LA JOLLA, CA – October 25, 2012 – Explosive advancement in human genome sequencing opens new possibilities for identifying the genetic roots of certain diseases and finding cures. However, so many variations among individual genomes exist that identifying mutations responsible for a specific disease has in many cases proven an insurmountable challenge. But now a new study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Scripps Health, and Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) reveals that by comparing the genomes of diseased patients with the genomes of ...

CHESTNUT HILL, MA (October 25, 2012) – In the relatively new scientific frontier of topological insulators, theoretical and experimental physicists have been studying the surfaces of these unique materials for insights into the behavior of electrons that display some very un-electron-like properties. In topological insulators, electrons can behave more like photons, or particles of light. The hitch is that unlike photons, electrons have a mass that normally plays a defining role in their behavior. In the world of quantum physics, where everyday materials take on surprising ...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2012 — The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series reports that scientists have discovered a plausible way to manipulate the populations of mostly beneficial microbes in "purified" drinking water to potentially benefit consumers. Based on a report by Lutgarde Raskin, Ph.D., in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology, the new podcast is available without charge at iTunes and from www.acs.org/globalchallenges. In the new episode, Raskin explains that municipal ...

In the future, warmer waters could significantly change ocean distribution of populations of phytoplankton, tiny organisms that could have a major effect on climate change. Reporting in this week's online journal Science Express, researchers show that by the end of the 21st century, warmer oceans will cause populations of these marine microorganisms to thrive near the poles and shrink in equatorial waters. "In the tropical oceans, we are predicting a 40 percent drop in potential diversity, the number of strains of phytoplankton," says Mridul Thomas, a biologist at Michigan ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Warmer oceans in the future could significantly alter populations of phytoplankton, tiny organisms that could have a major impact on climate change. In the current issue of Science Express, Michigan State University researchers show that by the end of the 21st century, warmer oceans will cause populations of these marine microorganisms to thrive near the poles and may shrink in equatorial waters. Since phytoplankton play a key role in the food chain and the world's cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and other elements, a drastic drop could have ...

HERSHEY, Pa. -- The zebrafish is a potential tool for testing one class of unique individual genetic differences found in humans, and may yield information helpful for the emerging field of personalized medicine, according to a team led by Penn State College of Medicine scientists. The differences, or mutations, in question create minor changes in amino acids -- the building blocks of DNA -- from person to person. Zebrafish can be used as a model to understand what biological effects result from these genetic mutations. Personalized medicine uses modern technology and ...

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have obtained a remarkable new view of a whopper of an elliptical galaxy, with a core bigger than any seen before. There are two intriguing explanations for the puffed up core, both related to the action of one or more black holes, and the researchers have not yet been able to determine which is correct. Spanning a little over one million light-years, the galaxy is about ten times the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy. The bloated galaxy is a member of an unusual class of galaxies with an unusually diffuse core filled ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Had a bad day? Extending your normal exercise routine by a few minutes may be the solution, according to Penn State researchers, who found that people's satisfaction with life was higher on days when they exercised more than usual. "We found that people's satisfaction with life was directly impacted by their daily physical activity," said Jaclyn Maher, graduate student in kinesiology. "The findings reinforce the idea that physical activity is a health behavior with important consequences for daily well-being and should be considered when developing ...

Robots have the potential to help older adults with daily activities that can become more challenging with age. But are people willing to use and accept the new technology? A study by the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates the answer is yes, unless the tasks involve personal care or social activities. After showing adults (ages 65 to 93 years) a video of a robot's capabilities, researchers interviewed them about their willingness for assistance with 48 common household tasks. Participants generally preferred robotic help over human help for chores such as cleaning ...

A large international study has identified three new gene variants associated with body mass index (BMI) levels in adults. The scientific consortium, numbering approximately 200 researchers, performed a meta-analysis of 46 studies, covering gene data from nearly 109,000 adults, spanning four ethnic groups. In discovering intriguing links to lipid-related diseases, type 2 diabetes and other disorders, the IBC 50K SNP Array BMI Consortium's study may provide fundamental insights into the biology of adult obesity. Scientists from the Center for Applied Genomics at The Children's ...

Universities not only provide the ideal petri dish for cultivating bioscience with commercial potential, but have a moral obligation to do so, given the opportunity to translate public funding into health and jobs, according to a new case study by UCSF researchers. In an analysis published Oct. 24, 2012 in Science Translational Medicine, researchers at the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) assessed the impact of the institute's efforts over the past eight years in supporting entrepreneurs on the three UC campuses in which it operates: UCSF, UC Berkeley ...

Five scientists, including two from Simon Fraser University, have discovered that 30 per cent of our likelihood of developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be explained by 475,806 genetic variants in our genome. Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) commonly screen these variants, looking for genetic links to diseases. Corey Watson, a recent SFU doctoral graduate in biology, his thesis supervisor SFU biologist Felix Breden and three scientists in the United Kingdom have just had their findings published online in Scientific Reports. It's a sub-publication of the journal ...

A new University of Michigan study shows that when researchers share a building, and especially a floor, the likelihood of forming new collaborations and obtaining funding increases dramatically. The findings have wide relevance to corporations, as well. "Our analyses clearly show that there are benefits to co-location," said Jason Owen-Smith, an associate professor of sociology and organizational studies. Researchers who occupy the same building are 33 percent more likely to form new collaborations than researchers who occupy different buildings, and scientists who ...

