Political Studies professor Colin Farrelly wants to see more research into remarkable examples of health – such as why some people live 100 years disease-free. He describes the current pathology-based approach that emphasizes what causes specific diseases as "negative biology" and suggest more resources should be focused on "positive biology." "Currently the medical sciences presume that answering the question 'what causes disease?' is the most significant question to ask and answer," says Professor Farrelly. "Positive biology encourages us to invest just as much time, ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- MIT neuroscientists have shown that an enzyme overproduced in the brains of Alzheimer's patients creates a blockade that shuts off genes necessary to form new memories. Furthermore, by inhibiting that enzyme in mice, the researchers were able to reverse Alzheimer's symptoms. The finding suggests that drugs targeting the enzyme, known as HDAC2, could be a promising new approach to treating the disease, which affects 5.4 million Americans. The number of Alzheimer's victims worldwide is expected to double every 20 years, and President Barack Obama recently ...

VIDEO: Certain kinds of male birds gather into small clusters of land called leks to perform their courtship dances, and according to science, who they choose to associate with matters.... Click here for more information. CORAL GABLES, FL -- Certain kinds of male birds gather into small clusters of land called leks to perform their courtship dances, and according to science, who they choose to associate with matters. A new study by University of Miami Evolutionary Biologist ...

As a journalist for Rolling Stone and The New York Times, Strauss has interviewed celebrities from Lady Gaga to Tom Cruise to Howard Stern and hundreds more. He's picked up Brittany Spears and wooed Jessica Alba on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Now he's taken all that knowledge and experience about social dynamics and packed it into the ultimate party game called "Who's Got Game?" The Backstory: How Facebook Paved the Way for Turning the Game from a Dream into a Reality: How did "Who's Got Game?" come to be? Through social networking, a young entrepreneur ...

If you want a preschooler to get the point, point. That's a lesson that can be drawn from a new study in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science. As part of their investigation of how small children know what other people know, the authors, Carolyn Palmquist and Vikram K. Jaswal of the University of Virginia, found they were able to mislead preschoolers with the simple introduction of a pointing gesture. "Children were willing to attribute knowledge to a person solely based on the gesture they used to convey the information," ...

URBANA – Adding prebiotic ingredients to infant formula helps colonize the newborn's gut with a stable population of beneficial bacteria, and probiotics enhance immunity in formula-fed infants, two University of Illinois studies report. "The beneficial bacteria that live in a baby's intestine are all-important to an infant's health, growth, and ability to fight off infections," said Kelly Tappenden, a U of I professor of nutrition and gastrointestinal physiology. "Breast-fed babies acquire this protection naturally. Formula-fed infants get sick more easily because the ...

Infectious diseases can spread very rapidly, so quickly identifying them can be crucial to stopping an epidemic. However, current testing for such diseases can take hours and days. But not for much longer. Jayne Wu, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Shigetoshi Eda, associate professor of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries at the UT Institute of Agriculture Center for Wildlife Health, have developed a portable device that can be used onsite to detect infectious diseases, pathogens as well as ...

The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn), is a major pest of pecans throughout the southeastern United States, as well as portions of Texas and Oklahoma. In "Biology and Management of the Pecan Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)," (http://bit.ly/xrqS3d) a new article appearing in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, scientists from Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M University describe the biology, life stages, crop injury, monitoring approaches, and primary control strategies currently used for pecan weevil in pecan. Aimed at pecan growers extension personnel ...

According to a study by the United States Secret Service and Department of Education that evaluated 41 school shooters, 71% felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by others. In several cases, they had experienced school bullying and harassment that was "long-standing and severe." The study also found that most shooters planned their attack in advance and told other students of their intentions. In the Chardon High School case, reports indicate the shooter tweeted he was going to bring a gun to school. Students often know what is happening ...

In contemplation of presidential, congressional, gubernatorial and state elections in November 2012, Robert Weidenfeld's book proposes a viable alternative to the systems of governments that grossly abused and contravened the principles of true democracy ever since 1789, when George Washington became the first President of the original 13 united colonies. The book reviews major historical events during the last 5,000 years, including the most significant systems of laws governing various societies during this lengthy period of time. Evidence from primary sources reveals ...

VIDEO: The most visible change in the Arctic region in recent years has been the rapid decline of the perennial ice cover. The perennial ice is the portion of the sea... Click here for more information. GREENBELT, Md. -- A new NASA study revealed that the oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a faster rate than the younger and thinner ice at the edges of the Arctic Ocean's floating ice cap. The thicker ice, known as multi-year ice, survives through the cyclical ...

Visible and Infrared satellite imagery together provide a clearer picture of what a tropical cyclone is doing. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over newly strengthened Cyclone Irene and captured both types of images, which showed the extent and power of the storm. The low pressure area called System 92S that tracked across northern Madagascar this week and brought flooding rains has moved into the Mozambique Channel, strengthen and has been renamed Irina. NASA satellites captured a visible image of Irina as it filled up the northern half of the Mozambique Channel. System ...

