FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the worldwide franchisor of FASTSIGNS sign and graphics centers, is welcoming its newest team member and Chief Financial Officer, Mike Nittolo. "After serving as interim CFO, Mike accepted my offer to officially join our FASTSIGNS team and we are glad to have him" said Catherine Monson, Chief Executive Officer for FASTSIGNS. "His experience in finance and franchising is a great asset and we look forward to his contributions for our continued growth." With an extensive career in accounting and financial management, ...

Healthy Advice Networks, the nation's leading provider of award-winning patient and physician engagement programs at point-of-care, announces a groundbreaking measurement tool provided by Ecosys Consumer Analytics. The EcosysIMPACT POC effectiveness analysis uses physician claims information and shopper card data to measure actual product purchase in a rigorous test vs. control environment. This provides significantly greater accuracy compared to survey-based purchase intent historically used by brands when measuring the impact of point-of-care health messages on consumer ...

Throughout the two days of sessions during the GNEX 2011 timeshare and fractional expo, speakers and panelists were interacting with attendees in ways not often seen during industry functions. Held during May 11-12, 2011, at the magnificent Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas, GNEX 2011 saw industry associations from five continents give their support to the event as attendees from the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Australia examined creative new ways to grow their businesses. ...

Market reports on Thursday, May 26 show commodities, especially precious metals, holding value despite some sell-off. According to a report from Barclays Capital, investor interest remains strong in the commodities market; recent volatility notwithstanding. Gold remains the favorite metal for investors looking for a hedge against inflation and a weakening dollar. "This further supports the importance of gold and other precious metals as part of a balanced portfolio," says Bill Hionas, CEO of Pan American Metals of Miami (PAMM). "Savvy investors are stockpiling ...

The Thailand Open 2011 will be held close to Pattaya in June, bringing together some of the finest draughts players in the world. It is the seventh time the tournament has been held, with Dutch gamer Gabriel Heerema the current champion. The international competition runs from June 3rd to 12th and sees matches take place from about 08:00 to 14:00 local time each day, leaving players with the afternoon and evening to relax and explore the destination. "Sun, sea, beach, nature, culture, friendly people, nice food, nice nightlife, draughts ... is there a better ...

There are a number of factors that have contributed to the increasing food prices that have pushed, according to the United Nations, an estimated 44 million people into poverty since last June. While traditional news outlets have addressed some of these factors, issues like higher gas prices coupled with poor weather conditions and a rash of natural disasters, there remain a number of causes that escape their attention and this could give people the false impression that if these issues were solved then the cost of food would become more manageable. The reality is the world ...

eLearners.com today revealed the top five reasons military service members should consider an online MBA program. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, on average, 40,000 individuals separate from the U.S. military each year, of which, about 1,000 choose to attend MBA programs. For active duty military that do not want to wait until they have left the service to pursue an MBA, an online program can be an excellent option. Online education has long been a popular choice for service members due to its flexible scheduling and convenience. From research ...

Specialty Home Improvement, a family-owned design and remodel firm was recently distinguished with a Chrysalis Award for Remodeling Excellence. The Escondido-based remodeling firm took top honors in the category "Residential Bath under $40,000" for a massive renovation of a master bath suite. The Chrysalis award committee received over 400 submissions from throughout the United States and judged entries on overall project design, creative use of space and materials, and the degree to which the project enhanced the original structure. Judges on the Chrysalis ...

Researchers pinpoint a small RNA that spurs cells to manufacture a particular splice variant of a key neuronal protein, potentially promoting Alzheimer's disease (AD) or other types of neurodegeneration. The study appears in the May 30 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org). Like a movie with an alternate ending, a protein can come in more than one version. Although scientists have identified numerous proteins and RNAs that influence alternative splicing, they haven't deciphered how cells fine-tune the process to produce specific protein versions. Four years ...

The 2011 NBA playoffs may end with only one winner, but Intertops Casino is rewarding the entire team in its $100K 'Nothing but Net' points race promotion. Players in the top levels of the leaderboard points race will pocket big cash prizes and thousands of others will qualify for weekly casino bonuses up to $250. "We really like to reward our regular players," said the manager of Intertops Casino. "But what I like about this contest is that virtually everyone can get a piece of the $100,000 we're giving away. All you have to do is deposit $25 and enjoy ...

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Contrary to earlier reports, a new study finds that stress does not appear to increase a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The research is published in the May 31, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. "While we've known that stressful life events have been shown to increase the risk of MS episodes, we weren't certain whether these stressors could actually lead to developing the disease itself," said study author Trond Riise, PhD, with the University of Bergen in Bergen, Norway. ...

In addition to its damaging effect on the environment and its illegal smuggling into developing countries, researchers have now linked e-waste to adverse effects on human health, such as inflammation and oxidative stress – precursors to cardiovascular disease, DNA damage and possibly cancer. In a study published today, Tuesday 31 May, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers took air samples from one of the largest e-waste dismantling areas in China and examined their effects on human lung epithelial cells. E-waste, or electronic waste, ...

