(Embargoed) CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In research published online Dec. 23, 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics, scientists have found three new and relatively rare genetic variants that influence insulin production, offering new clues about the genetic factors behind diabetes.. "Studying genetic variants — even rare ones — helps us learn how genes affect health and disease," said Karen Mohlke, PhD, one of the study's senior authors and associate professor of genetics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "In this study, we've implicated new genes as playing ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- A monkey would probably never agree that it is better to give than to receive, but they do apparently get some reward from giving to another monkey. During a task in which rhesus macaques had control over whether they or another monkey would receive a squirt of fruit juice, three distinct areas of the brain were found to be involved in weighing benefits to oneself against benefits to the other, according to new research by Duke University researchers. The team used sensitive electrodes to detect the activity of individual neurons as the animals weighed ...

Some 40 million people depend on the Colorado River Basin for water but warmer weather from rising greenhouse gas levels and a growing population may signal water shortages ahead. In a new study in Nature Climate Change, climate modelers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory predict a 10 percent drop in the Colorado River's flow in the next few decades, enough to disrupt longtime water-sharing agreements between farms and cities across the American Southwest, from Denver to Los Angeles to Tucson, and through California's Imperial Valley. "It may not ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (December 23, 2012) – In the perilous hours immediately after birth, a newborn mammal must survive the sudden loss of food supply from its mother. Under normal circumstances, newborns mount a metabolic response to ward off starvation until feeding occurs. This survival response involves a process of controlled breakdown of internal energetic sources known as autophagy. Although autophagy has been well documented, the key mechanistic regulators of autophagy in vivo have remained poorly understood. Whitehead Institute researchers have discovered that a ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A research team led by biogeochemists at the University of California, Riverside has tested a popular hypothesis in paleo-ocean chemistry, and proved it false. The fossil record indicates that eukaryotes — single-celled and multicellular organisms with more complex cellular structures compared to prokaryotes, such as bacteria — show limited morphological and functional diversity before 800-600 million years ago. Many researchers attribute the delayed diversification and proliferation of eukaryotes, which culminated in the appearance of complex animals ...

DURHAM, NC -- In a forced game of molecular tug-of war, some strings of atoms can act like a lever, accelerating reactions 1000 times faster than other molecules. The discovery suggests that scientists could use these molecular levers to drive chemical and mechanical reactivity among atoms and ultimately engineer more efficient materials. "We are interested in designing new, stress-responsive materials, so we are trying to develop reactions that are very slow normally but that can be accelerated efficiently by force," said Duke chemist Steve Craig, who headed the research. In ...

Nearly a third of children diagnosed with food allergies who participated in a recent study are bullied, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Almost eight percent of children in the U.S. are allergic to foods such as peanuts, tree-nuts, milk, eggs, and shellfish. Nearly half of parents surveyed (47.9 percent) were not aware of the bullying—although both the bullied children and their parents reported experiencing higher stress levels and lower quality of life. The study, titled, "Child and Parental Reports of Bullying in a Consecutive ...

With the combination of steep escalation in utility prices and current economic climate, the price that a businesses and homeowners pay for electricity and natural gas can mean the difference between make and break for their bottom line With electricity prices set to reach a record high this winter, TSI ENERGY has launched a new website to help businesses find the most competitive rates for their business electricity supply. Aimed at helping companies based in the USA obtain the most competitive pricing. TSI ENERGY understands that the volatile market place can be difficult ...

Conveniently located at 812 Britannia Rd. W, heartland mall Unit 107 (Near Mavis and Britannia), Missisauga, Ontario, Dream Couture Fashion Studio offers unique collections both catering to the Eastern and Western communities with the promise that any outfit you dream can be designed and created. With the cultural diversity that makes Canada, especially Toronto the global symbol of multicultarism Dream Couture shows how it embraces this diversity with style. Whether it is a Bridal Gown or a Saree or Lehngas flattering today's Bride, Dream Couture can help to create ...

Loveland, Colorado - Tumblecaps Retro, released this year by Cerulean Games, will be receiving an update in time for the holiday season featuring bug-fixes and user requests, along with some holiday fun. "We love the holidays!" Stated Dave Calabrese, CEO of Cerulean Games. "Tumblecaps Retro has been wonderfully received by the public, and it's time to start giving the game some additional content." The Winter update will include various bug-fixes and an all new Holiday themed Cap Pack with new visual FX, new pixelated bottlecaps, and a new Holiday ...

Following up on his 23 spot package for Radio Shack's Christmas campaign, producer Jonathan Isen solicited the services of world-class director Steve "Spaz" Williams to produce an 8 spot package highlighting the post Christmas phone upgrades available at Radio Shack through Grey/NY and Grey/Wing. Shooting on location in New Rochelle, New York, Williams brought his comedic expertise to "real life" situations in store. The shoot reunited Williams with Grey ECD Jeff Odiorne. "It was like no time had passed. We just picked up right where we left ...

Zaahib Inc LLC, has received approval from the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Commerce & Industry, to commence its business in Saudi Arabia, according to Zaahib CEO, Mr. Waleed Alrashoud. Mr. Alrashoud has stated that as eMarketing has become a corner stone in today's world, Zaahib.com will be a leading provider in Saudi Arabia, reaching its customers with an innovative set of added-value services, including map-based search for properties, and smart property management tools. Zaahib will be providing these services via their website: Zaahib.com, enabling customers ...

VoiceNation, the industry leader in live answering and virtual receptionist services, has launched Operation Give Back, a program to ensure local children living in shelters and those in need of assistance receive gifts this holiday season. VoiceNation's president Jay Reeder provided each of his employees with resources to support a child. Each employee was provided with an informational packet for a child, which included the child's holiday wish list and the funds to purchase gifts. VoiceNation donated 146 gifts to four organizations within the local community to ...

