This press release is available in German. Around 100 billion neurons in the human brain enable us to think, feel and act. They transmit electrical impulses to remote parts of the brain and body via long nerve fibres known as axons. This communication requires enormous amounts of energy, which the neurons are thought to generate from sugar. Axons are closely associated with glial cells which, on the one hand, surround them with an electrically insulating myelin sheath and, on the other hand support their long-term function. Klaus Armin and his research group from the ...

A few hundred thousand billion free-floating life-bearing Earth-sized planets may exist in the space between stars in the Milky Way. So argues an international team of scientists led by Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, Director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham, UK. Their findings are published online in the Springer journal Astrophysics and Space Science. The scientists have proposed that these life-bearing planets originated in the early Universe within a few million years of the Big Bang, and that they make up most of the so-called ...

Philadelphia, PA, May 10, 2012 – These findings are not about the classic story of gift-giving, although the MAGI genes (officially named membrane associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain containing proteins) do influence brain function in important ways. MAGI1 and MAGI2 are genes that code for the MAGI proteins. These proteins influence the development and function of synapses in the brain, the junctions where communication between nerve cells occurs. Because they perform many important functions at brain synapses, researchers have made several attempts to tie ...

Chimpanzee Santino achieved international fame in 2009 for his habit of gathering stones and manufacturing concrete projectiles to throw at zoo visitors. A new study shows that Santino's innovativeness when he plans his stone-throwing is greater than researchers have previously observed. He not only gathers stones and manufactures projectiles in advance; he also finds innovative ways of fooling the visitors. The study, which was carried out at Lund University, has been published in PLoS One. The new study looked at the chimpanzee's ability to carry out complex planning. ...

New in the journals: From how our attachment with our moms affects our future relationships, to the connection between family size and general intelligence.... and more. Attachment to mom predicts ability to cope with future loss How children cope with the loss of a loved one depends on their attachment to their mother and activity within their nervous system, according to a recent study. Adolescents with more attachment anxiety to their mom at age 14 had a harder time adjusting to the loss of a close social partner than adolescents with less attachment anxiety. "Adolescent ...

In the run-up to the G8 summit in Camp David, Maryland, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, in partnership with the national science academies of the G8 member states and seven other science academies, has equipped the world leaders with a set of recommendations on addressing some of the planet's most pressing challenges. The partners' three statements on the topics of water and energy, greenhouse gas reduction and ways of building resilience to natural and technological disasters will today be handed over to the participating governments for them to consult ...

Metro Tapas Bar & Lounge in Woodside, NY officially opens its doors this week offering patrons a unique dining experience in a comfortable bar like atmosphere. Executive Chef Lee Knoeppel's menu features a variety of small plates that take the diner on a culinary tour of American food with an ethnic twist. The restaurant's fare is inspired by local and regional favorites kicked up to reflect the refined palates of today's diners. Knoeppel previously worked at the famed Craft Bar in Gramercy and was Chef de Cuisine at the Pridwin Beach Hotel on Shelter Island, NY. ...

WASHINGTON — National science academies from 15 countries issued joint statements today calling on world leaders who are about to meet at the upcoming G8 Summit and other international gatherings this year to give greater consideration to the vital role science and technology could play in addressing some of the planet's most pressing challenges. The "G-Science" statements recommend that governments engage the international research community in developing systematic, innovative solutions to three global dilemmas: how to simultaneously meet water and energy needs; how ...

This press release is available in French. C5ORF42 was identified as the gene that causes Joubert Syndrome in a number of families in the Lower St. Lawrence region of Quebec where the causal gene had remained unknown since the initial description of the syndrome in 1969. This is what a study in the April issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics reveals. The study was conducted by researchers from the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and the Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal (CENUM). Joubert Syndrome is a condition ...

Lebanon, NH –Five leading health systems are changing aspects of how they perform total knee replacements, as a result of data they collected that showed variations in length of stay, length of operating room time, and in-hospital complications. The voluntary testing of clinical measures and processes they identified as potential "best practices" is a step toward their goal of higher quality care, at lower cost. Founding members of the High Value Healthcare Collaborative (HVHC) are Cleveland Clinic, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Denver Health, Intermountain Healthcare, Mayo Clinic, ...

Polaris Financial Technology Ltd. (POLS.BO), a leading global Financial Technology company, announced that the company won the 'Best Payments Infrastructure Project for Mid Tier Banks' award at The Asian Banker Summit 2012 held in Bangkok, for its implementation at National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) for providing the bank with a global cross border and domestic payment platform. The prestigious Asian Banker IT Implementation Awards jointly recognizes banks and their vendor partners for their success in implementing IT projects and programmes. Every year the programme ...

Our marketing tip for this month concerns establishing who your high-value customers are and targeting your marketing efforts specifically towards this demographic. This may seem to conflict with earlier advice - namely getting exposure to the widest possible audience; nevertheless, while building a wide network is fantastic, building a network of people who are actually likely to need and use your services, or who have influence with people who will do so is even better. Not only is it advisable to target the demographic that is most likely to use your services, or ...

