UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Preserving genetically diverse local crops in areas where small-scale farms are rapidly modernizing is possible, according to a Penn State geographer, who is part of an international research project investigating the biodiversity of maize, or corn, in hotspots of Bolivia, Peru and Mexico. Hotspots are areas where cultivation of peaches and other non-traditional crops has exploded over the past decade, noted Karl Zimmerer, professor and head of the Department of Geography, and where small-scale farms are often female-run and have been previously ...

HERSHEY, Pa. --A compound that stimulates the production of a tumor-fighting protein may improve the usefulness of the protein in cancer therapy, according to a team of researchers. TRAIL is a natural anti-tumor protein that suppresses tumor development during immune surveillance -- the immune system's process of patrolling the body for cancer cells. This process is lost during cancer progression, which leads to uncontrolled growth and spread of tumors. The ability of TRAIL to initiate cell death selectively in cancer cells has led to ongoing clinical trials with artificially ...

Bad news about the economy could cause you to pack on the pounds. This according to a new study from the University of Miami School of Business Administration published in the February edition of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association of Psychological Science. The study shows that when there is a perception of tough times, people tend to seek higher-calorie foods that will keep them satisfied longer. When subconsciously primed with such messages, a "live for today" impulse is triggered causing people to consume nearly 40 percent more food than when compared ...

With help from a wind tunnel and the latest DNA technology, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are shedding light on the travel patterns of microbes in soils carried off by strong winds. The work has implications for soil health and could lead to management practices that minimize the damage to soils caused by wind erosion. Wind erosion is an emerging issue in soil conservation efforts. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have been studying wind-eroded soils since the 1930s, but few studies have focused on the effects of wind on the bacteria, ...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Medical literature long has touted the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for the heart. But until now, researchers have not studied the potential benefit for people on hemodialysis, who are among the highest-risk patients for sudden cardiac death. A study published Feb. 6 online in the journal Kidney International, which included 100 patients who died of sudden cardiac death during their first year of hemodialysis and 300 patients who survived, is the first to examine this question. Allon N. Friedman, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division ...

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 6, 2013 -- Nitrogen in ocean waters fuels the growth of two tiny but toxic phytoplankton species that are harmful to marine life and human health, warns a new study published in the Journal of Phycology. Researchers from San Francisco State University found that nitrogen entering the ocean -- whether through natural processes or pollution -- boosts the growth and toxicity of a group of phytoplankton that can cause the human illness Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning. Commonly found in marine waters off the North American West Coast, these diatoms (phytoplankton ...

Since the observations made by English naturalist Charles Darwin on the Galapagos Islands, researchers have been interested in how physical barriers, such as isolation on a particular island, can lead to the formation of new species through the process of natural selection. Natural selection is a process whereby heritable traits that enhance survival become more common in successive generations, while unfavorable heritable traits become less common. Over time, animals and plants that have morphologies or other attributes that enhance their suitability to a particular environment ...

ANN ARBOR—Hunger, thirst, stress and drugs can create a change in the brain that transforms a repulsive feeling into a strong positive "wanting," a new University of Michigan study indicates. The research used salt appetite to show how powerful natural mechanisms of brain desires can instantly transform a cue that always predicted a repulsive Dead Sea Salt solution into an eagerly wanted beacon or motivational magnet. Mike Robinson, a research fellow in the U-M Department of Psychology and the study's lead author, said the findings help explain how related brain activations ...

AUDIO: In the 1970s and early 1980s, some states lower their minimum legal drinking age below the age of 21. Those lower drinking ages have been linked to bad things, from... Click here for more information. People who grew up in states where it was legal to drink alcohol before age 21 are more likely to be binge drinkers later in life, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings are available online in Alcoholism: ...

For more than 100 years radiography meant: don't move! In order to visualize nanostructures such as biological cells, the porous structure of cement or storage fields of magnetic disks, the experimentators had to avoid any kind of vibration of X-ray microscope and sample. In addition, only a small percentage fraction of the incoming X-ray radiation could be used. Using special filters, they had to select exactly the fraction with the right properties – for example, the right wavelength. Contributions of different wavelengths separated Pierre Thibault of the Technische ...

CHICAGO -- Feeding human breast milk to very-low-birth-weight infants greatly reduces risk for sepsis and significantly lowers associated neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) costs, according to a study by Rush University Medical Center researchers. The study, published Jan. 31 in the advance online version of the Journal of Perinatology, showed that every 10 milliliters of human milk per kilogram that a very low birth weight infant received during the first 28 days of life decreased the odds of sepsis by almost 20 percent. A daily dose of 25 to 49.99 milliliters of ...

WOODS HOLE, MASS. -- Among the animals that are appealing "cover models" for scientific journals, lancelets don't spring readily to mind. Slender, limbless, primitive blobs that look pretty much the same end to end, lancelets "are extremely boring. I wouldn't recommend them for a home aquarium," says Enrico Nasi, adjunct senior scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL). Yet Nasi and his collaborators managed to land a lancelet on the cover of the Journal of Neuroscience last December. These simple chordates, they discovered, offer insight into our own biological ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — When a pathogen attacks a plant, infection usually follows after the plant's immune system is compromised. A team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside focused on Phytophthora, the pathogen that triggered the Irish Famine of the 19th century by infecting potato plants, and deciphered how it succeeded in crippling the plant's immune system. The genus Phytophthora contains many notorious pathogens of crops. Phytophthora pathogens cause worldwide losses of more than $6 billion each year on potato (Phytophthora infestans) and about ...