Jackson Grills, a leading specialty grill manufacturer, is announcing a new ownership structure and website to support their corporate mandate of offering "Premium Quality." "We believe that the Jackson Grills product lineup fills a unique niche in the barbeque market - one that masterfully balances value with style and performance," says Ken Friesen, Owner of Jackson Grills. Initiated by the new ownership, Jackson Grills has undergone a complete brand makeover, featuring a new refined logo, tagline, website and social media initiatives. "All ...

New Rochelle, NY, February 29, 2012—Although industrial parks are often considered major economic engines for the communities in which they reside, they can also consume environmental resources and produce significant pollution that can negatively affect human health and quality of life. A case study published in Environmental Engineering Science (http://www.liebertpub.com/ees), a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (http://www.liebertpub.com), describes a systems-based approach to assess and reduce the negative societal and economic impact of industrial parks. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many leading causes of death are linked to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, including inadequate physical activity. Adults in minority populations have lower levels of physical activity and higher rates of preventable deaths, according to the Department of Health & Human Services. In a new study, University of Missouri researchers found that minority adults who received exercise interventions increased their physical activity levels. However, these interventions are not culturally tailored to best assist minority populations in improving overall health. Conn ...

New research shows an increased risk of ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women who consume higher amounts of trans fatty acids, commonly found in baked goods, fried foods, and packaged products. Study findings now available in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, suggest aspirin use may moderate the stroke risk caused by a diet high in trans fats. Ischemic stroke is a result of a blockage in an artery leading to the brain. According to the American Heart Association ...

DARIEN, IL – Aging does not appear to be a factor in poor sleep, a new survey of more than 150,000 Americans shows. In fact, subjective sleep quality seems to improve over a lifetime, with the fewest complaints coming from people in their 80s. "This flies in the face of popular belief," said Michael Grandner, PhD, lead author of the study. "These results force us to re-think what we know about sleep in older people – men and women." The study, appearing in the March edition of the journal Sleep, examined rates of sleep disturbance and daytime fatigue reported by 155,877 ...

Reston, VA -- A medical school in Ireland has successfully implemented a radiation protection program, improving knowledge of radiation protection among medical undergraduates, according to a study in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Although the increased use of diagnostic imaging has resulted in faster, more accurate diagnosis, better assessment of therapy response, and early detection of complications, there has been a great deal of scrutiny of its increasing use. As a result, there is a growing need for medical professionals to ...

Reston, VA -- Residency training requirements in competencies related to radiology business practice and health care policy have been in place for more than a decade. However, a recent study, published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, suggests curricula addressing these items still seem to be in a stage of acceptance and development. "The United States has been experiencing a period of rapid changes in health care delivery and financing. Institutions and individuals have been repeatedly challenged to successfully adapt to the accelerating ...

Non-fouling materials that resist cell adhesion are very important in fundamental research on cell–biomaterial interactions and for practical applications. Thus, they have been extensively investigated during the last decade. Natural biomacromolecules such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) have conventionally been used to block cell adhesion. Zhao and Ding (Fudan University, Shanghai, China) recently reported that the purple membrane (PM) containing a natural photoresponsive protein, bacteriorhodopsin (BR), can serve as a new basic substance that resists adhesion of mammalian ...

Although the Titanic disaster is widely known, the authentic story of the lovers, tennis star Karl H. Behr and Helen Newsom, is little known...until now. This new, definitive biography, Starboard at Midnight, written by their granddaughter, brings to light the long-buried secrets of these two survivors, breathing new life into legend. Based on Karl Behr's unpublished autobiography (now in the Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, RI) along with family scrapbooks and more than ten years of research into the historical background of this period, the full story of this epic romance ...

Although a recent study suggests that women with normal results on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans at ages 67 and older may wait up to 15 years for a second test, a Viewpoint article published today in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR) cautions that such a lengthy interval is inappropriate for many adults. Viewpoints allow experts to provide a new perspective on research. In their article, osteoporosis experts Drs. E. Michael Lewiecki, Andrew Laster, Paul Miller and John Bilezikian write that monitoring bone mineral density by DXA should be ...

Older women whose diets include a substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke, a new study shows. However, the risk of stroke associated with trans fat intake was lower among women taking aspirin, according to the findings from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers. The study, "Trans Fat Intake, Aspirin and Ischemic Stroke Among Postmenopausal Women," was published Thursday (March 1, 2012) online in the journal Annals of Neurology. The study of 87,025 generally healthy postmenopausal women ...

DALLAS – March 1, 2012 – Working in the emerging field of systems biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers mathematically predicted how bacteria that cause food poisoning hijack a cell's sense of direction and then confirmed those predictions in living cells. The study proposed a new model to explain how mammalian cells establish the sense of direction necessary to move, as well as the mechanism that a disease-causing form of E. coli bacteria employ to hijack that ability. Cells need to orient themselves for several basic processes, such as keeping biochemical ...

The Newport Festivals Foundation continues to celebrate the festival's historic past by featuring emerging young artists alongside some of folk music's most venerable names. This year's festival features: My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Guthrie Family Reunion, Dawes, The Head & The Heart, Deer Tick, Punch Brothers, City & Colour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Tallest Man on Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Tom Morello, Trampled by Turtles, Gary Clark, Jr., Alabama Shakes, Blind Pilot, Of Monsters and Men, original music from: ...