This release is available in Spanish. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found strains of bacteria that could one day be used as environmentally friendly treatments to keep caterpillars and other pests out of gardens and cultivated fields. Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) surveyed the agency's bacterial collection and discovered that strains sharing the ability to produce a particular enzyme survive being fed to caterpillars longer than those that don't. Such survivability makes them better candidates for controlling ...

TakeCare, a provider of online personality and risk assessments and TeenPalz.com, which offers virtual supervision, support and activities for the millions of teens home alone, have agreed to offer NannyTest as screening tool for virtual "Palz". NannyTest is an online personality test that helps parents screen potential caregivers. It is unique in combining both risk assessment and personal traits assessment. The test provides better insight into the personality and traits of the caregiver, and ensures parents that they have done the best they can to leave their kids ...

Hospitals can reduce the risk of life-threatening bloodstream infections in children with peripherally inserted central venous catheters by assessing daily the patient's progress and removing the device as early as possible, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online March 31 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The findings will be presented on Saturday, April 2, at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The study, believed to be the largest one to date of its kind in pediatric patients, analyzed ...

New Haven, Conn.—Fuel cells have been touted as a cleaner solution to tomorrow's energy needs, with potential applications in everything from cars to computers. But one reason fuel cells aren't already more widespread is their lack of endurance. Over time, the catalysts used even in today's state-of-the-art fuels cells break down, inhibiting the chemical reaction that converts fuel into electricity. In addition, current technology relies on small particles coated with the catalyst; however, the particles' limited surface area means only a fraction of the catalyst is ...

Congratulations for the Eleventh consecutive year. Rang Mahal, the exquisite rooftop Indian restaurant at Rembrandt Hotel, was honored once again as one of Thailand's Best Restaurants 2011 by Thailand Tatler. The award-presentation took place at Central World and featured some of Bangkok's most famous restaurants, famous Thai and foreign celebrities and media personalities. HSH Prince Bhisadej Rajani, a guest of honor, presided over the event and presented the prestigious awards. General Manager, Eric Hallin, Hotel Manager, Simon Rindlisbacher, and Quentin Fougeroux, ...

Crystal Pharmatech Co.,Ltd researchers held an incredibly successful two-day training program on polymorphism and solid state characterization held at Suzhou Industrial Park, China March 24th and 25th. The training program was attended by over 130 researchers representing more than 70 China based pharmaceutical companies. Attendees included senior scientists and managers from global Pharm R&D centers in China including GSK, Novartis, Roche as well as other leading China-based companies including Huahai, Hengrui, and Donyangguang. Polymorphism in drug ...

NEW YORK (March 31, 2011) -- Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that it is possible to immunize mammals to control fertility. They say their technique could possibly be used on other mammals -- including humans -- because fertility hormones and their receptors are species-non-specific and are similar in both females and males. For pets, the technique could be an alternative to castration and adverse effects of hormone administration. In the Feb. 24 online issue of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Journal, the researchers say their newly synthesized ...

CLEVELAND -- Dr. Leona Cuttler, a pediatric endocrinologist and growth hormone expert from University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, is the co-author of an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine commenting on a new study that found giving girls with Turner syndrome low doses of estrogen, as well as growth hormone, years before the onset of puberty, increases their height and offers other benefits. With her co-author Dr. Robert L. Rosenfield, a pediatric endocrinologist with the University of Chicago Medical Center, Dr. Cuttler writes, "The ...

As the internet grows more and more businesses are looking for ways to increase their exposure on the web. There are so many choices from building a website to joining social media platforms. And many of these take a lot of time to learn or use. There is one option however that makes it easy for Memphis businesses to get online and promote their business and services. This new option is offered by EverythingMemphis.com a new Memphis website offering from Glarrette Publishing. "If you want to increase traffic to your website or business, we're offering an easy way ...

Contact: Ian Demsky idemsky@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System Margarita Wagerson mbauza@umich.edu Age-related conditions develop faster in adults with diabetes Patients in their 50s with diabetes have nearly double the risk for developing 'geriatric' ailments, study finds Middle-aged adults with diabetes are much more likely to develop age-related conditions than their counterparts who don't have diabetes, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Adults between 51 and ...

Researchers offer the first evidence that DNA damage can lead to the regulation of inflammatory responses, the body's reaction to injury. The proteins involved in the regulation help protect the body from infection. The study, performed by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, is one of the first studies to come out of the recently established NIEHS Clinical Research Unit (CRU) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/clinical/join/durham/index.cfm). Appearing in the March 31 issue ...

Washington, DC – University leaders and U.S. Senators gathered for a roundtable discussion today at the Capitol on the vital role university-based scientific research plays in fueling innovation and sparking economic growth. The event was organized by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, chaired by Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), and included participation by Sens. Daniel Akaka (HI), Benjamin Cardin (MD), Kay Hagan (NC), Bernard Sanders (VT), and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and the following university leaders: Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern University in ...

