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Science21 Dec 2011

Could cod liver oil help combat tuberculosis?

A review of a historical study from 1848 reveals that cod liver oil was an effective treatment for tuberculosis, says Professor Sir Malcolm Green in the Christmas issue published on bmj.com today. In the study, carried out by physicians at the Hospital for Consumption, Chelsea (now the Royal Brompton Hospital), 542 patients with consumption (tuberculosis) received standard treatment with cod liver oil. These patients were compared with 535 'control' patients who received standard treatment alone (without cod liver oil). While improvement rates were similar in the two ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

'Head-first' diversity shown to drive vertebrate evolution

The history of evolution is periodically marked by explosions in biodiversity, as groups of species try out a wide range of shapes and sizes. With a new analysis of two such adaptive radiations in the fossil record, researchers have discovered that these diversifications proceeded head-first. By analyzing the physical features of fossil fish that diversified around the time of two separate extinction events, scientists from the University of Chicago and the University of Oxford found that head features diversified before body shapes and types. The discovery disputes previous ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Intertops Poker Hosting Christmas Tourneys - Bounty, Free Roll, Guaranteed and Giving 50% Reload Bonus Next Week

After the gifts have been unwrapped and the turkey is reduced to leftovers, Intertops Poker has a full schedule of Christmas poker tournaments to keep the festivities going. Bounty, free roll and guaranteed tournaments begin Christmas day and continue throughout the week. A 50% (up to $300) reload bonus is also available until next Wednesday. Intertops Christmas Poker Tournament Schedule: Sunday, December 25th -- NL Hold'em $500 Added Bounty Tourney Monday, December 26th -- NL Hold'em $1500 Guaranteed Double-Chance Deepstack Tourney Tuesday, December 27th -- PL Omaha ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Ironing out the details of the Earth's core

PASADENA, Calif. -- Identifying the composition of the earth's core is key to understanding how our planet formed and the current behavior of its interior. While it has been known for many years that iron is the main element in the core, many questions have remained about just how iron behaves under the conditions found deep in the earth. Now, a team led by mineral-physics researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has honed in on those behaviors by conducting extremely high-pressure experiments on the element. "Pinpointing the properties of iron ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Not only invisible, but also inaudible

This press release is available in German. Progress of metamaterials in nanotechnologies has made the invisibility cloak, a subject of mythology and science fiction, become reality: Light waves can be guided around an object to be hidden, in such a way that this object appears to be non-existent. This concept applied to electromagnetic light waves may also be transferred to other types of waves, such as sound waves. Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now succeeded in demonstrating for the first time an invisibility cloak for elastic waves. Such ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Interview Preparation and Career Guidance Website Geekinterview.com Reaches 500,000 Members

Exforsys Inc is excited to announce the historic event of their flagship website geekinterview.com reaching 500,000 registered membership milestone. The company is currently working hard on adding new features for the benefit of geekinterview.com website users. One of the core principles behind Exforsys Inc's decision to launch geekinterview.com was to help millions of job aspirants succeed in their endeavor. Geekinterview.com provides a congenial platform for its community members to learn, share and grow. In accordance to its core principles, the website has assiduously ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

1 in 4 ministers were not affiliated with their party when they assumed their role

Since the first democratic elections in Spain, some 23.7% of ministers have not had a political party card when handing over their portfolio. This means that Spain has had the highest number of independent ministers compared to those other countries of Europe that have parliamentary governments in which percentages do not exceed 5% according to a study at the University of Valencia (UV). Juan Rodríguez Teruel, lecturer at the University of Valencia (UV) and author of the programme geared towards MP selection, declares that "in the majority of European countries with ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

MDC researchers: Ion channel makes African naked mole-rat insensitive to acid-induced pain

British researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have found out why the African naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), one of the world's most unusual mammals, feels no pain when exposed to acid. African naked mole-rats live densely packed in narrow dark burrows where ambient carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are very high. In body tissues, CO2 is converted into acid, which continuously activates pain sensors. However, naked mole-rats are an exception: they have an altered ion channel in their pain receptors that is inactivated by acid ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

URALCHEM HOLDING P.L.C. Reports the First Nine Months of the Year 2011 Unaudited IFRS Financial Results

URALCHEM Holding P.L.C., one of the largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers in Russia, announced its unaudited IFRS financial results for the first nine months of 2011 ending 30 September 2011. - Revenue increased to US $ 1,556 million, compared to US $ 980 million in the first nine months of 2010. - Operating profit increased to US $ 487 million, compared to US $ 126 million in the first nine months of 2010. - Adjusted EBITDA grew to US $ 560 million, compared to US $ 205 million in the first nine months of 2010. - Net profit amounted to US $ 289 ...

