New research from McMaster University may answer a controversial question: do the blind have a better sense of touch because the brain compensates for vision loss or because of heavy reliance on their fingertips? The study, published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests daily dependence on touch is the answer. Twenty-eight profoundly blind participants—with varying degrees of Braille expertise—and 55 normally sighted adults were tested for touch sensitivity on six fingers and both sides of the lower lip. Researchers reasoned that, ...

Vitamins and medications may one day take rides on starch compounds creating stable vitamin-enriched ingredients and cheaper controlled-release drugs, according to Penn State food scientists. The technique may offer drug and food companies a less expensive, more environmentally friendly alternative in creating, among other products, medications and food supplements. In a series of experiments, researchers formed pockets with corn starch and a fatty acid ester to carry oil soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, into the body, according to Gregory Ziegler, ...

The first results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a national study of 8,000 older people aged 50 and over in Ireland, were launched this week by the Minister for Health and Children, Dr James Reilly. TILDA is the most comprehensive study ever conducted on ageing in Ireland. Between 2009- 2011, over 8,000 people aged 50 and over were randomly selected across the country and interviewed about many aspects of their lives including issues such as health, financial circumstances and quality of life. Almost 85 per cent of the participants also underwent ...

How useful would it be to anticipate how well someone will control their emotions? To predict how well they might be able to stay calm during stress? To accept critical feedback stoically? Heath A. Demaree, professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University, finds clues in what psychologists call "hot" and "cold" psychology. "People differ with regard to how well they can control their emotions, and one factor that predicts it is non-emotional in nature – it is a 'cold' cognitive construct," Demaree explains referring to Working Memory Capacity. Working ...

Scientists are reporting development of three promising formulations that could be used in a vaccine to treat methamphetamine addiction — one of the most serious drug abuse problems in the U.S. The report appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. In the paper, Kim Janda and colleagues note that methamphetamine use and addiction cost the U.S. more than $23 billion annually due to medical and law enforcement expenses, as well as lost productivity. The drug, also called "meth" or "crystal meth," can cause a variety of problems including cardiovascular damage ...

This release is available in German. When storms lash northern and eastern Germany, it regularly gets tight in the high-voltage and highest-voltage electrical grids. Electricity from renewable resources has priority on the grid. But, on stormy days in particular, wind turbine systems must be taken offline, because the gird capacities are insufficient. "Currently we are in a situation where we have high inflows from renewable energies into our high voltage line system and are expecting large increases in the future. However, the grid is not designed for this level of ...

A new software called QED (Quantitative Electron Diffraction), which has been licensed by Max Planck Innovation, has now been released by HREM Research Inc., a Japan based company, which is developing products and services in the field of High-Resolution Electron Microscopy. QED allows transmission electron microscopes to acquire novel kinds of data, opening up new possibilities in electron crystallography. Transmission electron microscopes create magnified images of samples and are, in contrast to the light microscope, even able to resolve individual atoms. When transmitting ...

Mini Cities announces that on Thursday, May 12, 2011 it will be presenting at the NYC Early-Stage Angel and Venture Capital Event hosted by FundingPost. "We are very excited to be able to pitch Mini Cities to such a great group of investors." Said Ana Abraham, founder of MiniCities.com. "Mini Cities is in a great space right now with the acquisition of Patch and Bckyrd.com we are in the right market at the right time." Mini Cities is built on a proprietary multi-tiered multitenant platform. Each Mini Cities site is a hyperlocal destination site for ...

WASHINGTON—May 11, 2011—Most Maryland residents trust the health and medical research information provided by traditional media—newspapers (77%), television (71%), magazines (68%), radio (66%)—and the Internet (also 66%), according to a new state poll commissioned by Research!America. Social media fared less well, with 51% saying social media is not trustworthy for health and medical research issues. Fewer than 20% use their cell phone or other mobile device to find health information. The Maryland poll findings were released today at a forum on science journalism at ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Despite playing an increasingly vital role in criminal investigations, digital forensic examiners face staffing cuts, heavy caseloads and stress within police departments that may not fully understand their responsibilities, according to a study led by a Michigan State University criminologist. Police officials should consider hiring more digital forensic examiners or, failing that, improving their work environment, said Thomas Holt, MSU assistant professor of criminal justice. His study appears in the May issue of the Journal of Contemporary Criminal ...

The bad economy has spurned a dramatic increase in burglaries and home invasions across the country. In April, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released crime statistics for 2010, which showed that Nashville saw a 21% increase in burglaries in 2010. As other agencies begin to release similar reports, the results are clear. Many of the nations cities saw burglaries increase in 2010 after falling for a number years and homeowners are growing concerned. "The number's reflect what we have been hearing from listeners all over the country. The bad economy has caused ...

Nanoparticles of silver are being found increasingly in the environment—and in environmental science laboratories. Because they have a variety of useful properties, especially as antibacterial and antifungal agents, silver nanoparticles increasingly are being used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. This, in turn, has raised concerns about what happens to them once released into the environment. Now a new research paper* adds an additional wrinkle: Nature may be making silver nanoparticles on its own. A team of researchers from the Florida Institute ...

Bottlenose dolphins* and beluga whales**, two marine species at or near the top of their respective food webs, accumulate more chemical pollutants in their bodies when they live and feed in waters near urbanized areas, according to scientists working at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML), a government-university collaboration in Charleston, S.C. In papers recently published online by the journal Environmental Science & Technology, one research team looked at the levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) found in male dolphins along the U.S. East and Gulf of Mexico ...

