Pheromone preference, and the initiation of a complex programmed sexual behavior, is determined by the specificity of a single sex pheromone receptor protein expressed in a population of olfactory receptor neurons in the silkmoth (Bombyx mori). The study, which will be published on June 30th in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, provides the first direct proof of the long-held belief that the control of sexual behavior in male moths originates in the chemical specificity of the pheromone receptor proteins expressed in pheromone receptor neurons. Sex pheromones are ...

Older breast cancer patients with certain other health problems have higher mortality rates than patients without these problems according to a study published online June 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The other health problems, or 'comorbidities', include heart attack and other heart-related problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and others. Previous studies have shown that comorbidities as a group are associated with poorer overall survival and higher overall death rates among breast cancer patients. In this study, Jennifer ...

Due to the increased popularity of the site, and spread betting as a whole, financial trading website SpreadBets.org.uk has introduced a brand new section. The new daily article, Spread Betting Markets, reviews key stock market developments as well as moves in the foreign exchange and the commodities markets. "We introduced this latest section as we felt that our visitors would benefit from having a broad review of the markets," said James White, Editor at http://www.spreadbets.org.uk/. "One of the most attractive aspects of spread betting is the ...

Publishing their findings in Science, the researchers have been able to show a remarkable relationship between copper and pigment within exceptionally preserved feathers and other soft tissues. Results include important species such as the oldest beaked bird yet found, the 120 million year old Confuciusornis sanctus, and also the 110 million year old Gansus yumenensis, which looks similar to the modern Grebe and represents the oldest example of modern birds. Pigment is a critical component of colour. The team can map the presence of pigments over whole fossils, revealing ...

VIDEO: Scientists report today that they have taken a big step in determining what the first birds looked like more than 100 million years ago, when their relatives, the dinosaurs, still... Click here for more information. Menlo Park, Calif.--Scientists report today that they have taken a big step in determining what the first birds looked like more than 100 million years ago, when their relatives, the dinosaurs, still ruled the Earth. At the Department of Energy's SLAC ...

New Jersey top dentist, Dr. Ivan Stein of Northfield Dental Group, offers patients expertise in all phases of dentistry. A full-service dental practice with years of experience, patients gain access to numerous dental options under one roof. Not only is Northfield Dental equipped to treat all dental problems from TMJ and tooth loss, this cosmetic dentist in Livingston and West Orange is a full service practice providing for all patients in the surrounding areas. Services offered include bonding, crowns and bridges, cosmetic fillings, TMJ, implants, snoring appliances, ...

In this month's special issue of Physics World, which examines the science and applications of invisibility, Martin McCall and Paul Kinsler of Imperial College London describe a new type of invisibility cloak that does not just hide objects – but events. Using the ultimate bank heist as an example, McCall and Kinsler explain how a thief could, in principle, use an "event cloak" to steal money from a safe, without even the CCTV surveillance cameras being aware. The burglar would somehow need to split all the light approaching the safe into two parts: "before" and "after", ...

Scientists have shown that soccer players with superior ability in areas such as passing accuracy or sprint speed do not necessarily achieve better overall performance on the pitch. Gwendolyn David, PhD researcher at the University of Queensland, says "Athletic abilities measured in the lab were not associated with any measure of performance on the pitch. In other words, it's not your ability, it's what you do with it that counts." In the study, which will be presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Glasgow on Friday the 1st of July, 27 ...

Podiatrist in Valencia, CA, Dr. William Pagliano, is honored to continue to serve Santa Clarita Valley for over 35 years. Committed to the highest quality and standard of care, Dr. Pagliano is the preferred choice for podiatric care in the Santa Clarita Valley area. "It is an honor to continually serve my community with exceptional podiatric care for 35 years and counting. As a second generation podiatrist, I am happy that I can continue to carry my father's name and legacy through quality foot and ankle health care. I hope to continue to provide the best in quality ...

VIDEO: This shows MRI images of a tarantula’s heart beating in real time. Click here for more information. Researchers have used a specialised Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner on tarantulas for the first time, giving unprecedented videos of a tarantula's heart beating. "In the videos you can see the blood flowing through the heart and tantalisingly it looks as though there might be 'double beating' occurring, a distinct type of contraction which has never been ...

The John Bear Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac Dealership in Ontario, Canada has announced that their customer rewards program has officially reached over 20,000 members and has now resulted in the giveaway of over $1,000,000 worth of discounts and services to their loyal customers. For over 30 years now John Bear has been selling new and used cars in Ontario, Canada. Since the program implementation over 5 years ago, customers have used reward points earned to save on the costly repairs and maintenance that come with owning a vehicle. This program is especially helpful ...

Zooplankton can use specialised adaptations that allow them to hide from predators in areas of the ocean where oxygen levels are so low almost nothing can survive - but they may run into trouble as these areas expand under climate change. "OMZs are very difficult places to survive," says PhD researcher Leanne Elder from the University of Rhode Island. "But we have discovered that Phronima sedentaria have adapted in two specialised ways. Firstly they suppress their metabolism, which is very like hibernation in other animals. Secondly, while converting food into energy ...

PHILADELPHIA (June 30, 2011)—Scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center have discovered a new mechanism used by cells in the body to turn on silenced genes. This process is critical in preventing the development of cancer—suggesting the possibility of new therapies that might target the specific changes underlying the disease. The findings will be published online in the journal Cell on June 30, 2011. The process investigated by Alfonso Bellacosa, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor at Fox Chase, and his colleagues, is called methylation, in which the cell chemically tags genes ...