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Medicine21 Dec 2011

Study finds Kaiser Permanente Early Start program could save US billions in health costs

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A program for women at risk of substance abuse during pregnancy could save nearly $2 billion annually in health care costs if implemented nationwide, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' journal, Obstetrics & Gynecology. The cost-benefit analysis of the Kaiser Permanente Early Start program follows a 2008 Kaiser Permanente study that showed the program helps pregnant women at risk of substance abuse achieve similar health outcomes — for both mothers and their infants — as ...

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Medicine21 Dec 2011

NPL models the extracellular matrix

Scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have created a functional model of the native extracellular matrix that provides structural support to cells to aid growth and proliferation. The model could lead to advances in regenerative medicine. The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides the physical and chemical conditions that enable the development of all biological tissues. It is a complex nano-to-microscale structure made up of protein fibres and serves as a dynamic substrate that supports tissue repair and regeneration. Man-made structures designed to mimic ...

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Medicine21 Dec 2011

Application Hosting in Healthcare Becoming More Dynamic, Competitive

Application hosting continues to garner attention from a growing number of healthcare providers, particularly in the community hospital space, according to the KLAS report "Application Hosting: Dynamic Changes Bring Providers Better Options." Healthcare providers see hosting as a way to offload capital expenditures and tap into the higher level of technology a hosting provider can offer. One CIO of a 25-bed hospital in the Midwest said, "I don't worry about anything. [Our hosting provider] takes care of it all; I couldn't possibly try to maintain all the ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Human skull study causes evolutionary headache

Scientists studying a unique collection of human skulls have shown that changes to the skull shape thought to have occurred independently through separate evolutionary events may have actually precipitated each other. Researchers at the Universities of Manchester and Barcelona examined 390 skulls from the Austrian town of Hallstatt and found evidence that the human skull is highly integrated, meaning variation in one part of the skull is linked to changes throughout the skull. The Austrian skulls are part of a famous collection kept in the Hallstatt Catholic Church ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

First study of emergency care for an entire state finds care isn't always local

INDIANAPOLIS -- The first study to examine patterns of emergency care for an entire state has found that 40 percent of emergency department visits in Indiana over a three-year period were by patients who visited more than one emergency department. This finding challenges conventional wisdom that patients are tightly bound to health care systems and tend to repeatedly visit local facilities. The Regenstrief Institute study, "All Health Care Is Not Local: An Evaluation of the Distribution of Emergency Department Care Delivered in Indiana" has been honored with a 2011 Distinguished ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Bumper Xmas Bonus Won in LadyLuck's December Promotion

Christmas has come early for Reindeer Readies player Elizabeth from Glasgow the successful winner of LadyLuck's Christmas prize draw. Britain's favourite mobile casino has beat Santa in bringing the best Christmas presents to our lucky recipient! The Christmas present package includes the following amazing prizes: Nintendo Wii PlayStation 3 LCD flat-screen TV Portable DVD player iPod Touch Selection of top DVDs and Chocolates Given the fantastic prizes she won, Elizabeth was too shocked to speak but managed a "Wow, Wow, Wow! Merry Christmas!" ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Scientists identify an innate function of vitamin E

AUGUSTA, Ga. – It's rubbed on the skin to reduce signs of aging and consumed by athletes to improve endurance but scientists now have the first evidence of one of vitamin E's normal body functions. The powerful antioxidant found in most foods helps repair tears in the plasma membranes that protect cells from outside forces and screen what enters and exits, Georgia Health Sciences University researchers report in the journal Nature Communications. Everyday activities such as eating and exercise can tear the plasma membrane and the new research shows that vitamin E is essential ...

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Technology21 Dec 2011

Unlimited 1099 MISC Forms Printing: EzW2 Software Eases Tax Reporting Headache for Businesses

Small business owners, HR managers and tax professionals who are looking for a simple and affordable W2 and 1099 preparing application can try out the new ezW2 2011 from halfpricesoft.com (http://www.halfpricesoft.com) ezW2 software supports forms W2, W3, 1099-misc and 1096. The new ezW2 2011 version can print all W-2 forms on plain white paper. The laser substitute forms of W-2 copy A and W-3 are SSA-approved. Since IRS does not certify substitute forms now, ezW2 users need to print 1099-MISC Copy A and 1096 on red-ink forms. ezW2 software can print other 1099-MISC ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Are the anxious oblivious?

