PHILADELPHIA— Medical physicists at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center are one step closer to bringing a new tumor-tracking technique into the clinic that delivers higher levels of radiation to moving tumors, while sparing healthy tissue in lung cancer patients. Evidence has shown a survival advantage for lung cancer patients treated with higher doses of radiation. Therefore, there is an increased interest to find novel ways to better track tumors—which are in constant motion because of breathing—in order to up the dosage during radiation ...

DNA sequences obtained from a handful of patients with multiple sclerosis at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center have revealed the existence of an "immune exchange" that allows the disease-causing cells to move in and out of the brain. The cells in question, obtained from spinal fluid and blood samples, are called B cells, which normally help to clear foreign infections from the body but sometimes react strongly with the body itself. One of the current theories of multiple sclerosis, which strikes hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Whether bloggers are writing to change the world, or just discussing a bad break-up, they may get an extra boost of motivation from traffic-measuring and interactive tools that help them feel more connected to and more influential in their communities, according to researchers. In a series of studies, female bloggers showed that they enjoyed blogging because it made them feel empowered and part of a community, said Carmen Stavrositu, who recently completed doctoral work in mass communications at Penn State. The studies also indicated that the sheer ...

Supercomputer simulations have revealed that a type of oddly dim, exploding star is probably a class of duds—one that could nonetheless throw new light on the mysterious nature of dark energy. Most of the thousands of exploding stars classified as type Ia supernovae look similar, which is why astrophysicists use them as accurate cosmic distance indicators. They have shown that the expansion of the universe is accelerating under the influence of an unknown force now called dark energy; yet approximately 20 type Ia supernovae look peculiar. "They're all a little bit ...

LA JOLLA, CA – November 19, 2012 – Deciphering what causes the brain cell degeneration of Parkinson's disease has remained a perplexing challenge for scientists. But a team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has pinpointed a key factor controlling damage to brain cells in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The discovery could lead to new targets for Parkinson's that may be useful in preventing the actual condition. The team, led by TSRI neuroscientist Bruno Conti, describes the work in a paper published online ahead of print on November 19, ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A study using a unique new instrument on the world's largest optical telescope has revealed the likely origins of especially bright supernovae that astronomers use as easy-to-spot "mile markers" to measure the expansion and acceleration of the universe. In a paper to appear in the Astrophysical Journal, researchers describe observations of recent supernova 2011fe that they captured with the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) using a tool created at Ohio State University: the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS). MODS measures the frequencies and intensities ...

Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that children born to mothers who smoked more than one pack per day during pregnancy struggled on tests designed to measure how accurately a child reads aloud and comprehends what they read. The findings are published in the current issue of The Journal of Pediatrics. Lead author Jeffrey Gruen, M.D., professor of pediatrics and genetics at Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues analyzed data from more than 5,000 children involved in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a large-scale study of ...

Astronomers using infrared data from the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii have discovered a "super-Jupiter" around the bright star Kappa Andromedae, which now holds the record for the most massive star known to host a directly imaged planet or lightweight brown dwarf companion. Designated Kappa Andromedae b (Kappa And b, for short), the new object has a mass about 12.8 times greater than Jupiter's. This places it teetering on the dividing line that separates the most massive planets from the lowest-mass brown dwarfs. That ambiguity is one of the object's charms, say researchers, ...

Outgassing — the physical process that creates that oh-so-alluring new car smell — isn't healthy for humans and, as it turns out, not particularly wholesome for sensitive satellite instruments, either. But a team of NASA engineers has created a new way to protect those instruments from its ill effects. For some people, the best part about buying a new car is its factory-fresh new car smell, a distinctive aroma created when the chemicals and residual solvents used to manufacture dashboards, car seats, carpeting and other vehicle appointments outgas and fill the cabin. ...

Certain mutated cells keep trying to replicate their DNA — with disastrous results — even after medications rob them of the raw materials to do so, according to new research from USC. New imaging techniques allowed scientists to see for the first time that while chemotherapy drugs shut down the DNA replication process of most cancer cells, so-called "checkpoint mutants" just keep chugging along, unwinding the DNA and creating damaged DNA strands that can result in the kind of abnormalities seen in cancer cells. "Older methods suggested that these checkpoint mutants ...

VIDEO: The Sun erupted with two prominence eruptions, one after the other over a four-hour period (Nov. 16, 2012). The action was captured in the 304 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet... Click here for more information. The Sun erupted with two prominence eruptions, one after the other over a four-hour period on Nov. 16, 2012, between the hours of 1 and 5 a.m. EST. The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas made of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. ...

Beargrass is an ecologically, culturally, and economically important plant in the Western United States and, for the first time, landowners, managers, and harvesters now have a comprehensive report about the species. The report, Natural and Cultural History of Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax), published by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station, identifies critical knowledge gaps and areas for future research. It also documents how changes in disturbance, including fire, may affect the species across its range. "Beargrass is emblematic of a web of ...

Berkeley — Eating certain veggies not only supplies key nutrients, it may also influence hormone levels and behaviors such as aggression and sexual activity, says a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, that could shed light on the role of diet in human evolution. The research is the first to observe the connection between plant-based estrogenic compounds, or phytoestrogens, and behavior in wild primates — in this case, a group of red colobus monkeys in Uganda. The more the male monkeys dined on the leaves of Millettia dura, a tropical ...

