DALLAS, March 16, 2014 — Adjusting the calcium level and acidity could be the key to developing new better-tasting, more eye-appealing and creamier reduced-fat sauces, desserts and salad dressings that could be on the market soon, researchers reported here today. To date, a major problem with removing fat from these accompaniments is that in addition to reducing calories, it can negatively affect the flavor, appearance and texture, they said. But based on recent research it may not be too long before new, improved, lower-fat foods appear in grocery stores, the researchers ...

DALLAS, March 16, 2014 — A sweetener created from the plant used to make tequila could lower blood glucose levels for the 26 million Americans and others worldwide who have type 2 diabetes and help them and the obese lose weight, researchers said here today. The main reason it could be valuable, they explained, is that agavins, a natural form of sugar found in the agave plant, are non-digestible and can act as a dietary fiber, so they would not raise blood glucose. Their report was part of the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's ...

RICHLAND, Wash. -- A new analysis of satellite data reveals a link between dust in North Africa and West Asia and stronger monsoons in India. The study shows that dust in the air absorbs sunlight west of India, warming the air and strengthening the winds carrying moisture eastward. This results in more monsoon rainfall about a week later in India. The results explain one way that dust can affect the climate, filling in previously unknown details about the Earth system. The study also shows that natural airborne particles can influence rainfall in unexpected ways, with ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio—An international team of scientists has discovered that the last remaining stable portion of the Greenland ice sheet is stable no more. The finding, which will likely boost estimates of expected global sea level rise in the future, appears in the March 16 issue of the journal Nature Climate Change [DOI:10.1038/NCLIMATE2161]. The new result focuses on ice loss due to a major retreat of an outlet glacier connected to a long "river" of ice - known as an ice stream - that drains ice from the interior of the ice sheet. The Zachariae ice stream retreated about ...

Washington, D.C.—New global imaging and topographic data from MESSENGER* show that the innermost planet has contracted far more than previous estimates. The results are based on a global study of more than 5,900 geological landforms, such as curving cliff-like scarps and wrinkle ridges, that have resulted from the planet's contraction as Mercury cooled. The findings, published online March 16, 2014, in Nature Geoscience, are key to understanding the planet's thermal, tectonic, and volcanic history, and the structure of its unusually large metallic core. Unlike Earth, ...

ANN ARBOR—The first room-temperature light detector that can sense the full infrared spectrum has the potential to put heat vision technology into a contact lens. Unlike comparable mid- and far-infrared detectors currently on the market, the detector developed by University of Michigan engineering researchers doesn't need bulky cooling equipment to work. "We can make the entire design super-thin," said Zhaohui Zhong, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science. "It can be stacked on a contact lens or integrated with a cell phone." Infrared ...

An international team of researchers analysed the available data taken from all previous studies of the Southern Ocean, together with satellite images taken of the area, to quantify the amount of iron supplied to the surface waters of the Southern Ocean. They found that deep winter mixing, a seasonal process which carries colder and deeper, nutrient-rich water to the surface, plays the most important role in transporting iron to the surface. The iron is then able to stimulate phytoplankton growth which supports the ocean's carbon cycle and the aquatic food chain They ...

Northeast Greenland, where the glacier is found, is of particular interest as numerical model predictions have suggested there is no significant mass loss for this sector, leading to a probable underestimation of future global sea-level rise from the region. An international team of scientists, including Professor Jonathan Bamber from the University of Bristol, studied the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream which extends more than 600 km into the interior of the ice sheet: much further than any other in Greenland. Professor Bamber said: "The Greenland ice sheet has contributed ...

Researchers have identified two novel cancer genes that are associated with the development of a rare, highly aggressive, cancer of blood vessels. These genes may now act as markers for future treatments and explain why narrowly targeted therapies that are directed at just one target fail. Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer of blood vessels. It occurs either spontaneously or can appear after radiotherapy treatment. Although quite rare, with approximately 100 people diagnosed with the cancer in the UK each year, the survival outcomes for the cancer are poorer than many other ...

New evidence gathered by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft at Mercury indicates the planet closest to the sun has shrunk up to 7 kilometers in radius over the past 4 billion years, much more than earlier estimates. The new finding, published in the journal Nature Geoscience Sunday, March 16, solves an apparent enigma about Mercury's evolution. Older images of surface features indicated that, despite cooling over its lifetime, the rocky planet had barely shrunk at all. But modeling of the planet's formation and aging could not explain that finding. Now, Paul K. Byrne and ...

Cold Spring Harbor, NY – Reproductive cells, such as an egg and sperm, join to form stem cells that can mature into any tissue type. But how do reproductive cells arise? We humans are born with all of the reproductive cells that we will ever produce. But in plants things are very different. They first generate mature, adult cells and only later "reprogram" some of them to produce eggs and sperm. For a plant to create reproductive cells, it must first erase a key code, a series of tags attached to DNA across the genome known as epigenetic marks. These marks distinguish ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Scientists have discovered a previously unrecognized gene variation that makes humans have healthier blood lipid levels and reduced risk of heart attacks -- a finding that opens the door to using this knowledge in testing or treatment of high cholesterol and other lipid disorders. But even more significant is how they found the gene, which had been hiding in plain sight in previous hunts for genes that influence cardiovascular risk. This region of DNA where it was found had been implicated as being important in controlling blood lipid levels in ...

