JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have identified a new target to improve treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer, which accounts for more than 95 percent of pancreatic cancer cases. This fast-growing, often lethal cancer is resistant to conventional chemotherapy. The findings are published in the Jan. 3 online issue of PLOS ONE. The researchers decoded a molecular pathway that is switched "on" at all times, promoting accelerated growth of pancreatic tumors, and that discovery revealed ways to disable the pathway. They say one strategy ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Researchers at MIT, the Broad Institute and Rockefeller University have developed a new technique for precisely altering the genomes of living cells by adding or deleting genes. The researchers say the technology could offer an easy-to-use, less-expensive way to engineer organisms that produce biofuels; to design animal models to study human disease; and to develop new therapies, among other potential applications. To create their new genome-editing technique, the researchers modified a set of bacterial proteins that normally defend against viral invaders. ...

So, is it a girl or a boy? This is the first question parents ask at the birth of an infant. Though the answer is obvious, the mechanism of sex determination is much less so. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) attempt to shed light on this complex process by identifying the crucial role played by insulin and IGF1 and IGF2 growth factors, a family of hormones known for its role in metabolism and growth. In the absence of these factors at the time of sex determination, embryos do not differentiate into either male or female and have no adrenal glands. The results ...

Smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of our daily lives. The capabilities of these handily sized mini-computers seem almost boundless as we phone friends, shoot holiday snaps, lose ourselves in a new music download or access the internet to obtain the boarding card for our next fl ight in comfort. Does it not seem logical, then, that we should make use of these constant companions as the key to our cars, front doors or lockers as well? A few such solutions are already available, but what's still missing is widespread market acceptance. At this year's CeBIT ...

After recently announcing success in eliminating melanoma metastasis in laboratory experiments, scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center have made another important discovery in understanding the process by which the gene mda-9/syntenin contributes to metastasis in melanoma (the spread of skin cancer) and possibly a variety of other cancers. Published in the journal Cancer Research, the study demonstrated that mda-9/syntenin is a key regulator of angiogenesis, the process responsible for the formation of new blood vessels in tumors. Mda-9/syntenin ...

A new study published in the American Institute of Physics' (AIP) journal Physics of Fluids reveals that the normal rebounding of a ball changes when it is partially filled with a liquid. Unlike an empty sphere or a solid rubber ball, which both rebound in a classical and well-understood fashion, a fluid-filled ball has its second bounce remarkably cut short. A team of researchers from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, uncovered this phenomenon when they investigated what would happen if a sphere were partially filled with a liquid and how that would affect the way ...

Scientists are putting a new spin on their approach to generating electrical current by harnessing a recently identified electromotive force known as spinmotive force, which is related to the field of spintronics that addresses such challenges as improving data storage in computers. Now, a novel application of spintronics is the highly efficient and direct conversion of magnetic energy to electric voltage by using magnetic nanostructures and manipulating the dynamics of magnetization. According to a report published in the American Institute of Physics' (AIP) journal Applied ...

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Workers earning the lowest wages have a higher risk of hypertension than workers with the highest wages, according to new research from UC Davis. The correlation between wages and hypertension was especially strong among women and persons between the ages of 25 to 44. "We were surprised that low wages were such a strong risk factor for two populations not typically associated with hypertension, which is more often linked with being older and male," said J. Paul Leigh, senior author of the study and professor of public health sciences at UC Davis. ...

When an embryonic stem cell is in the first stage of its development it has the potential to grow into any type of cell in the body, a state scientists call undifferentiated. A team of researchers from Scotland has now demonstrated a way to easily distinguish undifferentiated embryonic stem cells from later-stage stem cells whose fate is sealed. The results are published in the American Institute of Physics' (AIP) journal Biomicrofluidics. The researchers used an electric field to pull stem cells through a fluid in a process called dielectrophoresis. They varied the frequency ...

New Rochelle, NY, January 3, 2013—More than half of traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCI) in humans are cervical lesions, resulting in chronic loss of limb function. A better understanding of the link between the neurologic damage caused by SCI, spontaneous motor function recovery, and long-term motor deficits would lead to better therapeutic approaches, as discussed in an article in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Neurotrauma website at http://www.liebertpub.com/neu. About ...

The protoplanet Vesta has been witness to an eventful past: images taken by the framing camera onboard NASA's space probe Dawn show two enormous craters in the southern hemisphere. The images were obtained during Dawn's year-long visit to Vesta that ended in September 2012. These huge impacts not only altered Vesta's shape, but also its surface composition. Scientists under the lead of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Katlenburg-Lindau in Germany have shown that impacting small asteroids delivered dark, carbonaceous material to the protoplanet. In the ...

PASADENA, Calif.—Look up at the night sky and you'll see stars, sure. But you're also seeing planets—billions and billions of them. At least. That's the conclusion of a new study by astronomers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) that provides yet more evidence that planetary systems are the cosmic norm. The team made their estimate while analyzing planets orbiting a star called Kepler-32—planets that are representative, they say, of the vast majority in the galaxy and thus serve as a perfect case study for understanding how most planets form. "There's ...

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a common technique used to amplify, or copy, pieces of DNA. Amplified DNA is then used in genetic analyses for everything from medicine to forensics. In plant research, PCR is a vital step in detecting and sequencing genes, and its applications are endless. However, compounds found in plants often inhibit PCR. Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi discovered that the use of an additive allows PCR to successfully amplify DNA from once problematic plants. PCR is widely used in plant sciences but is not 100 percent ...