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 7, 2013 – A University of Utah seismologist analyzed seismic waves that bombarded Earth's core, and believes he got a look at the earliest roots of Earth's most cataclysmic kind of volcanic eruption. But don't worry. He says it won't happen for perhaps 200 million years. "What we may be detecting is the start of one of these large eruptive events that – if it ever happens – could cause very massive destruction on Earth," says seismologist Michael Thorne, the study's principal author and an assistant professor of geology and geophysics at the University ...

Cancer drugs of the new, molecular generation destroy malignant breast tumors in a targeted manner: They block characteristic molecules on tumor cells - receptors for the hormones estrogen or progesterone, or a co-receptor, called HER2, that binds to many growth factors. But about one in every six breast tumors has none of these receptors. Such cancers, called triple-negative, are particularly aggressive and notoriously difficult to treat. Some of these therapy-resistant cancers have a potential molecular target for cancer drugs, a growth-factor receptor called EGFR, ...

Scientists hope that one day in the distant future, miniature, medically-savvy computers will roam our bodies, detecting early-stage diseases and treating them on the spot by releasing a suitable drug, without any outside help. To make this vision a reality, computers must be sufficiently small to fit into body cells. Moreover, they must be able to "talk" to various cellular systems. These challenges can be best addressed by creating computers based on biological molecules such as DNA or proteins. The idea is far from outrageous; after all, biological organisms are capable ...

Caving in to social pressure — such as saying that you love a movie because friends do — makes for good vibes about being part of a group and can produce more of the same conduct, according to a Baylor University sociological study. The finding has implications for people ranging from philanthropists to gangs, researchers said. "The punch line is very simple: Conformity leads to positive feelings, attachments, solidarity — and these are what motivate people to continue their behavior," said Kyle Irwin, Ph.D., an assistant professor of sociology at Baylor and lead author. ...

Before they go all-out supernova, certain large stars undergo a sort of "mini-explosion," throwing a good-sized chunk of their material off into space. Though several models predict this behavior and evidence from supernovae points in this direction, actually observations of such pre-explosion outbursts have been rare. In new research led by Dr. Eran Ofek of the Weizmann Institute, scientists found such an outburst taking place a short time – just one month – before a massive star underwent a supernova explosion. The findings, which recently appeared in Nature, help ...

How to improve communication between parents and children after divorce Article provided by Law Office of Rebecca Garren Parker Visit us at http://www.rebeccaparkerlaw.com Most people understand that divorce takes a toll on the finances and emotions of a family. However, some may not realize the burden a divorce can place on communication between family members, including communication between former spouses and between parents and children. By following a few simple tips, everyone can improve communication and help redefine and heal relationships after a divorce. Communication ...

How parenting plans work in California Article provided by The Law Offices of Daniel S. Frank Visit us at http://www.danielfrankattorney.com A parenting plan, also called a custody and visitation agreement, is a written agreement that where and with whom the child of divorcing parents will and defines the times the child will spend with the non-custodial parent. The main purpose of creating a parenting plan is to agree on how to share time with the child and how the parents will make important decisions regarding the child's welfare, such as education and health. ...

Credit Can Be Restored After Bankruptcy Article provided by Mitchell & Malone Visit us at http://www.mitchellmir.com In a tough economy, Texas families may find themselves with more debt than they can handle. Filing for bankruptcy is a workable solution for many Texans, but along with the relief that comes with managing debt may come worries about the long-term financial effects of bankruptcy. Some of those worries are not well founded. In particular, a bankruptcy filing need not permanently ruin a filer's credit, even though the bankruptcy will remain in a ...

California employers gain more control over workplace injury care Article provided by Atcheson & Kepler Visit us at http://www.workinjury-sandiego.com Residents of San Diego and other areas in California might be aware that a change in state policy makes a new form of treatment option available to employers in the event of an injury connected to a workers' compensation claim. It may be helpful for employees to be aware of these changes and the implications that they have in terms of medical care provided to injured employees. What is a medical provider network? Several ...

Two California News Anchors Fired, Allege Age Discrimination Article provided by Stratton & Green, ALC Visit us at http://www.sglawcorp.com William Schechner and John Lobertini, popular news reporters for KPIX in San Francisco, California, were laid off after CBS required its affiliates to reduce their budgets by 10 percent. The two reporters allege that although they were experienced and performed their jobs well, they were fired based solely on the fact that they were older than most other reporters. If these allegations are true, KPIX would be in violation ...

Can an LLC Offer Tax Benefits to Texas Business Owners? Small business owners know that one of the most important decisions they have to make when starting their businesses is under which business entity to operate. Many people in Texas know that a limited liability company can protect the business owner from being personally liable for the company's debts, meaning that the business owner will not lose his or her personal property should the business amass debts it cannot pay. However, people may not be aware that LLCs can provide business owners with significant tax ...

Getting a mortgage after bankruptcy is possible in most cases Article provided by Pearman Law Firm, P.C. Visit us at http://www.debtfreedenver.com/ Because of the recession, many Americans have filed bankruptcy in recent years. However, once the bankruptcy process has been completed, many people are unsure of how to begin the process of rebuilding credit. This is understandable. Bankruptcies remain on credit reports for up to 10 years, which can cause your credit score to be low. As lenders rely on your credit score to determine your eligibility for a loan or a ...