This release is available in German. The expectations people have about how others will behave play a large role in determining whether people cooperate with each other or not. And moreover that very first expectation, or impression, is hard to change. "This is particularly true when the impression is a negative one," says Michael Kurschilgen from the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn, summarising the key findings of a study in which he and his colleagues Christoph Engel and Sebastian Kube examined the results of so-called public good games. ...

DURHAM, N.H. – One year after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on the Gulf Coast, new research from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire shows that despite the roughly equivalent economic compensation, Louisiana and Florida residents differ in perceptions about the current and long-term effects of the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history. "Louisiana residents were more likely than Floridians to say their family suffered major economic setbacks because of the spill, to expect compensation by BP, and plan to leave the region as a result ...

A molecule that lies dormant until it encounters a cancer cell, then suddenly activates and rouses the body's immune system to fight cancer cells directly, marks the latest step in scientists' efforts to tap the body's own resources to fight the disease. The developers of the technology at the University of Rochester Medical Center dub it the "Pacman strategy" because it hinges upon molecular machines produced in abundance by tumors to chew through and gobble up particular chains of molecules. The key feature of the work is a new type of fusion molecule with three parts: ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The discovery of two genes that encode copper- and sulfur-binding repressors in the hospital terror Staphylococcus aureus means two new potential avenues for controlling the increasingly drug-resistant bacterium, scientists say in the April 15, 2011 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. "We need to come up with new targets for antibacterial agents," said Indiana University Bloomington biochemist David Giedroc, who led the project. "Staph is becoming more and more multi-drug resistant, and both of the systems we discovered are promising." The ...

This release is available in Spanish. Almost everyone knows about Escherichia coli O157:H7, the culprit behind many headline-making outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States. But the lesser-known relatives of this pathogenic microbe are increasingly of concern to food safety scientists. That's according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) microbiologist and research leader Pina M. Fratamico. Researchers such as Fratamico, along with food safety regulators, public health officials and food producers in the United States and abroad, want to know more about ...

WASHINGTON D.C., April 12, 2011 – Tart cherries have a unique combination of powerful antioxidants that may help reduce risk factors for heart disease, according to new research presented at the Experimental Biology annual meeting in Washington, DC. In a series of three studies, researchers from University of Michigan, University of Arizona and Brunswick labs studied the antioxidant levels and anti-inflammatory benefits of tart cherries. They found: Reduced Inflammation and Cardiovascular Risk: Drinking eight ounces of tart cherry juice daily for four weeks significantly ...

SEATTLE, Wash.—April 12, 2011—The Allen Institute for Brain Science has released the world's first anatomically and genomically comprehensive human brain map, a previously unthinkable feat made possible through leading-edge technology and more than four years of rigorous studies and documentation. The unprecedented mappings are the foundation for the Allen Human Brain Atlas, an online public resource developed to advance the Institute's goal to accelerate understanding of how the human brain works and fuel new discovery among the global research community. In developing ...

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 12, 2011 – The sentinel node (SN) procedure in breast cancer is based on the premise that if the first node into which breast tissue drains is clean, the remaining lymph nodes in the armpit are likely not involved, with no need for removal. This was developed to limit surgical overtreatment and reduce morbidities such as blockage of lymph vessels and shoulder dysfunction. However, in the initial years of the SN procedure, surgeries actually increased when isolated tumor cells were found. A special issue of Breast Disease presents an insightful ...

ROCKVILLE, Maryland, April 12, 2011 – Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE Amex: CUR) announced that Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator of the Phase I safety trial of Neuralstem's human spinal cord stem cells (HSSC's) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and unpaid Neuralstem consultant, presented interim safety data on the first nine patients. Dr. Feldman reported yesterday at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting (http://www.aan.com/go/am11) that all nine ALS patients remain alive and that ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Just as monarch butterflies depend on circadian cues to begin their annual migration, so do plants to survive freezing temperatures. All living things – humans, animals, plants, microbes – are influenced by circadian rhythms, which are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. In the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Michael Thomashow, University Distinguished Professor of molecular genetics, along with MSU colleagues Malia Dong and Eva Farré, has identified that the circadian clock provides ...

iFreedom Direct, a national VA specialty lender, has added a veterans news page to its website, www.directvaloans.com. Military members can read top stories related to VA benefits, housing and finance in one reliable, convenient location. The veterans news section offers readers original stories relevant to those military members who are interested in staying up to date on their benefits and the VA home loan program. The articles are published daily and can help veterans stay informed with the latest trends and policies pertaining to their benefits. Many military ...

CHICAGO- Northwestern Medicine physicians are currently utilizing a new treatment option for breast cancer that allows women to receive a full dose of radiation therapy during breast conserving surgery. Traditionally, women who opt to have a lumpectomy must first have surgery then undergo approximately six weeks of radiation. This schedule can be challenging for women who have busy schedules or do not have access to a center offering radiation therapy. In some cases, the demanding schedule causes women to not comply with the recommended course of treatment, increasing their ...

NEW YORK (April 12, 2011) -- Medical educators need to be aware of the cultural context in which they teach because these outside forces can affect what is taught and how information is received by students. Drawing upon their experiences teaching medical students the same formal curriculum, researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and in Doha, Qatar, urge other educators to pay attention to cultural patterns outside their medical schools to be sure that their lesson plans don't go astray because of missed cross-cultural signals. In the March issue ...