Many people don't realize that there is actually a difference between an RTA Cabinets Ventura and a custom-made cabinet. They think that both cabinets are expensive and that both of them are exclusively designed for a certain individual. This is where most people go wrong. There is quite a difference when one talked about custom-made cabinets while the other prefers a ready-to-assemble cabinet. It's not only the prices that differ. The styles, the delivery dates and the ease of installation will all play a part in helping you make this choice. Custom-made cabinets Custom-made ...

New York City based South African Arts International, Ltd. is proud to announced that the Republic of Equatorial Guinea has been selected for the 2012 Convener of the Year. This newly awarded accolade is being bestowed to a country that has showed great skill, courage and humanity in bringing Heads of State, government officials, International Humanitarian Agencies, Non Governmental Agencies, International Sports Governing Body's, Artists, Artisans, Intellectuals and the Diaspora together. "H.E. Obiang, President of Equatorial Guinea, has mastered the Art of ...

Jack Of All Trades Clothing, a Canadian-based brand, manufacturing licensed apparel, announced today that is donating money from the proceeds of each t-shirt sold on-line to several children's foundations: The Montreal Children's Hospital Circle of Hugs and the Children's Wish Foundations of Canada and America. "We are now ready to start giving back, this is something we always wanted to do and have now put aside the time to make it happen. We believe children are our future and we like the idea of supporting causes and getting involved in movements that are all ...

Streaming on the Co-Creator Radio Network (www.co-creatornetwork.com) on Tuesday, December 25, at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time, on her show "Why Shamanism Now?: A Practical Path to Authenticity," shaman and founder of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing Christina Pratt talks about the Visionary. According to Pratt, the Visionary asks us, "What does it take to envision a truly new future? How do you open to possibilities that have not yet existed for you?" The Visionary cautions us that our personal past, family of origin past, and our ...

Small businesses that looking for ways to write a check offline easily can try out the new ezCheckPrinting check writer from Halfpricesoft.com. The new edition of check printing software was updated to be compatible with Windows 8. It can run on Windows 7, Vista, XP, NT, 2000 and 2003 too. And there is no internet connection is needed to write a check with the latest edition of cheque software. "Many businesses do not want to put their machines online for data security, " said Dr Ge, the founder of halfpricesoft.com. ¡°This new improved check writer, ezCheckPrinting, ...

Annodyne, Inc. has just released a versatile new presentation platform technology called Digital Content Distribution System (DCDS). DCDS was developed to present information consistently across multiple platforms. Annodyne's proprietary tool not only provides the needed flexibility, but also allows for optimal — and simultaneous — viewing of a presentation on more than one device. With DCDS, users can start a presentation with one prospect viewing it on an iPad and seamlessly transition to the Web for a larger audience. Because all presentation content lives on the ...

Celebrating four years with Internet radio station The Penguin Rocks (thepenguinrocks.com) Radioshow With Dw Dunphy continues on the same steady path it set from the start -- to provide the classic, free-format rock radio show as it once was. Dunphy's sometimes manic blend of old and new music, with an emphasis on rock but commonly cutting across multiple genres, has attracted a devoted audience throughout its time online. Dunphy believes the reason is simple. People want to hear the new music, the deep cuts, and occasionally be sidetracked by a classic from out of left ...

Come and celebrate New Year's Eve 2012 (2nd Annual) with a Stand-up Comedy Celebration at Surf City Comedy Club in Huntington Beach! SPECIAL OFFER: Purchase tickets online by 12/29 and receive one free drink per paid admission. Show featuring: Bob Perkell (Showtime), Jeff Capri (Last Comic Standing) and Tom McGillen (HBO) Choose from either an East or West Coast Show Dinner Packages & HD Live Countdown to Midnight: East Coast Dinner, Show & Countdown 7:00PM (doors open at 5:30) $60 Show and dinner package includes: salad, choice of entree, two sides, ...

Antoine Bell of The BBB Conglomerate Network has recently toured in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Italy offering 1-day workshops to sales representatives in start-up firms and speaking at various industry events. 'There is a lot of support available for new business owners and start-up companies throughout Europe, something I notice we lack in the US. I think it's time we implement a structure that will assist in educating budding entrepreneurs and offering guidance and support. Start-up businesses offer a great opportunity for our economy to not only recover but to also become ...

2013 is set to be the set to be one the strongest years yet for Irish tourism. Managing Director of Mahon Enterprises Ltd. Darren Mahon comments "The new plans will see visitor numbers to the island of Ireland increase by 5% to 7.6 million in 2013, contributing EUR3.7 billion (+6%) to the economies, north and south. This is a huge rise in number over a 1 year period and will drastically improve small businesses" Mahon Enterprises Ltd, a Dublin based sales and marketing firm reveals that the 3 year tourism plan named "Make Ireland Jump Out" being launched ...

Many patients who are considering plastic surgery are aware that a tummy tuck is a procedure used to remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen. However, many people do not know that there is more than on type of tummy tuck available. "Today, a tummy tuck is a broader term than it was several years ago," said Dr. Shain Cuber, best plastic surgeons in New Jersey. "Under the umbrella of tummy tuck you will find different surgical approaches, which is used depends on the patient." Here are some of these approaches, performed by tummy tuck New Jersey ...

AppHome, an emerging mobile solutions and productivity applications developer, is excited today to announce the recent launch of SYSTEM UTILDashboard onto the App Store. Compatible with all iPhone and iPad models, this uniquely intuitive system monitoring tool gives users the power to see how they're utilizing disk space, device CPU, data connections, and battery from a single easily navigable hub. To celebrate its live roll out AppHome has also announced a limited time promotion on SYSTEM UTILDashboard that will see the app's price drop from $1.99 to only $0.99 through ...