graphene created by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin could prevent laptops and other electronics from overheating, ultimately, overcoming one of the largest hurdles to building smaller and more powerful electronic devices. The research team, which includes colleagues at The University of Texas at Dallas, the University of California-Riverside and Xiamen University in China, published its findings online today in the Advance Online Publication of Nature Materials. The study will also appear in the print journal of Nature Materials. Led ...

In the chemistry of the living world, a pair of nucleic acids—DNA and RNA—reign supreme. As carrier molecules of the genetic code, they provide all organisms with a mechanism for faithfully reproducing themselves as well as generating the myriad proteins vital to living systems. Yet according to John Chaput, a researcher at the Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics, at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute®, it may not always have been so. Chaput and other researchers studying the first tentative flickering of life on earth have investigated various ...

FloraTerra, California's based landscape management company, has announced the addition of Larry Petretti as their new Operations Manager in their San Jose Branch. Petretti, has over 25 Years' experience in the Green Industry, beginning his career in horticulture working with several successful landscape companies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He worked at Delconte Landscape in Fremont as there District Manager, and at the beginning of his career with Western Landscapes in 1986 he has spent his past 6 years as a successful self-employed entrepreneur relocating ...

A new study has found that when parents get tested for breast cancer genes, many of them share their results with their children, even with those who are very young. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also revealed that most parents think that their children are not distressed when they learn about the test results. For parents, one of the primary motivations for getting tested for hereditary cancer genes is to better understand the risk that their children face; however, many parents struggle with the decision ...

Acupuncture and sham acupuncture appear equally effective in treating migraines, according to a clinical trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj110551.pdf. An international team of researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture in treating migraines in 480 patients at nine hospitals in China. The patients were randomly assigned to four groups, including one sham acupuncture group and three groups receiving different ...

A new study suggests that middle-aged adults recently diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension have time to try to learn how to control their high blood pressure without medications, but not too much time. The consequences of delaying effective hypertension treatment for up to a year were small—a two-day reduction in quality-adjusted life expectancy—according to a study by University of Chicago researchers published online for the Journal of General Internal Medicine. But as the delay gets longer, the damages multiply. A ten-year delay decreased life expectancy by almost ...

Award Winning International Branding and Consumer Product Development Firm to Launch Products in Spring-2012 Florence, KY Geoff Ficke, President of Duquesa Marketing announced today that his Firm has been retained to act as Managing Consultants for the creation, testing Branding and market introduction of Dr. Ajit Nemi's line of targeted skin treatment products. "Ajit Nemi MD MBA is a brilliant young doctor and researcher who has built a thriving Eye Care practice in the Atlanta area", said Mr. Ficke. "His extensive work with patients provides Dr. Nemi ...

The main symptom of Rotor syndrome is jaundice caused by a buildup of a substance known as conjugated bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow substance generated in large quantities when the body recycles red blood cells. It is conjugated in the liver to make it soluble in water so that it can be cleared from the body. Although Rotor syndrome is known to be a genetic disorder, it is not known which genes are involved. However, a team of researchers — led by Alfred Schinkel, at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, The Netherlands; and Milan Jirsa, at the Institute for Clinical and ...

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive weakness and spasticity (stiffness) of the legs. Mutations in more than 30 genes have been linked to HSPs. A team of researchers — led by Stephan Züchner, at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami; Evan Reid, at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; and Antonio Orlacchio, at the Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello–Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Santa Lucia, Italy — has now associated mutations in the gene ...

The Latinva Instructor Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, March 24, 2012, 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., at Spectrum Athletic Clubs in Canoga Park, 2235 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA 91303. The workshop is ACE and AFAA Certified: ACE trainers receive 0.7 CEC's and AFAA trainers receive 5.5 CEU's. The Latinva Dance Fitness Workshop will provide fitness enthusiasts with all the fundamentals of teaching a dance fitness class, with detailed emphasis on choreography, cueing, dance, music, and teaching techniques. With these five methods, instructors will learn how to choreograph ...

EDITOR'S PICK: Genetic and mechanistic basis for rotor syndrome uncovered The main symptom of Rotor syndrome is jaundice caused by a buildup of a substance known as conjugated bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow substance generated in large quantities when the body recycles red blood cells. It is conjugated in the liver to make it soluble in water so that it can be cleared from the body. Although Rotor syndrome is known to be a genetic disorder, it is not known which genes are involved. However, a team of researchers — led by Alfred Schinkel, at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, ...

SAN DIEGO -- Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) have begun to identify mutations and cellular pathway changes that lead to lung cancer in never-smokers — a first step in developing potential therapeutic targets. "This is the starting point. We certainly have a lot of pathways and gene expression alterations that we're going to be very interested in confirming and looking at in larger cohorts of patients," said Dr. Timothy G. Whitsett, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow in TGen's Cancer and Cell Biology Division. Whitsett presented the findings ...

The goal of the procedure is to reshape flat, square or A-Shaped bottoms for a more voluptuous, curvaceous and sensual backside. During the surgery, Jugenburg takes fat from unwanted areas of the body, such as flanks, hips, or tummy, and strategically transfers this fat to the buttocks. The reshaping and sculpting techniques to the lower backside, can provide lift and a more voluptuous shape and contour. http://www.Torontosurgery.ca The results are customized to the individual and cultural desires of each woman. http://www.torontosurgery.ca/Toronto-Cosmetic-Surgery-Photo-Gallery.html There ...

Dozens of giant tortoises of a species believed extinct for 150 years may still be living at a remote location in the Galápagos Islands, a genetic analysis conducted by Yale University researchers reveals. The analysis, published Jan. 9 in the journal Current Biology, suggests that direct descendants of at least 38 purebred individuals of Chelonoidis elephantopus live on the volcanic slopes of the northern shore of Isabela Island — 200 miles from their ancestral home of Floreana Island, where they disappeared after being hunted by whalers. "This is not just an academic ...