A second look at data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is reanimating the claim that the nearby star Fomalhaut hosts a massive exoplanet. The study suggests that the planet, named Fomalhaut b, is a rare and possibly unique object that is completely shrouded by dust. "Although our results seriously challenge the original discovery paper, they do so in a way that actually makes the object's interpretation much cleaner and leaves intact the core conclusion, that Fomalhaut b is indeed a massive planet," said Thayne Currie, an astronomer formerly at NASA's Goddard Space ...

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has tracked the aftermath of a rare massive storm on Saturn. Data reveal record-setting disturbances in the planet's upper atmosphere long after the visible signs of the storm abated, in addition to an indication the storm was more forceful than scientists previously thought. Data from Cassini's composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) instrument revealed the storm's powerful discharge sent the temperature in Saturn's stratosphere soaring 150 degrees Fahrenheit (83 kelvins) above normal. At the same time, researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Assassin bugs, so named because these insects lie in ambush for prey that they attack with speed and precision, are found all over the world. Nearly 140 species of these bugs are blood-sucking; because they can bite humans around the mouth, they are also called kissing bugs. All kissing bugs can spread Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease that imposes an economic burden on society. Surprising, then, that scientists' understanding of the evolutionary history of assassin bugs is riddled with difficulty. The data are incomplete. Fossils, which ...

Older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at increased risk for carotid artery plaque formation and for the presence of vulnerable plaques with a lipid core, according to a new study from researchers in the Netherlands. "We know that COPD is a risk factor for ischemic stroke, and that certain components of carotid artery plaques such as intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid core increase the risk of ischemic events, but plaque composition in patients with COPD has not been examined," said researcher Bruno H.C. Stricker, MD, PhD, professor of pharmaco-epidemiology ...

Ottawa, October 26, 2012 - In Canada alone, almost 2 million people are known to be living with diabetes. And around a million more have the disease but are not aware of that fact, and have not been given the tools they need to control their blood sugar and safeguard their health. The Heart Institute will be presenting the results of an innovative pilot program on October 29, at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Toronto, Canada. Diabetic patients have a much greater risk of dangerous cardiovascular events, including recurrent heart attacks and development of heart ...

A divorce marks more than just the end of a relationship; it also represents the end of a financial partnership. As a result, it is important to take a step back from the emotional side of the divorce and review the financial side both during and after the divorce proceeding. Before a divorce is finalized, it is wise to attempt to develop a post-divorce budget. This will help you to determine what assets you need when determining marital property division in the divorce. After the divorce is complete, take a moment to look over your new expenses and income. Review ...

A group of Cold Stone Creamery franchisees is suing parent company Cold Stone Creamery Inc. over the failure of the franchisor to disclose information about marketing and gift cards. The franchisee-franchisor suit regarding an alleged lack of transparency was filed in a Florida court. The National Independent Association of Cold Stone Creamery Franchisees filed suit against Cold Stone Creamery earlier this year asking Cold Stone to disclose the amount of money in a flexible marketing program and the unspent amount in the ice cream chain's gift card program. The NIACCF ...

Proprietary information is the life blood of businesses and it is as important as ever in today's business world. Businesses can use tools like non-disclosure forms to protect trade secrets from third parties, and tools like non-compete agreements to help ensure that former employees who learned their skills and knowledge from the business do not use confidential business information to benefit competitors. One way a business can protect its unique information from being used elsewhere is a non-disclosure agreement. A non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement requires ...

After a long stretch of elevated foreclosure rates in Texas and around the country, recent months have brought some signs of stabilization in the real estate market. In July 2012, foreclosure rates in Austin dropped slightly in both month-to-month and year-over-year measurements. According to consumer analytics firm CoreLogic Inc., 1.05 percent of Austin homes were in some stage of foreclosure in July 2012, compared with 1.07 percent the previous month and 1.08 percent in July 2011. Mortgage delinquencies also show signs of decline, with 2.88 percent of Austin mortgages ...

In the last few years the tough economy has caused many businesses to change how they work. In some cases, these changes can lead to innovation in the marketplace; in others it can lead to an increased risk of potential injuries and faulty products. Unfortunately, some contractors are falling into the latter category. Many contractors are attempting to stay afloat financially by taking on jobs in new markets. Professionals within the construction industry state that contractors are often tempted to expand their market by going one of three different directions: -Expanding ...

The data police can and cannot obtain from a cellphone or GPS tracking device without a warrant has been a frequent subject of legal dispute in recent years. The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals recently weighed in on the subject, ruling that police can look at a cellphone without a warrant to obtain the cellphone's number. Gaining the phone's number allows police to track the cellphone's call history and location by contacting the cellphone's carrier. The issue arose from a case involving an alleged drug crime. Police found a cellphone on the suspect, Alberto Santana-Cabrera, ...

Chicago was the first large city in the country to punish retailers that sell synthetic drugs that mimic the effects of marijuana and other illegal drugs. Commonly disguised as bath salts, incense or potpourri, these synthetic drugs are often changed chemically to make them legal but still provide users with intoxicating effects. However, the side effects of the drug can be severe; they can cause hallucinations, seizures, paranoid behavior and high blood pressure. In some cases they can cause violent episodes or cause users to go, "Out of their minds," according ...