JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Using a new and powerful approach to understand the origins of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida are building the case that these diseases are primarily caused by genes that are too active or not active enough, rather than by harmful gene mutations. In the June 7 online issue of PLoS Genetics, they report that several hundred genes within almost 800 brain samples of patients with Alzheimer's disease or other disorders had altered expression levels that did not result from neurodegeneration. ...

Philadelphia, Pa. (June 7, 2012) - For patients undergoing surgery for spinal stenosis, the risk of complications is higher when the surgeon performs very few such procedures—less than four per year, suggests a study in the June issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health. In contrast, the complication rate is not significantly affected by the volume of spinal stenosis surgeries performed at the hospital, according to the new research. The senior ...

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Regular meditation could decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in teens who are most at risk, according to Georgia Health Sciences University researchers. In a study of 62 black teens with high blood pressure, those who meditated twice a day for 15 minutes had lower left ventricular mass, an indicator of future cardiovascular disease, than a control group, said Dr. Vernon Barnes, a physiologist in the Medical College of Georgia and the Georgia Health Sciences University Institute of Public and Preventive Health. Barnes, Dr. Gaston Kapuku, ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — Military body armor and vehicle and aircraft frames could be transformed by incorporating the unique structure of the club-like arm of a crustacean that looks like an armored caterpillar, according to findings by a team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering and elsewhere published online today, June 7, in the journal Science. The bright orange fist-like club of the mantis shrimp, or stomatopod, a 4-inch long crustacean found in tropical waters, accelerates underwater faster than a 22-caliber ...

A new study finds that Caribbean seaweeds are far better competitors than their equivalents in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. But this triumph is bad news for Caribbean coral reefs. The picture-postcard beauty of Caribbean reefs owes much to the living corals that build reefs and contribute startling white sand to beaches. Coral reefs might seem to be tranquil environment but in fact a battle is constantly waged between corals and seaweeds that fight over space. Scientists have known for some time that seaweeds can gain the upper hand if corals are damaged by hurricanes ...

Not only in the Dolomites, but throughout the world dolomite is quite common. More than 90 percent of dolomite is made up of the mineral dolomite. It was first described scientifically in the 18th century. But who would have thought that the formation of this mineral is still not fully understood, although geologists are aware of large deposits of directly formed (primary) dolomite from the past 600 million years. The process of recent primary dolomite formation is restricted to extreme ecosystems such as bacterial mats in highly saline lakes and lagoons. "As these systems ...

With simple arguments, researchers show that nature is complicated! Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute have made a simple experiment that demonstrates that nature violates common sense – the world is different than most people believe. The experiment illustrates that light does not behave according to the principles of classical physics, but that light has quantum mechanical properties. The new method could be used to study whether other systems behave quantum mechanically. The results have been published in the scientific journal, Physical Review Letters. In physics ...

Western economies displayed the same kind of manic behaviour as psychologically disturbed individuals in the run up to the 2008 credit crisis -- and it could happen again, according to a new study. Bankers, economists and politicians shared a "manic culture" of denial, omnipotence and triumphalism as they threw caution to the wind, says Professor Mark Stein, the award-winning academic from the University of Leicester School of Management. Observing - but not heeding - the warning signs from the collapse of the Japanese economy in 1991 and the 1998 crisis in south-east ...

A study led by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reports for the first time the positive effects of an active vaccine against Alzheimer's disease. The new vaccine, CAD106, can prove a breakthrough in the search for a cure for this seriously debilitating dementia disease. The study is published in the distinguished scientific journal Lancet Neurology. Alzheimer's disease is a complex neurological dementia disease that is the cause of much human suffering and a great cost to society. According to the World Health Organisation, dementia is the fastest growing global health ...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Electronics Science and Technology Division, dive into underwater photovoltaic research to develop high bandgap solar cells capable of producing sufficient power to operate electronic sensor systems at depths of 9 meters. Underwater autonomous systems and sensor platforms are severely limited by the lack of long endurance power sources. To date, these systems must rely on on-shore power, batteries or solar power supplied by an above water platform. Attempts to use photovoltaics have had limited success, ...

A synthetic compound long known to exhibit interesting transition properties may hold the key to new, non-magnetic forms of information storage, say researchers at the RIKEN SPring-8 Center and their collaborators. The team's latest findings shed light on the complex relationship between a compound's electron spin arrangement and its transport properties, an area researchers have long struggled to understand. The metal-insulator transition (MIT) is a phenomenon in which certain (electricity-conducting) metals make a sudden transition to become a (non-conducting) insulator ...

Dr. Allen Castle, Lexington dentist, is now offering a mobile version of his practice's comprehensive dental website. The new site is designed specifically to function smoothly on mobile and tablet devices. "Today, more and more people are using their phones to access the Internet. I am happy that our practice has gone along with this trend and made it easy for patients to access our site on their mobile devices. I hope all of our patients will take some time to check out our mobile site," said Dr. Castle, Lexington cosmetic dentist. Within the past few ...

Dr. John Sexton, Delaware dentist, is excited to offer an incentive for his patients to refer new patients to his practice. For every new patient that gets referred, Dr. Sexton will provide a $25 gift card to a local establishment. "I am always excited about welcoming new patients to our practice. I believe we offer a tremendous level of service here and new patients will decide to stay with us for a long time. I hope this incentive helps us to bring many new patients into our practice," said Dr. Sexton, dentist in Delaware, OH. New patients can find a ...

