DAVIS, Calif.—River flow fluctuations downstream of dams are often out of sync with natural flow patterns and can have significant negative effects on aquatic species, such as native frogs, according to a team of scientists from the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station, the University of California, Davis and the University of California, Berkeley. The team examined how altered water flows caused by hydroelectric dams impact the life cycle of the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii). The frog, which lives in foothill regions from southern California ...

Rice University bioengineering students have modified a child-size training mannequin to give medical students hands-on pediatric experience so that real patients can be spared further stress and pain. The students created Ped.IT, short for Pediatric Evaluation Device Intended for Training, as their senior design project at the request of doctors at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) who have long recognized the need for students to get hands-on experience in pediatrics without having to subject young patients to additional probing and exams. "I've been trying since 2003 ...

Learning Disabilities Worldwide has indisputably become the global leader in changing the lives of children and families affected with learning disabilities all across the world. As a result of the latest innovation and transitions, Learning Disabilities Worldwide has positioned itself to ensure that the promise of "No Child Left Behind" becomes a reality not only in the United States but across the globe. Learning Disabilities Worldwide is becoming this catalyst by "speaking their language." With the launch of the renovated website, Learning Disabilities ...

An international research team has identified a lung protein that appears to play a key role in smoking-related emphysema and have crafted an antibody to block its activity, Indiana University scientists reported. The research, conducted in mice, suggests that the protein, a cytokine named EMAPII, could provide a target for drugs to treat emphysema, said Irina Petrache, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. The research was posted online May 16 for the June edition of The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Emphysema, a form ...

Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy have discovered an explanation of how stroke patients can achieve better recovery. A hormone that is associated with the growth hormone system has proved to benefit recovery during the later phases of rehabilitation after a stroke. Insulin-like growth factor I, IGF-I, is a hormone that is found in the blood and contributes to, among other things, growth and bone mass. The levels of this hormone are higher in people who exercise regularly and those with good health. Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy have shown for the first time ...

Civilizations have always embraced jewelry as a way of expressing an idea, a concept, a statement, and today's society is replete with rich examples of the aforementioned. From tattoos to fine jewelry, people have experimented with various mediums to express themselves and convey a message that is uniquely theirs. It is a form of communicating one's individuality and sometimes a way to express one's association with an idea or even one's membership on the conceptual level at least, in some social stratification construct. All at once, subtly or sometimes not, jewelry on ...

These days a bad credit score will get you turned away by a bank, but if you tell a good story about that score, you can improve your chances of getting a microloan from a peer-to-peer lender, according to new research from Rice University and the University of Delaware. The researchers found that in peer-to-peer lending, unverifiable information such as personal narratives and explanations affected lending decisions above and beyond objective, verifiable information such as credit scores and histories. In two new studies, researchers analyzed data from Prosper.com, ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- It seems like a no-brainer: Remanufacturing products rather than making new ones from scratch — widely done with everything from retread tires to refilled inkjet cartridges to remanufactured engines — should save a lot of energy, right? Not so fast, says a new study by researchers at MIT. In some cases, the conventional wisdom is indeed correct. But out of 25 case studies on products in eight categories done by a team led by Professor of Mechanical Engineering Timothy Gutowski, there were just as many cases where remanufacturing actually cost more ...

The Discover Digital Group (DDG), a unique consultancy that focuses on identifying opportunities for business, is providing Fortune 500 corporations with a way to identify new e-revenue opportunities. These include the navigation of digital product development and to cultivate new audiences for existing products through social media, digital acquisition and loyalty optimization. DDG Founder Justin Tobin and DDG help companies acclimate and rise to the challenges presented by rapid business transformations, especially in e-commerce technologies. Their team of diverse ...

A University of Oklahoma environmental science graduate student will travel to Ethiopia in June to test materials she has been investigating as possible solutions to fluorosis—a widespread problem in the Rift Valley, where high levels of fluoride in the drinking water result in dental and skeletal disease. Laura Brunson, graduate student in the OU College of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, works with researchers in the OU Water Center on global water challenges, specifically fluorosis. Left untreated, fluorosis causes darkening of the teeth and bone deformities. ...

It seems like everyone wants to be happier and the pursuit of happiness is one of the foundations of American life. But even happiness can have a dark side, according to the authors of a new review article published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. They say that happiness shouldn't be thought of as a universally good thing, and outline four ways in which this is the case. Indeed, not all types and degrees of happiness are equally good, and even pursuing happiness can make people feel worse. People who want ...

ATS 2011, DENVER – According to a new study conducted by researchers in Connecticut, the Wii Fit™ offers patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) an effective workout – and one that, because it is enjoyable, patients are more likely to use. "Our study showed that COPD patients exercised at a relatively high percent of their maximum during three to five minutes of specified Wii Fit™exercises, indicating the Wii™ Fit may be a reasonable home-based exercise regimen for COPD patients," said Jeffrey Albores, MD, Internal Medicine Resident, University of ...

Eric Knight, one of America's leading inventors and entrepreneurs, has announced the publication of his "The New Race To Space" book -- www.TheNewRaceToSpace.com -- and, simultaneously, the launch of a multifaceted online platform for fans to interact with him: www.EricKnight.com. "'The New Race To Space' book is another touch point in a life-long passion for rocketry and aerospace," said Knight. "It's essentially my diary of the multi-year quest to build and launch the first civilian rocket into space -- a true team effort that was successful ...

