TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Be sure to pick up a watermelon — or two — at your neighborhood farmers' market. It could save your life. A new study by Florida State University Associate Professor Arturo Figueroa, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, found that watermelon could significantly reduce blood pressure in overweight individuals both at rest and while under stress. "The pressure on the aorta and on the heart decreased after consuming watermelon extract," Figueroa said. The study started with a simple concept. More people die of heart attacks in cold ...

With one of the world's longest coastlines, spanning 17 states, and very high marine and coastal biodiversity, Brazil owes much of its prosperity to the ocean. For that reason, Brazil was the site of the first Ocean Health Index regional assessment designed to evaluate the economic, social and ecological uses and benefits that people derive from the ocean. Brazil's overall score in the national study was 60 out of 100. The findings from that study — conducted by researchers from UC Santa Barbara's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), the Department ...

An international team of scientists has identified the precise biochemical key that wakes up the body's immune cells and sends them into action against invading bacteria and fungi. The patented work, published in Nature today, provides the starting point to understanding our first line of defence, and what happens when it goes wrong. It will lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating inflammatory bowel disease, peptic ulcers and even TB. It could also lead to new protective vaccines. The discovery, the result of an international collaboration between Monash University ...

Andalusian researchers, led by the University of Granada, have discovered a curious characteristic of the members of the human lineage, classed as the genus Homo: they are the only primates where, throughout their 2.5-million year history, the size of their teeth has decreased alongside the increase in their brain size. The key to this phenomenon, which scientists call "evolutionary paradox", could be in how Homo's diet has evolved. Digestion starts first in the mouth and, so, teeth are essential in breaking food down into smaller pieces. Therefore, the normal scenario ...

NAIROBI, Kenya (2 April 2014) ----With rising food and energy costs, smallholder farmers are looking for alternative crops that can generate more income and provide a better livelihood; however, bringing in new crops without tried and tested evidence about its viability may be counter productive. A study conducted in Kenya shows that crops should be promoted and adopted when farmers have knowledge about its cultivation and there is access to a reliable market. In Kenya, Jathropha was promoted as a wonder crop that could improve farmer incomes and aid rural development, ...

The notoriously short fuses of some sports coaches could be explained by excessive concern with how they will be seen by others, according to new research. A study by academics at the University of Leeds and Northumbria University found coaches who were more focused on their own high standards and less interested in the opinions of others were significantly better at controlling feelings of anger than those who were very focused on others' opinions of their performance. Dr Andrew Hill, lecturer in sports and exercise science in the University of Leeds' Faculty of Biological ...

Individuals who wish to identify potential problems in the scientific literature can either choose to report their grievances privately (with the expectation that the issue will be appropriately handled) or they can post their accusations publicly. Clearly there are many reasons for dealing with unproven and potentially damaging allegations privately, however a new study suggests that when this route is followed a much smaller percentage of the allegations result in a correction to the literature. The study, published today in PeerJ, was conducted by Paul S. Brookes, ...

In new research presented at the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases today, investigators showed that an osteoporosis screening strategy using FRAX as a pre-screening tool is cost-effective if the follow up of the screening and medication adherence are optimized. FRAX (WHO Fracture Risk Assessment Tool) is a widely used algorithm to determine 10-year risk of fracture based on an individual's risk factors. Researchers from the University of Maastricht and the University of Liège evaluated the cost-effectiveness of an osteoporosis ...

The first major study of color blindness in a multi-ethnic group of preschoolers has uncovered that Caucasian male children have the highest prevalence among four major ethnicities, with 1 in 20 testing color blind. Researchers also found that color blindness, or color vision deficiency, in boys is lowest in African-Americans, and confirmed that girls have a much lower prevalence of color blindness than boys. The study will be published online April 3 in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Despite the name, color blindness is not a type ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Chemotherapeutic drugs excel at fighting cancer, but they're not so efficient at getting where they need to go. They often interact with blood, bone marrow and other healthy bodily systems. This dilutes the drugs and causes unwanted side effects. Now, researchers are developing a better delivery method by encapsulating the drugs in nanoballoons – which are tiny modified liposomes that, upon being struck by a red laser, pop open and deliver concentrated doses of medicine. Described April 3 in the journal Nature Communications, the innovation could improve ...

ESA's Sentinel satellite, due for launch on April 3rd, should allow scientists to test this link in greater detail and eventually develop a forecast system for all volcanoes, including those that are remote and inaccessible. Volcano deformation and, in particular, uplift are often considered to be caused by magma moving or pressurizing underground. Magma rising towards the surface could be a sign of an imminent eruption. On the other hand, many other factors influence volcano deformation and, even if magma is rising, it may stop short, rather than erupting. Dr Juliet ...

LONDON, UK (3 April 2014)—The influential Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released this week, concluded that climate change is already damaging food production and increasing food prices, and will have further impacts in the future. Responding to this, representatives from the research community, civil society, farmers organisations, donor agencies and private sector are gathering in London today to identify actions the world must take to help farmers adapt to climate change and help deliver a more food-secure and prosperous world. The meeting, ...

Signalfire, a Delavan-based creative agency, is proud to announce the brand launch of the Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin and their interactive website, http://www.PetsGoHome.org. Formerly known as the Rock County Humane Society, the century-old organization has been providing rescue and care for homeless pets as well as adoption services for those looking for animal companions. Signalfire provided the Janesville-based organization a new logo, marketing materials, and interactive website complete with donation module, blogs, and real-time animal adoption listings. ...

