Preterm infants who grow more slowly as they approached what would have been their due dates also have slower development in an area of the brain called the cerebral cortex, report Canadian researchers in a new study published today in Science Translational Medicine. The cerebral cortex is a two to four millimetre layer of cells that envelopes the top part of the brain and is involved in cognitive, behavioural, and motor processes. Researchers analyzed MRI brain scans of 95 preterm infants born eight to 16 weeks too early at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre between ...

MADISON — People suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and asthma — in which psychological stress plays a major role — may benefit from mindfulness meditation techniques, according to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientists with the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center. Mindfulness-based stress reduction, originally designed for patients with chronic pain, consists of continuously focusing attention on the breath, bodily sensations and mental content while seated, ...

A high-tech robotic fish hatched at Michigan State University has a new look. A new skill. And a new name. MSU scientists have made a number of improvements on the fish, including the ability to glide long distances, which is the most important change to date. The fish now has the ability to glide through the water practically indefinitely, using little to no energy, while gathering valuable data that can aid in the cleaning of our lakes and rivers. Designed and built by Xiaobo Tan, MSU associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and his team, the fish ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The popular perception that college students are reaching new levels of self-indulgence and risky behavior during spring break excursions may be based on media coverage and scholarship that oversimplifies what has become an annual rite for many young adults, according to researchers. The researchers, who analyzed studies on spring break from 1980 to 2010, concluded that scholars are divided on whether college students actually increase extreme behaviors during the break. In fact, activities at most spring break destinations may not differ significantly ...

PHILADELPHIA — Scientists may be able to better predict which patients with colorectal cancer will respond to chemotherapy using a new mathematical model that measures the amount of stress required for a cancer cell to die without harming healthy tissue. The results of this study are published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "Our study demonstrates that systems medicine approaches (i.e., quantitative analysis of multiple factors in patients' samples combined with mathematical modeling) have a significant advantage over other ...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—January 17, 2013— A recently released report, entitled "Social and Economic Impact Review on Neglected Tropical Diseases," highlights links between neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and socio-economic prosperity. Published by Hudson Institute's Center for Science in Public Policy, in partnership with the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, an initiative of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the paper found NTD control and elimination efforts to be both inexpensive and highly effective, especially when paired with other major disease treatment efforts, ...

Traumatic Brain Injuries Can Have Long-Lasting Effects According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.7 million people in the United States suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) each year. In addition, TBIs are responsible for an estimated 52,000 early deaths and cost an estimated $52 billion to treat in the United States alone. Unfortunately, though physicians have long known that a TBI can cause short-term damage to a person's brain, new research indicates that the effects can last much longer than expected. Study Results According ...

Criminal Convictions Can Have Unforeseen Consequences A recent New Jersey case illustrates the potential difficulties that recent immigrants to the United States face after a criminal conviction. The New Jersey office of Democratic Senator Robert Menendez employed Luis Abrahan Sanchez Zavaleta, an 18-year-old immigrant from Peru, as an unpaid intern. Sanchez was arrested in early December by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials learned that he had not only over stayed his visitor visa, but had been ...

Essential steps to take after a car accident Motor vehicle accidents are extremely scary and it is can be difficult to remember what to do in the minutes following a crash. Nonetheless, there are numerous crucial steps you should to take immediately after a car accident occurs. It can be useful to keep a list of information about what to do after a car accident in an accessible location, such as a glove compartment, just in case you are ever involved in a crash. That way, in the event that an accident occurs, you can use the list to remember what to do. Steps to ...

Basic Rules for Every California Estate Plan Some people mistakenly believe that estate planning is only for the very rich. However, a complete estate plan does more than just allocate assets and minimize the taxes that survivors have to pay on their inheritances. Everyone needs an estate plan, and every estate plan, no matter how complex, should follow some basic rules to minimize problems and ensure a person's wishes are carried out. Make a Plan Too many people put off the task of estate planning or think that they do not need to make a plan at all. However, ...

Mamanoes Grocery Shop, located in downtown Birmingham, is hosting a special night of Sushi, Saki, and Shapiro beer on Valentine's Day 2013 at 7:30pm. "We want to provide a fun and educational experience that couples will truly enjoy," said Mamanoes owner Antonio Boyd, "What better way to combine couples, the holiday, and a unique eating experience than partnering with Birmingham Sushi Classes." Birmingham Sushi Classes teaches sushi basics ranging from proper rice making to creating your own eel sauce. The company, owned by Kelly Viall and Bonnie ...

PooPeePads.com, located in Jericho, NY has announced that it has received over 100 entries in its cutest dog costume contest since the contest began December 1, 2012. The company is offering a credit of $300 towards PooPeePads products for the winner of their contest. Contestants are submitting photos of their dog's cutest holiday costume through the company's Facebook Fan Page and through Twitter. The contest ends January 31, 2013 and the winner will be announced by February 15, 2013. "We can tell that picking the winner of this contest will be just as difficult ...

Dr. Swanson says, "It is time for a school model that provides both a rigorous private school curriculum and at the same time honors parents' essential role in their children's education." During Dr. Swanson's 20-year career, she has taught elementary school students, coached teachers in effective reading instruction, designed and implemented reading curriculum, and trained pre-service teachers. She also speaks at national conferences and has written more than 20 articles and a book focused on improving reading instruction. "Parents are looking for ...

