Were dinosaurs slow and lumbering, or quick and agile? It depends largely on whether they were cold- or warm-blooded. When dinosaurs were first discovered in the mid-19th century, paleontologists thought they were plodding beasts that relied on their environment to keep warm, like modern-day reptiles. But research during the last few decades suggests that they were faster creatures, nimble like the velociraptors or T. rex depicted in the movie Jurassic Park, requiring warmer, regulated body temperatures. Now, researchers, led by Robert Eagle of the California Institute ...

Doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are performing a new procedure to treat atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heartbeat. Available at only a handful of U.S. medical centers, this "hybrid" procedure combines minimally invasive surgical techniques with the latest advances in catheter ablation, a technique that applies scars to the heart's inner surface to block signals causing the heart to misfire. The two-pronged approach gives doctors access to both the inside and outside of the heart at the same time, helping to more completely block ...

MADISON, WI, JUNE 28, 2011 -- The evaluation of both nutrient and non-nutrient resource interactions provides information needed to sustainably manage agroforestry systems. Improved diagnosis of appropriate nutrient usage will help increase yields and also reduce financial and environmental costs. To achieve this, a management support system that allows for site-specific evaluation of nutrient-production imbalances is needed. Scientists at the University of Toronto and the University of Saskatchewan have developed a conceptual framework to diagnosis nutrient and non-nutrient ...

VIDEO: Scientists have figured out the brain mechanism that makes this optical illusion work. The illusion, known as "motion aftereffect " in scientific circles, causes us to see movement where none exist Click here for more information. Scientists have come up with new insight into the brain processes that cause the following optical illusion: Focus your eyes directly on the "X" in the center of the image in this short video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnUckHbPqM&feature=player_embedded) The ...

Tiny seawater algae could hold the key to crops as a source of fuel and plants that can adapt to changing climates. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that the tiny organism has developed coping mechanisms for when its main food source is in short supply. Understanding these processes will help scientists develop crops that can survive when nutrients are scarce and to grow high-yield plants for use as biofuels. The alga normally feeds by ingesting nitrogen from surrounding seawater but, when levels are low, it reduces its intake and instead absorbs ...

Tampa, Fla. (June 28, 2011) – Mensenchymal stem cells (MSCs), multipotent cells identified in bone marrow and other tissues, have been shown to be therapeutically effective in the immunosuppression of T-cells, the regeneration of blood vessels, assisting in skin wound healing, and suppressing chronic airway inflammation in some asthma cases. Typically, when MSCs are being prepared for therapeutic applications, they are cultured in fetal bovine serum. A study conducted by a research team from Singapore and published in the current issue of Cell Medicine [2(1)], freely ...

In another world first, Australian Company JetBoarder pioneers the way in the new sport of JetBoarding. Their newest model, which previewed at Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in Australia, is a real world first. Click link to see more: http://vimeo.com/24210179 Called the 'Sprint', the focus with the kids' JetBoarder was safety first and fun second, in a new experience for kids aged 12-16. Our SPRINT Model achieves this plus more advises Chris Kanyaro. "We want to give kids the opportunity to enjoy the latest craze taking the world by storm" in ...

For Hollywood celebrities, the term "splitsville" usually means "check your prenup." For scientists wanting to mass-produce high quality nanoribbons from boron nitride nanotubes, "splitsville" could mean "happily ever after." Scientists with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley, working with scientists at Rice University, have developed a technique in which boron nitride nanotubes are stuffed with atoms of potassium until the tubes split open along a longitudinal seam. This creates defect-free boron nitride ...

TORONTO, Ont., June 28, 2011—A chemical produced by the same cells that make insulin in the pancreas prevented and even reversed Type 1 diabetes in mice, researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found. Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is characterized by the immune system's destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas that make and secrete insulin. As a result, the body makes little or no insulin. The only conventional treatment for Type 1 diabetes is insulin injection, but insulin is not a cure as it does not prevent or reverse the loss of ...

EVANSTON, Ill. --- To many, a tax on soda is a no-brainer in advancing the nation's war on obesity. Advocates point to a number of studies in recent years that conclude that sugary drinks have a lot to do with why Americans are getting fatter. But obese people tend to drink diet sodas, and therefore taxing soft drinks with added sugar or other sweeteners is not a good weapon in combating obesity, according to a new Northwestern University study. An amendment to Illinois Senate Bill 396 would add a penny an ounce to the cost of most soft drinks with added sugar or sweeteners, ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Inkjet printers, a low-cost technology that in recent decades has revolutionized home and small office printing, may soon offer similar benefits for the future of solar energy. Engineers at Oregon State University have discovered a way for the first time to create successful "CIGS" solar devices with inkjet printing, in work that reduces raw material waste by 90 percent and will significantly lower the cost of producing solar energy cells with some very promising compounds. High performing, rapidly produced, ultra-low cost, thin film solar electronics ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The pen may have bested the sword long ago, but now it's challenging wires and soldering irons. University of Illinois engineers have developed a silver-inked rollerball pen capable of writing electrical circuits and interconnects on paper, wood and other surfaces. The pen is writing whole new chapters in low-cost, flexible and disposable electronics. Led by Jennifer Lewis, the Hans Thurnauer professor of materials science and engineering at the U. of I., and Jennifer Bernhard, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, the team published ...

Stepladders, a household product used by thousands of people every day, are a surprisingly common cause of injury. In 2009, more than 187,000 Americans visited the hospital after sustaining stepladder injuries, many of which resulted from a fall. A recent human factors/ergonomics study explores how improved design and user behavior can decrease the likelihood of future accidents. In their upcoming HFES 55th Annual Meeting presentation, "The Role of Human Balance in Stepladder Accidents," HF/E researchers Daniel Tichon, Lowell Baker, and Irving Ojalvo review research ...

