A male robin will be more diligent in caring for its young if the eggs its mate lays are a brighter shade of blue. Queen's University biology professor Bob Montgomerie has been studying robins on and off for 25 years and has a particular fascination with the bright blue colour of their eggs. To test a theory on the purpose of bright egg colouration, Dr. Montgomerie and MSc student Philina English, working at the Queen's University Biological Station (QUBS) and other sites around Kingston, replaced the real eggs in robins' nests with artificial eggs of different shades ...

WASHINGTON – A drug that has been shown to prevent HIV infection in a significant number of cases must be combined with behavioral approaches if the U.S. health care establishment is to succeed in reducing the spread of the virus, according to the American Psychological Association. "Exclusive reliance on a drug to prevent HIV or any sexually transmitted disease could actually result in a worse outcome if those at risk don't understand how their own behavior affects treatment," said Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, chair of APA's Committee on Psychology and AIDS. "We know that ...

Check writer software saves users time and money on personal finance tracking. New updates to ezCheckPersonal, the popular check printing software from Halfpricesoft.com (http://www.halfpricesoft.com), include an updated user interface and installation package, which makes it easier for new users to set up this check writer, print personalized checks, manage checks and track expense. "Simple, easy and fast. That's what computer software should be," said Halfpricesoft.com founder Dr. Ge. "You shouldn't need a programming degree or accounting background ...

Young children of unmarried parents who live with their mother and receive court-mandated financial support from their father exhibit more aggressive behavior than those who don't get any formal support at all, according to a Rutgers University Study. In analyzing data from a study of nearly 5,000 children born between 1998 and 2000, Lenna Nepomnyaschy, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work, also found that 5-year-old children have increased cognitive skills when their father provides cash support without being forced to do so by a legal agreement. The data ...

York Carnival returns to the city on Saturday June 16th this year, with plenty of live music and entertainment lined up for those in attendance. Organised by a committee of students from the University of York, the carnival will feature a colourful parade through the city headed by York Samba that begins at 12:15 BST. The event aims to integrate the activities of the university with members of the local community, so the many acts and performers who take part are drawn from both the campus and elsewhere in York. North Yorkshire-based rock band My Forever are also ...

Amber from Cretaceous deposits (110-105 my) in Northern Spain has revealed the first ever record of insect pollination. Scientists have discovered in two pieces of amber several specimens of tiny insects covered with pollen grains, revealing the first record of pollen transport and social behavior in this group of animals. The results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) dated 14-18 May 2012. The international team of scientists comprises: Enrique Peñalver and Eduardo Barrón from the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España in Madrid; ...

The Chieftains, one of Ireland's most popular traditional music acts, are due to play at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh next month. Fans of the group can see them perform in the Scottish capital on Sunday June 17th, when they are set to play songs from latest album Voice of Ages. Formed in Dublin during the early 1960s, The Chieftains are celebrating 50 years in the music business this year. They are now regarded as international ambassadors of traditional Irish folk music, having performed in huge venues around the world. Their distinctive sound is largely based ...

Singer-songwriter sensation Christina Perri will be bringing her popular brand of soulful anthems to Kuala Lumpur for a live show on June 7th 2012. To be held at KL Live, the show is set to begin at 20:30 local time and will see audiences treated to a performance by one of US music's biggest breakout success stories of recent years. Perri was catapulted from her previous life as a cafe manager to global superstardom in 2010 when her tender ballad Jar of Hearts was featured on the US TV show So You Think You Can Dance, becoming a million-selling smash hit. Since ...

Visitors to Macau will be able to see a spectacular yet thought-provoking dance show called Grasping the Floor with the Back of My Head in Macau this June. Performed by Denmark's Mute Comp. Physical Theatre, the show is being staged at the Centro Cultural Macau on June 29th and 30th at 20:00 local time. Debuting back in 2008 to critical acclaim and awards recognition, Grasping the Floor with the Back of My Head offers a discussion of the way in which so much of human existence involves people creating misery for themselves. This serious theme will be explored in ...

Pursuing a relatively untapped route for regulating the immune system, an international team of researchers has designed and conducted initial tests on molecules that have the potential to treat diseases involving inflammation, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and sepsis. The team started by creating a three-dimensional map of a protein structure called the C3a receptor, which sits on the surface of human cells and plays a critical role in regulating a branch of the immune system called the complement system. They then used computational techniques to design ...

Lovers of traditional Chinese performing arts will be well catered for in Hong Kong this summer when the 2012 Chinese Opera Festival is held. Commencing on June 15th, the event encompasses ten programmes showcasing different aspects of this unique art form, eventually drawing to a close on August 5th. This year, the elegant and sophisticated Kunqu performing style will take centre stage via a mentoring programme conducted by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre, which will teach two classic operas to young actors before staging a final performance. However, other styles ...

The Singapore Arts Festival 2012 will commence on May 18th and is set to treat visitors to dozens of thought-provoking and fascinating performances. Based around the title Our Lost Poems, the 16-day event runs until June 2nd 2012 and will aim to explore stories ranging from myths and legends to idle thoughts and enigmatic riddles, via a number of different artistic media. Participating artists hail from nations as diverse as India, China, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Canada and the UK, as well as Singapore itself. Highlights include Mark Chan's musical ...

