A study published in Nature Genetics today has found new evidence for a link between the body clock hormone melatonin and type 2 diabetes. The study found that people who carry rare genetic mutations in the receptor for melatonin have a much higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The findings should help scientists to more accurately assess personal diabetes risk and could lead to the development of personalised treatments. Previous research has found that people who work night shifts have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Studies have also found that if ...

Led by researchers at University of Oxford (UK) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) at Harvard University, (USA), more than 50 collaborators at over 30 scientific organizations around the globe have agreed on a common standard that will make possible the consistent description of enormous and radically different databases compiled in fields ranging from genetics to stem cell science, to environmental studies. The new standard provides a way for scientists in widely disparate fields to co-ordinate each other's findings by allowing behind-the-scenes combination ...

Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used in both the UK and US to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study, published today in Nature Genetics, which investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade the vaccines, has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective. Pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) causes potentially life-threatening diseases including pneumonia and meningitis. Pneumococcal infections are thought to kill around a million young children worldwide each year, though the success ...

The London based financial website www.Spread-Betting.org, which features a range of reviews, analysis and trading guides, has launched a new set of comparisons tables that compare and contrast a range of spread betting companies. There is an array of financial spread betting companies that investors can choose from. However, these firms vary in many ways: Does the company offer candlestick charts? Are the markets open 24 hours a day? What kind of trading orders are available? These are just some of the questions that spread bettors face when looking to sign up with ...

A team of UCLA scientists has found that the pathogen that causes leprosy has a remarkable ability to avoid the human immune system by inhibiting the antimicrobial responses important to our defenses. In one of the first laboratory studies of its kind, researchers discovered that the leprosy pathogen Mycobacterium leprae was able to reduce and evade immune activity that is dependent on vitamin D, a natural hormone that plays an essential role in the body's fight against infections. The pathogen manipulated micro-RNAs, tiny molecules made of ribonucleic acids that ...

Flexible Lifeline Systems, Inc. today announced the completion of the design and installation of a series of unique and innovative Fall Protection Anchors for Sun Products Facility in Houston, TX. Flexible Lifeline Systems provided a series of two-user fall protection anchors on Sun's above ground storage tanks. The unique design incorporated a clamping system eliminating any hot work and penetration of the tanks. FLS has designed and safely installed hundreds of fall protection anchors on above ground storage tanks with little to no effect on customer's ongoing operations. ...

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the top marine predator, wherever they are found, and seem to eat everything from schools of small fish to large baleen whales, over twice their own size. The increase in hunting territories available to killer whales in the Arctic due to climate change and melting sea ice could seriously affect the marine ecosystem balance. New research published in BioMed Central's re-launched open access journal Aquatic Biosystems has combined scientific observations with Canadian Inuit traditional knowledge to determine killer whale behaviour and diet ...

Halos, starbursts, and glare are all potential complications with LASIK surgery. These instances can be caused by two factors: - The corneal flap not adhering properly after surgery - The pupil dilating to a size larger than the treatment zone Your risk for corneal flap problems may be reduced with bladeless LASIK, but this complication is still possible no matter what type of LASIK you choose to have. Fortunately, most people experience this rare side effect for little more than 30 days. During this period, you will have follow-up visits with your eye doctor. ...

Since the introduction of BOTOX Cosmetic, nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatments have exploded. They have become the most popular option for people seeking to rejuvenate their appearance, and have led to a significant decline in the popularity of facelifts. However, in recent years the trend has been reversing. People have come to realize that a facelift has certain benefits no nonsurgical treatment can match. Nothing Does What a Facelift Does There is currently no nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedure that can accomplish what a facelift can. Facial aging ...

The ideal male contraceptive would be inexpensive, reliable, and reversible. It would need to be long acting but have few side effects. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology used commercially available therapeutic ultrasound equipment to reduce sperm counts of male rats to levels which would result in infertility in humans. Ultrasound's potential as a male contraceptive was first reported nearly 40 years ago. However the equipment used is now outdated and no longer available. Researchers from the Department ...

A systematic review and meta-analysis carried out by researchers at the University of Exeter Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) has found that differences in systolic blood pressure between arms could be a useful indicator of the likelihood of vascular risk and death. The findings add support to the calls for both-arm blood pressure checks to be performed as standard. The review is published in The Lancet online today (30th January) and the study is supported by the Royal College of General Practitioners, the South West GP Trust and the National Institute ...

The partners at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend are pleased to announce that attorney Muhammad S. Aziz has been named partner at the firm. Attorney Muhammad S. Aziz has been an associate with the firm since 2006. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Aziz worked at Price Waterhouse Coopers as a business assurance auditor for four years. He is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, and has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London, England. Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, ...

Researchers studying a rare, lethal childhood tumor of the brainstem discovered that nearly 80 percent of the tumors have mutations in genes not previously tied to cancer. Early evidence suggests the alterations play a unique role in other aggressive pediatric brain tumors as well. The findings from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP) offer important insight into a poorly understood tumor that kills more than 90 percent of patients within two years. The tumor, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), ...