TVTopTen.com announced today that the top ten best pet supply products for April 2011 have just been released, and are as follows: 1. Snuggie for Dogs 2. Emery Cat Scratcher 3. Pet Zoom Park 4. Pedi Paws 5. Sticky Sheets 6. Shed Ender 7. Crazy Critters 8. What Odor? 9. Doggy Steps 10. Mouse Chaser Cat Toy The #1 product, Snuggie for Dogs, was chosen not only because of the popularity of the Snuggie (for humans), but also for the high customer ratings, reviews, and popularity among all of the top best selling pet products. Its current rating on TVTopTen.com ...

Buying a new car, camera or computer? New research from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia shows that seeking advice from expert acquaintances to choose between models of merchandise might not always be good idea. Sauder marketing researcher JoAndrea Hoegg discovered that experts with specific product knowledge can make mistakes when relying on their memories to compare complex goods – especially when they feel compelled to explain how they arrive at their decisions. "Ours results suggest that when experts use their memories to compare ...

Hamilton, Ont. April 12, 2011 – You can't see them, or smell them or taste them. They can be in our water and in our food, multiplying so rapidly that conventional testing methods for detecting pathogens such as E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria come too late for the tens of thousands of Canadians who suffer the ill effects of these deadly bacteria. Biochemist Yingfu Li and his research team have developed a simple test that can swiftly and accurately identify specific pathogens using a system that will 'hunt' for bacteria, identifying their harmful presence before ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. – In the past several years, newspaper readership has shrunk in the tough economic climate, particularly among females. Many have criticized common news writing style used by newspapers as a possible cause for the decline. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that women are engaged by all news stories the same, regardless of the style. "We found that women are equally engaged in both 'inverted pyramid' and 'chronological narrative' news stories, so there must be another cause for the decline in female readership," said Miglena Sternadori, ...

PHILADELPHIA - Squamous cell cancers of the oral cavity and esophagus are common throughout the world, with over 650,000 cases of oral cancer each year and esophageal cancer representing the sixth most common cause of cancer death in men. Research by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine investigators has shown that a protein that helps cells stick together is frequently absent or out of place in these cancers, but it's unclear if its loss causes the tumors. The investigators report that mice engineered to lack this protein, called p120-catenin (p120ctn), in ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - People, especially men, who feel any kind of discrimination, are likely to see their waistlines expand, according to research from Purdue University. "This study found that males who persistently experienced high levels of discrimination during a nine-year period were more likely to see their waist circumference increase by an inch compared to those who did not report discrimination," said Haslyn E.R. Hunte, an assistant professor of health and kinesiology. "Females who reported similar experiences also saw their waistlines grow by more than half ...

Three words come to mind when Jurdy enters a school: "Super. Green. Hero." Cartoonist Jenifer Jurden with her award-winning green character Jurdy launches the first of many "get grinning. get greening" environmental education programs to drive home the planet's plea for "Earth Day every day". Featuring Jurdy in the fur--that is the Jurdy mascot--this program is full of fun green lessons including laughs and lessons from this bigger-than- life mascot. Jurdy speaks to a wide audience for the Green effort by engaging us all to live a more eco-friendly life. With no identifiable ...

MANHASSET, NY -- Scientists tried creating a laboratory model of idiopathic torsion dystonia, a neurological condition marked by uncontrolled movements, particularly twisting and abnormal postures. But the genetic defect that causes dystonia in humans didn't seem to work in the laboratory models that showed no symptoms whatsoever. Now, a team of scientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have figured out why and the finding could lead to ways to test novel treatments. Aziz M. Ulug, PhD, and his colleagues at the Feinstein's Center for Neurosciences wanted ...

Buffalo, N.Y. – An electrical engineer at the University at Buffalo, who previously demonstrated experimentally the "rainbow trapping effect" -- a phenomenon that could boost optical data storage and communications -- is now working to capture all the colors of the rainbow. In a paper published March 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Qiaoqiang Gan (pronounced "Chow-Chung" and "Gone"), PhD, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University at Buffalo's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and his colleagues at Lehigh University, ...

Payday loans ranging from $100 to $1,500 can now be borrowed online thanks to a cash advance system designed by online lending company, Purpose Cash Advance. The news provides relief to citizens looking for emergency financial assistance in Mississippi, Utah, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Interested borrowers can apply for payday loans online via the company's website. Purpose Cash Advance implemented the online cash advance process to provide citizens in the aforementioned states a quick, confidential and secure way to resolve difficult financial situations ...

John Gunstad, an associate professor in Kent State University's Department of Psychology, and a team of researchers have discovered a link between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. The study shows that bariatric surgery patients exhibited improved memory function 12 weeks after their operations. The findings will be published in an upcoming issue of Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, the Official Journal of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The research report is also available online at www.soard.org/article/S1550-7289(10)00688-X/abstract. "The ...

Purpose Cash Advance is pleased to announce that its online payday loans service is available to residents in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin joins Mississippi, Utah, South Dakota, and Missouri in the list of states where the company is committed to providing confidential, safe, and fast transactions. The company provides payday loans online that can be applied for via a simple application form requiring basic information. Once this information is verified, approval for the loan is granted in only a few seconds. The money is then deposited into the borrower's checking ...