On paper, the performance of African brands in the BrandFinance Global 500 list of the most valuable brands looks poor. Telecoms giant MTN is the sole representative of African brands to make the top 500, positioned 199th in the table topped by Google. However, we took the time to delve deeper into the outlook for the continent's brands - and according to experts Oliver Schmitz, Managing Director of Brand Finance South Africa and Thebe Ikalafeng, founder of Brand Leadership - it is certainly bright. We also asked the question as to whether African brands are really ...

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a model that will allow them to simulate how rats use their whiskers to sense objects around them. The model enables further research that may provide insight into the human sense of touch. Hundreds of papers are published each year that use the rat whisker system as a model to understand brain development and neural processing. Rats move their whiskers rhythmically against objects to explore the environment by touch. Using only tactile information from its whiskers, a rat can determine all of an object's spatial ...

A new study demonstrates that a procedure used in preconception diagnosis to identify eggs that are free of genetic disease might not work well in all cases. The research, published by Cell Press in the April issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, highlights the issues associated with analyzing the amount of mutant mitochondrial DNA in supporting cells as a proxy for eggs prior to in vitro fertilization. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preconception diagnosis (PCD) are services that have been very useful to couples who have a genetic defect in their ...

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has launched an innovative website to help educators assess more precisely what students know about key ideas in science and -- just as importantly -- the incorrect ideas they have. It offers an unusually detailed picture of how middle and high school students across the United States are currently doing in science, and features information on what they know and on hundreds of misconceptions they have about everything from the size of atoms to whether all organisms have DNA. Knowing these misconceptions and how ...

ECustom Finishes, crafters of fine reclaimed wood furniture and accessories, has announced plans to expand its e-commerce division by 50 percent and, to accommodate growth, the company has inked a deal to lease a new location at Phoenix Park in Shirley, Massachusetts, beginning July 1, 2011. ECustom Finishes owner Chris Longdon said the company, which offers customized solid wood furniture for the home including rustic pine tables, end tables, dining room sets and other casually sophisticated classic and rustic wood accessories, witnessed a 45 percent increase in e-commerce ...

AMES, Iowa – NASA's Kepler Mission has detected changes in brightness in 500 sun-like stars, giving astronomers a much better idea about the nature and evolution of the stars. Prior to Kepler's launch in March 2009, astronomers had identified the changes in brightness, or oscillations, of about 25 stars similar to our sun in size, age, composition and location within the Milky Way galaxy. The discoveries are reported in a paper, "Ensemble Asteroseismology of Solar-Type Stars with the NASA Kepler Mission," in the April 8 issue of the journal Science. The lead author ...

In an effort to help his patients look better, feel better and save money on some of their favorite treatments, Dr. Vincent Lepore (www.vincentleporemd.com) is now offering specials on several plastic surgery procedures in San Jose. "Cosmetic surgery is a big decision, and I want to make it a little easier for my patients who want to invest in themselves by offering special rates on some of the most popular procedures at my practice," notes Dr. Lepore, a board-certified plastic surgeon in private practice for almost 25 years. "I think people interested in body contouring ...

The internally-driven daily cycle of blood pressure changes doesn't appear to be linked to the known increase in morning heart attacks, according to a study in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers sought to identify the role of the internal human body clock in the daily rise and fall in blood pressure. In the study, three groups of volunteers showed an internal daily blood pressure variation with a peak at around 9 p.m. — independent of changes in activity and other behavioral influences that can affect blood pressure. Increased ...

Virtual reality (VR) and other video games led to significant improvement in arm strength following stroke and could provide an affordable, enjoyable and effective way to intensify treatment, according research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers analyzed seven observational and five randomized trials, representing a total of 195 patients, ages 26 to 88, who had suffered mild to moderate strokes. Each study had investigated the effects of electronic games on upper arm strength and function. In the observational studies, there ...

David Blair of QuadCap Wealth Management, LLC, recently spoke to a group of Dallas business owners regarding the necessity of withholding and/or estimated payments. An excerpt of this talk follows: "The United States tax system is a pay-as-you-go system that requires taxpayers to pay as the income they are taxed on is earned. If you are paying your taxes throughout the year through withholding, you can increase this towards the end of the year to make up any shortfall. If you are self-employed however, you must make estimate payments throughout the year." The first ...

SEATTLE—A video-based decision aid helped severely obese people to make more informed choices about bariatric surgery and reach more certainty about them, according to a trial involving 152 Group Health patients, e-published in Obesity in advance of print. This randomized controlled trial is the first to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery. Researchers randomly assigned half the patients to receive an educational booklet on bariatric surgery and half to watch the video-based decision aid. After three months, those who watched the video felt less conflicted ...

Dr. Lori Polacek (www.polacekplasticsurgery.com), a board-certified plastic surgeon, is now offering Exilis to patients at her plastic surgery practice in Rhode Island. Exilis, a completely non-surgical procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to heat and shrink underlying tissue, is one of the most innovative and sophisticated techniques for body sculpting and skin tightening in recent years. "I'm excited to add Exilis to my practice, and I think my patients will share in my excitement once they see what this treatment can do - all without surgery," notes Dr. Polacek, ...

