PHILADELPHIA – Healthy humans harbor an enormous and diverse group of bacteria and other bugs that live within their intestines. These microbial partners provide beneficial aid in multiple ways – from helping digest food to the development of a healthy immune system. In a new study published online in the journal Immunity, David Artis, PhD, associate professor of Microbiology, and Michael Abt, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Artis lab, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, show that commensal bacteria are also essential to fight off viral infections. ...

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found new clues to why some urinary tract infections recur persistently after multiple rounds of treatment. Their research, conducted in mice, suggests that the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections take advantage of a cellular waste disposal system that normally helps fight invaders. In a counterintuitive finding, they learned that when the disposal system was disabled, the mice cleared urinary tract infections much more quickly and thoroughly. "This could be the beginning of a paradigm ...

Discrimination felt by teenagers based on their social class background can contribute to physiologic changes associated with poorer health, according to a new study published online in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Lead author Dr. Thomas Fuller-Rowell, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholar, says that while the link between poverty and poor health has long been known, this is one of the first studies to consider the impact of class discrimination. "The ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– UC Santa Barbara scientists turned to the simple sponge to find clues about the evolution of the complex nervous system and found that, but for a mechanism that coordinates the expression of genes that lead to the formation of neural synapses, sponges and the rest of the animal world may not be so distant after all. Their findings, titled "Functionalization of a protosynaptic gene expression network," are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "If you're interested in finding the truly ancient origins of the nervous ...

Small, shifting human populations existed in the Amazon before the arrival of Europeans, with little long-term effect on the forest. That's the result of research led by Crystal McMichael and Mark Bush of the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). The finding overturns the idea the Amazon was a cultural parkland in pre-Columbian times with large human populations that transformed vast tracts of the landscape. The Amazon Basin is one of the highest biodiversity areas on Earth. Understanding how it was modified by humans in the past is important for conservation and for ...

All hatches should be battened down at Kadena Air Base, Japan as NASA satellite imagery today, June 18, revealed the northern quadrant of Typhoon Guchol as already affecting the island. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Typhoon Guchol on June 18, 2012 at 0445 UTC (12:45 a.m. EDT/U.S.). Guchol is approaching Kadena Air Base. The image showed high cirrus clouds over Guchol's eye. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument onboard Aqua captured an infrared image that revealed powerful ...

EasyUnlockiPhone.net reveals new tool to jailbreak and unlock iPhone 4S, 4, 3Gs and iPad 2 on the latest iOS 5.1.1. Once the jailbreak and unlock for iOS 5.1.1 is complete the iPhone/iPad will have the Cydia application installed. Cydia is a software application for iOS that enables a user to find and install software packages (including apps, interface customizations, and system extensions) on a jailbroken iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Cydia is the main independent third-party digital distribution platform for software on iOS. http://www.EasyUnlockiPhone.net was formed ...

Heart transplant patients are notorious for developing an aggressive form of coronary artery disease that can often result in heart failure, death or the need for repeat transplantation. The condition can also have a negative impact on future cardiac procedures, such as stenting. Transplant patients are among those at highest risk of adverse outcomes when receiving a stent to address a blockage in an artery. Compared with the general public, these patients have a much higher rate of restenosis, a side effect of stenting in which the artery becomes re-blocked because ...

Tropical Storm Talim was born today in the South China Sea, and NASA's TRMM satellite noticed the heaviest rainfall in the storm is occurring in the south and western quadrants of the storm. NASA's Aqua Satellite noticed that some of Talim's rainfall is reaching Vietnam. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured a look at rainfall occurring in newborn Tropical Storm Talim in the South China Sea on June 18, 2012 at 0331 UTC. Areas in blue and green represent light to moderate rainfall, falling at a rate between 0.78 and 1.5 7inches (20-40 mm). ...

The project offers a wide variety of luxury apartments that have been immaculately designed down to the smallest details, from 2-room apartments that have an additional area suitable for a workspace, 3-room apartments with workspace, 4-room apartments, 5-room apartments with large balconies, to lavish penthouses and garden apartments with private gardens, all fitted to the most modern specifications and highest finishing levels. The health & leisure club is planned to cover 7,500m2, including three swimming pools, a gym, a basketball court, exercise studios for a ...

Bordas & Bordas, PLLC is proud to announce that Scott S. Blass has been named to the West Virginia Super Lawyers list for the second year in a row as one of the top attorneys in West Virginia for 2012. This honor is bestowed upon no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state. Scott S. Blass Attorney Scott Blass has been litigating complex civil cases for nearly 25 years. He has obtained seven figure verdicts on behalf of his clients in diverse areas of the law including verdicts of over $4 million in product liability, $8 million in an auto accident case and ...

Figures show that in in previous years, their have been up to 40 gangs in the UK operating cash-for-crash cons. 13 people from Hertfordshire were given jail sentences for creating false crashes and 33 people in Liverpool were charged with staging fictitious accidents. Ever since the "rear-ender" precedent was set back in 1974, police have tended to always lay the blame for car accidents on the driver in the vehicle behind. Whilst that can generally be a good rule of thumb for genuine accidents, it is a system which gives crash scammers the opportunity to exploit ...