A new study from Sweden reveals that having low peer status in adolescence is a strong risk factor for regular and heavy smoking in adulthood. Researchers from Stockholm University in Sweden used a large database that followed the lives of more than 15,000 Swedes, mainly from the Stockholm area, from birth to middle age. The researchers isolated 2,329 people who were interviewed once at age 13 about peer status at school and again at age 32 about their smoking habits. The results indicate that the lower a young person's status is among his or her school peers, the more ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – The addition of three-dimensional breast imaging—a technology called tomosynthesis—to standard digital mammography significantly increases radiologists' diagnostic accuracy while reducing false positive recall rates, according to the results of a multi-center study published in Radiology. "This is the first major advance in breast imaging and breast cancer screening since the development of breast MRI," said lead researcher Elizabeth A. Rafferty, M.D., director of Breast Imaging at the Avon Comprehensive Breast Center at Massachusetts General Hospital ...

The virus that is causing alarm among global public health authorities after it killed a man in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia earlier this year and is now linked to two other cases of disease is a novel type of coronavirus most closely related to viruses found in bats, according to a genetic analysis to be published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on November 20. Researchers studied the genome of the HCoV-EMC/2012 virus in detail to learn about its relatedness to other viruses and about possible sources. The results of the sequencing ...

A new report from researchers with the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy finds the majority of the previously reported increase in suicide in the U.S. between 2000 and 2010 is attributable to an increase in hanging/suffocation, which increased from 19 percent of all suicides in 2000 to 26 percent of all suicides in 2010. The largest increase in hanging/suffocation occurred among those aged 45-59 years (104 percent increase). The results are published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. "Suicide recently exceeded motor ...

Just in time for the holiday season, LionesqueStyle.com curates its first experience store connecting women with a unique shopping destination. Online retailer LionesqueStyle.com will open its first NYC storefront for the holidays at "The Corner" in the Roger Smith hotel. Inspired by years of curating pop-up shops in NYC, the Hamptons and LA, CEO Melissa Gonzalez founded Lion'esqueStyle.com to create a one-stop-online store where shoppers can virtually meet the next "it" brand and stay ahead of the fashion trends. As curators, LionesqueStyle.com is ...

GetToolsDirect.com.au, the premier online supplier of power tools in Australia, recently updated its inventory to offer clients a wider selection of tools and other equipment. The company carries all the best brands in the industry including the likes of Makita, DeWalt, Bosch, and Milwaukee. Customers can expect and find entire collections for all their power tool needs. More than the standard drills, wrenches, and power saws, the company also carries exclusive items such as laser levels and other welding gear. New Deals Daily As part of GetToolsDirect.com.au's commitment ...

ACNOVATE, a technology services company, announced today that it has joined the PTC PartnerAdvantage Program at the Silver Tier. Acnovate is one of the first partners in this program to develop solutions specifically for the PTC FlexPLM solution for the Retail Footwear and Apparel sector. Inclusion in the PartnerAdvantage Program, which provides access to a comprehensive suite of capabilities, followed an extensive review of Acnovate's Qiwk Mobile and Qiwk Reporting tools , which are now integrated with PTC FlexPLM for mobility and reporting. Qiwk Mobile and Qiwk Reporting ...

According to the American Staffing Association index, since the beginning of 2012, temporary and contract employment has grown 27.1%. And, those numbers are expected to hit an all time high in 2013. One new company launches this month with the goal to connect qualified accounting professionals, of every level, with companies in need of their services. VouchedIn (VouchedIn.com) is the first company to offer a free service to professionals and companies as the premier accounting contractor/employer connection online. Discouraged by a past experience with a staffing firm ...

Hotel Grand Chancellor Surfers Paradise has recently completed a multimillion dollar renovation to many of its accommodation rooms, as well as public areas. The latest renovations will be showcased at an exclusive invitation only Christmas Celebration on Thursday 22nd November from 4:00pm. Each area of the hotel will be open for viewing beginning with welcome cocktails and canapes in the brand new Hanlan's Bar, through to a synchronised swimming display in the newly renovated pool area, and a look through the new rooms, followed by sunset drinks and a stand up buffet in ...

Sydney's boutique graphic design agency Attractivo has partnered with Clean up Australia to produce their 2011-12 'Review of Operations' annual report design. Clean up Australia is a non-for-profit environmental conservation organisation, founded by Ian Kiernan AO. The organisation fosters relationships between the community, business and government to address the environmental issues of waste, water and climate change. Clean Up Australia is involved in a number of environmental initiatives and events locally and globally, including Clean Up Australia Day, The Great ...

Hurricane Sandy left millions in New York, New Jersey and throughout the Northeast without power, shelter or access to their livelihoods. To make matters worse, many business owners now face a commercial debt collections nightmare. They cannot run their business or collect their debts. Yet lawsuits seem harsh - especially as many of their clients and debtors are suffering as well. Businesses with clients and debtors from Manhattan to Hoboken to the Jersey Shore and Long Island should show understanding and good will when working with those affected. Some are shut down. ...

Dr. Larry Manley has announced several events for House Of Destiny International Ministries. One of those events involves providing aid to victims of Hurricane Sandy. House of Destiny International Ministries will be putting together a mission of tractor trailer loads of food, supplies, and finances to assist the devastated people in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Deadline for donations is November 23rd, 2012. In addition, Dr. Manley will also be putting together a mission of tractor trailer loads of food, supplies, and finances to assist the impoverished people in Myra, ...