While you are out enjoying your holiday barbeques with the family, the offices of Christopher J. Shea would like to remind you that sobriety checkpoints will be in full affect during this holiday weekend. Avoid the 8 will be in enforcement for the Independence Day weekend, July 1 through July 4. Avoid the 8 is a campaign that brings multiple law enforcement agencies together to catch drivers who are under the influence. Hundreds of drivers have been arrested as part of the Avoid the 8 DUI campaign. This campaign peeks during the holidays and the Fourth of July weekend ...

Young babies' brains are already specially attuned to the sounds of human voices and emotions, according to a report published online on June 30 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. Three- to seven-month-old infants showed more activation in a part of the brain when they heard emotionally neutral human sounds, such as coughing, sneezing, or yawning, than when they heard the familiar sounds of toys or water. That activity appeared in an area of the temporal lobe known in adults for its role in processing human vocalizations. The babies also showed greater response ...

Although our body's defense mechanisms are usually capable of detecting and destroying many types of pathogens, some viruses are able to evade the immune system and make us sick. In particular, "retroviruses," such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are notorious for eluding host immune defenses and causing disease. Now, a new study published by Cell Press online on June 30th in the journal Immunity identifies a key virus-sensing mechanism that is necessary for a successful immune response against infection with this particularly deadly type of virus. The research may ...

Researchers have been investigating the connection between fifth century Himalayan instruments used in religious ceremonies and modern physics. In a study published today, 1 July 2011, in IOP Publishing's journal Nonlinearity, researchers have captured high speed images of the dynamics of fluid-filled Tibetan bowls and quantified how droplets are propelled from the water's surface as the bowls are excited. The first of five videos demonstrating the intriguing dynamics can be seen here http://youtu.be/oob8zENYt0g A Tibetan bowl, generally made from a bronze alloy ...

Researchers have developed a new strategy to improve the outcome of genome-wide association (GWA) studies. GWA studies involve rapidly scanning markers across the genomes of many people. By doing this, scientists can look for the association between certain genetic markers or variants within the population, and a particular trait, including disease. However, the challenge is to take these initial association signals and identify the functional DNA changes and their molecular consequences. This is an important step in translating these findings into clinical benefits. The ...

DURHAM, N.C. – A Duke University graduate student has found a way to double the battery life of mobile devices – such as smartphones or laptop computers – by making changes to WiFi technology. WiFi is a popular wireless technology that helps users download information from the Internet. Such downloads, including pictures, music and video streaming, can be a major drain of battery. The energy drain is especially severe in the presence of other WiFi devices in the neighborhood. In such cases, each device has to "stay awake" before it gets its turn to download a small ...

National church and home insurance specialist Congregational & General today announced it had appointed PR and Social Media agency Umpf to provide PR support and raise awareness of key campaigns across the UK. Umpf, which won the account following a competitive three-way pitch in May against incumbent agency Lucre and Golley Slater, will focus its efforts on highlighting Congregational's key products and services, whilst also spearheading a rolling programme of media campaigns across traditional, digital and social media channels. Congregational, which specialises ...

"Goat plague," or peste des petits ruminants (PPR), is threatening global food security and poverty alleviation in the developing world, say leading veterinarians and animal health experts in this week's Veterinary Record. They call on the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to turn their attention now to ridding the world of the PPR virus, which carries a very high risk of death among infected animals. The call follows the formal announcement this week by the FAO that a related virus, rinderpest, better known ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The discovery that a bacterial species in the Australian Tammar wallaby gut is responsible for keeping the animal's methane emissions relatively low suggests a potential new strategy may exist to try to reduce methane emissions from livestock, according to a new study. Globally, livestock are the largest source of methane from human-related activities, and are the third-largest source of this greenhouse gas in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Wallabies and other marsupials – mammals like the kangaroo that develop ...

Our 2011 Chianti reps, Calvin (or "Calvino" as he's known locally!) and Karen Yates, share some of their findings with you! Favourite fact Every Saturday in the summer, the Etruscan hill town of Volterra holds a "Notte Bianca" where locals dress in either black or white and dance to music in the streets. Apparently there are free drinks for anyone wearing all white! Both our walking and cycling holidays start and end in Volterra. Famous film Volterra also provides the climatic backdrop to Stephanie Meyer's box-office hit, "New Moon", ...

An international team including University of Pennsylvania paleontologists is unearthing the appearance of ancient animals by using the world's most powerful X-rays. New research shows how trace metals in fossils can be used to determine the pigmentation patterns of creatures dead for more than a hundred million years. The research was conducted by an international team working with Phillip Manning, an adjunct professor in the School of Arts and Sciences' Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and Peter Dodson, a professor in both the Department of Earth and ...

LA JOLLA, CA— Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have found clues to the functioning of an important damage response protein in cells. The protein, p53, can cause cells to stop dividing or even to commit suicide when they show signs of DNA damage, and it is responsible for much of the tissue destruction that follows exposure to ionizing radiation or DNA-damaging drugs such as the ones commonly used for cancer therapy. The new finding shows that a short segment on p53 is needed to fine-tune the protein's activity in blood-forming stem cells and their ...