A process that spins starch into fine strands could take the sting out of removing bandages, as well as produce less expensive and more environmentally-friendly toilet paper, napkins and other products, according to Penn State food scientists. "There are many applications for starch fibers," said Lingyan Kong, graduate student, food science, "Starch is the most abundant and also the least expensive of natural polymers." Kong, who worked with Greg Ziegler, professor of food science, used a solvent to dissolve the starch into a fluid that can then be spun into long strands, ...

PITTSBURGH—The millions of "check-ins" generated by foursquare, the location-based social networking site, can be used to create a dynamic view of a city's workings and character, Carnegie Mellon University researchers say. In contrast to static neighborhood boundaries and dated census figures, these "Livehoods" reflect the ever-changing patterns of city life. Researchers from the School of Computer Science (SCS) have developed an algorithm that takes the check-ins generated when foursquare members visit participating businesses or venues, and clusters them based on a ...

Washington, April 30, 2012 -- The 2008 decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to cease additional reimbursement to hospitals for certain healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) has led to enhanced focus on infection prevention and changes in practice by front-line staff, according to a national survey of infection preventionists published in the May issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). A team of researchers and public health ...

Dr. Michael Menachof of The Center for Aesthetic Facial Surgery says the relatively high Worth It Rating for nose surgery on RealSelf.com, a popular online cosmetic surgery forum, does not surprise him considering the high level of satisfaction his Denver rhinoplasty patients experience. "Rhinoplasty is an extremely effective procedure that is tailored to the personal needs of each patient," Dr. Menachof says. "The almost 80% Worth It Rating on RealSelf reflects how successful this procedure is for creating the desirable results." Dr. Menachof, ...

AMHERST, Mass. – Though the human genome has been sequenced, scientists are still trying to figure out how the accomplishment can help people, for example, how it can be used to treat disease. As University of Massachusetts Amherst geneticist Jacob Mayfield notes, "It was easy to think of the human genome as the big prize, but what we realize now is, it's just a foot in the door." "What we're beginning to understand is that the information we're interested in knowing lies in comparisons between genomes," he adds. As society moves to personalized, genome-based medicine, ...

Wrist, hand and finger trauma are the most common injuries presenting to emergency departments nationwide, yet only 7 percent of Tennessee hospitals have a hand specialist on call 24/7 to treat these patients, according to a Vanderbilt study published online today in the Annals of Plastic Surgery. Patients from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama are traveling long distances to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment and follow-up care. Wesley Thayer, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Plastic Surgery, and of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, ...

Georgia-based DIYAutoTune, manufacturer and distributor of the trademarked MegaSquirt line of engine management systems (EMS) for racing, off-road and other sport and recreational vehicles, has released the next generation of its MegaSquirtPNP Engine Management System (EMS), the MegaSquirtPNP Gen 2. The MegaSquirtPNP Gen2 takes things in a different direction from the original MegaSquirt EMS do-it-yourself (DIY) automotive tuning products, by offering a fully PNP (Plug-and-Play) line of EMS systems for several vehicle makes and models, providing full control engine management ...

VIDEO: Thousands of children die every day from water-borne diseases in the developing world. Joshua Pearce of Michigan Technological University has discovered a simple and cheap method of making even the... Click here for more information. Nearly 80 percent of disease in developing countries is linked to bad water and sanitation. Now a scientist at Michigan Technological University has developed a simple, cheap way to make water safe to drink, even if it's muddy. It's easy ...

Hollywoodsportsbook (www.hollywoodsportsbook.eu, formerly www.hollywoodsportsbook.com) a leading online entertainment gaming site since 1997, today announced that they are launching a new promotion to coincide with The famed Kentucky Derby. Robert Evans, Hollywood's Director of Operations says "The Kentucky Derby is America's original, extravagant springtime sports party. While a horse race is at the heart of the spectacle, there are many intriguing aspects of the Derby Experience such as the special promo we are offering our clients." Hollywood is allowing ...

LONDON, ON – Over the past decade, there has been a steady stream of information promoting the health benefits of fish oil capsules. According to Dr. Louise Moist, a Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute, fish oil may also improve outcomes for kidney patients undergoing hemodialysis. Hemodialysis can be delivered through arteriovenous (AV) grafts, artificial vessels created to join an artery to a vein. Unfortunately, AV grafts are prone to congestion and clotting, causing disruptions to treatment and a need for surgical correction. Research suggests fish oil ...

New Rochelle, NY, May 1, 2012—Herbal, dietary, and energy or nutritional supplements may offer specific health benefits, but they can also have harmful and even life-threatening effects when combined with commonly used medications. Clinicians need to be aware of and educate their patients about the potential risks of mixing supplements and therapeutic agents, since their interaction can diminish or increase drug levels. This timely topic is explored in a provocative article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available ...

Simple Pastimes, one of the country's largest online distributors of online jigsaw puzzles, has relocated from Washington state to a warehouse doubled in size in Central California in order to accommodate a soaring rise in sales. Simple Pastimes, founded in 2004, has completed its relocation from Port Townsend, Washington to San Luis Obispo, CA and now occupies a 5,000 square foot warehouse, double the size of its former location of 7 years. The move, says co-founder Mary O'Brien, will accommodate the company's plans for expected continued inventory growth that she ...

