Since 1611, humans have recorded the comings and goings of black spots on the sun. The number of these sunspots wax and wane over approximately an 11-year cycle -- more sunspots generally mean more activity and eruptions on the sun and vice versa. The number of sunspots can change from cycle to cycle and 2008 saw the longest and weakest solar minimum since scientists have been monitoring the sun with space-based instruments. Observations have shown, however, that magnetic effects on Earth due to the sun, effects that cause the aurora to appear, did not go down in synch ...

Grand Rapids, Mich. (June 14, 2011) – In a study recently published in Cancer Research, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) researchers found a protein that could help predict the spread of the head and neck cancer nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); this protein could also serve as part of a treatment strategy to stop the spread of the disease. Though uncommon in the United States, NPC is one of the most common malignant tumors in southern China and Southeast Asia with incidence rates nearly 25 times that of most of the rest of the world. VARI researchers worked with scientists ...

Philadelphia, PA, June 15, 2011 – People generally worry about who their neighbors are, especially neighbors of our children. If high-fat food and soda are nearby, people will imbibe, and consequently gain weight. Or will they? With students' health at risk, a study in the July/August 2011 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior explores the influence food store locations near schools has on the student risk of being overweight and student fast-food and sweetened beverage consumption. Investigators from the University of Southern Maine surveyed 552 students ...

Philadelphia, PA, June 15, 2011 – According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 objectives, adequate fruit and vegetable consumption is a national public health priority for disease prevention and maintenance of good health. Not only do fruits and vegetables furnish valuable dietary nutrients, but they also contribute vital elements to chronic disease prevention for heart disease, hypertension, certain cancers, vision problems of aging, and possibly type 2 diabetes. With the nation's health in mind, Network for a Healthy California ...

SEATTLE – While people in Japan, Canada, and other nations are enjoying significant gains in life expectancy every year, most counties within the United States are falling behind, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. IHME researchers, in collaboration with researchers at Imperial College London, found that between 2000 and 2007, more than 80% of counties fell in standing against the average of the 10 nations with the best life expectancies in the world, known as the international frontier. "We ...

New York, NY, June 15, 2011—A new Commonwealth Fund report finds that Medicaid managed care plans that are owned by publicly traded for-profit companies whose primary line of business is managing Medicaid enrollees spent an average of 14 percent of premiums on administrative costs, compared with an average of only 10 percent spent by non-publicly traded plans owned by groups of health care providers, health systems, community health centers, or clinics. Sampling health plans with at least 5,000 enrollees resulted in an initial sample of 225 Medicaid managed care plans representing ...

PredictAD is an EU-funded research project that develops objective and efficient methods for enabling earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Diagnosis requires a holistic view of the patient combining information from several sources, such as, clinical tests, imaging and blood samples. "The aim of the PredictAD project is to develop an objective indicator to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stage possible. Current diagnostic guidelines emphasise the importance of various biomarkers in diagnostics. We have developed novel approaches to extract biomarkers ...

Alexandria, VA — A multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline, "Polysomnography for Sleep-Disordered Breathing Prior to Tonsillectomy in Children" will be published as a supplement to the July issue of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. This guideline provides otolaryngologists with evidence-based recommendations for using polysomnography in assessing children, aged 2 to 18 years, with sleep-disordered breathing and who are candidates for tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy. Polysomnography (PSG), commonly referred to as a sleep study, is presently the ...

This release is available in French. Dopamine replacement therapy, which is used to manage motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease, can, at times, adversely affect cognition. Dr. Oury Monchi, Ph. D. in neuronal modeling and Head of the Neurophysiological and Neuroimaging Research theme at the Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (IUGM), which is affiliated with the Université de Montréal, and Dr. Penny A. MacDonald, Neurologist and postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Monchi's laboratory, have identified the reasons why within the framework ...

DALLAS – June 15, 2011 – A pediatric urologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center who pioneered a surgical technique for repairing a common birth defect in boys reports the procedure is singularly effective in correcting the problem with few complications. Hypospadias, the second most common birth defect in boys, causes the opening of the urethra to be misplaced on the penis. If not corrected properly, the malady can lead to urinary tract infections and difficulty with urination and normal sexual activity. Dr. Warren Snodgrass, professor of urology and chief of pediatric ...

World-renowned photographer and marketing guru Sandy Puc will be in San Diego on July 8 to share her passion and knowledge of Childrens photography through her Boutique Babies and Couture Kids Creative Edge Tour. The tour will visit 39 cities throughout the U.S. during the summer and early fall. Attendees can look forward to broadening their skills through her professional seminars relating to shooting techniques, the new wave of popular boutique set and props, video fusion and the important foundation to any photography business, pricing and marketing. Sandy will take ...

Sabre Signs, a sign printing company known as the place to go for screen printed boards, canvas prints, display stands and more also has introduced a line of eco-friendly products. The high-quality, eco-friendly products complement an already outstanding line of sign products for every need. The eco-friendly line includes products like Spicers Biodegradable "outdoor board", Xanita Eco Board, a repulpable paper composite fibre board. These products are perfect for environmentally friendly design and printing applications, for short term outdoor use, and any ...

Jack Sparrow and the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film have created such a furor that one homeowner in southern Florida has done something of an extreme makeover on his property. With the assistance of Elite Home Theater Seating, he will be converting a sizeable portion of his residence into a luxurious theater complex intended to harken back to the days of high-seas swashbuckling. $2.5 million in the making, the complex includes a paved entrance way (complete with ticket booth), a Pirate tavern, and a theater that is situated on the deck of a Pirate Ship—the whole looking ...

