ANN ARBOR—The sponginess of the environment where human embryonic stem cells are growing affects the type of specialized cells they eventually become, a University of Michigan study shows. The researchers coaxed human embryonic stem cells to turn into working spinal cord cells more efficiently by growing the cells on a soft, utrafine carpet made of a key ingredient in Silly Putty. Their study is published online at Nature Materials on April 13. This research is the first to directly link physical, as opposed to chemical, signals to human embryonic stem cell differentiation. ...

VIDEO: Scientists collected fish from the coral reefs shown here and found that fish from the more acidic waters of the bubble reefs were less likely to detect the odor of... Click here for more information. Fish living on coral reefs where carbon dioxide seeps from the ocean floor were less able to detect predator odor than fish from normal coral reefs, according to a new study. The study confirms laboratory experiments showing that the behavior of reef fishes can be seriously ...

The phenomenon has long been known in psychology: traumatic experiences can induce behavioural disorders that are passed down from one generation to the next. It is only recently that scientists have begun to understand the physiological processes underlying hereditary trauma. "There are diseases such as bipolar disorder, that run in families but can't be traced back to a particular gene", explains Isabelle Mansuy, professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. With her research group at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich, she has been studying ...

Scientists at Yale University have devised a dramatically faster way of identifying and characterizing complex alloys known as bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), a versatile type of pliable glass that's stronger than steel. Using traditional methods, it usually takes a full day to identify a single metal alloy appropriate for making BMGs. The new method allows researchers to screen about 3,000 alloys per day and simultaneously ascertain certain properties, such as melting temperature and malleability. "Instead of fishing with a single hook, we're throwing a big net," said ...

Researchers have found a major piece of genetic evidence that confirms the role of a group of virus-fighting genes in cancer development. Our understanding of the biological processes that cause cancer is limited. UV light and smoking are two well-understood cancer-causing processes. Exposure to either of these processes causes distinguishable patterns of genetic damage, or 'signatures', on the genome that can lead to cancer. All cancer-causing processes leave their own distinct imprint or signature, on the genomes of cancer cells. The APOBEC family of genes control ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Some 2 to 5 percent of all international trade involves counterfeit goods, according to a 2013 United Nations report. These illicit products — which include electronics, automotive and aircraft parts, pharmaceuticals, and food — can pose safety risks and cost governments and private companies hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Many strategies have been developed to try to label legitimate products and prevent illegal trade — but these tags are often too easy to fake, are unreliable, or cost too much to implement, according to MIT researchers who ...

Alzheimer's disease, the primary cause of dementia in the elderly, imposes a tremendous social and economic burden on modern society. In Japan, the burden of the disease in 2050 is estimated to be a half a trillion US dollars, a figure equivalent to the government's annual revenues. Unfortunately, it has proven very difficult to develop drugs capable of ameliorating the disease. After a tremendous burst of progress in the 1990s, the pace of discoveries has slowed. Dr. Saido believes that part of the difficulty is the inadequacy of current mouse models to replicate the ...

The complexity of biology can befuddle even the most sophisticated light microscopes. Biological samples bend light in unpredictable ways, returning difficult-to-interpret information to the microscope and distorting the resulting image. New imaging technology developed at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Farm Research Campus rapidly corrects for these distortions and sharpens high-resolution images over large volumes of tissue. The approach, a form of adaptive optics, works in tissues that do not scatter light, making it well suited to imaging the transparent ...

In a new study, researchers from North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill and other institutions have taken the first steps toward creating a roadmap that may help scientists narrow down the genetic cause of numerous diseases. Their work also sheds new light on how heredity and environment can affect gene expression. Pinpointing the genetic causes of common diseases is not easy, as multiple genes may be involved with a disease. Moreover, disease-causing variants in DNA often do not act directly, but by activating nearby genes. To add to the complexity, genetic ...

With Easter less than two weeks away there is no time to waste. It's time to gather up all the candy, paint all the eggs, and perhaps find a festive bunny costume to wear for fun. At iLoveSexy, an online retailer for women's lingerie and costume, there is wide selection of costumes from popular brands like Leg Avenue, Roma Costume, Be Wicked, and more. Finding that bunny costume won't be a problem, and although they do not provide the conventional onesie type bunny outfit, the alternatives certainly do not disappoint. There can be many different approaches to a bunny ...

Global Storm is excited to announce an addition to its lineup of restaurant software tools, the Global Storm Table App! Global Storm has created a line of grocery, retail and restaurant apps to ease business stress, streamline communication, provide customer outreach and more. Global Storm is excited to add this new app to our line of products, which will help attract and maintain restaurant patrons. The Table App is a relatively simple app that is mounted to the tables of a restaurant. While this app was built for iPads, it also works great and saves space and money ...

The Small Business Information Center (SBIC) of Hillsborough County is hosting its complimentary, two-part Developing a Business Plan workshop at the University Area Community Center on Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Attendees not only learn everything involved in developing a business plan, but also have the chance to receive a $1,000 grant to launch their entrepreneurial dream. After the workshop, attendees are encouraged to develop their complete business plan and submit it by May 1 to be eligible for the $1,000 grant provided by the University Area ...

The New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera (Verismo Opera) and Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) announce Verismo Opera is the theatre's House Opera Company. Now in its 25th anniversary season, Verismo Opera produces grand, professional productions twice a year, along with an international vocal competition, concerts, master classes, and workshops. The new partnership will allow Verismo Opera to expand the number of production performances to three this year in Bergen County, New Jersey at bergenPAC and continue its mission of sharing grand, traditional opera ...