PV1 expression in vascular endothelium is required for survival PV1 is required for the formation of stomatal and fenestral diaphragms Lack of diaphragms in fenestrated endothelia causes vascular leak of plasma proteins Vascular leak results in severe hypoproteinemia and hypertriglyceridemia Dartmouth scientists have demonstrated the importance of the gene Plvap and the structures it forms in mammalian physiology in a study published in December by the journal Developmental Cell. "The knowledge generated and the animal models created will allow a better understanding ...

Urban agriculture is promoted as a strategy for dealing with food insecurity, stimulating economic development, and combating diet-related health problems in cities. However, up to now, no one has known how much gardening is taking place in urban areas. Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a methodology that they used to quantify the urban agriculture in Chicago. John Taylor, a doctoral candidate working with crop sciences researcher Sarah Taylor Lovell, was skeptical about the lists of urban gardens provided to him by local non-governmental organizations ...

Irvine, Calif., Jan. 3, 2013 — A variant of a gene associated with active personality traits in humans seems to also be involved with living a longer life, UC Irvine and other researchers have found. This derivative of a dopamine-receptor gene – called the DRD4 7R allele – appears in significantly higher rates in people more than 90 years old and is linked to lifespan increases in mouse studies. Robert Moyzis, professor of biological chemistry at UC Irvine, and Dr. Nora Volkow, a psychiatrist who conducts research at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and also directs ...

NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites captured visible and infrared data on Tropical Cyclone Dumile as it slammed into the islands of La Reunion and Mauritius in the Southern Indian Ocean. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of Cyclone Dumile on Jan. 3, 2013 at 0650 UTC (1:50 a.m. EST/U.S.) The image showed Dumile's center was about 85 nautical miles (97.8 miles/157.4 km) northwest of Reunion Island and Mauritius, and the strongest thunderstorms appeared to be southwest of the ...

The first Tropical Depression of 2013 formed the western North Pacific Ocean today, and NASA's Terra satellite captured an infrared image of the "birth." Tropical Depression Sonamu, otherwise known as Tropical Depression 01W developed near 8.6 north latitude and 118.6 east longitude, about 185 nautical miles (213 miles/342.6 km) northwest of Zamboanga, Philippines. Sonamu's center is located in the Sulu Sea and is expected to cross the southern end of Palawan before moving into the open waters of the South China Sea. Sonamu developed from low pressure System 92W. At ...

New Rochelle, NY, January 3, 2013—Penetrating soft tissue injuries that may be caused by bullet wounds or motor vehicle accidents, or exposure to explosive devices in military settings, can cause muscle loss resulting in functional disability and cosmetic deformity. Efforts underway to develop tissue engineering solutions to repair and replace damaged and lost muscle will benefit greatly from the availability of robust animal models to test these innovative therapeutic strategies. A new rat model that simulates traumatic or surgical muscle tissue loss in humans is described ...

(Edmonton) A University of Alberta researcher's examination of fossilized dinosaur tail bones has led to a breakthrough finding: some feathered dinosaurs used tail plumage to attract mates, much like modern-day peacocks and turkeys. U of A Paleontology researcher Scott Persons followed a chain of fossil evidence that started with a peculiar fusing together of vertebrae at the tip of the tail of four different species of dinosaurs, some separated in time and evolution by 45 million years. Persons says the final vertebrae in the tails of a group of dinosaurs called oviraptors ...

The Riviera Comedy Club in Las Vegas Presents Comedian Don Barnhart Beginning Jan 7th - 13th, Comedian Don Barnhart brings his award-winning stand up comedy show to The Riviera Comedy Club in Las Vegas. Barnhart combines clever, well-written material with an improvisational flair that keeps audiences of all demographics howling with laughter and coming back for more. In 2012, Barnhart's show was named "Best Bet" by the Las Vegas Review/Journal. Appearing alongside Barnhart is comedian Kathleen Dunbar. Show times are 8:30pm Mon-Sun and tickets are $19.99 ...

A company that finds jobs is ironically the best company to work for. Every Year, Atlanta highlights the best companies in the metro area, and this time, Every Woman Works is one of them. Among the 45 companies chosen locally, Every Woman Works Inc., has been voted as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in 2012. Each year, the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For competition identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in their human resource practices and employee enrichment. Organizations are assessed based on categories ...

Preferred Healthcare Funding, LLC announces its launch today to offer healthcare providers a solution for the immediate and ongoing resolution of their current and future self-pay and self-pay after insurance patient accounts receivable. Preferred Healthcare Funding, LLC (the "Company") will serve healthcare providers nationwide with a full complement of self-pay revenue cycle acquisition services. The Company has solutions in place for the purchase of self-pay and self-pay after insurance accounts at any stage in the revenue cycle from early out, primary to ...

Calloway's and Cornelius Nursery has just the solution for that empty space where the Christmas tree once stood — add a little nature and some fresh air with a new house plant. On Saturday, Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Texas-based garden center will host a free repotting event for gardeners who need new plants or to revive existing plants with new potting soil. Gardeners can bring a plant and pot or purchase new ones while learning important tips from Texas Certified Nursery Professionals on how to care for house plants. Calloway's and Cornelius Nursery will provide ...

Bolt Public Relations, an award-winning public relations agency with offices in Irvine, Calif. and Raleigh, N.C., is pleased to announce the expansion of its operations with the addition of account executive, Lauren Miller, and account coordinators, Danielle Solich and Chelsea Thompson. Known for her savvy media skills, Miller comes to Bolt PR with an extensive background in public relations. She previously served as a senior account executive for Berkman PR in San Diego, Calif. During her time there, she developed and implemented campaigns for the agency's largest ...