A team of researchers from National University of Singapore (NUS) have created the first two-photon, small molecule fluorogenic probe that can serve as a useful tool for the rapid assessment of an individual's potential risk for Parkinson's disease. The highly sensitive fluorescence probe can detect with high precision the activity of Monoamine Oxidase B (MAO-B), an enzyme that is found in elevated levels in patients with Parkinson's disease. This innovation paves the way for the development of less costly non-invasive technologies and devices to help monitor the risk and ...

BOSTON – A drug that unleashes the immune system to attack cancer can produce lasting remissions and hold the disease in check – for more than two years, in some cases – in many patients with advanced melanoma, according to a new study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and allied institutions. The study, published online today, March 3, by the Journal of Clinical Oncology, provides the longest-term look so far at how melanoma patients have fared since receiving the drug, nivolumab, in a phase I clinical trial. The ...

Artificial photosynthesis, in which we emulate the process used by nature to capture energy from the sun and convert it into electrochemical energy, is expected to be a major asset in any sustainable energy portfolio for the future. Artificial photosynthesis offers the promise of producing liquid fuels that are renewable and can be used without exacerbating global climate change. A key to realizing commercial-scale artificial photosynthesis technology is the development of electrocatalysts that can efficiently and economically carry out water oxidation reaction that is ...

New York, NY— Bacteria in the gut are essential for the development of intestinal tumors in mice, according to research led by investigators from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Removing the bacteria may play a critical role in reducing cancer risk, the researchers write, in the March issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Sergio A. Lira, MD, PhD, Director of the Immunology Institute, and Professor of Immunology and Medicine, and his laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, used a transgenic mouse model to test the hypothesis that ...

Voters who cast their ballots via smartphones made fewer errors than they did when voting via traditional methods in a mock election, according to new research from psychologists at Rice University. In a first-of-its-kind study, co-author Rice Professor of Psychology Michael Byrne examined how smartphone-based voting systems can be incorporated into the current large-scale voting process. The study, "Toward More Usable Electronic Voting: Testing the Usability of a Smartphone Voting System," found that while there are no consistent differences in efficiency and perceived ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New evidence establishes for the first time that Cahokia, a sprawling, pre-Columbian city situated at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, hosted a sizable population of immigrants. Cahokia was an early experiment in urban life, said Thomas Emerson, who led the new analysis. Emerson is Illinois state archaeologist and the director of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey at the University of Illinois. Researchers have traditionally thought of Cahokia as a relatively homogeneous and stable population drawn from the immediate area, ...

Researchers at New Zealand's University of Otago are helping to clear up an enduring mystery regarding the composition of the Earth's atmosphere. They have discovered the microbial soil processes that help ensure that the explosive gas hydrogen remains at trace levels. In recent decades it was found that around four-fifths of all hydrogen released into the air is rapidly removed through soil activity, but exactly what is recycling it, and how, has remained unclear. Now, Otago scientists have shown that the soil bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis uses two special enzymes ...

Increasing the intake of fatty fish increases the number of large HDL particles, according to a recent study completed at the University of Eastern Finland. People who increased their intake of fish to a minimum of 3–4 weekly meals had more large HDL particles in their blood than people who are less frequent eaters of fish. Large HDL particles are believed to protect against cardiovascular diseases. The results were published in PLOS ONE. The consumption of fish has long been know to be beneficial for health; however, the mechanisms by which fats and other useful nutrients ...

In a new study that could help doctors extend the lives of patients awaiting liver transplants, a Rice University-led team of researchers examined the metabolic breakdown that takes place in liver cells during late-stage cirrhosis and found clues that suggest new treatments to delay liver failure. More than 17,000 Americans are awaiting a liver transplant, and of those, about 1,500 will die this year while still waiting, according to the American Liver Foundation. The new research, which appeared online Feb. 27 in the Journal of Hepatology, suggests new treatments that ...

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Switzerland. There are many reasons why in the era of cutting-edge medicine it is still difficult to cure this disease. A tumour may, for instance, consist of different tumour cell subpopulations, each of which has its own profile and responds differ-ently to therapy – or not. Furthermore, the cancer cells and the healthy cells in the body interact and communicate with one another. How a tumour then actually develops and whether metastases form depends on which signals a tumour cell receives from its environment. With the ...

The research group of Professor Jairo Sinova at the Institute of Physics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), in collaboration with researchers from Prague, Cambridge, and Nottingham, have predicted and discovered a new physical phenomenon that allows to manipulate the state of a magnet by electric signals. Current technologies for writing, storing, and reading information are either charge-based or spin-based. Semiconductor flash or random access memories are prime examples among the large variety of charge-based devices. They utilize the possibility offered by ...

University of Cincinnati researchers are reporting early results on a way to make solar-powered panels in lights, calculators and roofs lighter, less expensive, more flexible (therefore less breakable) and more efficient. Fei Yu, a University of Cincinnati doctoral student in materials engineering, will present new findings on boosting the power conversion efficiency of polymer solar cells on March 3, at the American Physical Society Meeting in Denver. Yu is experimenting with adding a small fraction of graphene nanoflakes to polymer-blend bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar ...

SEATTLE—A rich chocolate cake is tempting you, but where is a dietitian when you need one? The e-Care for Heart Wellness study sought to solve this problem. In the study, Group Health patients who were overweight and had hypertension were more likely to have lost 10 pounds in six months if they had secure online access to a dietitian than if they received only information and usual care. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published the e-Care study. "One patient said, 'It's like having a dietitian in your pocket,'" said Beverly B. Green, MD, MPH, a family ...

