Protocol conformance and performance testing are two branches of testing designed to determine compliance and performance of protocol implementations to their standard. Dr. CHE Xiaoping and Dr. MAAG Stephane from Laboratory UMR 5157 of French Centre national de la recherché scientifique (CNRS) focus on converging these two kinds of testing in a same formal approach. After several years of innovative research, they eventually created a formal approach to formally specify conformance and performance requirements. They successfully applied their approach on Extensible Messaging ...

A new study has found that India's shocking rates of suicide are highest in areas with the most debt-ridden farmers who are clinging to tiny smallholdings – less than one hectare – and trying to grow 'cash crops', such as cotton and coffee, that are highly susceptible to global price fluctuations. The research supports a range of previous case studies that point to a crisis in key areas of India's agriculture sector following the 'liberalisation' of the nation's economy during the 90s. Researchers say that policy intervention to stabilise the price of cash crops and relieve ...

The recent Yokahama IPCC meeting painted a stark warning on the possible effects of gases such as methane – which has a greenhouse effect 32 times that of carbon dioxide. Now a team of Swiss-German researchers have shown that humic substances act as fully regenerable electron acceptors which helps explain why large amount of methane are held in wetlands instead of being released to the atmosphere. However, there are worries that if this system is disrupted it may enter into a vicious cycle to release large amounts of methane back into the atmosphere. Wetlands, such as ...

Researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on April 17 have discovered little-known cave insects with rather novel sex lives. The Brazilian insects, which represent four distinct but related species in the genus Neotrogla, are the first example of an animal with sex-reversed genitalia. "Although sex-role reversal has been identified in several different animals, Neotrogla is the only example in which the intromittent organ is also reversed," says Kazunori Yoshizawa from Hokkaido University in Japan. During copulation, which lasts an impressive ...

This spring, more than 40 percent of the western U.S. is in a drought that the USDA deems "severe" or "exceptional." The same was true in 2013. In 2012, drought even spread to the humid east. It's easy to assume that a 3-year drought is an inconsequential blip on the radar for ecosystems that develop over centuries to millennia. But new research just released in Ecological Monographs shows how short-lived but severe climatic events can trigger cascades of ecosystem change that last for centuries. Some of the most compelling evidence of how ecosystems respond to drought ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University researchers have detected new early-warning signs of the potential loss of sight associated with diabetes. This discovery could have far-reaching implications for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, potentially impacting the care of over 25 million Americans. "We had not expected to see such striking changes to the retinas at such early stages," said Ann Elsner, professor and associate dean in the IU School of Optometry and lead author of the study. "We set out to study the early signs, in volunteer research subjects ...

Gene expression is the process whereby the genetic information of DNA is used to manufacture functional products, such as proteins, which have numerous different functions in living organisms. Messenger RNA (mRNA) serves as an important intermediary during gene expression, by relating the genetic information of DNA to the molecular mechanisms involved in manufacturing proteins. By examining the different types and amounts of mRNA molecules present in an organism at a given time, researchers can determine which specific genes are being expressed. This, in turn, offers ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- In a new study, Indiana University cognitive scientists Catarina Vales and Linda Smith demonstrate that children spot objects more quickly when prompted by words than if they are only prompted by images. Language, the study suggests, is transformative: More so than images, spoken language taps into children's cognitive system, enhancing their ability to learn and to navigate cluttered environments. As such the study, published last week in the journal Developmental Science, opens up new avenues for research into the way language might shape the course ...

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are the first to recommend that young women treated with radiation for cervical cancer should begin colorectal cancer screening earlier than traditionally recommended. The UTMB researchers, finding a high incidence of secondary colorectal cancers among cervical cancer survivors treated with radiation, offer new recommendations that the younger women in this group begin colorectal cancer screening about eight years after their initial cervical cancer diagnosis instead of waiting until age 50. The study ...

Pine forests are chock full of wild animals and plant life, but there's an invisible machine underground. Huge populations of fungi are churning away in the soil, decomposing organic matter and releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Despite the vital role these fungi play in ecological systems, their identities have only now been revealed. A Stanford-led team of scientists has generated a genetic map of more than 10,000 species of fungi across North America. The work was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Fungi are much more important ...

"The Modern View of Domestication," a special feature of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published April 29, raises a number of startling questions about a transition in our deep history that most of us take for granted. At the end of the last Ice Age, people in many spots around the globe shifted from hunting animals and gathering fruits and tubers to cultivating livestock and plants. It seems so straightforward and yet the more scientists learn, the more complex the story becomes. Recently, geneticists and archeologists working on domestication ...

Many of our ideas about domestication derive from Charles Darwin, whose ideas in turn were strongly influenced by British animal-breeding practices during the 19th century, a period when landowners vigorously pursued systematic livestock improvement. It is from Darwin that we inherit the ideas that domestication involved isolation of captive animals from wild species and total human control over breeding and animal care. But animal management in this industrial setting has been applied too broadly in time and space, said Fiona Marshall, PhD, professor of anthropology ...

TORONTO, April 17, 2014—A group of drugs commonly prescribed for insomnia, anxiety and breathing issues "significantly increase the risk" that older people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, need to visit a doctor or Emergency Department for respiratory reasons, new research has found. Benzodiazepines, such as Ativan or Xanax, may actually contribute to respiratory problems, such as depressing breathing ability and pneumonia, in these patients, said Dr. Nicholas Vozoris, a respirologist at St. Michael's Hospital. Dr. Vozoris said the findings are significant, ...

