A team of researchers from Louisiana State University and the American Museum of Natural History has discovered that two groups of blind cave fishes on opposite sides of the Indian Ocean are each other's closest relatives. Through comprehensive DNA analysis, the researchers determined that these eyeless fishes, one group from Madagascar and the other from similar subterranean habitats in Australia, descended from a common ancestor before being separated by continental drift nearly 100 million years ago. Their study, which appears in the journal PLOS ONE this week, also ...

A new study by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, suggests that the nature of California heatwaves is changing due to global warming. Climate researchers Alexander Gershunov and Kristen Guirguis detected a trend toward more humid heatwaves that are expressed very strongly in elevated nighttime temperatures, a trend consistent with climate change projections. Moreover, relative to local warming, the mid-summer heatwaves are getting stronger in generally cooler coastal areas. This carries implications for the millions of Californians living ...

A study of physics faculty awareness and use of research-based instructional techniques offers greater understanding of what is missing from current education reform efforts The world has changed dramatically in recent decades but many argue that the university system has not kept pace. As another academic year begins, if you peek into any introductory college science course you're likely to find the same scene as you would have twenty years ago: An instructor writing equations on the blackboard while a lecture hall full of students take notes. Why is college science ...

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (08/29/2012) —Can we have enough to eat and a healthy environment, too? Yes—if we're smart about it, suggests a study published in Nature this week by a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal. Global demand for food is expected to double by 2050 due to population growth and increased standards of living. To meet this demand, it is often assumed we will need to expand the environmental burden of agriculture. The paper, based on analysis of agricultural data gathered from around the world, offers hope ...

Johns Hopkins researchers have created a synthetic protein that, when activated by ultraviolet light, can guide doctors to places within the body where cancer, arthritis and other serious medical disorders can be detected. The technique could lead to a new type of diagnostic imaging technology and may someday serve as a way to move medications to parts of the body where signs of disease have been found. In a study published in the Aug. 27-31 Online Early Edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers reported success in using the synthetic ...

COLLEGE STATION Aug. 29, 2012 – Analysis of a specific mutation in a gene in horses that affects the ability of horses to use alternate gaits is strongly related to racing performance and is advantageous for harness-racing horses. In domestic horses, the mutation has had a major impact on their diversification, as the altered gait characteristics of a number of breeds apparently require this mutation, according to a study that includes a Texas A&M University researcher. Gus Cothran, a professor in the Animal Genetic Lab of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical ...

Tropical Storm Kirk looks more like a comet than a tropical storm in infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite because of wind shear. NASA infrared imagery also revealed powerful thunderstorms around the center of circulation which are indicators that Kirk will continue strengthening. Meanwhile, another low pressure area appears to be organizing in the eastern Atlantic, far to the southeast of Kirk. Tropical Depression Kirk formed from the eleventh tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean season. Tropical Depression 11 formed on Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. EDT about 1,270 miles ...

Hurricane Isaac made two landfalls in southeastern Louisiana. Isaac's first landfall occurred in southeastern Louisiana on Aug. 28 at 7:45 p.m. EDT (1145 UTC), second landfall on Aug. 29 at 6 a.m. EDT (1000 UTC). NASA's TRMM satellite observed heavy rainfall in this slow moving storm, which leads to higher rainfall totals and flooding. NASA and NOAA satellites continue to provide detailed information to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Isaac's first landfall occurred at 7:45 p.m. EDT in extreme southeastern Louisiana, bringing strong winds and dangerous ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –A new "nano machine shop" that shapes nanowires and ultrathin films could represent a future manufacturing method for tiny structures with potentially revolutionary properties. The structures might be "tuned" for applications ranging from high-speed electronics to solar cells and also may have greater strength and unusual traits such as ultrahigh magnetism and "plasmonic resonance," which could lead to improved optics, computers and electronics. The researchers used their technique to stamp nano- and microgears; form tiny circular shapes out of ...

CHICAGO --- Temper tantrums in young children can be an early signal of mental health problems, but how does a parent or pediatrician know when disruptive behavior is typical or a sign of a serious problem? New Northwestern Medicine research will give parents and professionals a new tool to know when to worry about young children's misbehavior. Researchers have developed an easy-to-administer questionnaire specifically designed to distinguish the typical misbehavior of early childhood from more concerning misbehavior. This will enable early identification and treatment ...

(Edmonton) Danielle Peers has lived the thrill and pressure, revelled in competition and brought home hardware from the Paralympic Games. But beneath the cheers, the University of Alberta researcher questions whether the Paralympic movement is as empowering as its benevolent image. The former Paralympian bronze medallist and women's wheelchair basketball world champion says the history of the Paralympic movement dates to the freak shows of the 19th century—and even today's modern games are a spectacle of curiosity that reinforces disability. "The Paralympics is one ...

VIDEO: Mark W. Lee Jr., an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Missouri, and his research team have used carboranes to enhance cancer-fighting drugs. They recently created one drug... Click here for more information. COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Legend has it that Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." University of Missouri researchers are doing just that, but instead of building mousetraps, the scientists ...