The world's leading independent publisher of celebrity and branded GPS voices, NavTones, announces today the release of the world's least-confident navigation voice, Nervous Nancy. From the company that brought you the celebrity GPS voices of Mr. T, Gary Busey, and Flavor Flav, comes this hilarious and familiar character with a universal story. Be it a mother, grandmother, great aunt, sister, girlfriend, or wife, just about everyone has a Nervous Nancy in their life, and now drivers all over the world can bring her with them wherever they go. Like all NavTones GPS voices, ...

Dr. Jack Fisher is discussing the recent revealing of the first patient to have breast augmentation with implants. Esteemed among plastic surgeons in Nashville, Dr. Fisher says it's interesting to see how this woman's procedure in 1962 positively affected her life. MailOnline.com recently published an article on Timmie Jean Lindsey, an 80-year-old woman who was the first patient to have breast implants, taking her from a B to a C cup. "It's fascinating to see how breast augmentation has evolved since Timmy Jean's first procedure," says Dr. Fisher. "While ...

New Rochelle, NY, May 1, 2012—Passage of the America Invents Act into law led to the most dramatic changes in the U.S. patent system in 60 years. These reforms will have a significant impact on technology innovators such as biotechnology-based businesses, as detailed in two articles in Industrial Biotechnology, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The articles are available free online on the Industrial Biotechnology website. "Industrial biotechnology companies rely heavily on their patents to attract investment to fund the research and development necessary ...

Dr. Michelle Spring of Marina Plastic Surgery says a recent study published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery offers insights into how rhinoplasty in Los Angeles can help her patients appear more youthful. "My Los Angeles rhinoplasty patients usually share one key goal: They want a nose that is more attractively shaped and proportioned," Dr. Spring says. "As the study noted, for many people, rhinoplasty can also help them look younger. Although they might not initially choose nose surgery specifically to look younger, my older patients often are ...

Badbeat.com sponsored and mentored player Alan Davie continues his winning streak. Davie started the week finishing 2nd in the $200,000 Guaranteed Sunday Blast on Poker Encore, winning an incredible $24,000 (EUR18,158) , and ended it with winning the EUR20,000 Guaranteed on Poker Time taking home the first place prize of EUR5,378. This is the second time Davie has won this tournament since he became a Badbeat.com sponsored player. "Joining Badbeat.com gave me the resources to play a lot more volume and bigger games, which of course helps me improve as a player," ...

Koi Market, the leading koi fish supplier on the east coast, announced the revamp of its website. "Countless hours were spent on the redesign," said Shawn Rosen, owner of Koi Market. "We value our customers and wanted to improve their overall shopping experience." Koi Market focused the redesign on enabling its customers to easily navigate the website and find what they needed. "Our customer loyalty program Koi Cash Rewards is one of the main reasons customers enjoy shopping online with us," said Rosen. "They receive instant cash ...

CHICAGO (May 1, 2012)—A recent study published in the May/June 2012 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, found that an alarming increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among adolescents, is causing irreversible damage to teeth—specifically, the high acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of the tooth. "Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are 'better' for them ...

Circle Line Poker and Global Gaming Events have come together for a three month series of tournaments with over 10,000Eur in the player prize pools. The first month of events offers 2,000Eur Freeroll taking place on Saturday, May 5th at 19:00GMT. On Sunday, May 6th at 19:00GMT, 1,000Eur will be added to the player prize pool in this 5.00 + .50Eur buy-in event. Registration opens on Friday, May 4th. The second month of this event series offers 1,000Eur Freeroll on June 2nd as well as 2,000Eur Cash added to the buy-in event on June 3rd. Players that make a deposit ...

Reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising and marketing is a missed opportunity for states to improve public health, according to a new review of state alcohol advertising laws from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The report examines the extent to which states' alcohol advertising laws incorporate eight different best practices to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising and marketing, and finds only eleven states use more than one of the eight and no state uses more than five. The report ...

During high school the parents of teenagers' friends can have as much effect on the teens' substance use as their own parents, according to prevention researchers. "Among friendship groups with 'good parents' there's a synergistic effect -- if your parents are consistent and aware of your whereabouts, and your friends' parents are also consistent and aware of their (children's) whereabouts, then you are less likely to use substances," said Michael J. Cleveland, research assistant professor at the Prevention Research Center and the Methodology Center, Penn State. "But ...

Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney Bradley Winston of Winston, Clark & Wigand announces an appeal of a $10,510 assessment levied April 19, 2012 by Miami Dade County against Jesus Jimenez for posting a protest sign on his property. Jimenez posted the protest sign after a lien was placed on his property and the home was demolished by the County in June, 2011, while he was still a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant on active duty in Afghanistan. In protest of the demolition, Jimenez posted this sign: This is how the U.S. Government thanks the service of an active Army soldier ...

Abdominal tumors involving both roots of the celiac and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are deemed unresectable by conventional surgical methods, as removal would cause necrosis of the organs that are supplied by those blood vessels. A case report published in the journal American Journal of Transplantation presents a novel surgical technique that enables surgeons to remove tumors that are unresectable by the usual surgical techniques. Led by Tomoaki Kato, MD, FACS, of Columbia University, surgeons removed tumors in 3 patients involving both the celiac artery and SMA ...

In this day and age, implementing social marketing technology is integral for any company to truly succeed. Large corporations have entire teams of people devoted to social marketing, but using Facebook, Twitter, and blogging technology for business purposes is something that many smaller business owners struggle with. Social marketing takes time, and it also involves a great deal of strategy, yet many small business owners have too many other responsibilities to truly embrace social media technology. A company called Logix9.com is seeking to change that, however. The ...