Brick Marketing, a Boston full service SEO company, is now offering an affordable small business SEO solution for business owners that want to improve their search engine visibility but don't have the budget to pay a monthly service fee or commit to a contract. Brick Marketing small business SEO services are designed for business owners that want a strong SEO foundation for a onetime cost. The service includes all of the upfront work of an SEO campaign on a per project basis and includes a combination of elements of a full service SEO campaign and SEO consulting and ...

EUGENE, Ore. -- (May 14, 2012) -- Water could change the way we eat. That's the conclusion of new research by T. Bettina Cornwell of the University of Oregon and Anna R. McAlister of Michigan State University. Their findings appear online this week ahead of regular publication by the journal Appetite. The paper featured separate studies. One involved a survey of 60 young U.S. adults (ages 19-23) about the role of food-and-drink pairings. The second involved experiments with 75 U.S. children (ages 3-5) to determine the role of drinks and vegetable consumption. The same ...

Coastal Range Systems (www.coastalrange.ca), a leading channel partner, today announced Fentro Technologies Inc. as one of its newest customers deploying the SAP Business One application. With offices across western and central Canada, Coastal Range Systems will manage and complete the implementation from its Burnaby, BC office. Fentro Technologies is a Canadian distributor of tilt-and-turn window systems, hardware and accessories. In addition to providing coating services with specially formulated heat-reflective coatings, it provides North American window and door ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Alterations to the "on-off" switches of genes occur early in the development of prostate cancer and could be used as biomarkers to detect the disease months or even years earlier than current approaches, a Mayo Clinic study has found. These biomarkers — known as DNA methylation profiles — also can predict if the cancer is going to recur and if that recurrence will remain localized to the prostate or, instead, spread to other organs. The study, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, is the first to capture the methylation changes that occur ...

Just when it seems to have finally transitioned from taboo practice to accepted dating method, Internet dating is again under fire for some of its simply untrue claims. Guarantees of finding real love on a website have left many broken-hearted singles turning away from their computers and back into the "real world." According to Susan Whitbourne of Time magazine, Internet dating, put simply, does not always work. Events & Adventures, an alternative dating club that has been around since 1987, provides the natural dating experience that many singles feel is ...

Arranging DNA fragments into a genome sequence that scientists can interpret is a challenge often compared to assembling a puzzle, except there is no box to provide an idea of what the picture is even supposed to be. Sometimes there's guidance in the form of other publicly-available DNA sequences from related organisms that can be used to guide the assembly process, but its usefulness depends on how closely related any two sequences are to one another. For example, a reference genome might be so distantly related from the one being assembled, it would be akin to comparing ...

From man-made toxic chemicals such as industrial by-products to poisons that occur naturally, a water or food supply can be easily contaminated. And for every level of toxic material ingested, there is some level of bodily response, ranging from minor illness to painful certain death. Biosensors have long been used to safeguard against exposure to toxic chemicals. Food tasters employed by the ancients acted as early versions of biosensors, determining if a meal had been poisoned. More modern examples include the use of fish, which may alter their swimming characteristics ...

ST. LOUIS, MO, May 14, 2012—Arranging DNA fragments into a genome sequence that scientists can interpret is a challenge often compared to assembling a puzzle except you don't have the box and have no idea what the picture is supposed to be. Sometimes clues from other publicly-available DNA sequences of related organisms can be used to guide the assembly process, but its usefulness depends on how closely related any two sequences are to one another. For example, a reference genome might be so distantly related from the one being assembled, it would be akin to comparing a ...

Aging is a process to which all people are subject, but virtually no individual wants to endure. From fine lines to deep wrinkles, aging has the power to change one's skin quite drastically. A team of British scientists has identified several key genes that contribute to the process of aging--a feat that many believe will assist the healthcare and skincare industries in the development of more potent anti-aging therapies. DermaVeratrol, a popular anti-aging brand, believes that its product already works with these genes to create younger looking complexions. According ...

Can the temperature of the food we eat affect the intensity of its taste? It depends on the taste, according to a new study by Dr. Gary Pickering and colleagues from Brock University in Canada. Their work shows that changes in the temperature of foods and drinks have an effect on the intensity of sour, bitter and astringent (e.g. cranberry juice) tastes but not sweetness. Their work is published online in Springer's Chemosensory Perception journal. We are all familiar with the effect of temperature on taste - think about starting to eat or drink something while it is ...

Hair care products are commonly sold separately, requiring consumers to purchase several products in order to achieve the full benefits offered by the brand. For instance, many hair revitalization systems require the use of both shampoo and conditioner but sell these items individually. Keranique is a hair care company that is changing this method of shopping by launching a hair care kit that includes all of the items consumers need to get results. Among these items is a product that includes an FDA-approved ingredient that contributes to hair regrowth. Keranique has ...

(San Antonio)—Nice guys do finish last at least when it comes to procreation according to a study from The University of Texas at San Antonio that answers the question of why women choose bad boys. Research from Kristina Durante, assistant professor of marketing at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) College of Business, finds that hormones associated with ovulation influence women's perceptions of men as potential fathers. "Previous research has shown in the week near ovulation women become attracted to sexy, rebellious and handsome men like George Clooney ...

Education is a growing political issue in Sweden, school politics is becoming increasingly important to Swedish voters in elections to parliament, and the share of voters who support the school politics of the Liberal Party has increased. These are three trends pointed out in new reports from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The three reports are based on longitudinal voter behaviour studies that started in 1979 and 1987. The new updates concern the period between the elections in 2006 and 2010. Maria Jarl, political scientist who is studying school politics, has ...