WASHINGTON, D.C., December 22, 2010 -- What can scientists learn from watching a group of people sitting around, chatting, playing movies, reading, and happily making new friends? Quite a lot, says University of Melbourne, Australia acoustician Adam Vogel, who carefully observed this sort of group in a fatigue management study he and his colleagues describe this month in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Their report shows the effects of sustained wakefulness on speech and describes a novel method to acoustically analyze the effects of fatigue on the central ...

Gaithersburg, MD – On December 14-15, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened an Advisory Panel to discuss several scientific issues that may affect the regulation of dental amalgam. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Panel voted to recommend that the FDA conduct further review of the material's safety. The meeting comes on the heels of a July 2009 Final Rule (http://bit.ly/FDA2009FinalRule) from the FDA that reclassified dental mercury from a class I device to a class II device and designated special controls for dental amalgam, mercury and amalgam ...

PHILADELPHIA – Overexpression or hyperactivation of ErbB cell-surface receptors drives the growth of many breast cancers. Drugs, like Herceptin, that block the receptors' signals halt tumor progression in some patients. However, not all patients' tumors respond, with some becoming resistant over time. Different drugs that interfere with other steps in the signaling pathway may improve the response of patients, yet little is known about these molecules. Now, Marcelo G. Kazanietz, PhD, professor of Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and colleagues, ...

Researchers at The Wistar Institute announce the release of an online tool that will help scientists find "gene promoters"—regions along a DNA strand that tell a cell's transcription machinery where to start reading in order to create a particular protein. The Mammalian Promoter Database (MPromDb) integrates the genome sequencing data generated at Wistar with publicly available data on human and mouse genomics. MPromDb pinpoints known promoters and predicts where new ones are likely to be found, the researchers say. "Several complete genome sequences are available, including ...

Researchers have discovered evidence of a distinct group of "archaic" humans existing outside of Africa more than 30,000 years ago at a time when Neanderthals are thought to have dominated Europe and Asia. But genetic testing shows that members of this new group were not Neanderthals, and they interbred with the ancestors of some modern humans who are alive today. The journal Nature reported the finding this week. The National Science Foundation's Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Division partially funded the research. An international team of scientists led by Svante ...

Billfish and tuna, important commercial and recreational fish species, may be more vulnerable to fishing pressure because of shrinking habitat, according to a new study published by scientists from NOAA, The Billfish Foundation, and University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. An expanding zone of low oxygen, known as a hypoxic zone, in the Atlantic Ocean is encroaching upon these species' preferred oxygen-abundant habitat, forcing them into shallower waters where they are more likely to be caught. During the study, published recently in ...

MADISON – To survive in a tumultuous environment, sea urchins literally eat through stone, using their teeth to carve out nooks where the spiny creatures hide from predators and protect themselves from the crashing surf on the rocky shores and tide pools where they live. The rock-boring behavior is astonishing, scientists agree, but what is truly remarkable is that, despite constant grinding and scraping on stone, urchin teeth never, ever get dull. The secret of their ever-sharp qualities has puzzled scientists for decades, but now a new report by scientists from the ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Marine ecologists at Oregon State University have shown for the first time that tiny fish larvae can drift with ocean currents and "re-seed" fish stocks significant distances away – more than 100 miles in a new study from Hawaii. The findings add credibility to what scientists have believed for some time, but until now been unable to directly document. The study also provides a significant demonstration of the ability of marine reserves to rebuild fishery stocks in areas outside the reserves. The research was published this week in PLoS One, a scientific ...

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered how HIV binds to and destroys a specific human antiviral protein called APOBEC3F. The results suggest that a simple chemical change can convert APOBEC3F to a more effective antiviral agent and that shielding of a common feature shared by related proteins may yield a similar outcome. This discovery highlights the potential for a novel approach to combating HIV/AIDS that would seek to stabilize and harness the innate antiviral activity of certain human proteins, according to lead author John Albin, a researcher ...

BUFFALO, NY (December 22, 2010) -- Experiments by a team of researchers in New York and New Jersey have generated evidence that questions the common belief that the pterygotid eurypterids ("sea scorpions") were high-level predators in the Paleozoic oceans. This group, which ranged the seas from about 470 to 370 million years ago (long before the dinosaurs appeared), included the largest and, arguably, scariest-looking arthropods known to have evolved on planet Earth. Reaching lengths of 2 ½ meters with a body supported by well-developed legs, and armed with a pair of forward-facing ...

In a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for patients with malignant melanoma, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that a particular protein suppresses the progression of melanoma through regulation of an oncogene, or gene responsible for cancer growth. The study is published in the December 23 issue of Nature. Researchers studied the natural progression of melanoma using mouse and human cells, as well as patient samples and determined that the presence of a specific histone variant, which is a protein that helps package DNA, was ...

A protein implicated in the development of vascular diseases may also contribute to the failure of arteriovenous (AV) fistulas created for vascular access in dialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "Our findings raise the possibility that monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) may contribute to the relatively poor outcomes regarding the function and longevity of human hemodialysis AV fistulas," comments Karl A. Nath, MB.ChB (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN). AV fistulas are the ...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Eating a Southern staple, fried fish, could be one reason people in Alabama and across the "stroke belt" states are more likely than other Americans to die of a stroke, according to a study published in the December 22, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). In the stroke belt states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee – the risk of dying from stroke is higher than in other parts of the country. In Alabama, the stroke death rate ...