Paula Yakubik, managing partner of MassMedia Pet Marketing, a full-service, pet-focused public relations, advertising and marketing communications agency, announced today the company will host a strategic marketing workshop for pet professionals on June 15 at 1 p.m. PST "How to Create a Successful Newsroom for Your Pet Company" is a session designed to provide pet businesses and organizations with tips and strategies on the type of content, functionality, set-up, design, and documents needed to have an effective newsroom on their website. WHAT: Free Webinar ...

Having a good, quality roof that will stand the test of time and the elements is of utmost importance to most homeowners. A house is unlivable if the roof isn't in tip-top condition, so it's crucial that when it needs repairing or replacing that the work is performed by an ethical, experienced company. Duane Burchill, owner of All Seasons Roofing, understands that roofing is a serious business and is dedicated to providing his clients with superior workmanship and friendly, dependable service. "At All Seasons Roofing, we are committed to providing a level of service ...

"The transition from the .net to.com domain space is the culmination of our eight-month brand refresh," said Drew Reynolds, CEO and founding partner of TrackResults Software. "We wanted to make our site more reflective of our software; making the information more accessible and the content more intuitive. Moving to TrackResults.com makes it easier to locate us on the internet." Although TrackResults can still be accessed by visiting http://www.trackresults.net, please visit our new address and update your bookmarks to point to http://www.trackresults.com Please ...

Careworx, Inc., a computer hardware vendor dedicated to working with long-term healthcare clients, plans to show GammaTech Computer Corporation's unique fully rugged Durabook line of mobile rugged notebooks including the T10L clinical tablet PC; and offering a comprehensive introduction to the Durabook D15TS, during PANPHA's 2011 Annual Conference & Exposition in booth numbers 125, 126 & 127. The event features leading companies showcasing technology, products & services for the nonprofit senior services sector and will take place at the Hershey Lodge and Convention ...

TakingITGlobal (TIG), a multilingual online learning community created by and for youth, in partnership with the Staples Foundation, the charitable division of Staples Inc., are pleased to announce the success of their most recent international video conference held to commemorate World Environment Day (WED). World Environment Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness and mobilize people to take responsibility for their world and become agents of change. TIG and the Staples Foundation took the opportunity to host a live video conference for 11 classrooms from across ...

DreamBody Medical Centers, a laser liposuction and Anti-Aging practice, is opening their third location in Arizona. With previous success in Mesa and Yuma, DreamBody will headquarter in Scottsdale, to centralize their services to the Valley. The founder and Medical Director of DreamBody, Dr. Paul Budnick, helped bring the laser liposuction procedure to Arizona and now has three locations offering the safest and quickest results. With over 18 years of experience, he is constantly delving into medical break-through technology and procedures in the industry. To introduce ...

For more than 40 years, the Smithsonian Institution's travel program has hosted trips around the world, giving participants the chance to visit spectacular sights that are rich in history and culture as a part of their Smithsonian Journeys program. Every year, the institute embarks on a 22-day journey that spans across multiple continents, taking only 78 lucky passengers aboard a private Boeing 757, specially designed to accommodate them in an intimate and exclusive setting. Ordinarily, the aircraft can the capability to seat 233 passengers, but for this exclusive journey, ...

Carroll, Burdick & McDonough LLP, a preeminent litigation and business law firm practicing nationally and internationally, adds six associates: Scott Carr, Kelley Harvilla, Hong Le, Aaron Muranaka and Knut Woestehoff join the San Francisco office, and Amy Pennington joins in Los Angeles. Two additional associates will join the firm at the end of the month. "Building on our successful international expansion last year and an improving national and global business climate, we continue to respond to evolving client needs. The additions of such exceptionally talented ...

Ecreativeworks is a proud sponsor of St. Anthony Village High School's Supermileage Challenge Team. The 23rd Annual Supermileage Challenge was held May 16 & 17, 2011, at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota. The St. Anthony Village team, from Minnesota's St. Anthony-New Brighton School District, placed sixth out of 43 vehicles in their class. The Minnesota Technological and Engineering Educators Association holds the Supermileage Challenge every year as a contest for industrial technology/technology education students. Students design, fabricate, ...

Inspired by their love of urban life style, South Florida based clothing line Alphonse Unlimited released their 2011 summer collection "Go Big" on http://www.alphonseunlimited.com and soon in local and national streetwear boutiques as well as online hip hop clothing stores. Alphonse Unlimited specializes in opulent fashion articles that are more classic and timeless rather than voguish loud trends that changes every season; aimed for an audience that endeavors to be a trend setter rather than a trend follower. "This collection really exemplifies the Alphonse ...

In an effort to reward loyal customers, prominent retailer Right Start and its partners are offering extraordinary prizes for subscribers of the Right Start Insider newsletter. The Enter to Win Giveaway was launched in May to an overwhelming response from current and new subscribers. Throughout the next year, participants will be able to win new items every month featuring an assortment of baby gear. Many participants have expressed their appreciation of Right Start's no-strings-attached approach. In addition, every participant is eligible to sign up for each Enter to ...

GlobalShopex is proud to announce that Hourglass Angel, a fashionable under-garments store, selling products like shape wear, body shapers, and waist cinchers designed to enhance a women's shape and confidence are utilizing the company's international ecommerce solutions and infrastructure to expand sales and shipping worldwide. In addition to offering a localized checkout experience across borders, GlobalShopex will manage the multi-currency conversion, guarantee total landed costs, international payment processing, customs clearance and brokerage, global shipping ...