Washington, D.C. -- Plant science is key to addressing the major challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century, according to Carnegie's David Ehrhardt and Wolf Frommer. In a Perspective published in The Plant Cell, the two researchers argue that the development of new technology is key to transforming plant biology in order to meet human needs. Plants serve as the conduit of energy into the biosphere, provide food and materials used by humans, and they shape our environment. According to Ehrhardt and Frommer, the three major challenges facing humanity in our time are ...

Every day, thousands of cargo containers from around the world pass through our nation's sea ports carrying items we need, and possibly some that are not so welcome: drugs, explosives, chemical, biological, or radiological weapons – even human cargo. The possible concealment of such items in containers led lawmakers to call for the screening of all ocean cargo containers—thousands per port per day. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is charged with the critical task of securing the country from terrorists and their ...

The optimum design of bicycle parameters has been explored by many scholars and institutes since bicycles were first invented. Professor Xin-Jun Liu and his group at Tsinghua University established a new way to design bicycle parameters according to the dimensions of the rider's body. They introduced a new perspective of the rider–bicycle system by considering the complete system as a mechanism. The group then established a new method for the optimum design of bicycle parameters from a completely theoretical basis, which may result in a new field of optimum design of bicycle ...

WASHINGTON, DC, March 3, 2012 – The people we trust to take us or our loved ones from place to place struggle with sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) 2012 Sleep in America® poll. It is the first poll to ask transportation professionals, including pilots, train operators,* truck, bus, taxi and limo drivers about their sleep habits and work performance. Pilots and train operators are most likely to report sleep-related job performance and safety problems. The results of the poll are striking. About one-fourth of train operators (26%) and pilots (23%) ...

The future of Canadian outdoor ice hockey – a sport synonymous with the country's culture – is being threatened by anthropogenic climate change, new research suggests. As warmer winter temperatures restrict ice from freezing over, researchers believe the ice hockey stars of the future will have limited access to the frozen lakes and backyard rinks that have helped shape the careers of some of the greatest professional players, such as Wayne Gretzky; the Canadian considered to be the greatest of all time who started skating as a child on a rink in his backyard. Evidence ...

Berkeley – Opening the door to the development of thought-controlled prosthetic devices to help people with spinal cord injuries, amputations and other impairments, neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Champalimaud Center for the Unknown in Portugal have demonstrated that the brain is more flexible and trainable than previously thought. Their new study, to be published Sunday, March 4, in the advanced online publication of the journal Nature, shows that through a process called plasticity, parts of the brain can be trained to do something ...

Scientists have shed light on how the liver repairs itself with research that could help develop drugs to treat liver disease. Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh have discovered how to enhance the production of key cells needed to repair damaged liver tissue. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, could help heal livers affected by diseases such as cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis. Scientists were able to unpick the process of how different cells in the liver are formed. When ...

Receding gums often result in tooth sensitivity and can lead to decay of the root and persistent inflammation of the gum. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Head & Face Medicine demonstrates that a novel method using bovine collagen is able to enhance gum healing. This resulted in thicker margins around the tooth and, in over half the cases, complete coverage of exposed roots. Researchers across Germany and Switzerland led by Dr Shahram Ghanaati and the dentist Dr Markus Schlee investigated the possibility of using collagen, extracted from ...

In the absence of eyes, the fresh water polyp, Hydra magnipapillata, nevertheless reacts to light. They are diurnal, hunting during the day, and are known to move, looping end over end, or contract, in response to light. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Biology shows that stinging cells (cnidocytes) in hydra tentacles, which the animals use for self protection and to catch prey, are linked via a simple nervous system to primitive light responsive cells that co-ordinate the animals' feeding behavior. Hydra are members of a family of radially ...

Do your parents know where you are at night? According to 36 per cent of 15 year old boys and nearly a quarter of 15 year old girls the answer to that question, at least once a month, is no. This is the finding from Understanding Society, a long term study of 40,000 UK households, which asked more than 2,000 10-15 year olds how frequently they stayed out past 9.00pm without their parents knowing where they were. The study, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), also found that staying out late without telling your parents is unrelated to ...

In nature, how do host species survive parasite attacks? This has not been well understood, until now. A new mathematical model shows that when a host and its parasite each have multiple traits governing their interaction, the host has a unique evolutionary advantage that helps it survive. The results are important because they might help explain how humans as well as plants and animals evolve to withstand parasite onslaught. The research, reported in the March 4 online edition of Nature, was supported by the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis ...

Researchers working at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have used powerful X-rays to help decipher how certain natural antibiotics defy a longstanding set of chemical rules – a mechanism that has baffled organic chemists for decades. Their result, reported today in Nature, details how five carbon atoms and one oxygen atom in the structure of lasalocid, a natural antibiotic produced by bacteria in soil, can link into a six-membered ring through an energetically unfavorable chemical reaction. Unlocking this chemical pathway could ...

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah engineers designed a new kind of video game controller that not only vibrates like existing devices, but pulls and stretches the thumb tips in different directions to simulate the tug of a fishing line, the recoil of a gun or the feeling of ocean waves. "I'm hoping we can get this into production when the next game consoles come out in a couple of years," says William Provancher, an associate professor of mechanical engineering who is in Vancouver, British Columbia, demonstrating the new game controller with his students March 5-7. They ...

