Armoured in elaborate scales, the skins of crocodiles and alligators are much prized by the fashion industry. But sadly, not all skins are from farmed animals. Some are from endangered species and according to Ken Catania from Vanderbilt University, USA, sometimes the only way to distinguish legitimate hides from poached skins is to look at the distribution of thousands of microscopic pigmented bumps that pepper crocodiles' bodies. Adding that the minute dome organs are restricted to the faces of alligators, Catania puzzled, 'What are the organs for?' Explaining that they ...

ANAHEIM, CA. (November 8, 2012) – Imagine a world where you could never dine away from home, wear makeup, smell of sweet perfumes or eat a large percentage of food on store shelves. According to allergists at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting that is kicking off today in Anaheim, Calif., that is the world for 2 to 3 percent of individuals living with a spice allergy. Spices are one of the most widely used products found in foods, cosmetics and dental products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate ...

As youth infected at birth with HIV reach adolescence and young adulthood, a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases underscores the need to promote healthy behaviors as some of these young people become sexually active. Like other adolescents, some of the 330 young people in the study (from 15 sites across the U.S.) have initiated sexual activity, with many reporting having unprotected sex. Of the youth who were asked about disclosure of their HIV status to their first sexual partners, the majority reported that they had not disclosed to their partner prior ...

Crocodiles and alligators are notorious for their thick skin and well-armored bodies. So it comes as something of a surprise to learn that their sense of touch is one of the most acute in the animal kingdom. The crocodilian sense of touch is concentrated in a series of small, pigmented domes that dot their skin all over their body. In alligators, the spots are concentrated around their face and jaws. A new study, published in the Nov. 8 issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology, has discovered that these spots contain a concentrated collection of touch sensors that ...

A 20-year study following 110,645 workers who helped clean up after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in the former Soviet territory of Ukraine shows that the workers share a significant increased risk of developing leukemia. The results may help scientists better define cancer risk associated with low doses of radiation from medical diagnostic radiation procedures such as computed tomography scans and other sources. In the journal Environmental Health Perspectives this week, an international team led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco ...

November 8, 2012 — (Bronx, NY) — A study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that body mass index (BMI)—the most commonly used weight-for-height formula for estimating fatness—may not be the best measure for estimating disease risk, and particularly the risk of certain types of cancer. The study was published today in the online edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by his or her height in meters squared, or W/H2. Most of the early studies that ...

BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, November 8, 2012 -- Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed a radically new design for a concentrator solar cell that, when irradiated from the side, generates solar conversion efficiencies which rival, and may eventually surpass, the most ultra-efficient photovoltaics. The new cell architecture developed at the David Ben-Gurion National Solar Research Center at BGU can exceed an ultra-efficient 40 percent conversion efficiency with intensities equal to 10,000 suns. "Typically a concentrator solar cell comprises interdependent ...

Maryland families come in all different shapes and sizes. Parents may or may not be married, and they may or may not live together. However, if the parents do decide to divorce or live apart, it is important that their children's rights and bests interests are protected. When a married couple with children divorces, the court will determine child custody as part of the divorcecase. When children are born to an unmarried couple, either the mother or the father can pursue custody, so long as paternity has been established. In a Maryland child custody case, the court ...

The United States Justice Department recently announced that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals will pay $95 million to settle allegations that it promoted three drugs for uses that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The settlement comes after Robert Heinden - a former sales representative for Boehringer - brought a federal False Claims Act suit against the company in Maryland. The FDA had approved the use of Aggrenox to prevent secondary strokes, Combivent to treat bronchospasm in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are ...

Common Estate Planning Errors and How to Avoid Them The current state of the economy has reinforced the need to use smart judgment when it comes to handling money. Many people are saving and investing wisely to ensure their families will have the care and support they need. What some may not realize is that they may be sabotaging all of their hard work by making errors in their estate plan. People in New York and across the U.S should be aware of some of the typical estate plan errors and how to avoid them. Having No Plan Perhaps the most typical estate planning ...

Protect Your Assets With Long-Term Care Insurance The average cost of nursing-home care in the Houston area is more than $52,000 per year for a shared room, according to data from John Hancock's Cost of Care Study for 2011. A private room will set you back an average of nearly $73,000 a year. If those figures seem daunting, consider the fact that the cost of long term care is expected to nearly triple in the next 20 years. With more and more Americans living to a ripe old age, the cost of elder care has gone through the roof. As a result, many retirees are left with ...

Last-Minute Deal Saves Classic Saab Cars From Liquidation Sale In December, Saab owner Swedish Motors filed for bankruptcy in the Vanersborg District Court in Sweden, ending a two-year struggle to revive the company for its few but fiercely loyal customers. Two receivers are handling the bankruptcy, and they plan to sell off assets to pay Saab's creditors. A few of the assets intended for sale were the cars in the Saab museum in Trollhattan, Sweden. Included in the intended auction was the original Ursaab, which was expected to fetch a fairly high price for a collector ...

From the foothills of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, Full Moon Loom offers the largest selection of Indian tapestries and spreads in the USA. They also carry a serendipitous collection of curtains and door panels, table linens and duvet covers. Many of which have been handcrafted using ancient block printing and batik drawing techniques. Their light items include totes and duffels, scarves and sarongs and a nice selection of unisex and unisize clothing for the eclectic minded. To start off the Christmas holiday shopping Full Moon Loom is offering 10% off with promo ...