Interexpat Pte. Ltd. (ExpatFinder.com), the Singapore headquartered Internet Services Company, has developed a new marketing channel for advertisers targeting expatriate and relocating consumers by providing phone qualifications for requests made on its website. The new value added service was developed in response to the growing number of partners, often with more limited sales team size, and to the high degree of qualification requirements for complicated services such as those found in finance and insurance. ExpatFinder.com has leveraged their expertise to offer ...

New webcast to launch in Tucson, AZ with a format similar to the popular talk show, The View. The webcast will be a talk show format featuring the opinions of women 35 to 65 living in Tucson. The show will be a talk format and may include on-location shoots, cooking and other local entertainment.The producer of the show also runs the Tucson Life and Style site at http://www.tucsonlifeandstyle.com. Webcasts will appear on the Youtube channel and site. For more information, please visit the Tucson Life and Style site or audition posting at http://tucson.craigslist.org/tlg/3548477274.html.Contact ...

SmartFile, a market leader in business class file sharing and FTP hosting, announces the 2013 SmartFile Platform Bake-Off, an open source programming and design contest offering $17,000 in cash prizes to student competitors from Indiana colleges. Geared to drive awareness for both open source development and SmartFile's new API, the 'Bake-Off" also will promote collaboration between Indiana businesses and statewide academia. "By combining an educational playground with a professional project, we are confident that potential will be realized, experience will ...

Many of the StartupNation Home-Based 100 entries showed that people are leveraging the efficiencies and lower overhead of home-based businesses to pursue their passion and bring in income during these tight economic times. "The 2012 ranking reveals that home business is serious business - more relevant than ever. It's a natural response to loss of job opportunities, the need for supplemental income and the sheer passion for blazing your own trail and running your own show," said Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation.com, one of the leading small business ...

FOURTEEN GOLF, a global leader in wedge and iron design with over 48 professional tour victories, announced today that the company has signed an endorsement agreement with PGA Professional John Mallinger. Mallinger became a supporter of Fourteen Golf during the 2012 PGA Tour season, using Fourteen Golf branded wedges to secure his 2013 playing privileges on the PGA Tour. According to Fourteen Golf COO Marcy Kamoda, "We are very pleased to add John to our team. His talent and short game skills make him a great spokesperson for the company. Last year he ranked ...

Spring is around the corner and the City of Fountains, known for a robust landscaping industry, is recovering from the drought of 2012. With a hopeful year ahead, many Kansas City landscaping companies, the majority of which were badly affected by the drought, are bracing for a bounce-back season. Garden Gate Landscaping says they're ready. "Even in tough times consumers are searching for quality and trustworthy work," comments Garden Gate's owner Michael Candillo, "We see a lot of botched work out there. Some landscapers just want a quick buck. It's common ...

WeddingPhotoUSA and it's partners are offering the giveaways throughout the year. "These Wedding Giveaways are our way of thanking engaged couples for joining our social media community and to help with the always rising costs of weddings" says company founders Ron & Deb Carpenito in celebration of reaching their 5,000th Fan on the companies Facebook page. Couples can easily enter the giveaways through WeddingPhotoUSA's Facebook page. There is no cost to enter, and the first giveaway starts on January 15th with a $100 Amazon Gift Card as the prize. Winners ...

The total of 360 completed deals represents a 17.3% increase in the number of small and mid-sized businesses sold in Contra Costa County last year, compared to the 307 transactions closed in 2011, according to figures announced by the BizBen Index in its monthly California business-for-sale transactions report. "It's encouraging to see growth in the number of deals successfully closed in Contra Costa County last year," said Peter Siegel, MBA, Founder and President of BizBen.com, parent of the BizBen Index. "It suggests that buyers and sellers working in ...

This week, Minnesota school board members will come together at the Minnesota School Boards Administration (MSBA) Leadership Conference to discuss how to provide the best education school boards can offer their students. Held at the Minneapolis Convention Center January 17 and 18, the MSBA Leadership Conference will focus on the theme "Building Extraordinary Leaders, Building Trust". Mackin Educational Resources believes any building project requires the proper tools and a solid foundation to be most effective. By supplying curriculum materials to PK-12 libraries ...

World of Windows of the Carolinas is excited to announce their attendance at the 9th Annual Greater Charlotte Home & Landscape Show, January 25-27, 2013 at the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, NC. The Home Show features thousands of square feet of exhibits where attendees will find the latest in products and services for their home improvement needs. World of Windows's booth will be exhibiting in Booth #255 and will be showcasing their $189 Double Hung Window Special as well as all other windows, doors, vinyl siding and gutter systems. Home show tickets are sold onsite, ...

Finding great favors for guests to take home from the big day can be hard. Should it be classy? Should it be whimsical? How do we give our guests something that is practical but sentimental? SocialKoozie.com has a solution that is aimed at creating the ultimate gifts for wedding guests - wedding koozies! SocialKoozie.com says, "We LOVE printing koozies for weddings. What a great gift for guests to remember your beautiful day months after the wedding." SocialKoozie.com makes koozies for all kind of events such as tradeshow giveaways, events, marketing businesses, ...

Robert Inventor announces an update of Virtual Flower 2.1 With virtual flower you can create flower, and tree-like geometrical shapes as well as pure geometrical forms and the special animated "star spheres". The program comes with wizards to help you to create your flowers, trees, and geometrical forms. The pure geometrical forms include a huge variety of 3D prisms, pyramids, polyhedra, stellated polyhedra etc. They also include 4D shapes such as hypercubes and more complex 4D shapes (i.e in 4D space), such as tesseracts, simplexes, the spectacular 120 ...