Lisa Marie Kao and the Zarin's attend "Hirschfeld for Haiyan" relief benefit for the American Red Cross at Suttons & Robertsons on March 13, 2014 in New York City. Original Housewives of New York former cast member, Jill Zarin and her husband Bobby, welcome their new Upper East Side neighbors, Suttons & Robertsons, a UK based collateral loan company to NYC. Together, Jill & Bobby Zarin and Suttons & Robertsons are teaming up to do some good to help the disaster victims of Typhoon Haiyan. The famed NY duo's collection of 30 rare pieces of artwork by Al ...

Canadian Rock Band The Milkman's Sons concert at Western Pizza Glencarin Regina Saskatchewan, Canada got rave reviews from the fans and the club owner after playing to a packed house. They performed a mixture of classic to modern rock, and with some country and punk thrown in for good measure. Covering music from such bands as Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, Ramones, The Rolling Stones, and The Foo Fighters, made sure everyone went away with having heard something they enjoyed. "The Milkman's Sons put on a heck of a show here at Western Pizza Saturday night. They put ...

Presiding Bishop Neil C. Ellis Outlines Global United Fellowship Structure & Key Appointments. The Global United Fellowship (GUF) recently held its first pastors meeting in Winston Salem, NC. Under the leadership of presiding Bishop Neil C. Ellis, the mission, structure, and key appointments were announced. Founded in 2013, GUF has quickly grown to over 300 congregations. GUF's illustrious group of Vice Presiding Bishops was announced as follows: Bishop Joby Brady (The Potter's House of North Dallas) Bishop Sheldon McCarter (Greater Cleveland Avenue Christian ...

Winder Farms, the home grocery delivery service known as Orange County's 'famers market on wheels,' announced today the expansion of its product offerings. Available this spring, Winder Farms will be adding more than 20 new all-natural items to its roster. With more than 10 million products delivered and over130 years of experience in the industry, Winder Farms is dedicated to simplifying life for busy Orange County parents who care about feeding their families seasonal, natural, and nutritious foods. Leveraging its relationship with local-area farmers and vendors, Winder ...

Cambodian Children's Fund (http://www.cambodianchildrensfund.org) announced that Bob Alexander has been engaged as chief operating officer to guide the organization as it repositions for its next stage of growth. In the newly created role, Bob will lead global operations and implement systems to enable an integrated and coordinated approach to engaging all CCF offices in achieving strategic financial objectives. With this position, greater communication and collaboration between the international and local offices will ensure fluid communications across all CCF entities ...

While artists are typically creative by nature, there are times when one can feel less than inspired when working on a project In the Channeling The Muse installment of the Editors' Lounge, panelists bypassed the usual technical discussion to find out creative techniques industry veterans use when summoning their "inner muse." Moderated by Debra Kaufman, Associate Editor at Creative Cow, the panel consisted of experts in the field of editing to include; Zack Arnold (editor, Burn Notice, Glee), Ryan Case (editor/director on Modern Family, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Jay Lash ...

VoiceNation's data center partnership will better support the company's rapid growth while continuing to provide the data redundancy and service back-up capability that has set VoiceNation apart from their competitors over the years. Essentially, the VoiceNation/QTS partnership insures maximum business continuity, reliability and disaster recovery. "During a recent hurricane on the east coast, the local QTS data center maintained zero percent downtime for the duration and aftermath of the hurricane," explained Jay Reeder, VoiceNation's president. "By partnering with ...

(Scottsdale AZ) Light it up Blue is an International Awareness Campaign for Autism Speaks.org. April 2nd is a day around the world to record this event. Major buildings like the Empire State Building in NYC, to The Sydney Opera House in Sydney AU, to the Burj Al Arab in Dubai are honoring this Autism event by lighting their buildings blue. They are asking people to "Tell us about your Acts of Kindness and Inspire the Global Autism Community by posting on their Light it up Blue Page on for World Autism. Arizona-based Vitanya Wellness Centers has developed a proactive ...

The meteoric rise of Bitcoin as an alternative currency around the world has been in major headlines and continues to be a source of interest for people seeking options in a shaky financial environment. Unfortunately, one of the traditional concerns with Bitcoin revolves around the mining process and its resultant electronic waste. Bitcoin miners typically use electricity to generate the currency, but not much else is generated, creating large amounts of wasted energy. However, a new coin has recently been released based off of the Bitcoin protocol that aims to solve this ...

Do you remember times when you were all set for a second look at a movie but couldn't remember the name? Or felt like watching something new but had nothing but a general subject in mind? There is a new website called FunkyFlick, http://www.funkyflick.com which will solve those problems with a single click. FunkyFlick will provide personalized movie recommendations based on a book, a movie or any Wikipedia page. This is a new technology which analyzes the meaning behind English text and offers suggestions which fit that meaning. There are many movie recommendation ...

Meriter Health Services announced today a new experience for their JointCare program, allowing total joint replacement surgery patients to access and interact with their care plans online. The online Guided CarePath, designed by Madison-based Wellbe, is fully integrated with all aspects Meriter's existing patient program -- pre-admissions testing, JointCare class, and physical therapy -- to create a single, streamlined experience. The new program is offered to all hip or knee replacement patients at no extra charge. "The program helps us engage with patients in a ...

Russell Miller and Matt Maisenbacher, best friends since high school, are creating new memories and excited to have their four kids grow up together now that they are both homeowners in the same family-oriented neighborhood in Canyon Hills. Both have purchased brand new homes in this thriving Lake Elsinore master-planned community and are very happy to be living within a minute of each other. "We are so excited that our kids will grow up together," said Miller. "You can't put a value on that. Matt and I met as freshmen in high school and my wife Erin and I encouraged ...