One week has gone since the first crowdfunding campaign by a multi-awarded winemaker was launched, and the results are promising for Roberto Cipresso. Fifth in the TOP 10 "Popular Now - Food" on Indiegogo and above all with more than the 6% of the final budget already raised. After all it is not easy not to be fascinated by the possibility to take part to the remaking of an ancient wine, supporting the research of the forty-six years old winemaker borne in Bassano del Grappa (Italy). Looking at Roberto Cipresso while at his stand at Vinitaly 2014 tells to a bunch of ...

Planning is underway for the 2014 Karaoke World Championship (KWC) World Finals, which will take place in the Solidaritet Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on November 13-15. Just recently, the Finnish parent company, Karaoke World Championships Oy KWC Organization, Ltd., was acquired by KSF Entertainment Group, a multinational company built around technology and dedicated to Karaoke. KSF has produced the KWC World Finals finals since 2004. More than 25 countries are expected to participate in the 2014 KWC World Finals. Each participating country will host a KWC National ...

Amidst the anticipation of anxious programmers, "The Black Art of Multiplatform Game Programming" by Jazon Yamamoto has hit the shelves and is available at Amazon.com and fine book retailers. The announcement of this title has caused a buzz in the game development community considering this is the first commercial game programming book that contains author recorded video lessons to complement the printed material. The book covers game programming on Windows and Linux using the SDL (the Simple Direct Media Layer) API library. The SDL library powers indie hits such as ...

A teething baby is uncomfortable for all involved, the baby and the parents. Lets face it babies love chewing on their teethers, but give it a few seconds and that teether will be hurled, thrown, or dropped to the icky floor. The founder of TeetherTops found a way that prevents teethers from falling to the floor because they are attached to the babies wrist, with interchangeable teething toys. The toys are freezable, machine washable, 100% cotton, BPA Free, great for special needs children with trouble grasping toys, or children who constantly mouth clothes or objects. ...

In today's building and construction environment, materials codes play a crucial role in structural design, cost estimations, building inspection, insurance investigations, the education of engineers, architects and related professionals, and in actual construction. To better serve its constituent users, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) is finalizing the reorganization of ACI 318-14, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete. As one of the most essential and valuable codes with respect to the use of reinforced concrete in modern construction, ACI 318 ...

The groundbreaking ceremony at East Ridge at Cutler Bay marked a new chapter in the community's 50+ year history and the official start of the community's expansion. "This long awaited vision of our residents has now become reality," said Executive Director Victoria Duvall, as she addressed residents, employees, dignitaries and various consultants involved in the expansion. The $70 million expansion for Miami-Dade County's only life care community will refresh residential service areas and add new memory support, assisted living, skilled nursing and a state-of-the-art ...

Announced today by America Semiconductor, LLC, a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-industry high-power semiconductors, is the relocation of its U.S. Headquarters to Goethals Park, 2525 Brunswick Ave., Suite 209, Linden, New Jersey. The 600,000 square-foot campus, owned by the family of America Semiconductor's Co-Founder, Bruce Wilpon, additionally serves as the company's warehouse. Goethals Park is strategically located adjacent to the New Jersey Turnpike and in close proximity to Newark Liberty Airport. According to Jeffrey Simon, the company's Co-CEO, "The relocation ...

"Most mold removal work done by property owners and professional mold removal companies fails to properly and completely eliminate home and building mold problems," points out Phillip Fry, Certified Environmental Hygienist, Professional Industrial Hygienist, and webmaster since 1999 of the mold education website http://www.moldinspector.com. "Only three out of my many clearance mold inspection and testing assignments since 1999 on behalf of client property owners, managers, employees, and residents documented that the allegedly-remediated home or building was actually ...

Knowmedge, a video-based internal medicine board review question bank, is excited to announce a partnership with the authors of Cracking the USMLE Step 3 to publish high-yield board exam content on the Knowmedge website. The partnership allows each party to connect with a broader audience while continuing their mission of enhancing and improving medical education. In addition, the agreement creates a framework for each company to work together in order to help advance medical education. Cracking the USMLE Step 3 is a leading textbook for medical students and residents ...

Sennheiser's acclaimed headphone range is gaining MOMENTUM with a social video project, tapping into the relevant mindset of the young, affluent target audience. Driven by the theme "What's Your MOMENTUM?", Sennheiser, together with Spotify, will present 100 videos that showcase the life and work of some of the world's most inspirational people - musicians, artists, inventors - sharing their projects and unique achievements and inviting others to share their own stories. Aimed at driving awareness of its premium MOMENTUM headphone range, Sennheiser's biggest ever consumer ...

A History of Jazz: Oxygen for the Ears features legendary Grammy musicians and their contribution to the only true American art form; Jazz. The film has garnered worldwide attention, numerous accolades and multiple wins throughout the United States, Europe and Canada. The film touches upon the influence of jazz from its creation by former African slaves - to the contributions jazz played in the Civil Rights movement, in aiding the war effort and even upon the President of the United States Barack Obama. Featuring terrific performances from a slew of jazz greats, the ...

G.X. Chen announced today that her latest mystery novel The Mystery of Moutai is now available for sale on Amazon. In The Mystery of Moutai, a teenager returns home from school to find a gruesome scene: the apartment he shares with his mother, Shao Mei, in Boston's Chinatown has been ransacked and she is dead. There is a bottle of Moutai--the most exotic and expensive Chinese liquor--left at the scene and traces of rat poison in one of the two shot glasses on the kitchen counter. This was evidently a homicide, but who could possibly be the killer? Ann Lee and Fang ...