Cambridge, Mass. — July 22, 2012 — Using recent advances in marine biomechanics, materials science, and tissue engineering, a team of researchers at Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have turned inanimate silicone and living cardiac muscle cells into a freely swimming "jellyfish." The finding serves as a proof of concept for reverse engineering a variety of muscular organs and simple life forms. It also suggests a broader definition of what counts as synthetic life in an emerging field that has primarily focused on replicating life's ...

A new technique will allow plant breeders to introduce valuable crop traits even without access to the full genome sequence of that crop. The technique, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, links important agronomic traits in crop plants with active regions of the genome. Instead of requiring knowledge of the crop's complete genome, it identifies only expressed genes. "For many crop plants, markers are still lacking because of the complexity of some plants' genomes and the very high costs involved," said Professor Ian Bancroft, who led the study at the John ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Included in the 2012 International Antiviral Society-USA panel recommendations for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patient care is that all adult patients, regardless of CD4 cell count, should be offered antiretroviral therapy (ART), according to an article in the July 25 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS. Other new recommendations include changes in therapeutic options and modifications in the timing and choice of ART for patients with an opportunistic illness such as tuberculosis. Melanie A. Thompson, M.D., of the AIDS Research Consortium ...

PASADENA, Calif.—When one observes a colorful jellyfish pulsating through the ocean, Greek mythology probably doesn't immediately come to mind. But the animal once was known as the medusa, after the snake-haired mythological creature its tentacles resemble. The mythological Medusa's gaze turned people into stone, and now, thanks to recent advances in bio-inspired engineering, a team led by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Harvard University have flipped that fable on its head: turning a solid element—silicon—and muscle cells into a freely ...

July 22, 2012, New York, NY and Stockholm, Sweden – Only by viewing a Seurat painting at close range can you appreciate the hidden complexities of pointillism – small, distinct dots of pure color applied in patterns to form an image from a distance. Similarly, biologists and geneticists have long sought to analyze profiles of genes at the single cell level but technology limitations have only allowed a view from afar until now. Research published in the July 22 issue of Nature Biotechnology, shows for the first time that a novel genomic sequencing method called Smart-Seq ...

VIDEO: Marla Keller, M.D., discusses her new research that indicates HPV testing in HIV-positive women may help reduce the frequent Pap tests, used to screen for cervical cancer, that are... Click here for more information. July 22, 2012 — (BRONX, NY) — Compared to the general population, HIV-positive women have a high risk of cervical cancer and thus are advised to undergo more frequent screening tests. This creates a burden for HIV-positive patients and the health care ...

But the type of sport played and gender did, according to a new study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Rehabilitation, Therapy & Technology. This study into varsity athletics found that women had a shorter time to injury than men and that certain sports, such as volleyball, also had a significantly shorter time to injury than others, such as hockey or basketball. Fitness evaluation and pre-participation are standard practice in university sport. They screen the athletes for health problems and for high-risk behaviors which ...

STANFORD, Calif. — Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital have identified several gene mutations responsible for the most common childhood brain tumor, called medulloblastoma, adding evidence to the theory that the diagnosis is a group of genetically distinct cancers with different prognoses. These and accompanying findings are likely to lead to less-toxic, better-targeted treatment approaches over the next two years, the researchers said. "We tend to treat all medulloblastomas as one disease without taking into ...

Boston, Mass., July 22, 2012– Researchers at Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) and several collaborating institutions have linked mutations in specific genes to each of the four recognized subtypes of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor of children. The discovery, reported July in the journal Nature, provides doctors with potential biomarkers for guiding and individualizing treatment and reveals prospective therapeutic opportunities for countering this devastating malignancy. The study was conducted by a research team led by Scott ...

Washington, D.C. — In order to understand Earth's earliest history--its formation from Solar System material into the present-day layering of metal core and mantle, and crust--scientists look to meteorites. New research from a team including Carnegie's Doug Rumble and Liping Qin focuses on one particularly old type of meteorite called diogenites. These samples were examined using an array of techniques, including precise analysis of certain elements for important clues to some of the Solar System's earliest chemical processing. Their work is published online July 22 by ...

Stanford, CA —Light is not only the source of a plant's energy, but also an environmental signal that instructs the growth behavior of plants. As a result, a plant's sensitivity to light is of great interest to scientists and their research on this issue could help improve crop yields down the road. Similarly understanding a plant's temperature sensitivity could also help improve agriculture and feed more people. Two new papers from Carnegie's Zhiyong Wang laboratory identify key aspects of the hormonal responses of plants to changes in light and heat in their environments. ...

Recent guidelines recommending cholesterol tests for children fail to weigh health benefits against potential harms and costs, according to a new commentary authored by three physician-researchers at UCSF. Moreover, the recommendations are based on expert opinion, rather than solid evidence, the researchers said, which is especially problematic since the guidelines' authors disclosed extensive potential conflicts of interest. The guidelines were written by a panel assembled by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and published in Pediatrics, in November ...

Children with trisomy 13 or 18, who are for the most part severely disabled and have a very short life expectancy, and their families lead a life that is happy and rewarding overall, contrary to the usually gloomy predictions made by the medical community at the time of diagnosis, according to a study of parents who are members of support groups published today in Pediatrics. The study was conducted by Dr. Annie Janvier of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and the University of Montreal with the special collaboration of the mother of a child who died from trisomy ...

