Awake mental replay of past experiences is essential for making informed choices, suggests a study in rats. Without it, the animals’ memory-based decision-making faltered, say scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers blocked learning from, and acting on, past experience by selectively suppressing replay – encoded as split-second bursts of neuronal activity in the memory hubs of rats performing a maze task. "It appears to be these ripple-like bursts in electrical activity in the hippocampus that enable us to think about future possibilities ...

May 3, 2012 — (Bronx, NY) — Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in collaboration with Nurses' Health Study investigators have shown that levels of certain related proteins found in blood are associated with a greatly reduced risk for developing type 2 diabetes up to a decade or more later. The findings, published today in the online edition of Diabetes, could open a new front in the war against diabetes. These proteins are part of what is called the IGF axis. This axis was named for insulin-like growth factor-1, (IGF-1), so called ...

Researchers at Seattle Children's Research Institute and their collaborators have discovered a pair of defective genes that cause a rare congenital malformation syndrome that can make it impossible for the child to breathe or eat properly without reparative surgery. In a study led by Michael L. Cunningham, MD, PhD, medical director of the Seattle Children's Hospital's Craniofacial Center, a research team pinpointed two genes known as PLCB4 and GNAI3 in a genetic pathway that affects children with auriculocondylar syndrome (ACS). ACS is a rare disorder in which a child's ...

Defective hip implant devices and transvaginal mesh devices were put on the market despite significant concerns over the safety of earlier models. And thousands of Americans have been injured as a result. Sadly, a loophole in federal law could be to blame. By law, the Food and Drug Administration is not required to review or approve medical devices that are "substantially equivalent" to previously approved models, so long as the prior model was not taken off the market pursuant to an FDA or court order. Since the device's prior models were approved, and still ...

People who have been in a car accident before know how difficult it can be to deal with insurance companies. However, if you are new to the experience, it can be a painful and patience-testing process to get your claim paid. Despite the warm impression that insurance commercials give of efficient claims processing and willingness to help you out when you're in a car accident, insurance is in reality a multi-billion dollar business. Like most companies, insurance companies exist to make a profit for their shareholders, so making their policyholders happy is not the main ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—More than 60 percent of young adults between the ages of 19 and 22 received some financial help from mom and dad, according to a new University of Michigan study. The average amount they received – including help with college tuition, rent, and transportation – was roughly $7,500 a year. The study is the first to use nationally representative data to calculate parental assistance to young adults and to analyze how help varies by family and individual characteristics. It is based on data from 2,098 interviews conducted between 2005 and 2009, with young ...

A Queen's University researcher has created a Star Trek-like human-scale 3D videoconferencing pod that allows people in different locations to video conference as if they are standing in front of each other. "Why Skype when you can talk to a life-size 3D holographic image of another person?" says professor Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab. The technology Dr. Vertegaal and researchers at the Queen's Human Media Lab have developed is called TeleHuman and looks like something from the Star Trek holodeck. Two people simply stand infront of their own life-size ...

Hampton Inn Atlanta-Southlake Morrow Hotel offers convenient accommodations to parents and guests attending Clayton State University's spring 2012 Commencement Ceremonies. The Commencement Exercises will take place at 9:00am and 12 noon on May 5 at the Clayton State University Athletics & Fitness Center. The commencement speaker for both graduation events will be former Atlanta mayor, Ambassador Andrew Young. Conveniently located within minutes from Clayton State University, The Hampton Inn Morrow GA Hotel is the perfect choice for local lodging. Services and amenities ...

Irvine, Calif., May 3, 2012 – Being cut off from work email significantly reduces stress and allows employees to focus far better, according to a new study by UC Irvine and U.S. Army researchers. Heart rate monitors were attached to computer users in a suburban office setting, while software sensors detected how often they switched windows. People who read email changed screens twice as often and were in a steady "high alert" state, with more constant heart rates. Those removed from email for five days experienced more natural, variable heart rates. "We found that when ...

PASADENA, Calif.—There is an old trick for remembering the difference between stalactites and stalagmites in a cave: Stalactites hold tight to the ceiling while stalagmites might one day grow to reach the ceiling. Now, it seems, stalagmites might also fill a hole in our understanding of Earth's climate system and how that system is likely to respond to the rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide since preindustrial times. Many existing historical climate records are biased to the high latitudes— coming from polar ice cores and North Atlantic deep ocean sediments. ...

Radisson Blu Resort El Quseir has launched additional upgrades for its guests, including improvements to Wi-Fi access, food and beverage services and room amenities. The upgrade was carried out by the hotel's new management team with the aim of increasing guest satisfaction. The new management team is headed by General Manager Mohamad Yassine. It's supported by Taha Mansour, Front Office Manager, Carola Pawlowitz, Head of German Guest Relations, Ahmed Shawki, IT Manager, Sameh Salib, Food and Beverage Manager, and Nagham Mohamed, Director of Sales and Marketing. The ...

Access Legal from Shoosmiths has announced that it will become the national free wills provider for end of life care charity Marie Curie Cancer Care. Access Legal will support Marie Curie's Free Wills Scheme by writing wills for anyone over the age of 55. The service will be provided with the hope that some people will include a gift in their wills to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity; however, there is no obligation to do so. In addition to Access Legal from Shoosmiths, other law firms and will-writing providers will continue to work for the charity as well. ...