Chelsea's Agora Gallery will feature an originally Italian artist, Guy Marino, in Altered States of Reality: an Exhibition of Analog and Digital Fine Art Photography. The exhibition is scheduled to run from April 19, 2011 through May 10, 2011 (opening reception: Thursday, April 21, 2011). About the Artist Guy Marino creates art that centers around contradictions. Fusing elements of his oil painting with original photography and cutting edge digital enhancement techniques, Marino relies on duality to form a distinct platform for his art. His large-scale archival digital ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Scientists from the United States and China have discovered the first intact fossil of a mature eudicot, a type of flowering plant whose membership includes buttercups, apple trees, maple trees, dandelions and proteas. The 125 million-year-old find, described in this week's Nature, reveals a remarkably developed species, leading the scientists to argue for an earlier origin of the eudicots -- and perhaps flowering plants in general. "This fossil opens up a new way of thinking about the evolution of some of the first flowering plants," said Indiana ...

On the heels of the recent launch of their franchise system, Welcomemat Services, a loyalty marketing firm that specializes in bringing new residents together with local businesses, will be exhibiting at the National Franchise & Business Opportunities Expo in Houston at Reliant Park on April 16-17, 2011. During the expo, Welcomemat Services will be speaking with anyone interested in learning more about the company's franchise opportunities and will be exhibiting during show hours. "The expo presents an ideal opportunity to discuss the growth of the local advertising ...

The wolves and moose of Isle Royale have done it again. They've surprised the scientists who have spent more than half a century studying them. In a journal article published online today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society and in their 2010-2011 annual report, Michigan Technological University researchers John A. Vucetich and Rolf O. Peterson tell an unexpected tale of genetic immigration. In 1997, a virile male wolf crossed an ice bridge from Canada to the remote island national park in northern Lake Superior. He was physically larger than most Isle Royale wolves, ...

New research suggests that infection with a probiotic strain of E. coli bacteria could help treat an reduce the negative effects of another E. coli infection that may be associated with Crohn's disease. Researchrs from the University of Auckland, New Zealand publish their results in the April 2011 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Crohn's disease is a common chronic disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract and is believed to develop as a result of an aberrant immune response to intestinal microbes in a genetically susceptible host. ...

One of William Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, opens in Perth in the coming weeks. The classic tale of love, magic and mischief follows the story of Hermia and Lysander, who flee into the woods to protect their relationship. They find themselves trapped in the middle of a dispute between the King and Queen of the Fairies, while a group of amateur actors also get caught up after visiting the forest to rehearse their latest play. James Beck, Elizabeth Blackmore and Benj D'Addario are among the cast for the Black Swan State Theatre ...

BOSTON—A report from the nation's leading cancer organizations shows rates of death in the United States from all cancers for men and women continued to decline between 2003 and 2007. The findings come from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. The report also finds that the overall rate of new cancer diagnoses for men and women combined decreased an average of slightly less than 1 percent per year for the same period. Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, president of Dana-Farber Cancer in Institute in Boston, called the news encouraging, but cautions ...

PITTSBURGH—Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Stanford University discovered that a supposedly inactive protein actually plays a crucial role in the ability of one the world's most prolific pathogens to cause disease, findings that suggest the possible role of similarly errant proteins in other diseases. The team reports in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that Toxoplasma gondii—the parasitic protozoa behind toxoplasmosis—attacks healthy cells by first injecting them with pseudokinases, which are enzymes that have abandoned their ...

Reggae legends Toots and The Maytals are playing in Cairns next month in a preview to their show at Byron Bay's Bluesfest. The group have been together for more than four decades, having risen to prominence in 1964 with their debut album I'll Never Grow Old - Presenting The Maytals. Including remastered records and greatest hits compilations, the band have released more than 50 LPs. They are even credited with coining the word "reggae" on their 1968 hit single Do The Reggay. Although their first album won critical acclaim, it was not until they launched tracks ...

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland (UM) have created the first nontrivial "atom circuit," a donut-shaped loop of ultracold gas atoms circulating in a current analogous to a ring of electrons in a superconducting wire. The circuit is "nontrivial" because it includes a circuit element—an adjustable barrier that controls the flow of atom current to specific allowed values. The newly published* work was done at the Joint Quantum Institute, a NIST/UM collaboration. Ultracold gases, such as the Bose-Einstein ...

Discount vouchers are no longer just for the less well off, according to independent money saving website DiscountVouchers.co.uk, which reported recently that the traffic from ABC1 visitors on its site was at a record high with 61% of the two million-plus who logged on last month from the top income groups. The report comes around the same time as the latest research from the BBC* found that UK households suffered a loss of 1.6 per cent of real income after tax - a loss of GBP365 compared with figures for 2008. However, high tax payers are losing out worse still and ...

VIDEO: The purple "tails " of the lipid molecules that form the cell membrane are far less orderly in the absence of cholesterol than when cholesterol is present, a finding made possible... Click here for more information. Cell membranes form the "skin" of most every cell in your body, but the ability to view them up close and in motion cannot be rendered by many experimental techniques. A team of scientists working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology ...

The Norwich Arts Centre is set to welcome a crowd of jazz fans for next month's performance by the Julian Joseph Trio. Taking place on Thursday April 28th, the show will feature a range of original compositions from the pioneering pianist and bandleader. Having toured the globe, drawn comparisons with the great Duke Ellington and presented the weekly Jazz Legends show on BBC Radio 3 for six years, Joseph is one of the most respected figures in British jazz. Known for combining the genre with elements of classical music, he is a virtuoso performer who has also premiered ...