A new test for prostate cancer that measures levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as well as six specific antibodies found in the blood of men with the disease was more sensitive and more specific than the conventional PSA test used today, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. The test, called the A+PSA assay, also reduced the rate of false-positives, tests that indicate the presence of cancer when no disease is actually present, said Gang Zeng, an associate professor of urology, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and ...

U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY, WEST POINT, N.Y.—How could a colorblind animal know how to change its skin color to blend into its surroundings? And what will the animal's predator "see," looking at its prey before and after it hides? These provocative questions are addressed in article published today by a collaborative team from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Mass., and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. The article, "Hyperspectral imaging of cuttlefish camouflage indicates good color match in the eyes of fish predators," appears in Proceedings ...

Efficiency is a problem with today's solar panels; they only collect about 20 percent of available light. Now, a University of Missouri engineer has developed a flexible solar sheet that captures more than 90 percent of available light, and he plans to make prototypes available to consumers within the next five years. Patrick Pinhero, an associate professor in the MU Chemical Engineering Department, says energy generated using traditional photovoltaic (PV) methods of solar collection is inefficient and neglects much of the available solar electromagnetic (sunlight) spectrum. ...

A new tool is available to select for soybean rust resistance in breeding populations, said Glen Hartman, University of Illinois professor of crop sciences and USDA-ARS scientist. Hartman and his team of researchers successfully used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) assays to assess fungal DNA in soybean leaf tissue to quantify the level of resistance in individual plants with resistance to soybean rust. "This is not a new technique," Hartman said. "But it is a new tool for use in soybean rust resistance breeding, which has typically used phenotyping or ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – A simple blood test may help prevent a serious complication associated with a contrast agent commonly used in MRI exams, according to a study published in the July issue of Radiology. Within the past five years, use of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) has been linked to the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), a rare disorder mainly affecting patients with severe kidney disease. But since 2008, restrictive GBCA administration guidelines implemented by Massachusetts General Hospital have proven effective in preventing NSF. "It ...

New research shows that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Borrelia burgdorferi DNA—the spirochetal bacteria transmitted by deer ticks—in joint fluid may confirm the diagnosis of Lyme arthritis, but is not a reliable indicator for active joint infection in patients whose arthritis persists after antibiotic therapy. Findings of this study are published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Lyme disease is caused by the B. burgdorferi bacteria, which is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, ...

Nitrogen pollution in our coastal ecosystems, the result of widespread use of synthetic agricultural fertilizers and of human sewage, leads to decreased water transparency, the loss of desirable fish species, and the emergence of toxic phytoplankton species—such as the algae behind the renowned "red tides" that kill fish. The effects are particularly pronounced in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. A study published in the journal Global Change Biology finds that while fertilizer has been the dominant source of nitrogen pollution in Caribbean coastal ecosystems for ...

From Friday 13 May, Santander, the 'Home of UK Mortgages' is launching a new three year fixed Homebuyer product at 85 per cent LTV, at 5.49 per cent with NO fee ''ideal for those homeowners looking to buy. The new product also comes with Santander's Homebuyer Solution which offers the added benefits of a free basic mortgage valuation and GBP250 cash-back on completion. In addition, Santander is also reducing rates on a selection of its two year fixed products: - Rate reduced by 0.10 per cent on two-year fix at 80 per cent LTV for homebuyers, now 4.19 per cent with ...

E-Book Systems, creator of the patented Digital Flip(R) e-publishing technology, announces Prevention First has adopted its 3-D page-flipping FlipViewer(R) Xpress viewer format for its Forum online magazines. Founded in 1980, Prevention First is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to preventing teen alcohol and other drug use, and the many related issues that result from that abuse. They reach millions of teens, parents, educators and others in Illinois. "We were looking for a cost-effective way to produce our publications and eliminate high print and mail costs ...

During the 2011 edition of the Cannes Film Festival and Marche du Film at a karaoke bar "alternative dinner party", Petra Theman, CEO of FAVEX, i.e. Finnish Film & Audiovisual Export, is launching Filmland.fi (http://www.filmland.fi): "The Finnish audiovisual industry is blooming and new creative talent has given us everything from angry birds to space Nazis, rare Santa Clauses for export and lots of stories and characters in between. Also filming in Finland is easy and hassle free. Now Filmland.fi is bringing you all the info you need to be up-to-date, ...

ArtistScope launches the most secure web site protection system for copy protecting web pages, data and all embedded media without data leakage and other exploits enabled by modern web browsers. The ArtistScope Site Protection System, ASPS, provides the most secure copy protection for web pages and is the only solution recommended where the prevention of copy and unauthorized redistribution is mission critical. Protect images, html, source code, Flash, movies, PDF, database records and other web content without data leakage and other exploits enabled by modern web browsers. ...

Hound Comics, Inc. CEO William 'Brimstone' Kucmierowski announced that Barnes & Noble Bookstores increased the distribution of the flagship brand Brimstone and the Borderhounds. Headlining their regular distribution, Brimstone and the Borderhounds will be featured in over seven hundred Barnes & Noble retail locations across the nation. As of this coming July, the enlargement of the distribution will be coupled with special promotional placement at all Barnes & Noble stores. Brimstone announced that with this massive increase of distribution comes a major ...