4Music TV, the home of chart music and pop culture, has launched on mobile TV network Yamgo. The channel devoted to the best music and biggest artists from across the globe will now be available globally on Smartphones, iPad and Tablet devices. The Yamgo TV network delivers linear TV to mobile devices worldwide using 2.5G, 3G and Wi-Fi connections. 4Music TV is the latest high profile addition to an extensive line-up of music channels which feature on the service alongside an exciting offering of sports, movies, entertainment and news channels. 4Music includes the ...

In a time when war in the middle east escalates, the real estate market is in the deepest depression in modern U.S. history, unemployment rose to historic highs, violence-infested neighborhoods cry for help, and an increasing number of natural disasters and unprecedented weather events occurred over the past years in the U.S. and in some parts of the world, an inspiration often comes from entirely unexpected places. In a new book A Boy Named Ray by Marissa Marchan, we can momentarily forget all the unpleasant worries, fears and concerns, and escape reality to a quiet ...

When it comes to assistance with personal, business, and website projects, Zoomqa refuses to miss a beat in providing high-standard business services. As yet another effort to expand on the distinguished selection of professional services offered by Zoomqa, the company has decided to add Voiceover Talent Services to the company's services roster. Remarkably enough, with these services only being in effect for under a week, Zoomqa has already helped a handful of professionals and non-professionals in fulfilling their unique voiceover recording needs. Zoomqa stands behind ...

Novel Fashion-Gift Line of Earring Chalets Organizers to Be Displayed at Booth #1643 July 27-30 at Los Angeles Convention Center Whittier, CA Lori Torline, President of Lori Leigh Designs Inc. announced today that her fashion accessory atelier will unveil its range of unique Earring Chalet organizers at the upcoming Los Angeles Gift Show. This semi-annual mart is considered the most successful show of its kind for retailers located in the Pacific time-zone. "We launched the Earring Chalets in the United States in June at JCK, the huge jewelry industry show and ...

Streaming live on the Co-Creator Radio Network on Tuesday, July 24, at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time, on her show "Why Shamanism Now?: A Practical Path to Authenticity," shaman and founder of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing Christina Pratt tells listeners that the recently re-released book Gift of the Dreamtime is for anyone interested in shamanism. The book shares the experience of a shaman finding her shaman legs, reshaping the workings of her mind, and awakening her courageous heart. And for those not particularly interested in shamanism, ...

Dr. Marlene Maheu, Executive Director of the TeleMental Health Institute, Inc., has been a pioneer in the telehealth industry with a focus on research and development in telemental health since 1994. She is very pleased that the American Psychological Association (APA) is increasing training options for psychologists who are interested in learning more about the numerous critical aspects of providing telemental health services. It is crucial that we spend the time to connect with one another to understand our respective interests and resources in technology as we prepare ...

Greentrade Partners have launched a Carbon Footprint Calculator on their website to help make your business or products carbon neutral with high quality carbon offsets. It can also help organisations with great ideas to reduce energy & transport costs. The calculations for primary emissions are based on conversion factors sourced from: 1. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - UK 2. World Resource Institute (WRI) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol 3. Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) - UK 4. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - USA ...

Gamescom is the world's largest trade fair and event for games and entertainment, taking place each year in Cologne, Germany. This year the event falls on August 15-19 and will exhibit new releases and product launches from industry leaders, as well as hosting the Game Developers Conference Europe. MO Group International will be in attendance to cultivate new and existing business relationships with partners from around the world. With a team of native speaking translators and community managers from all over the globe, MO Group International specializes in game localization ...

GoodPawsGoodCause.org, a Trafford, Pennsylvania manufacturer of branded apparel and accessories for good people and good pets that gives back to good causes with every purchase now offers personalized Fur A Home, Fur A Cure, and Fur The Earth T-Shirts. "Pet parents can give their dog or cat a voice and let them "speak" for the cause they care about! With the personalized T-Shirt option, customers can add their pet's photo, name or breed to the back of any T-Shirt sold at GoodPawsGoodCause.org," says Lotito of GoodPawsGoodCause.org. GoodPawsGoodCause.org ...

RJS Software Systems is holding its 2012 RJS User Group Conference beginning on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at its Burnsville, MN headquarters. This will be the first meeting of its kind, and will give attendees a glimpse into the future of both the document management and security industry as a whole, as well as within RJS Software itself. The conference goes for three days. Guests will be greeted and treated to a free dinner on the 18th at 6 p.m., and the seminars and meetings will take place during the 19th and 20th. After breakfast on the morning of ...

Dexim (www.dexim.net), a leader in consumer electronics accessories, announces ClickStik , a multifunctional tripod and easy-to-use Bluetooth remote shutter control for enhancing the photography experience on the iPhone and iPod Touch . A corresponding free application that also works with iPad allows users to edit and share photographs via Facebook, Twitter, SMS and email. Using the free iTunes download, the companion camera app works with the Bluetooth remote control and also offers a zoom tool in addition to a variety of filters, frames, stamps, pens and other manual ...

PeopleForce, which has been pioneering the field of business process innovation using crowdsourcing since before that term was coined in 2006, is pleased to announce its recent hire of Joseph P. Beck. Mr. Beck will join the PeopleForce team as Vice President of Business Development, and in this role he will be responsible for reaching out to new clients and developing new channel relationships for the company. With over twenty years of sales and leadership experience, Mr. Beck brings a distinct and diverse background to the twelve-year-old PeopleForce. He has worked ...