Like a well-rehearsed formation team, a flock of flying robots rises slowly into the air with a loud buzzing noise. A good two dozen in number, they perform an intricate dance in the sky above the seething hordes of soccer fans. Rowdy hooligans have stormed the field and set off flares. Fights are breaking out all over, smoke is hindering visibility, and chaos is the order of the day. Only the swarm of flying drones can maintain an overview of the situation. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a kind of mini-helicopter, with a wingspan of around two meters. They have ...

When it comes to scary things in the universe, it's hard to get much scarier than supermassive black holes. These gigantic, invisible menaces lurk in the centers of galaxies, hungrily vacuuming up everything within reach - or so we think. But the truth is more benign. Supermassive black holes snack infrequently, making the recent discovery of a black hole in the act of feeding all the more exciting to astronomers. "Black holes, like sharks, suffer from a popular misconception that they are perpetual killing machines," said Ryan Chornock of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center ...

NEW YORK (May 3, 2012) -- Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and Rockefeller University have identified the first gene to be linked to a rare condition in which babies are born without a spleen, putting those children at risk of dying from infections they cannot defend themselves against. The gene, Nkx2.5, was shown to regulate genesis of the spleen during early development in mice. The study, published online May 3 in Developmental Cell, raises the hope that a simple genetic screening test for Nkx2.5 mutations can be developed that will alert parents that their ...

Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, has celebrated the opening of its first European resort. Nestled on the bay of Soller in Mallorca, Spain, Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa is the latest addition to Jumeirah's portfolio of luxury spa hotels and the five-star resort is ideal for travellers who want to discover the local traditions, connect with the destination and enjoy an internationally recognised service. Strategically located in the northwest of the island of Mallorca, Puerto de Soller is a small fishing village ...

Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology have discovered a key element in the mechanism of DNA repair. When the DNA double helix breaks, the broken end goes searching for the similar sequence and uses that as a template for repair. Using a smart new dual-molecule technique, the Delft group has now found out how the DNA molecule is able to perform this search and recognition process in such an efficient way. This week, the researchers report their findings in Molecular Cell. A staggering problem Sometimes, the DNA double helix ...

Research Now, the leading global online sampling and data collection company, today announced the gradual launch of its improved Valued Opinions programme to over 200,000 active members in Australia. Enhancements include: a modernised website and new identity; increased member communications and support resources; access to a complete history log; social media integration; the introduction of quick polls; a greater variety of rewards; and a complimentary Smartphone app. Since its first launch in the United Kingdom in April 2011, Valued Opinions 2.0 has seen a 25-30 ...

An optical switch developed at the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) spurs the prospective integration of photonics and electronics. What, isn't electronics good enough? Well, nothing travels faster than light, and in the effort to speed up the processing and transmission of information, the combined use of light parcels (photons) along with electricity parcels (electrons) is desirable for developing a workable opto-electronic protocol. The JQI (*) switch can steer a beam of light from one direction to another in only 120 picoseconds (120 trillionths of a second), ...

funK shades, the first makers of polarized children's sunglasses with snap-on charms, is bringing vivid spring colors and fashion-forward new styles to their Spring/Summer collection. With everything from chic neon pinks to breezy ocean blues, funK shades are 100% UVA UVB polarized lenses protecting children's eyes from harmful UV rays with both style and funKtion. Just in time for summer, funK shades have added fashionable flair to its already adorable line of children's sunglasses. The new folding Wayfarer inspired frames are portable, compact, and perfect to endure ...

University of California, Berkeley, scientists are drilling into ancient sediments at the bottom of Northern California's Clear Lake for clues that could help them better predict how today's plants and animals will adapt to climate change and increasing population. The lake sediments are among the world's oldest, containing records of biological change stretching back as far as 500,000 years. The core drilling is part of a unique, multifaceted effort at UC Berkeley to determine how Earth's flora and fauna responded to past changes in climate in order to improve models ...

New York, NY (May 3, 2012) — Blacks and Hispanics have a significantly higher risk of developing precancerous colorectal polyps compared with whites, according to a study by researchers at NewYork – Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The findings appeared in the online edition of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. "Our data suggest that we need to redouble our efforts to increase colon cancer screening in areas with large numbers of racial and ethnic minorities," said lead author Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, MS, assistant professor of clinical medicine ...

New York, NY (May 3, 2012) — Blacks and Hispanics have a significantly higher risk of developing precancerous colorectal polyps compared with whites, according to a study by researchers at NewYork – Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The findings appeared in the online edition of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. "Our data suggest that we need to redouble our efforts to increase colon cancer screening in areas with large numbers of racial and ethnic minorities," said lead author Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, MS, assistant professor of clinical medicine ...

A team led by Johns Hopkins engineers has discovered some previously unknown properties of a common memory material, paving the way for development of new forms of memory drives, movie discs and computer systems that retain data more quickly, last longer and allow far more capacity than current data storage media. The work was reported April 16 in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research focused on an inexpensive phase-change memory alloy composed of germanium, antimony and tellurium, called GST for short. The material is already ...

If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from the pain of dry cracked skin, chances are you've searched the aisles of your local drug store for a cure only to be disappointed by product after product. And most likely you've invested hundreds of dollars over the years on lotions that just end up sitting on your bathroom shelves or in the trash. You are not alone. Wonder ingredients that go nowhere: The skin care industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with companies racing to create the newest wonder ingredients and fight for top celebrity endorsements ...