In a step toward taking the most advanced atomic clocks on the road, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have designed and demonstrated a super-stable laser operating in a cramped, vibrating location—a minivan. The experiment shows how advanced lasers can be made both stable and transportable enough for field use in geodesy, hydrology, improved radar and space-based tests of fundamental physics. The drive tests, limited to a short excursion of five meters across the grass at the NIST Boulder, Colo., campus, are described in Optics ...

In a market that once led the nation in growth and now leads in foreclosures, a few intrepid home builders including Pardee Homes of Nevada have joined forces and lowered their scale to create pet houses to benefit the city's homeless families through HomeAid Southern Nevada. For more information, please visit www.homeaidsn.org. In a one-of-a-kind fundraiser, nine pet houses are on display through June 4 at Town Square Park at Town Square, a retail destination on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The houses, built and donated by industry leaders including Pulte Homes, KB ...

With over 600 known species of venomous snakes worldwide, snakebite-related deaths continue to be an issue today. The risk of dying from a snakebite is greatest in rural areas of Africa and Asia, where the availability of antivenom and other appropriate treatments is lowest and the cost and complexity of antivenom manufacture are major obstacles to improving outcomes for snakebite victims. These high costs have meant that some regions, particularly in West Africa, have no access to potentially life-saving antivenoms. The Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit (ARVRU) is ...

DIG Coaching Practice presents Attention Talk Radio with host Jeff Copper and guest Gina Pera, author of "Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stopping the Roller Coaster when Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder." Her book has garnered four national book awards and is hailed as a guide not only to understanding adult ADHD, but also in dealing with the emotional baggage carried by one or both partners with ADHD in an intimate relationship. Gina Pera is a lecturer, author, and prize-winning print journalist. For the last ten years and drawing on her personal ...

While many homebuyers are hesitant to jump on the home market, those who do are taking advantage of low Indiana Mortgage rates and easy to find Indiana home loans. Information on Indiana mortgage rates and Indiana home loans is best found through Arbor Mortgage, an online Indiana home loan resource. Natesmortgages.com specializes in Fort Wayne Indiana Mortgage forms and contracts and is therefore the best resource for those in the Fort Wayne area. "There is no question many homeowners are turning to the Internet for mortgage advice, and I felt I could help ...

Real Dogs Don't Whisper releases first free monthly newsletter, Mr MaGoo's Corner, focus on highlighting nonprofit events. Mr MaGoo's Corner will be a monthly free newsletter filled with fun facts; reader of the month; calendar of fundraising events throughout the Nation. The emphasis of Mr MaGoo's Corner is to help raise awareness for nonprofit organizations. About Real Dogs Don't Whisper Real Dogs Don't Whisper: Life Lessons from a Larger than Life Dog! (and his Owner), a book aimed at the young adult market (with strong crossover potential), is the true story ...

Wine and Design, Raleigh's first and only wine and painting party company, has announced that they will again be opening their studio during the day for their popular Sunshine and Design Summer Painting Camp. During the camps, kids will use a wide range of materials including paint, fabrics, shells, rocks, jewelry, and canvases. Sunshine and Design Kids Camp offers kids one-week painting classes that allow younger painters the opportunity to explore a new style of art by creating different paintings and fun craft projects. From Picasso to Van Gogh, children will be ...

GeniusWave announces Wordle for Android. The word play anagram game, is now available in over 10 Android App Stores Worldwide. The highly popular iTunes app brings the exciting and fast pace game that you can play solo or with a team, in three or thirty minutes to Android devices. The new version also enhances the 3500 puzzles and built in dictionary, making it even easier to pickup, play and learn. A great family game for both kids and adults, this anagram game comes with different levels and is quick to learn and play. Kids and adults alike build vocabulary, improve spelling ...

N.Y.-based management service firm DSH & Co. is virtually opening its doors to a much bigger audience. DSH & Co. has launched its membership & social networking service Web site -- http://www.dshandco-online.com -- featuring online training, research & advisory services, social networking and resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners within the US. And this week adding hand-selected favorites at the Favorites Bar plus networking at the D Lounge and Rooftop Coffee Cafe, to the membership experience. According to Program Director Debora Hawkins, ...

S.O.S: Save Our Schools! National Center For the Learning Environment Presents Lean, Green Educating Machine Tempe, AZ May 31-June 1, 2011 WHAT: National Center for the Learning Environment presents Lean, Green Educating Machine. This event will focus on "green" practices as it relates to educational facilities and management. The conference includes cutting edge presentations, prominent speakers and special networking opportunities. WHEN: May 31- June 1, 2011 1:00pm - 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 31 8:15am - 2:00pm on Wednesday, June 1 WHERE: ...

Even though Breast Cancer Shirts Mean Monster Bullseye on Our Chest as a heading might be a play on a choice of words, it seems that ProjectBoobies.com makes front-page news in major newspapers about once a month. Even though most of the press releases are dissenting in attitude, we are delighted that we are included in view of that situation, it is apropos for us to share our ideas and our goals that are very simple. Breast Cancer Merchandise are our technique to make a difference for Kokolulu Farms & Cancer Retreats in addition to to make one remember folks to study ...

"This new collection embodies the power of words and the power of gold! This combination not only adds beauty, but strength and empowerment as well!" - Diane Von Furstenberg The 8 piece Sutras collection of fine jewelry pieces includes bracelets, pendants, earrings, and rings. Some juxtaposition is seen on each piece between the faux-handcrafted appearances of irregularly faceted rock crystals against a chic gold base, polished to perfection with characters resembling the designer's own penmanship - words of wisdom, like Love, Laughter, Freedom, Harmony, Confidence, ...