Durango, CO - April 11, 2014 - With a growing global presence, the Colorado based Blu Girls Tribe is further establishing itself with its latest feature in New York Times. New York Times columnist, Cindy Hirschfield, joined the Blu Girls on a heli-skiing trip in the rugged snowy terrain of Alaska, and experienced what being a Blu Girl is all about. Hirschfield's New York Times piece highlighted a heli-skiing trip with nine skier and snowboarder Blu Girls from around the country who gathered to conquer the Alaskan backcountry slopes. Along with fostering a close-knit ...

It's one thing to brand a widget; it's another to employ the tools of branding to address the issue of homelessness. That indeed is the charge for third year graphic design students at Woodbury University. Working with The Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles, students are tapping their creativity to brand The Mission's Family Housing Program. Overseen by Associate Professor Cate Roman, M.F.A., the required course provides students with an opportunity to work directly with a non-profit client from the Los Angeles community. The Midnight Mission offers a path to ...

BuyaTimeshare.com (http://buyatimeshare.com) has released the results of an evaluation of owner resale information based on the consumer advertisements placed on the resale leader's website. Conducted by the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management at the University of South Carolina, the independent study measured information from over 18,000 advertisements placed by owners looking to sell their timeshares through BuyaTimeshare.com. Among the findings: • The median advertised sale price was $11,000 • The mode (most frequent) sale price was $10,000 • The ...

Consumers are praising the company for its skilled and well-timed service as well as exceptional results, helping them take their porcelain tile from grubby to wonderful. The president of Desert Tile & Grout Care, Dan Milne, declares, "We all are dedicated to supplying superior service and are devoted to end results. We are pleased to know all of our customers are happy with this services and are also happy to get the word out." During the last 15 years, Desert Tile & Grout Care has been doing work in the Phoenix Metro vicinity. This company provides ceramic ...

Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis (LHB), a not-for-profit manufacturing and packaging organization with a dedicated social service mission (http://www.lhbindustries.com), is packing up emergency survival gear to help avert a potential school lockdown disaster in a project to prepare schools for unexpected crisis. Adam D. Baker, a 16-year-old Boy Scout in Virginia, contacted Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis seeking emergency survival supplies to help equip Fort Defiance High School in Staunton, Virginia, in case students are ever trapped in their classrooms by ...

Central Carolina Hospital announced today that Wanda Collins, a nursing assistant, and Brenda Jones, a unit secretary, have been inducted into the Tenet Heroes Hall of Fame, Tenet Healthcare Corporation's highest honor for employees, at a ceremony in Dallas, Texas, on April 9. When a patient with cerebral palsy was brought into the hospital with injuries, it was immediately clear to hospital staff that he could not return to his current home. Collins and Jones worked to make the hospital feel like home for the patient and cared for him like family. Both Collins and ...

Shimco, a leader in manufacturing precision parts, laminated and edge-bond shims, tapers and spacers, announced today the receipt of two separate nominations for the Markham Board of Trade's 2014 Business Excellence Awards. The nominations were received after an on-site visit from Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Economic Development Director Stephen Chait and Senior Business Development Officer Huyen Hare. The purpose of Mayor Scarpitti's visit to Shimco was to learn more about the company's long history and capabilities, as a local manufacturing company in the City of ...

The Comin Project, an innovative new platform for both indie storytellers and fans alike, announced today the launch of its Kickstarter crowdsourcing campaign, beginning Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The Comin Project includes both the Comin Writer, which consists of a comprehensive set of story writing and visual creation tools, and the Comin Reader which is a convenient and interactive tool for readers to view their favorite comics and content on mobile devices or personal computers. The Comin Project was designed for comic creators and readers, but it is not limited ...

11th April 2014: Following on from the phenomenal success of last year's event, SMi Group's 4th annual Biobanking event is set to be the strongest yet with exclusive case-studies and new speakers enlisted. This year's Biobanking event will once again bring together leading luminaries in the biobanking world to discuss issues that are pertinent to the biobanking industry. The speaker faculty boasts a collection of the most experienced thought leaders covering topics such as: • Maximising the value of biosamples - Dr. Brian Thomson, Nottingham Health Science Biobank • Moving ...

The Brookeside Group is a client experience management company that provides B2B sales organizations with the industry's most powerful model to dramatically improve both their sales effectiveness and value creation within their 1:1 client relationships, announced that it has been selected to the 2013 Top 20 Training Companies list published by Selling Power magazine. "We are truly honored to be named a Top 20 Sales Training Company," said Tom Cates, President of The Brookeside Group. "Our market-proven, SalesEquity.com client experience management software has provided ...

With Perfion PIM Eckler will also be able to easily expand their product lines and brands of cars. With over 300,000 automotive products offered, Eckler Industries has the broadest range of restoration and performance products and accessories available anywhere. ACES DATABASE AND PERFION PIM ARE COMPLETELY LINKED In Perfion, Eckler can relate all the automotive parts with the individual car models. Information on the engines is provided by the motor industry database ACES that is completely linked together with the Perfion PIM system. (ACES - the Aftermarket ...

Water@Work Ministry will be participating as a Gold sponsor of the Large Church Initiative (LCI) Conference, which is a partnership between the General Board of Discipleship and the Large Church Initiative Committee, chaired by The Rev. Dr. Tim Walker. The annual LCI conference is hosted each year by a different church to provide an arena for networking, for sharing ideas, and for giving and receiving encouragement and support for ministry. This year the LCI Conference will be held on April 28-30, 2014 at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church in Johns Creek, Georgia just ...