PULLMAN, Wash. - When Washington State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinary scientist Don Knowles got word two years ago that a rare but deadly infection was discovered among a group of horses in south Texas, he felt a jolt of adrenaline. Not only were the horses infected with a parasitic disease similar to malaria in humans, but the epicenter of the outbreak was at no ordinary ranch. It was the King Ranch, legendary for its world-class quarter horses, including former winners of the Triple Crown and Kentucky Derby. The 825,000 acre family-owned estate ...

Tropical Storm Bolaven made landfall on Aug. 28 and has been moving quickly over land while undergoing a transition. NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of the remnants of the ex-tropical storm mostly centered over eastern China. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this natural-color image of Tropical Storm Bolaven on August 29 at 0220 UTC. Some clouds still remain over North Korea and extend over the Sea of Japan as Bolaven's remnants continue speeding to the north-northeast at 29 knots (33.3 mph/53.7 kmh). The ...

In states where medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for kindergarten students are easier to get, exemption rates are higher, potentially compromising herd immunity and posing a threat to children and others who truly should not be immunized because of underlying conditions, according to a study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and now available online. Nationwide in scope, the study found inconsistency among states in standards allowing medical exemptions from school immunization requirements. The investigators concluded that medical exemptions ...

Nature hath no fury like a dying star – and astronomers couldn't be happier… An international research team, led by Edo Berger of Harvard University, made the most of a dying star's fury to probe a distant galaxy some 9.5 billion light-years distant. The dying star, which lit the galactic scene, is the most distant stellar explosion of its kind ever studied. According to Berger, "It's like someone turned on a flashlight in a dark room and suddenly allowed us to see, for a short time, what this far-off galaxy looks like, what it is composed of." The study, published ...

PULLMAN, Wash.—Researchers have identified a way in which men can develop prostate cancer after contracting trichomoniasis, a curable but often overlooked sexually transmitted disease. Previous studies have teased out a casual, epidemiological correlation between the two diseases, but this latest study suggests a more tangible biological mechanism. John Alderete, a professor at Washington State University's School of Molecular Biosciences, says the trichomoniasis parasite activates a suite of proteins, the last of which makes sure the proteins stay active. "It's like ...

Automated Social Networking (ASN) has announced its ongoing commitment to helping attorneys and other small business owners rank atop of Google, increase their website traffic, and get substantially more referrals. Their six client guarantees have ushered-in a new standard in the local online advertising space as well. ASN has unearthed dozens of highly effective strategies in regards to using the immense power of the Internet and becoming the go-to expert locally. This unique service helps attorneys of all specialties dominate their local online landscape and get consistent ...

Lawyer James, the owner and CEO of Zoomqa, LLC, today announced he has been selected as a Finalist for the Under30 Following the Vision award; this award gives individuals an opportunity to be recognized as an excellent and advancing entrepreneur or business leader from the Atlanta, Georgia business region. The Under30 Following the Vision judges selected 30 individuals from a pool of hundreds from the greater and surrounding Atlanta areas. All nominees go through an initial entrance stage that requires them to write about themselves as an enthusiastic, developing and transitioning ...

Each woman is destined to undergo some amount of emotional and physical changes during her pregnancy period. But the emotional and physical changes do not stop a pregnant woman to appear fashionable and stylish during each trimester. There are also a number of manufacturers who launch new apparels by targeting the both new moms and the moms-to-be. Blanqi.com is popular as an online brand among the pregnant women due to its wide range of maternity belly bands, maternity body shaper, and post pregnancy body shaper. Recently, the online store added fresh lineup of dresses ...

Dr. Matthew Loop has been providing those in the Lilburn / Lawrenceville area with relief from chronic headaches for over 7 years. He has announced his continued commitment to helping locals have a better quality of life. Chiropractic therapy works naturally without drugs to relieve ongoing headaches. "People who suffer from chronic headaches," says Dr. Loop, "experience symptoms for at least 15 of 30 days a months for three successive months. These can be triggered by allergens, stress, environmental factors and various other factors. Migraines respond ...

White Mountain Technologies, a local software development firm, is opening two new offices in Zahle, Bekaa (in the east), and Chekka, Koura (in the north). This development reflects White Mountain's goal to expand into regions of Lebanon outside Beirut, while maintaining the spirit of a closely-connected work environment. "It has always been our intention to be a part of the local communities. This allows us to be closer to our customer base on one hand, and on the other hand, to tap into valuable local resources and diversified backgrounds that will enrich White ...

Athletes for Education (AFE) hosted their Inaugural Combine in partnership with the Sunset Elementary PTA on the campus of Sunset Elementary on June 30, 2012, benefiting boys and girls from the ages of ten to 13. The combine consisted of specific drills for both cheerleaders and football players and included instruction from both AFE professional athletes and community coaches plus provided the students with complimentary lunch and AFE t-shirts. In total, 132 student athletes were served by this event with 40 community volunteers, 12 football skills coaches including current ...

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As part of its continued efforts to provide guests fresh, flavorful dishes with a Southern California flair, today Rubio's Restaurants introduces two new offerings to its expansive coastal cuisine selection. Rubio's invites fans and friends to meet the Regal Springs Blackened Tilapia Taco and the Regal Springs Grilled Tilapia Taco. Created and developed by founder Ralph Rubio and the Rubio's culinary team, both fish tacos represent the brand's unwavering dedication to unique, high-quality, craveable seafood options. Designed to ignite guests' taste buds with mouth-watering ...