In a study to the genetic variance of human metabolism, researchers have identified thirty one regions of the genome that were associated with levels of circulating metabolites, i.e., small molecules that take part in various chemical reactions of human body. Many of the studied metabolites are biomarkers for cardiovascular disease or related disorders, thus the loci uncovered may provide valuable insight into the biological processes leading to common diseases. Laboratory tests used in the clinic typically monitor one or few circulating metabolites. The researchers at ...

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta Perimeter Hotel (North) near Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody, GA announces the Gas Card Package. Available for a limited time, guests who book this package will receive a $25 Gas Card and deluxe room accommodations. Rooms start at $119/night USD and the gas card is issued at the completion of stay. Some restrictions and blackout dates may apply. "Perfect for anyone on a road trip to Atlanta or just passing through, the Gas Card Package is a great opportunity for hotel guests to enjoy special savings," explains Pamela ...

A study published in Nature Climate Change today finds that tropical vegetation contains 21 percent more carbon than previous studies had suggested. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data, scientists from Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), Boston University, and the University of Maryland were able to produce the first "wall-to-wall" map (with a spatial resolution of 500 m x 500 m) of carbon storage of forests, shrublands, and savannas in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and South America. Colors on the map represent the amount of carbon density stored in the ...

Attentiveness in kindergarten accurately predicts the development of "work-oriented" skills in school children, according to a new study published by Dr. Linda Pagani, a professor and researcher at the University of Montreal and CHU Sainte-Justine. Elementary school teachers made observations of attention skills in over a thousand kindergarten children. Then, from grades 1 to 6, homeroom teachers rated how well the children worked both autonomously and with fellow classmates, their levels of self-control and self-confidence, and their ability to follow directions and rules. ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Most parents report that they typically require their child to use a life-saving booster seat, but more than 30 percent said they do not enforce this rule when their child is riding with another driver. The study, conducted by child health experts at University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, also revealed that 45 percent of parents do not require their kids to use a booster when driving other children who do not have one. "The majority of parents reported that their children between the ages of four and eight use a safety seat when ...

Today, ZyLAB, a leading eDiscovery and information management technology company, officially released the first in its series of new ZyLAB Cloud Collectors to capture email from Microsoft Exchange Online, part of Office 365 , and all email messaging applications that support Exchange ActiveSync Protocol, Post Office Protocol (POP3), and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), such as Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Verizon and Comcast, among others. The supported data types span messages, nested messages, attachments, calendar items and tasks, and contacts that are stored within ...

One of the largest studies to investigate lumbar spine disc degeneration found that adults who are overweight or obese were significantly more likely to have disc degeneration than those with a normal body mass index (BMI). Assessments using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) show elevated BMI is associated with an increased number of levels of degenerated disks and greater severity of disc degeneration, including narrowing of the disc space. Details of this study now appear in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College ...

A raft of new technologies and trends are set to change the currency exchange landscape beyond recognition in the years to come, say currency exchange specialists Currencies Direct. The main drivers of this sea-change are digital wallet technology, smartphones and tablet computers, and the rise of video-based Internet content. These technologies are changing consumer behaviour beyond recognition, and companies within the payments and currency exchange sector who do not adapt to these changes risk being left behind. Digital wallets and electronic payment systems are ...

Southwest Solutions Group released a humorous entertainment video for their Compact Pallet Racks on Tracks warehouse storage product. The video called "The Warehouse" features an employee name Donald who upon returning from a two week Hawaiian vacation finds his office has been moved out to the warehouse because of his company's lack of storage space. His new workspace is a small cubicle located inside of a 15 foot tall pallet rack. The video is funny and cute because of how Donald reacts to his new workspace; however, it also communicates statistical savings ...

Tracker Corp, http://trackercorp.com, developer of innovative Form I-9 & E-Verify compliance and immigration case management software, was named a Finalist today in the Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year category in the sixth annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and will ultimately be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award winner in the program. The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes several of the world's leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards. Nicknamed the Stevies ...

Travellers get expert advice, hear celebrities' travel stories and take advantage of exclusive offers at The Times presents Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show a popular annual event which celebrates its eighteenth birthday this year when it comes to Earls Court from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th February 2012. With hundreds of exhibitors, many offering exclusive travel offers only available at the show, there's sure to be something to stimulate anyone with a sense of wonderlust. Whether in search of a glamorous beach holiday in the Bahamas or seeking an adventure ...

Super Bowl Sunday means super beer consumption. SaveOnBrew.Com, LLC., the world's only beer price-search engine, announced the release of their 2012 Super Bowl Beer infographic. "We really didn't know what we'd find. We thought the numbers would be interesting and turned our creative team loose. They came back with the beer cycle of life, which just seemed to fit perfectly," said Mark Davidson, founder and COO. Greg Thibodeaux, co-founder and CEO, continued "we've become known as the go-to source for consumer level beer-pricing information and saw ...