An examination of past Olympic Games television coverage shows notable differences in the way sports commentators talk about athletes, depending upon the athletes' races, gender and nationalities. Two studies by University of Delaware Professor James Angelini published this month in academic journals show particular biases. The first details differences in coverage of male and female athletes. "It's all about luck with the females. It's all about ability with the males," said Angelini, assistant professor of communication. See Angelini talk about his findings ...

AmeriQuest Transportation Services in Cherry Hill was recognized as the 14th fastest-growing company in South Jersey by the Philadelphia Business Journal at its South Jersey Summit awards ceremony in Cinnaminson, NJ. This is the 9th time that AmeriQuest has been named to the South Jersey list since the awards' inception 17 years ago. The South Jersey Summit recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Ocean, Cumberland, and Cape May counties. Nominees for the award were ranked by researchers of Rowan University's William G. Rohrer ...

Research reveals how millions of Brits confide in their pets before their partners. - Over five million Brits regularly confide in their cats and dogs. - One in five (20 per cent) of pet owners speak to their animals for over one hour every day. - Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) talk to their pets more than their partners. - 85 per cent frequently speak about work, relationships and financial worries. - One in eight has even rehearsed their wedding vows in front of their furry friends. They say a problem shared is a problem halved, and when there's something on ...

Spending money on activities and events, such as concert tickets or exotic vacations, won't make you happier if you're doing it to impress others, according to findings published in the Journal of Happiness Studies. Research has shown that consumers gain greater happiness from buying life experiences rather than material possessions, but only if they choose experiences for the right reasons says the new study. "Why you buy is just as important as what you buy," said Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University. "When people buy life ...

Loneliness – the unpleasant feeling of emptiness or desolation – can creep in and cause suffering to people at any age. But it can be especially debilitating to older adults and may predict serious health problems and even death, according to a new study by UCSF researchers. The team analyzed data in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study by the National Institute on Aging conducted on 1,604 older adults between 2002 and 2008. The research, published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, focused specifically on the question of loneliness ...

DRTV Agency and Infomercial production company, InfoWorx Direct (www.InfoWorx.com) has expanded its capabilities as a per inquiry advertising specialist in short form and long form television and radio. The TV infomercial production company and media buying agency has developed a proprietary platform that can deliver :30 second or :60 second lead generator calls using the client's 800 numbers or by providing clients with toll free 800 numbers forwarded directly to the client's call center or in house consultants. "Our newly developed per inquiry advertising system ...

Owing money to the IRS is not only stressful, it can also be debilitating. Take the case of Lionel (Pompano Beach, FL) who came to the offices of Blue Tax with such high IRS balances that the State had taken away his livelihood by suspending his real estate license. Lionel had tax liabilities for tax years 2005, 2006 and 2008. There were no balances owed in 2007 or after 2008. Lionel is a real estate agent so when the government suspended his license due to his extensive unpaid back taxes, he was really stuck in a difficult spot. With the economic downturn, Lionel's ...

NASA's Earth-observing fleet of satellites provides a worldwide and unbiased view with standardized scientific data -- information crucial for tracking the health of the world's forests. Countries like Brazil are using data from NASA satellites to track and measure their forests in advance of a United Nations effort to reduce climate change by providing "carbon credits" for protected land. The concept is known as REDD+, which stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It includes monitoring forest degradation and efforts in conservation ...

Special Olympics Georgia provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Their goal is to bring them into the larger society under conditions whereby, they are accepted, respected and given the chance to become useful and productive citizens. Special Olympics Georgia designated Fit Feet for preventative foot care; enabling participants to compete in the best condition possible. The Atlanta foot doctors of Ankle and Foot Centers, Ketan Patel, Joseph D. Giovinco, and Kevin Pearson, volunteered their services ...

What does a robot feel when it touches something? Little or nothing until now. But with the right sensors, actuators and software, robots can be given the sense of feel – or at least the ability to identify different materials by touch. Researchers at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering published a study today in Frontiers in Neurorobotics showing that a specially designed robot can outperform humans in identifying a wide range of natural materials according to their textures, paving the way for advancements in prostheses, personal ...

NEW YORK (June 15, 2012) -- Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have unlocked the structure of a key protein that, when sensing certain viruses and bacteria, triggers the body's immediate immune response. In the journal Molecular Cell, scientists describe the double wing-like crystal structure of this key protein, known as STING, which is a soldier on the front-line of the body's defense against pathogens. Researchers also show STING in action, displaying evidence of a bacterial infection -- an action that launches the body's innate immune response. "Activation ...

Boredom can be a parent's biggest summer challenge, but Michaels, North America's largest arts and crafts specialty retailer, has ideas for keeping kids happy and busy with in-store and at-home activities that won't break the bank. Michaels' creative club, The Knack, presents Passport to Imagination, a program that provides fun events and creative project ideas to transport kids' imaginations around the world. Children will learn about national flags, local customs and the unique native animals of 18 countries. In-store events will take place in all U.S. stores from ...

E Cig National has upheld high standards in the electronic cigarette market since the spring of 2009, setting the bar for low cost kits that are backed by a company with the highest customer service rating in the industry. The new addition to the Firelight family is a two battery kit that uses cartomizers and can be refilled with e liquid to save user of the kit even more money. The new kit is the model KR808D-1 which is highly coveted among long time vapers and one of the most reliable e cigarettes on the market today. The batteries boast a 280 mAh power which is ...