Spirit Chips," the company behind tortilla chips in every color for Universities, Pro Teams, Holidays and tailgating (including all Texas teams), rolled out Pink Gluten Free Tortilla Chips this month with a mission to provide great tasting, healthy chips to raise money for Breast Cancer Patients. But the motive is personal because Founder Merry Miller is a professional harpist (previously at NorthPark Center and Stonebriar Mall) who recently launched the Healing Arts Performance Series at the Charles Sammons Cancer Center at Baylor and will donate a portion of the ...

aNewPet, LLC will launch the beta version of their pet adoption application service today. Their free basic online Pet Application Service streamlines the adoption process by matching pet owners with local animal shelters and rescues across the U.S. aNewPet aims to bring together the pet community as a resource for pet lovers. They are committed to ensuring that proper information about pet adoption is available from day one to all pet lovers. In the United States, there is still a huge need for pet adoption especially from animal shelters. aNewPet' s CEO, Bicky Shen, ...

Croatian Minister of Tourism Veljko Ostojiæ and the new Director of Croatian Tourist Board Head Office Meri Matešiæ were presented with the Travel Agents Award for 2012 in the category Up and Coming Short Haul Destination of the Year during a press conference held at one of the most important travel expos in the world - World travel Market in London. Travel Agents Choice Award is the only travel awards entirely nominated and voted for by travel retailers in the United Kingdom. All the winners were announced on the Sellinglonghaul.com website. The Travel Agents Choice ...

Rosa & Co. LLC, a drug development advisory firm with expertise in drug-disease modeling and simulation, today announced that Dr. Toufigh Gordi, President of PK/PD and Clinical Pharmacology Services, will present a talk at the 4th World PK/PD Summit on November 28, 2012, in Frankfort, Germany. The talk, entitled "Models and their Impact in the Drug Development Process", will focus on the different uses of mathematical modeling in drug development. Dr. Gordi will describe various models, including pharmacokinetic models, mechanistic pharmacodynamics models, ...

Author Ozeme J. Bonnette has spent almost a decade advising and instructing thousands on the subject of finance. Now she taps her experience in the second edition of a book which educates secular and Christian readers on how to manage and grow your finances. The book is entitled "Get What Belongs To You: A Christian Guide To Managing Your Finances" and is written using illustrations of the Bible. Ozeme drew from her experiences growing up to develop scenarios and stated, "I have learned a lot from past mistakes and although I am an advisor and instructor, ...

Nebraska Cultures Inc., the creator and exclusive supplier of Dr. Shahani's L. acidophilus, announced today the launch of ProDURA , a unique strain of Bacillus coagulans, a highly durable probiotic, at the 2012 SupplySide West Global Expo & Conference at The Venetian & Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Marketed exclusively by Nebraska Cultures, ProDURA is an unusual probiotic strain since it is a spore forming bacterium with a naturally protective coating that stays dormant until it meets the perfect conditions of heat, pH, and moisture found in the large intestine. ...

This month, Michael Stars debuts the brand's first retail outlet located within the new Paragon Outlets Livermore Valley in Livermore, CA. "Michael Stars outlet boutique will offer a premium brand experience with high-quality clothing at attractive price points," said co-founder Michael Cohen. "Opening this outlet store is an important part of the progression of our retail growth strategy. It will give us the ability to move through remaining seasonal inventory from our full-price retail doors, as well as boost our overall portfolio with additional brand ...

When the Albert family thought about the future, and a time when husband Corporal Joshua Albert would leave the Marine Corps, they envisioned putting down roots in a place with parks, schools and lots of other families with children. A visit to a friend in master-planned Canyon Hills in Lake Elsinore was enough for Megan Albert to know that she had discovered the ideal place to raise a family. "Buying a home while my husband was overseas in Afghanistan was a daunting task, but with a baby on the way, I was motivated." said Megan Albert. "Pardee Homes ...

Londonhood.com launched on November 1, 2012 and is already supplying Londoners and visitors to our great city alike with a piece of history. Touted as the only place to purchase 100% authentic London Bus Blinds that are currently in operation today, Londonhood.com wants everyone to bring a piece of their London home with them. If you're like many travelers to London and have ever sat on the top level of a London double-decker bus and stared out the window at the sea of people below, marveled at the historic sites passing by or caught a night bus home at 3:00 am, you ...

At the height of the boom, Brits made up 60 to 70% of foreign property purchases in Spain. By 2011 this British proportion had dropped to 19% with other European investors snapping at their heels. Agent Spanish Hot Properties fears the Brits are missing out. Nick Stuart, Director of Spanish Hot Properties, gives his opinion, "In 2011 Brits bought only 4,294 of the 22,260 Spanish properties sold to foreigners, a measly 19%, and I fear they're losing their chance. Likewise the Germans, who once dominated certain locations, have seen their share slip to 8%. I can't ...

La Isla, an environmentally and socially conscious couture swim and apparel brand, announces the posting of a special, exclusive interview with G. Love on their blog Beyond the Break at http://www.laislabrand.com. G. Love, the man behind G. Love and Special Sauce, and the creator of the music genre "hip hop blues", has granted La Isla with an exclusive interview. G. Love began playing the guitar when he was 8 years old and has recorded many incredible albums with his band and as solo projects. He is currently signed by Jack Johnson's record label, Brushfire ...

Graphic Apparel is pleased to announce they are expanding their operations into the online marketplace with a new online store. The new e-commerce store will allow current and new clients to quickly purchase and customize merchandise during all hours of the day. Graphic Apparel's expansion into the online marketplace is based on the growth of the corporate apparel marketplace growing beyond the local demographics of old and into a worldwide opportunity. With a focus on the Greater Toronto Area and Simcoe County, the new e-commerce store will broaden the reach and provide ...