Details about Michigan "Cash for Clunkers" payout program have been announced. Under the NEW "Cash for Clunkers Michigan" or "Michigan Clunkers" program, consumers will be guaranteed a minimum of $2,500 trade-in towards any nicer, newer vehicle from a participating new car dealer when they trade in their old vehicle and purchase a qualifying vehicle. In order to be eligible for the program, the trade-in passenger vehicle must be in drivable condition and be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year before the ...

VIDEO: Karen Bonuck, Ph.D., discusses her new research showing that young children with sleep-disordered breathing are prone to developing behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness, as well as emotional symptoms... Click here for more information. March 5, 2012 — (BRONX, NY) — A study of more than 11,000 children followed for over six years has found that young children with sleep-disordered breathing are prone to developing behavioral difficulties such ...

Due to the ongoing coverage of celebrity deaths that involve drug or alcohol abuse, many of those that are struggling with their own addictions have begun exploring what options may be available to them. This first step is always daunting though, and many individuals may be uncomfortable joining a cookie-cutter program that may not exactly fit their own needs and concerns. This is why Non 12 step rehab center, Prominence Treatment Center, is now offering its services to anyone that would like a unique and personalized strategy to beat their own addiction. Addiction can ...

The origin of dolomite has been hotly debated. There is still a lack of petrological evidence and theoretical support for the formation of primary dolomite in geological history because dolomite cannot be synthesized under normal laboratory conditions. Wright (2004) experimented with Kulong lake water under normal surface temperature and pressure conditions to precipitate dolomites. His study offered experimental petrological evidence for primary dolomite formation. However, examples of ancient primary dolomites are rare. A research group lead by Professor Liu at Northwestern ...

Phobos is the larger and closer of the two natural satellites of Mars. Despite decades of Martian exploration, we still know very little about Phobos. Many fundamental properties of this small potato-shaped body stay vague, for example, its gravitational field. SHI Xian and coauthors from Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and Technical University Berlin recently updated working models for the gravitational field of Phobos. Their work, entitled "Working models for the gravitational field of Phobos", was published in SCIENCE CHINA Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, 2012, Vol ...

Pursuant to the New York State Workers' Compensation Law if you have a nanny who works for you for more than 40 hours a week you must have workers' compensation coverage for that person. That would include somebody who is a home attendant or a companion for an elderly parent or relative. Your homeowner's insurance policy does not cover the nanny or other domestic. You need a separate workers' compensation policy obtained from an insurance company such as the New York State Insurance Fund or other private carrier that writes workers' compensation coverage in New York. If ...

Because submicron particulates (PM1) exhibit lengthy atmospheric residence time and are capable of deep pulmonary ingestion, the environmental and health impacts of PM1 are very significant. Organic aerosol is a large and important fraction of PM1 and has great impact on human health, especially because of some of the compounds have proved to be mutagens or carcinogens. Along with fast economical growth, the air quality in Beijing has suffered severe deterioration, with PM being one of the top pollutants. Organic matter is the most abundant fraction in fine particles in ...

The first hearing was recently scheduled for a wave of lawsuits against diabetes drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Thousands of patients who relied on a diabetes drug called Actos say that Takeda failed to warn them that the drug would drastically increase their risk of developing bladder cancer. These Actos bladder cancer sufferers believe that Takeda put profits before patient safety and pocketed billions while making diabetics sick. Takeda's Blockbuster Diabetes Drug The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Actos in 1999 to help people with type 2 ...

The permafrost is degrading, and at the same time, the desertification is also developing at the surface of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, under the condition of global warming. Sand layer is accelerated permafrost degradation or protecting permafrost? No significant conclusions have been drawn currently. Some studies have shown that ground temperature in regions of windblown sand within the permafrost zone of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are higher than in regions not affected by sand, which may accelerate the degradation of permafrost. Other studies have shown the dual nature of ...

The recent Penn State scandal involving alleged child molestation has made headlines around the country. Jerry Sandusky, former longtime assistant football coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions, stands accused of molesting at least eight boys. The fallout from the scandal has included the firing of one of the most revered sports figures in the country, the late Joe Paterno, and the university's president, Graham Spanier, for failure to report previous abuse allegations to police. Our society has digested the revolting details and responded with disbelief, anger, disgust ...

PuckProspect.com (www.puckprospect.com) not only helps hockey prospects on how to look good, but get noticed too. Hockey Scouting and hockey recruiting is not a science. A hockey scout can not just add their favorite ingredients to a blender, combine them together, and produce their number one ideal recruit. Hockey Scouts have a real dilemma. They know what their organization needs because they've been told what to look for, they've identified the ingredients that should produce the right player, and they've been given the mandate to go out and find that player. The ...

WorldofWalt.com has recently expanded its website to include a new section with comprehensive information about Disney resort hotels, making it even easier for families and individuals to plan a successful Walt Disney World vacation. The website now features a Disney Resort Hotels page that extensively covers various benefits and categories of Disney resorts. Visitors can use this area of the site to determine which type of accommodations will best suit their needs based on the cost, services, amenities and location. World of Walt Founder Herb Leibacher is excited about ...