Anxious people have long been classified as "hypersensitive" – they're thought to be more fearful and feel threatened more easily than their counterparts. But new research from Tel Aviv University shows that the anxious may not be hypersensitive at all – in fact, they may not be sensitive enough. As part of a study on how the brain processes fear in anxious and non-anxious individuals, Tahl Frenkel, a Ph.D. candidate in TAU's School of Psychological Sciences and the Adler Center for Research in Child Developmental and Psychopathology, working with her supervisor Prof. ...

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Medicine21 Dec 2011

Researchers discover a way to significantly reduce the production costs of fuel cells

This ALD method for manufacturing fuel cells requires 60 per cent less of the costly catalyst than current methods. -This is a significant discovery, because researchers have not been able to achieve savings of this magnitude before with materials that are commercially available, says Docent Tanja Kallio of Aalto University. Fuel cells could replace polluting combustion engines that are presently in use. However, in a fuel cell, chemical processes must be sped up by using a catalyst. The high price of catalysts is one of the biggest hurdles to the wide adoption of ...

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Medicine21 Dec 2011

New device for rapid, mobile detection of brain injury

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- When accidents that involve traumatic brain injuries occur, a speedy diagnosis followed by the proper treatment can mean the difference between life and death. A research team, led by Jason D. Riley in the Section on Analytical and Functional Biophotonics at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has created a handheld device capable of quickly detecting brain injuries such as hematomas, which occur when blood vessels become damaged and blood seeps out into surrounding tissues where it can cause significant and dangerous swelling. A paper describing ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Jeff Loeffler Partners With Top Internet Marketing Earners Aaron & Sophia Rashkin!

By doing a lot of research as well as being taken by some unscrupulous scam artists I was able to find PRO Elite an outstanding Internet Marketing Community that has a proven track record for success through its training and mentoring platform. I have been fortunate enough to partner with two of the most successful marketing leaders in the community, Aaron and Sophia Rashkin. They bring several years of experience in network marketing, home based business and direct sales to the table, and are truly dedicated to the success of their team members. Being able to work ...

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Medicine21 Dec 2011

Researchers use light to measure cancer cells' response to treatment

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20—Many cancer therapies target specific proteins that proliferate on the outside of some cancer cells, but the therapies are imperfect and the cancer does not always respond. Since it is beneficial for doctors to know as soon as possible how a cancer is affected by treatment, researchers from Vanderbilt University are striving to design tests that assess treatment response rapidly, accurately, and cost-effectively. The team has demonstrated a new way to optically test cultured cancer cells' response to a particular cancer drug. The results appear in the ...

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Science21 Dec 2011

Are there differences in mortality among wine consumers and other alcoholic beverages?

Wine consumers, especially in comparison with spirits drinkers, have been shown to have higher levels of education and income, to consume a healthier diet, be more physically active, and have other characteristics that are associated with better health outcomes. However, epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent in showing that, after adjustment for all associated lifestyle factors, consumers of wine have lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality than do consumers of other beverages. A study based on the long-term follow up of a group of older Americans ...

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Social Science21 Dec 2011

Fumiko Sagawa Announces Plans to Join Class to Learn Spanish Language and Culture

Fumiko Sagawa has just announced her plans to join a class to learn more about the Spanish language. In this class, she will begin to understand the role the Spanish language plays historically and culturally. Fumiko Sagawa will also learn how to better speak, understand, write and comprehend the Spanish language. Fumiko Sagawa is prioritizing learning Spanish. She is using her joy for learning Spanish and combining it with her willingness to try to understand people and cultures better. The class will ensure Fumiko Sagama can better communicate with Spanish-speaking ...

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Medicine21 Dec 2011

Nanometer-scale growth of cone cells tracked in living human eye

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Humans see color thanks to cone cells, specialized light-sensing neurons located in the retina along the inner surface of the eyeball. The actual light-sensing section of these cells is called the outer segment, which is made up of a series of stacked discs, each about 30 nanometers (billionths of a meter) thick. This appendage goes through daily changes in length. Scientists believe that a better understanding of how and why the outer segment grows and shrinks will help medical researchers identify potential retinal problems. But the methods usually ...

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