One of the consequences of globalization and increased worldwide freight trade is the introduction of invasive alien species. In the list of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world , there is only one terrestrial flatworm: Platydemus manokwari, also called New Guinea flatworm. This species has now been found in France, Caen, and was identified by an international team led by Jean-Lou Justine of Institute of Systematics, Evolution, Biodiversity, Paris, France (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle / CNRS / UPMC / EPHE). This is the first discovery of the species ...

In a study that began in a pair of infant siblings with a rare heart defect, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a key molecular switch that regulates heart cell division and normally turns the process off around the time of birth. Their research, they report, could advance efforts to turn the process back on and regenerate heart tissue damaged by heart attacks or disease. "This study offers hope that we can someday find a way to restore the ability of heart cells to divide in response to injury and to help patients recover from many kinds of cardiac dysfunction," ...

Senior Study Hall will inspire teens to have a positive self-image during their signature program Teen Enrichment 101 on March 8, 2014 at the Covenant House Texas 1111 Lovett Blvd, Houston, TX 77006 from 9:00a.m.-12:30p.m. The workshop presentations includes perfecting your self-image, having a healthy lifestyle, photography basics, learning CPR, and following your dreams. Sponsors for the event include Kroger, Black River Imaging, LAMIK Beauty, ShootProof, Photographer's Edit, Yo' Fro and a host of local small businesses. Speakers include Tomayia Colvin of Tomayia Colvin ...

Hot Probate Leads is pleased to announce the promotion of Anthony Johnson to the position of Vice President, based in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Anthony joined Hot Probate Leads in 2013 and brought with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from his previous sales and marketing roles at Probate Team TSS and ATT Offshore. During his time so far with Hot Probate Leads, he has been highly influential in developing business opportunities in the region, particularly in California. As Hot Probate Leads new regional head, Anthony will draw on this experience, his industry connections ...

The 2014 BJH Foundation for Senior Services grant applications are currently available at http://www.bjhfoundation.org. Grants are awarded to non-profit organizations serving Jewish older adults in North and South Carolina. Last year, BJH Foundation for Senior Services awarded 21 grants totaling more than $203,230 to help fund programs such as elder day care, congregational nurse programs, social worker programs, home and community services, guardianship and care management for Jewish older adults in North and South Carolina. Over the past 7 years, BJH Foundation has ...

A sweet and warm young girl, Patricia Thomas, lives in a picture perfect home, with her beautiful mother in an affluent neighborhood and attends a model school. At first glance her life is unspoiled, but as you take the journey through the chronicles of her diary, a nightmare unfolds and her story sours. She is bullied by her mother, her classmates, her friends and by the men she loves. In her world, it seems, the Bullying Won't Stop. Author, Delicia B. Davis, revisits her memories of being bullied and tells a juicy tale in this work of fiction that many young girls ...

Take a spell bounding ride into the stories of award-winning children's author, Donna McDine. Be prepared for the adrenaline rush of escaping via the Underground Railroad, the slip of the ice beneath your skates, the harsh reality of the Royal Navy Press Gangs, the discovery of whale poachers at the beach, or experience the first day of kindergarten nervousness. The roller coaster action in each escapade will transport the reader into a specific time period. One never knows where they will end up, past or present. So come on in for a front row seat in Donna's writing world. McDine's ...

Duminiak is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, an International Spiritual Bereavement Recovery Facilitator since 1998, a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, radio co-host of Ask the Angels on BlogTalk Radio, the founder and spiritual advisor of Prayer Wave for After-Death Communications--an internet nondenominational grief support prayer group, and message board with members from 22 countries. An Expert Consultant listed with The Learning Annex. She is a contributing writer for the Open To Hope Foundation. Duminiak has been featured on ...

Middle school students in Springfield, Missouri who are blind or visually impaired are invited to apply for a free, new summer program that offers Orientation & Mobility, Activities of Daily Living, plus Recreation and Leisure / Fitness options, including swimming lessons and exercise. The SouthWest Expanded Education Program (SWEEP) for students who are blind or visually impaired will be conducted this summer for ten students entering the 7th grade to entering the 10th grade. SWEEP will be offered June 9 through June 27, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. ...

Don McCauley of the Free Publicity Focus Group and Danielle Hampson, Executive Producer of The Authors Show, founders of The Authors Marketing Powerhouse, have announced The Authors Show radio and broadcast schedule for the week of March 3, 2014. The new show schedule is available at the Authors Marketing Powerhouse site. For those who hope to sell books on the Internet, the challenge can be daunting. It can be confusing difficult, time consuming and expensive. Book Marketing, branded as The Authors Marketing Powerhouse, helps authors overcome these challenges by providing ...

Investor entities worldwide, representing more than $1.94 billion in hedge fund assets, participated in the firms comprehensive hedge fund investor survey. Respondents include public and private pensions, foundations and endowments, sovereign wealth funds, funds of funds, private banks and investment consultants. First Catholic Financial's Director of Research, Analysis and Risk Management said: "Despite a challenging market environment over the past year, the hedge fund industry continues to trend upward, with investors predicting a fourfold increase in inflows ...

As temperatures drop, warm coats are needed. The office of Ditcharo & Johnson Orthodontics in Murfreesboro, TN, recently completed their second annual coat drive. Current orthodontic patients were generous enough to bring in over sixty coats as well as assorted scarves, hats, and gloves. The new or gently used articles were then donated to Greenhouse Ministries, a local charity that impacts over 39,000 underprivileged individuals and families per year. "We place this huge box in our waiting room each December," explained Dr. Anthony Ditcharo, " and ...