BEER-SHEVA, Israel, May 16, 2012 – A team of Israeli and German scientists from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have found an enamel-like layer in the mandibles of freshwater crayfish, according to an article in Nature Communications titled "Enamel-like Apatite Crown Covering Amorphous Mineral in a Crayfish Mandible." Dr. Shmuel Bentov from BGU's Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering discovered that this species of crayfish protect their teeth against wear in a very specific ...

Liquid Promo LLC, a leading private label energy drinks maker, has launched the Artsy Drinks line of energy drinks featuring amazing graphic designs by talented artists from around the world. Artsy Drinks are sold exclusively online at website ArtsyDrinks.com. A design is only featured for one day after which the particular Artsy Drink will no longer be available for purchase. "We really thought there should be more to having an energy drink than just getting pumped," said Jason Vigil, President of Liquid Promo. "We have created the Artsy Drink as a collectible ...

For the first time, scientists have seen an X-ray-irradiated mineral go to two different states of matter in about 40 femtoseconds (a femtosecond is one quadrillionth of a second). Using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford, Stefan Hau-Riege of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and colleagues heated graphite to induce a transition from solid to liquid and to warm-dense plasma. Ultrafast phase transitions from solid to liquid and plasma states are important in the development ...

Standard treatment for chronic leukemia is too harsh for many older patients. Early clinical trials testing indicates that these patients respond well to the experimental drug ibrutinib. This agent merits further testing as a first-line therapy for older chronic-leukemia patients. COLUMBUS, Ohio – The experimental drug ibrutinib (PCI-32765) shows great promise for the treatment of elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to interim findings from a clinical trial. The phase I/II trial, co-led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– By combining the light of three powerful infrared telescopes, an international research team has observed the active accretion phase of a supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy tens of millions of light years away, a method that has yielded an unprecedented amount of data for such observations. The resolution at which they were able to observe this highly luminescent active galactic nucleus (AGN) has given them direct confirmation of how mass accretes onto black holes in centers of galaxies. "This three-telescope interferometry is ...

The system doctors use to classify patients' malignant brain tumors is outdated. Researchers have revised the system to accommodate treatment advances and molecular markers. The new system will be validated in future clinical trials for malignant gliomas. COLUMBUS, Ohio – Radiation oncology researchers have revised the system used by doctors since the 1990s to determine the prognosis of people with glioblastoma, which is the most devastating of malignant brain tumors. The outdated system was devised for glioblastoma and related brain tumors that were treated by ...

Using gene transfer techniques pioneered by University of Florida faculty, Taiwanese doctors have restored some movement in four children bedridden with a rare, life-threatening neurological disease. The first-in-humans achievement may also be helpful for more common diseases such as Parkinson's that involve nerve cell damage caused by lack of a crucial molecule in brain tissue. The results are reported today (May 16) in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The children in the study, who ranged in age from 4 to 6, inherited a rare disease known as aromatic L-amino ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The early April earthquake of magnitude 8.6 that shook Sumatra was a grim reminder of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in 2004 and 2005. Now a new study, funded by the National Science Foundation, shows that the residents of that region are at risk from yet another potentially deadly natural phenomenon – major volcanic eruptions. Researchers from Oregon State University working with colleagues in Indonesia have documented six major volcanic eruptions in Sumatra over the past 35,000 years – most equaling ...

Philadelphia, Pa. (May 16, 2012) – For older adults with "C2" fractures of the upper (cervical) spine, surgery and nonsurgical treatment provide similar short- and long-term outcomes, reports a study in the May issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health. Although the patients were at significant risk of complications and death in the year or two after C2 fracture, these risks are similar with surgical and nonsurgical treatment. "[T]hus, age ...

Washington, D.C., May 16, 2012 – Last week the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued its obesity-prevention report at the Weight of the Nation™ conference hosted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This report included a call to action for increased access to healthy foods (like fruits and vegetables) at retail outlets nationwide . Findings from a new Michigan State University (MSU) study released today, underscored the critical role that canned fruits and vegetables play in helping Americans increase these intakes, regardless of geography or income level. It's time ...

RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products including ethernet cables and coaxial cable connectors, wants to thank customers based in Nottingham who have helped raise more than GBP500 for the Help for Heroes charity. With several members of the RS branch team in Nottingham having close links to the forces, Help for Heroes was chosen as their charity of choice. Customers have fully supported the fundraising with donations towards the free-vend drinks and ...

Response efforts to outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa can benefit from a standardized sampling strategy that focuses on the carcasses of gorillas, chimpanzees and other species known to succumb to the virus, according to a consortium of wildlife health experts. In a recently published study of 14 previous human Ebola outbreaks and the responses of wildlife teams collecting animal samples, the authors of the new study conclude that most efforts to collect samples from live animals (i.e. rodents, bats, primates, birds) failed to isolate Ebola virus or antibodies. ...

Leading online gaming portal operator Right Casino Media have teamed up with fundraiser Hayley Fuller to help raise awareness and funds for the Help for Heroes charity, which supports soldiers wounded in current conflicts. Right Casino Media, who operate a network of industry leading websites including http://www.liveroulette.co.uk, have given GBP500 in much-needed sponsorship to Hayley, as she takes part in a 7-day fundraising bike trek through France this month. Established in 2007, the Help for Heroes charity raises money to help provide direct, practical support ...