Cambridge, Mass. - June 28, 2011 - At a glance, a painting by Jackson Pollock (1912󈞤) can look deceptively accidental: just a quick flick of color on a canvas. A quantitative analysis of Pollock's streams, drips, and coils, by Harvard mathematician L. Mahadevan and collaborators at Boston College, reveals, however, that the artist had to be slow—he had to be deliberate—to exploit fluid dynamics in the way that he did. The finding, published in Physics Today, represents a rare collision between mathematics, physics, and art history, providing new insight into ...

Grand Rapids, Mich. (June 28, 2011) – Most of us have had a doctor prescribe an antibiotic for a stubborn bacterial infection, or for a cut that gets infected. However, prescribing an antibiotic to fight cancer? In fact, anti-cancer antibiotics have been used since the 1950s to successfully treat several forms of cancer, but often the side effects limit the duration they can be given to a patient. One particularly promising anti-cancer antibiotic is Geldanamycin and a modified form of this drug known as 17AAG. Despite its proven ability to selectively kill many ...

Some areas of the southern United States are suffering from the longest dry spell since 1887 and a new Baylor University study shows that could prove problematic for aquatic organisms. The Baylor study found that drought conditions make some chemicals in the environment more toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Specifically, the study found that drought conditions exacerbate the magnitudes of the natural pH shifts in the water. This is important, the researchers said, because some contaminants in the water, such as ammonia, are more toxic to aquatic life depending on ...

West Virginia administrators are making the most of their budget dollars by finding innovative solutions that streamline processes and increase efficiency in their districts. One cost-saving measure includes finding more cost-effective ways to conduct staff training, which has historically been done during in-service days, in a group setting. While effective in years past, this method takes teachers out of the classroom and can be quite expensive. As districts look to maximize budgets, Kanawha County Schools and Wood County Schools are leading the way by taking their staff ...

An international team of researchers says abortion stigma is under-researched, under theorized and over emphasized in one category: women who've had abortions. As a result, they're launching a new direction into research that explores the social stigma surrounding abortion. Their invited paper, "Abortion Stigma: A Reconceptualization of Constituents, Causes, and Consequences," is published in the current journal, Women's Health Issues (Vol. 21, issue 3, supplement). The team of researchers is represented by The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; ...

At a recent Kavli Futures Symposium, 19 experts from a diverse range of fields discussed the promise of using the lab to understand and exploit the evolution of organisms -- progress that may one day lead to new vaccines or other biotechnology products. Now, three of the participants have joined in a discussion of the issues and topics raised during the meeting: Michael Brenner, Professor of Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and member of the Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology, Harvard University; ...

Radiall USA, Inc. is proud to introduce the first to market lightweight and easy-to-use composite BNC 75 ohm HDTV connector to its offering of affordable HDTV BNC series for studio-quality broadcast production to video conferencing equipment applications. Radiall's new technologically advanced true 75 ohm BNC HDTV connector features an easy-to-use two-piece design that makes it easy to crimp on the cable. This new connector can handle data rates up to 3 Gbps or higher while meeting or exceeding SMPTE 292M and 424M standards. The gold plated center and outer contacts ...

Even among false accusations by the anti-smoking establishment, the vapor cigarette that makes up the electronic cigarette starter kit is growing in popularity on a daily basis, but the growth may be due in part to the new technology that e cigarette or vapor cigarette companies are releasing to the public. Just three short years ago, the e cigarette was in its infancy and there were still quality issues with the batteries, atomizers and other components, like the sensor chips that activate the atomizer when a smoker draws on it. Now, after years of growing popularity, ...

Xpressdelivery.com was launched with an understanding of the market lacking a pharmacy that would be truly committed to providing high level of service without charging too much money. This pharmacy was started as a place where it would be possible to buy Viagra online, as well as purchase some other highly demanded medications that can be very expensive to buy without a prescription. Because of the company's close cooperation with the largest manufacturer of cheap generic drugs (generic Viagra being one of them), xpressdelivery.com can offer affordable prices and more ...

Rafael McCadden, Industrial and Logistics Director at Colliers International in Mexico City, recently sat down with The Offshore Group to discuss trends in the industrial real estate market currently affecting manufacturing in Mexico activities. During the session, McCadden points out the differences characterizing today's Mexico industrial real estate market, when compared to those that were prevalent during the marked economic turbulence that dominated 2008, 2009 and the beginning of 2010. In conversation, McCadden asserts that during this period, "there ...

TravelShark (formerly Swiftrank), the leading global online travel network, today announced that it has closed a $5 million round of financing to further accelerate the company's already impressive revenue growth and global sales since its public launch in 2010. The investment was made by DLA Holdings, a Singapore-based private equity firm. With the recent $5 million investment, TravelShark has raised a total of $8 million to date. "This additional funding is a nod to the dramatic expansion that TravelShark has achieved in traffic and revenues across its global ...

Epicure Digital, a leader in digital menu boards, presents the Epicure Digital Menu System with special emphasis on nutritional labeling at the Texas Restaurant Association Southwest Foodservice Expo, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas, June 26-28, 2011, Booth #611 with Brad Waller & Associates Epicure Digital custom designs highly graphical digital menu board systems to solve your complex menu and point-of-sale marketing issues. Epicure Digital specializes in developing nutritional menu labeling systems to educate and inform customers to make healthier ...