This release is available in German.How do we build a memory in the brain? It is well known that for animals (and humans) new proteins are needed to establish long-term memories. During learning information is stored at the synapses, the junctions connecting nerve cells. Synapses also require new proteins in order to show changes in their strength (synaptic plasticity). Historically, scientists have focused on the cell body as the place where the required proteins are synthesized. However, in recent years there has been increasing focus on the dendrites and axons (the compartments ...

Inflammation might be an important factor in the progression from reflux to esophageal cancer, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. "Our research shows that damage to the esophageal lining that can be seen with endoscopy is important in the progression from normal cells to cancer, and Barrett's esophagus is likely to be an intermediate step," said Rune Erichsen, MD, of Aarhus University Hospital and lead author of this study. In the past three decades, ...

A study led by a Johns Hopkins neuroscientist and published in the May 10 issue of the journal Neuron suggests a potential new therapeutic approach for improving memory and interrupting disease progression in patients with a form of cognitive impairment that often leads to full-blown Alzheimer's disease. The focus of the study was "excess brain activity" commonly associated with conditions that cause mild cognitive decline and memory loss, and are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's. Previously, it had been thought that this neural hyperactivity in the hippocampus ...

The creation of a social media videoconferencing platform geared towards healthcare might pave the way for enhanced use of social media in the world of healthcare according to a study published this month in the International Journal of Electronic Finance. Peter DeVries of the Department of Finance, Accounting, and CIS, at the University of Houston – Downtown, explains that despite the advent of social media tools and accessible mobile communications devices, the patient-doctor relationship has changed little. DeVries suggests that innovative use of social media might ...

With endless applications, high-speed wireless Internet access, and free messaging services, smart phones have revolutionized the way we communicate. But at what cost? According to researchers at Tel Aviv University, the smart phone is challenging traditional conceptions of privacy, especially in the public sphere. Dr. Tali Hatuka of TAU's Department of Geography and Dr. Eran Toch of TAU's Department of Industrial Engineering have teamed to measure the impact of the smart phone phenomenon on privacy, behavioral codes, and the use of public space. Their early results ...

Imagine being able to control genetic expression by flipping a light switch. Researchers at North Carolina State University are using light-activated molecules to turn gene expression on and off. Their method enables greater precision when studying gene function, and could lead to targeted therapies for diseases like cancer. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are commonly used molecules that can prevent gene transcription by binding to double-stranded DNA. NC State chemist Dr. Alex Deiters wanted to find a way to more precisely control TFOs, and by extension, the ...

A health nutrition education program to fight childhood obesity in America is a possible outcome of a study by a University of Oklahoma researcher and a colleague. The study looked at factors affecting a child's decision when choosing healthy or unhealthy snacks. Paul Branscum, assistant professor, OU Department of Health and Exercise Science, College of Arts and Sciences, surveyed 167 fourth- and fifth-grade students in the Midwest to find out what snacks the students were eating between meals. Branscum asked the students to record their choices over a 24-hour-period. Survey ...

The link between psoriasis and cardiovascular events has been observed for years, however the mechanics were unknown. For the first time, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have discovered preclinical evidence demonstrating that the inflammatory skin disease leads to cardiovascular disease. Further, the research demonstrated that aggressive reversal of psoriasis reduces the cardiovascular risk as well. Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the immune system that appears as raised, inflamed, scaly red patches of skin and is often associated with intense ...

Actor George Clooney is planning a fundraising dinner to raise $10 million for President Barack Obama. Comedian Chelsea Handler and actor Tom Hanks are also Obama supporters. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy, rocker Ted Nugent and country singer Trace Adkins have said they back the likely Republican nominee, Mitt Romney. Star-studded endorsements may be attention grabbing, but does it influence voters? Yes, it does, according to research recently published by a political scientist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Professor Anthony Nownes has found that celebrities ...

Alexandria, VA — A study in the May 2012 issue of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery suggests a threshold for when to choose surgery over medical therapy for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS) based on the patients' lost productivity in response to RARS and each treatment strategy. The authors compare the burden of surgery and the burden of disease. On one hand, "Surgery and postoperative convalescence for comprehensive endoscopic sinus surgery can take 5 to 7 days or 3 to 5 workdays…," they write. However, the impact of each bout of infection also diminishes quality ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – May 10, 2012 – Researchers report that unsedated transnasal endoscopy is a feasible, safe, and well-tolerated method to screen for esophageal disease in a primary care population. This study is the largest reported experience with transnasal endoscopy in the United States. The study appears in the May issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Esophageal cancer is the most rapidly increasing type of neoplasia in terms of incidence in the United ...

New Rochelle, NY, May 10, 2012—A citywide ban on public smoking in Colorado led to significant decreases in maternal smoking and preterm births, providing the first evidence in the U.S. that such interventions can impact maternal and fetal health, according to an article in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Women's Health website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jwh. Prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke–whether the mother is a smoker or exposure is from environmental ...

The human body does a great job of generating new cells to replace dead ones but it is not perfect. Cells need to communicate with or signal to each other to decide when to generate new cells. Communication or signaling errors in cells lead to uncontrolled cell growth and are the basis of many cancers. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, scientists have made a key discovery in cell signaling that is relevant to the fight against melanoma skin cancer and certain other fast-spreading tumors. The scientists report that ...