A study led by the University of Leeds has shown that global warming of only 2°C will be detrimental to crops in temperate and tropical regions, with reduced yields from the 2030s onwards. Professor Andy Challinor, from the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds and lead author of the study, said: "Our research shows that crop yields will be negatively affected by climate change much earlier than expected." "Furthermore, the impact of climate change on crops will vary both from year-to-year and from place-to-place – with the variability becoming ...

Consider the nearest water surface: a half-full glass on your desk, a puddle outside your window, or a lake across town. All of these surfaces represent liquid-vapor interfaces, where liquid meets air. Molecules of water vapor constantly collide with these liquid surfaces: Some make it through the surface and condense, while others simply bounce off. The probability that a vapor molecule will bounce, or reflect, off a liquid surface is a fundamental property of water, much like its boiling point. And yet, in the last century, there has been little agreement on the likelihood ...

Stanford, CA— Evolution is based on diversity, and sexual reproduction is key to creating a diverse population that secures competitiveness in nature. Plants had to solve a problem: they needed to find ways to spread their genetic material. Flying pollinators—insects, birds, and bats—were nature's solution. Charles Darwin's "abominable mystery" highlighted the coincidence of flowering plant and insect diversification about 120 million years ago and ascribed it to the coordinated specialization of flowers and insects in the context of insects serving as pollen carriers. ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Plants have many valuable functions: They provide food and fuel, release the oxygen that we breathe, and add beauty to our surroundings. Now, a team of MIT researchers wants to make plants even more useful by augmenting them with nanomaterials that could enhance their energy production and give them completely new functions, such as monitoring environmental pollutants. In a new Nature Materials paper, the researchers report boosting plants' ability to capture light energy by 30 percent by embedding carbon nanotubes in the chloroplast, the plant organelle ...

DALLAS, March 16, 2014 — Honey, that delectable condiment for breads and fruits, could be one sweet solution to the serious, ever-growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, researchers said here today. Medical professionals sometimes use honey successfully as a topical dressing, but it could play a larger role in fighting infections, the researchers predicted. Their study was part of the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. The meeting, attended by thousands of scientists, features more ...

DALLAS, March 16, 2014 — Scientists reported today they have created at least five new experimental substances — based on a tiny protein found in cone snail venom — that could someday lead to the development of safe and effective oral medications for treatment of chronic nerve pain. They say the substances could potentially be stronger than morphine, with fewer side effects and lower risk of abuse. "This is an important incremental step that could serve as the blueprint for the development of a whole new class of drugs capable of relieving one of the most severe forms ...

Latrecia (Nikki) Antwine is excited to make her acting debut in the play "Just As I Am", written, directed and produced by Curtis Von of Acting Bad Productions. It explores the lives of a group of professional women with very different personalities who all belong to an organization celebrating the curvy diva. Through the exploration of the actresses' characters, the audience will discover how when women unite through a common denominator they can build confidence, self-awareness, and in turn, pay it forward. Throughout the play, the women will end up discovering ...

Thirteen vocalists have been selected to perform with the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera Chorus. The new vocalists are Colette Barca, soprano; Alexandra Bianculli, soprano; Joan Fazio Cohen, alto/soprano; Paul Kaufman, bass; Marissa Lynn Keegan, alto; Ruth Kenote, alto; Jasmine Manley, alto; Mary Mastranagelo, alto; Elio Messano, tenor; Bonnie A. Morrow, soprano; Mary Ann Trulby, alto; Lucia Wehr, soprano; and Beverly Withers, soprano. They will perform with the Verismo Opera Chorus during the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera's milestone 25th anniversary ...

Today, FramesDirect.com, the premium online eyewear retailer, announced the addition of the Vera Bradley line of eyeglasses and sunglasses to its collection. Vera Bradley, the women's design company known for quilted, colorful bags, is now making eyeglass frames, and FramesDirect.com carries their full line. Vera Bradley's stylish line of eyewear will complement any outfit or occasion, in a range of patterns that follows the Vera Bradley philosophy of colorful, playful, and classic. With many options available, customers can find a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses that ...

AutoStar Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise level software to the independent auto industry, has announced its acquisition of a 50% interest in SecureClose, LLC, a designer of innovative compliance technology. Together, the two companies are finalizing plans to provide a new tool that automates the contract closing process for new and used car dealers. This new technology comes at a time of increased regulation in the independent auto industry, which typically provides vehicle financing to customers without access to traditional options. "In this ...

Developers officially broke ground on the complete redevelopment of the Marketfair Mall at 1916 Skibo Rd. on Friday, March 14. The groundbreaking event brought community members and local dignitaries to the site to learn new details about the project and celebrate the transformation of the space into a modern, open-air shopping center and movie theater destination for Fayetteville residents. At the event, Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson and Cumberland County Commissioner Jeannette Council spoke about the growing area and benefits of the redevelopment for the town, ...

The Neuropsychiatry Program at Sheppard Pratt is pleased to welcome Dr. Crystal Watkins as the new Director of the Memory Clinic, a program designed to treat older adults with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, including those patients who have started experiencing mild memory problems. A Maryland native and board certified psychiatrist, Dr. Watkins completed her psychiatric training as well as Geriatric fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Watkins most recently served as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Molecular Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry ...

The state of the art glass building overlooks the intracoastal with breathtaking views of Palm Beach. FFAW show dates are November Friday the 28th through Sunday the 30th. . Additional dates in development are expected to extend show events 8 days or more. The runway will feature the future trends for 2015 in prê-á-porter, resort wear, swimwear, couture, denim, urban wear, accessories, handbags, and vintage. Additional styles are being considered. Designers to be featured span from national and local young designers to the internationally known as well as couturier prive. Registration ...