A new study suggests that dumping old or unneeded medications in the trash can may be the best way to reduce the environmental impact of the 200 million pounds of pharmaceuticals that go unused in the U.S. each year. The report, which weighs the emissions from flushing, incinerating or trashing drugs, appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology. Stephen J. Skerlos and colleagues explain that to avoid the risks of abuse and accidental poisoning, as well as other problems that unused, unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals pose, they shouldn't be kept in homes. ...

This year marks 60 years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. London is marking the Diamond Jubilee with a series of events, taking in exhibitions, processions, pomp and pageantry, from a grand flotilla making waves on the Thames to a stately parade bound for St. Paul's Cathedral. The events mark the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth's coronation on June 2 1953. The UK's workforce can look forward to a double bank holiday on June 4th and June 6th which looks set to be great time to visit London and join in the fun. Thanks to LondonTown.com's wide selection of discounted ...

With epidemics of Type 2 diabetes looming in rural India, China and other areas of the world where poverty limits the availability of health care, scientists are reporting development of an inexpensive and easy-to-use urine test ideally suited for such areas. The report describing the paper-based device, which also could be adapted for the diagnosis and monitoring of other conditions and the environment, appears in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry. Jan Lankelma and colleagues point out that monitoring glucose levels is important. Although diabetes test strips seem inexpensive, ...

Scientists are reporting development and testing of a new series of drugs that could finally stop the fox tapeworm — which causes a rare but life-threatening disease in humans — dead in its tracks. The report, which appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, shows that specific organometallic substances that help combat cancer are also the surprising best new hope for a treatment against tapeworm infection. Carsten Vock, Andrew Hemphill and colleagues explain that alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a parasitic disease caused by the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. ...

For Allergy Awareness month, Wild Indigo Publishing has launched an Extraordinary Kids contest with prizes including a new iPad 3. Based on the theme song Extraordinary, from the book The Princess and the Peanut: A Royally Allergic Fairytale , contest entrants will create videos showing how allergies affect their world and what makes them Extraordinary Kids. Their testimony will be followed by their own rendition of Jackie Henderson's allergy song. The contest details can be found on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/royallyallergic The Princess and the Peanut: A ...

Most consumers want to fit in while still asserting their individuality—and they balance these conflicting desires when choosing products, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "Consumers want both to signal their identity with desired groups and to be different from other group members. This research shows how people simultaneously satisfy these apparently conflicting motives in consumer behavior," write authors Cindy Chan, Jonah Berger (both University of Pennsylvania), and Leaf Van Boven (University of Colorado, Boulder). "Is it possible to ...

Growing demand among baby boomers and others for "enhanced cosmetics" that marry cosmetics and active ingredients to smooth wrinkled skin and otherwise improve appearance is fostering research on micro-capsules and other technology to package those ingredients in creams, lotions and other products. That boom in research on encapsulation and other delivery technology is the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. In the ...

It seems really simple: If you want to achieve something, set a goal and then make specific plans to implement it. But according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers get overwhelmed while juggling multiple goals. "Research has shown that forming specific plans for a single goal makes success more likely," write authors Amy Dalton (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) and Stephen Spiller (UCLA). "Most of us, however, are juggling multiple goals in our lives and jobs and managing a busy schedule is difficult. This raises the question ...

Researchers with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Weapons and Materials Research Directorate saw the product of their work toward a new generation of significantly improved materials for advanced Soldier head protection reach the milestone of commercial production on March 12 when Ceradyne, a commercial partner, announced it had received its first Enhanced Combat Helmet order. The new helmets have 35 percent higher tolerance from fragmenting munitions than previous ballistic helmets. Other helmets from the ARL-led Army ManTech program are already in the field, ...

Among Islamists, certain global brands can be considered threats to Muslim identity, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "'Infidel! Infidel!' cries the six-year-old boy upon hearing his mother mention Nestlé during our interview," writes author Elif Izberk-Bilgin (University of Michigan-Dearborn). "Why would a six-year-old call Nestlé infidel? How do global brands like Coca-Cola and Disney get tangled in a complex web of sociopolitical dynamics and become targets of religiously charged consumer activism?" In describing a phenomenon she calls ...

Why are men generally more reluctant to try vegetarian products? According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers are influenced by a strong association of meat with masculinity. "We examined whether people in Western cultures have a metaphoric link between meat and men," write authors Paul Rozin (University of Pennsylvania), Julia M. Hormes (Louisiana State University), Myles S. Faith (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), and Brian Wansink (Cornell University). The answer, they found, was a strong connection between eating meat—especially ...

Although it is tempting to use the word "we" to make consumers feel like part of the family, people react negatively when brands overstep their boundaries, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "Marketers often desire to promote consumers' feelings of being in a close relationship with the brands they market, and they frequently craft their communications using language that portrays brands as close partners with consumers," write authors Aner Sela (University of Florida), S. Christian Wheeler (Stanford University), and Gülen Sarial-Abi (Koç University). ...