An enzyme associated with extensive antibiotic resistance called New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase-1 (NDM-1), endemic in India and Pakistan and spreading worldwide, has been found in two people in the Toronto area, one of whom acquired it in Canada, states a case report in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj110477.pdf. The report outlines challenges and approaches to managing and identifying this pathogen, which is highly resistant to treatment. NDM-1 has spread because of worldwide travel, medical tourism and ...

Attitudes toward end-of-life care for cancer patients vary, but most patients, family members, oncologists and members of the public are receptive to withdrawing futile life-sustaining treatments in people who are dying, found a Korean study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/embargo/cmaj110020.pdf. The study, by researchers in Korea, aimed to determine attitudes towards end-of-life care, as most previous studies looked only at euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. The researchers surveyed 3840 people, including ...

Albert Einstein was once thought to have said that the only thing limitless in the universe is human stupidity. While human error may seem like such a mundane and innocent reason for data loss, it actually makes up a large chunk of data loss situations. Even though news of virus attacks and trojan attack site proliferation tend to grab headlines more, the bulk of data loss involves something simple as deleting the wrong file and instinctively emptying your computer desktop's recycling bin. While this happens to the best of us, it is natural to feel like a stupid dummy for ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The end of the Norse settlements on Greenland likely will remain shrouded in mystery. While there is scant written evidence of the colony's demise in the 14th and early 15th centuries, archaeological remains can fill some of the blanks, but not all. What climate scientists have been able to ascertain is that an extended cold snap, called the Little Ice Age, gripped Greenland beginning in the 1400s. This has been cited as a major cause of the Norse's disappearance. Now researchers led by Brown University show the climate turned colder ...

Motorists looking for cheap car insurance for young drivers should take note of pending changes to legislation due to take effect from spring of this year, says car insurance specialist Quinn Direct. Current legislation allows motor vehicles to be taxed but uninsured, providing the vehicle is not parked or used on public roads. Once pending legislation comes into effect, motorists without minimum insurance cover will be breaking the law. As of spring 2011, the UK off-road vehicle law will change. This change requires all vehicles that are permanently or temporarily ...

Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have overturned conventional wisdom on how cell movement across all species is controlled, solving the structure of a protein that cuts power to the cell 'motor'. The protein could be a potential drug target for future malaria and anti-cancer treatments. By studying the structure of actin-depolymerising factor 1 (ADF1), a key protein involved in controlling the movement of malaria parasites, the researchers have demonstrated that scientists' decades-long understanding of the relationship between protein structure and ...

GeniusWave announces Family Watch for Android. The safety and security mobile application is now available in over 5 Android App Stores Worldwide. To promote family safety for the summer, the new mobile app offers a free download and free trial services. The promotional period last to June 15th, encouraging families to travel safe and better monitor their children as get out and enjoy summer at the park, the mall, or camping, hiking or cycling. The Family Watch app helps watch over family or friends when they travel, play in the neighborhood, at the mall, or coming ...

Recently the number of genes known to be associated with Alzheimer's disease has increased from four to eight, including the MS4A gene cluster on chromosome 11. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Medicine has expanded on this using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to find a novel location within the MS4A gene cluster which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the developed world. It irrevocably destroys cells in the brain that are responsible for intellectual ability ...

After 25,000 people arrived to download over 900 self improvement gifts in January of this year, Dr. Joe Rubino, Carolyn Hansen and Stephanie Mulac knew that they had set the standard in giveaway events. What they also realized however, is that to quench the thirst of the personal growth market it would take more than one event a year. So the undisputed giveaway event leaders in are bringing together once again hundreds of the most noted self-help experts to bring Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Gifts to center stage this summer starting June 9th. Self-esteem authority, Dr. ...

Mammoths were a diverse genus that roamed across Eurasia and North America during the Pleistocene era. In continental North America, at least two highly divergent species have long been recognized – woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) and Columbian mammoths (M. columbi). But new genetic evidence published in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology suggests that these species may have been closely related enough to mate when they had the chance. Remains of woolly mammoths have been found across the glacial tundra-steppe of Eurasia and northern North America, ...

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests give inaccurate predictions of disease risks and many European geneticists believe that some of them should be banned, the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics will hear today (Tuesday). In the first of two studies to be presented, Rachel Kalf, from the department of epidemiology at Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, will say that her research is the first to look at the real predictive ability of such tests, the results of which are available directly ...

Paul Mobley, best known for his New York Times best seller American Farmer, was recently named one of the nine most inspiring portrait photographers by Adorama Camera. The company's online teaching publication, focused on professional insights about the world of photography and technology, names Mobley, along with other well-known photographers such as Annie Liebovitz and Dorothea Lange as artists who are skilled at capturing their subject. Editor Mason Resnick states that "Paul Mobley approaches his diverse subjects with a sense of playfulness and humor." ...

A DNA-based study sheds new light on the complex evolutionary history of the woolly mammoth, suggesting it mated with a completely different and much larger species. The research, which appears in the BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology, found the woolly mammoth, which lived in the cold climate of the Arctic tundra, interbred with the Columbian mammoth, which preferred the more temperate regions of North America and was some 25 per cent larger. "There is a real fascination with the history of mammoths, and this analysis helps to contextualize its evolution, ...