HOUSTON — People with higher levels of folate in their red blood cells were more likely to have two tumor-suppressing genes shut down by methylation, a chemical off switch for genes, researchers report in the December issue of Cancer Prevention Research. DNA hypermethylation, notes co-author Jean-Pierre Issa, M.D., professor in MD Anderson's Department of Leukemia, is found in a variety of cancers and diseases of aging, such as heart disease. Methyl groups attach to genes at sites called CpG islands and protrude like tags or book marks from the promoter region, preventing ...

Tampa, Fla. (Dec. 23, 2010) – Two studies appearing in the current issue of Cell Transplantation 19(10) discuss stem cells derived from adipose (fat) cells and their potential use in plastic surgery and tissue reconstruction. The studies are now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/ . Adipose-derived stem cells maintain their "stemness" and could be useful for cell-based therapies A team of researchers from several institutions in Italy isolated and characterized adult fat cell-derived stem cells from patients undergoing lipoaspiration ...

NEW YORK, December 23, 2010 – A new study by Dr. Zvi Reich, a researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beer-Sheva, Israel, documents the process through which journalists at major newspapers fought to receive byline recognition of their work, paving the way for today's celebrity journalists. According to the study published in the December 2010 issue of Journalism, an academic journal, "the proliferation of bylines characterized the news as an imperfect, all too human account of reality, and opened the way for celebrity journalism." Dr. Zvi Reich explains ...

Nuclear magnetic moment provides a highly sensitive probe into the single-particle structure and serves as a stringent test of nuclear models. In recent decades, the facilities with radioactive ion beam models to study nuclear magnetic moments make it possible to measure the magnetic moments of neutron-rich and proton-rich nuclei with high precision. On the theoretical side, many nuclear structure models, including advanced shell models, and self-consistent mean-field theories, have succeeded analyzing many nuclear structure properties. However, the extension of these models ...

Alyce Fine Jewelry, the nationwide retailer of jewelry, announced today its commitment to carrying and expanding its offerings of numerous collections of jewelry into the new year, including such collections as Amadeo, Sonya Winsom, Stefan Rion, Lilliana, Lydia Sands, and Stacy Orlow. Alyce has hailed the offering and expansion of such collections in 2011 as a key part of its Embody Radiance Campaign and a major value initiative for its customers. In addition to a wide variety of elegant jewelry collections, Alyce Fine Jewelry is offering its online customers significant ...

The use of video surveillance often brings up the question of privacy and security. "Privacy mask" offers users a convenient and simple solution. "Privacy mask" enables C-MOR users, using LevelOne camera models FCS-5030 and FCS-5011, to hide and protect sensitive areas of video surveillance images. The new feature applies a black image mask to the areas in question and is therefore e.g. protecting personal rights of persons in the area under surveillance. Video surveillance at workplaces requires adherence to the protection of workers' personal data on the basis of ...

Brash Media was honored at the unveiling of a 2011 Business Profile Calendar by Pi Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. Pi Delta Omega Chapter recognized Brash Media's achievements in South Florida along with the impact the company has made in the community. Brash Media, along with eleven other local businesses, will be highlighted during the twelve months of the 2011 calendar year. The unveiling was held at Solid Rock High School in Cutler Bay, Florida. Each business was highlighted in the order of the month in which they were featured. Brash ...

Wingspan Seminars was among finalists for an International Business Leadership Award from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The Awards are presented during the Americas Linkage Conference. The event aims to recognize individuals and businesses engaged in international activities, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, that significantly impact the economy of the state of Florida. Awards were presented to one small and one large business in each of the following categories: Business Retention & Expansion, Education & Training, Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Innovative ...

As the nonprofit sector continues to feel the brunt of the recession, charitable organizations worldwide are desperately seeking strategies to generate additional revenue. One new Internet start-up, Karmarang (www.Karmarang.com) offers a solution - giving supporters the ability to contribute to charities without having to open their checkbooks. The new site allows users to sponsor a charity by sharing recommendations about books, music and other content with their friends via email and Facebook. The site combines elements of the popular Causes app on Facebook with the ...

My Premier Business Today - MPB Today is a direct sales company affiliated with Southeastern Delivery, a grocery home delivery service company located in Pensacola, FL. It is funded by a group of successful businessmen specializing in traditional businesses that include real estate development, restaurant franchises, and industrial supplies. MPB Today has a Unique Product - Not to mention the fact that groceries are a consumable product. You might still be asking yourself, what the heck is so unique about them? What's so great about this opportunity is that you can start ...

Smart Levels Media is hosting a 'Go Big or Go Home' Indoor and Outdoor Vinyl Banner Sale. These banners are touted as an effective way to promote new business at trade shows, bands at clubs, and events around the community. Durable and able to withstand years of heavy use, the fully customizable banners are expected to sell out fast at SmartLevels.com. According to Smart Levels Media, posting vinyl print banners is a great method to brand any business. The banners are ideal for indoor and outdoor usage, are made of a thick vinyl material, are fade resistant and the ...

Technology Management Solutions, LLC (TMS) - A premier information technology (IT) support service and networking partner focused on enabling the success of small and medium companies and organizations in Southern California. "We are very excited about our new partnership with Appia Communications, and their enhanced product offering that includes Hosted Video Conferencing, Hosted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Hosted Exchange email, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), and Session Initiation Protocol Trunking (SIP) that we will be able to offer our clients" says ...