STANFORD, Calif. — People who use in vitro fertilization to conceive children often have leftover embryos and must decide whether to store them, dispose of them or possibly donate them for research. A new process developed by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine allows these people to make this decision in the privacy of their own homes — without any interaction with clinic personnel or scientists who might benefit from the research. "There is concern that conflicts of interest and influence by researchers and clinicians may play a role in donor choice," ...

A paper published by Cell Press in the April 8th issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals a new and more efficient method for reprogramming adult mouse and human cells into an embryonic stem cell-like state and could lead to better strategies for developing stem cells for therapeutic use. The ability to reprogram adult cells into cells that resemble embryonic stem cells has tremendous potential for both stem cell research and regenerative medicine. "Previous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of iPSCs not only in the study of basic stem biology, but also in ...

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have devised a totally new and far more efficient way of generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), immature cells that are able to develop into several different types of cells or tissues in the body. The researchers used fibroblast cells, which are easily obtained from skin biopsies, and could be used to generate patient-specific iPSCs for drug screening and tissue regeneration. iPSCs are typically generated from adult non-reproductive cells by expressing four different genes called ...

Dr. Grant Stevens of Marina Plastic Surgery (www.marinaplasticsurgery.com) is seeing a rise in the popularity of facial plastic surgery procedures such as eyelid surgery and facelift in Los Angeles, but his practice is also seeing a dramatic jump in the number of nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedures being performed. These nonsurgical procedures meet the demands of patients' busy schedules while helping them look their best and allowing them to remain on-the-go. "My Los Angeles plastic surgery patients choose from a wide range of procedures," says Dr. Stevens, "and ...

We all know that people at opposite ends of the political spectrum often really can't see eye to eye. Now, a new report published online on April 7th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, reveals that those differences in political orientation are tied to differences in the very structures of our brains. Individuals who call themselves liberal tend to have larger anterior cingulate cortexes, while those who call themselves conservative have larger amygdalas. Based on what is known about the functions of those two brain regions, the structural differences are consistent ...

Cave life is known to favor the evolution of a variety of traits, including blindness and loss of eyes, loss of pigmentation, and changes in metabolism and feeding behavior. Now researchers reporting online on April 7 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, have added sleeplessness to that list. "Cave-adapted fish sleep less—much less—than closely related surface fish," said Richard Borowsky of New York University. "In some ways, their sleep phenotypes are similar to those of humans with sleep disorders." The fish do sleep, but only for relatively short periods, ...

Cellomobile.com recently introduced a short-term Blackberry rental with an unlimited data plan designed to meet the needs of international travelers. Cellomobile.com is currently offering an unprecedented data plan of international cell phone rental for world travelers. The plan allows world travelers to rent a late model Blackberry that works wherever they want to go. The Blackberry works as both a communication device and a modem, offering unlimited depth of coverage that includes talk, text, and web in any corner of the world. The data plan truly is unlimited, ...

Monkeys infected with an emerging malaria strain are providing a reservoir for human disease in Southeast Asia, according to research published today. The Wellcome Trust funded study confirms that the species has not yet adapted to humans and that monkeys are the main source of infection. Malaria is a potentially deadly disease that kills over a million people each year. The disease is caused by malaria parasites, which are transmitted by infected mosquitoes and injected into the bloodstream. There are five species of malaria parasite that are known to cause disease ...

LA JOLLA, CA – April 7, 2011 – Slight oscillations lasting just milliseconds have a huge impact on an enzyme's function, according to a new study by Scripps Research Institute scientists. Blocking these movements, without changing the enzyme's overall structure or any of its other properties, renders the enzyme defective in carrying out chemical reactions. The study, published in April 8, 2011 issue of the journal Science, adds to a growing body of evidence pointing to the importance of movement in the ability of enzymes and other types of proteins to do their job. The ...

Just a month after a $145K jackpot win, the Slotland.com progressive jackpot has already been hit again. Marianne M., a toy company project manager known as WYNDSTAR on the site, won $83,979 playing the Striking 7s video poker game last Friday. "Of course the jackpot can be won anytime but we usually go six to eight weeks between wins," said Slotland Manager Michael Hilary. "It didn't have time to get up to $100K or $150K this time, like it usually does, but I'm sure the winner is happy just the same!" Marianne M. has been playing at Slotland since March 2009. She ...

Chevy Chase, MD—Today, The Endocrine Society released a new Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the evaluation and treatment of pituitary incidentalomas. The CPG is published in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), a publication of The Endocrine Society. A pituitary incidentaloma is a tumor or lesion on or near the pituitary gland. It is found when a person has an imaging test for an unrelated reason. Doctors call this an "incidental" finding, meaning by chance—thus, the name incidentaloma. This surprise finding is not uncommon. ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fetuses with defects in a molecular machine that edits information cells use to make proteins can develop a rare form of dwarfism, according to a new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). The defect, triggered by a tiny gene mutation, causes microcephalic osteodysplastic primoridal dwarfism type 1 (MOPD1), a rare developmental disorder that greatly slows growth in the uterus and causes severe brain and organ abnormalities, ...

Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, but a new study reveals that the reverse is also true; unattractiveness is in the eye of the beheld. Research published in Ethology finds that people with bloodshot eyes are considered sadder, unhealthier and less attractive than people whose eye whites are untinted, a cue which is uniquely human. "Red, 'bloodshot' eyes are prominent in medical diagnoses and in folk culture", said lead author Dr. Robert R. Provine from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "We wanted to know if they influence the everyday behaviour ...