In today's competitive, high tech world, businesses rely on technology to facilitate their daily operations. Communications, storage of information, security functions, and more are all controlled through high-tech networks. It is therefore essential that businesses have their phone systems, voice data networks, and other communications infrastructure installed by a professional, qualified company. Telmart's new website is designed to address these needs. Their website provides information regarding the company's many services, all of which are related to the safety ...

With the installation of a new, state-of-the-art i-CAT Precise imaging machine, Dr. Michael Hrankowski and Edmonds Woodway Dental Care are offering, to the first eight people who call, a free CAT Scan and Dental Implant Consultation, a $350 value, on Friday, June 22. With the installation of a new, state-of-the-art i-CAT Precise imaging machine, Dr. Michael Hrankowski and Edmonds Woodway Dental Care are offering to the first eight people who call a free CAT Scan and Dental Implant Consultation, a $350 value, on Friday, June 22. "It is rare that a general dental ...

Crazy Vegas Casino prides itself on its generous assortment of games on offer for players to choose from. This June, they are adding flavour to the game pot with three exciting new games. With two Instant Play games, and one available on download, players can get caught up in the gaming adventure with mouth watering graphics, fantastic features and captivating themes. Untamed- Giant Panda - Following on from the Untamed - Bengal Tiger series, this game tracks the endangered Giant Panda through his bamboo laden habitat. The secret to the majesty of this beautiful beast ...

IPawn.com is a brand new online experience for people looking to obtain fast money for collateralized loans. It's also a good place to shop for high quality used merchandise at affordable prices. This new concept offers privacy and convenience for both buyers looking for a good deal, and sellers who need to find cash fast. Fortunately for many people they may have a dresser filled with jewelry, watches they never use, and gold or silver coins that still have considerable market value, and now they have a place to go that will accept them as collateral for a loan. The ...

IPawn.com is a new online pawnshop experience that can help you get the money you need fast without the worry of obtaining credit reports. Most of us encounter cash issues at one time or another, and for some of us our credit report is simply not up to the standards so that a traditional lender will approve a loan. Never-the less, we still need funds for that dire emergency that just won't go away. You know the emergencies; sick children, rent is overdue, school tuition needs to be paid, your utilities must be paid to avoid shut off, you need pocket money for an upcoming ...

Whilst Spain are one of the favourites to lift the trophy at the upcoming European Championships Spanish islands such as Lanzarote look set to remain red hot favourites with British holidaymakers this summer. As leading island villa rentals company Optima Villas Lanzarote unveil the latest additions to their portfolio of high quality self catering properties in order to meet demand. Despite the current economic climate Lanzarote in the Canaries looks set to maintain its popularity with British tourists this year, as an estimated 850,000 holidaymakers from the UK are ...

A new study in the journal Circulation packs a powerful one-two punch in the fight against heart failure. The leading blow: Identification of a unique alliance of proteins that plays a major role in the development of the disease. The second but equally powerful hit: Drugs that interfere with this axis already exist. Though still in its infancy, the combination is just the type of research the scientific community is looking for in its efforts to speed up the development of the next generation of treatments for the nation's biggest killers, of which heart disease is ...

A recent report released by the National Science Foundation found that graduate enrollment in science and engineering grew substantially in the past decade. Approximately 632,700 graduate students were enrolled in science, engineering and health programs in the United States as of fall 2010. This was a 30 percent increase from 493,000 students in 2000, according to the National Science Foundation's Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering. The growth in first time, full-time graduate student enrollment in science, engineering, and health ...

Taylor Morrison has announced plans for Enclave at Lake Pointe, its first townhome community in the Houston area. Enclave at Lake Pointe will feature 64 detached, 3-story townhomes priced from the $470,000s. Most of the townhomes in the gated enclave will back up to historic Oyster Creek just north of Fluor's corporate office in Lake Pointe Town Center in Sugar Land, TX. Lake Point Town Center is a 190-acre, mixed-use development offering upscale shopping, fine restaurants, and health care facilities. Whole Foods, Post Oak Grille, and St. Luke's Hospital are within walking ...

New research confirms that successful pregnancies are common for female liver transplant recipients. The study appearing in the June issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, found miscarriage risk was lower and the live birth rate higher among women following liver transplantation than in the general U.S. population. In 1978, Walcott et al. documented the first known pregnancy in a liver transplant recipient, which resulted in a successful delivery with both mother and ...

The 2-1-1 phone information and referral system could be a key partner in efforts to reduce cancer disparities affecting low-income and racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S., finds a new study by Jason Purnell, PhD, assistant professor of public health at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. 2-1-1, a nationally designated three-digit telephone exchange like 9-1-1, is an information and referral system that serves millions of Americans living in poverty. Callers speak to an information and referral specialist who identifies their needs and provides ...

Are migrant berry pickers forced labourers? Their situation actually meets several of the criteria in international conventions on forced labour claims REMESO researcher Charles Woolfson and his colleagues, who have also criticised Swedish legislation in that it is ineffective. Berry pickers from Asia and Eastern Europe who are brought to the Swedish forests each year may be subjected to forced labour. Charles Woolfson is a researcher at REMESO – The Institute for Research on Migration, Ethnicity and Society, at Linköping university. In conjunction with two colleagues, ...