The theory of plate tectonics is at the centre of our understanding of how the Earth works. It has been known for decades that new crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and that this crust is subducted as plates dive underneath other plates in regions such as the Pacific Ring of Fire and descend into the Earth's mantle. What is not so well known is the fate of these subducted plates. In this week's edition of the journal Science, scientists from the University of Bristol (Prof. M. Walter, Dr. S. Kohn, Dr. G. Bulanova, Mr. C. Smith), Universidade de Brasilia (Prof. D. Araujo), ...

Washington, D.C.—Scientists have speculated for some time that the Earth's carbon cycle extends deep into the planet's interior, but until now there has been no direct evidence. The mantle–Earth's thickest layer –is largely inaccessible. A team of researchers analyzed diamonds that originated from the lower mantle at depths of 435 miles (700 kilometers) or more, and erupted to the surface in volcanic rocks called kimberlites. The diamonds contain what are impurities to the gemologist, but are known as mineral inclusions to the geologist. Analysis shows compositions consistent ...

The carbon cycle, upon which most living things depend, reaches much deeper into the Earth than generally supposed—all the way to the lower mantle, researchers report. The findings, which are based on the chemistry of an unusual set of Brazilian diamonds, will be published online by the journal Science, at the Science Express Web site, on 15 September. Science is published by AAAS, the non-profit, international science society. "This study shows the extent of Earth's carbon cycle on the scale of the entire planet, connecting the chemical and biological processes that ...

Snooker, rugby, football and cricket fans will be well served by the upcoming A Question of Sport Live show in Glasgow.   Quizmaster Sue Barker and captains Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson are set to be joined onstage at the event by special guests Dennis Taylor, Chris Cusiter and Anthony Stokes.   Former World Snooker champion Taylor spent two decades in the top 16 of the rankings and was also a huge hit with fans of the sport. Since retiring, he has become an important part of the BBC commentary team for live snooker coverage.   Celtic striker Stokes, who began his ...

Fans of the British rock group Mogwai will be descending on Barcelona next month to see the band perform as part of their global tour.   The Scottish musicians will be putting on a show at the Casino L'Alianca Del Poblenou on October 28th, with proceedings to get underway at 20:00 local time.   Mogwai have been playing together since the mid-1990s and are a five-piece act fronted by Stuart Braithwaite, with the band having won acclaim for their innovative musical stylings.   Having recorded six previous studio albums and worked on the soundtrack for Darren Aronofsky's ...

VIDEO: Scripps Research Institute Professors Hugh Rosen and Michael Oldstone discuss their recent findings pinpointing the cells that orchestrate a dangerous immune reaction called "cytokine storms, " opening up entirely new possibilities... Click here for more information. LA JOLLA, CA – September 15, 2011 – Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have found a novel mechanism by which certain viruses such as influenza trigger a type of immune reaction that ...

Visitors to Berlin next month will be able to enjoy a colourful spectacle when the seventh annual Festival of Lights commences in the German capital next month. Taking place between October 12th and 23rd 2011, the event will see more than 50 of the city's most famous landmarks and public spaces brightened up with illuminations and projections. Among the locations that will be lit up are the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral and the radio tower, while the Europa-Center and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church will also be involved for the first time. The festival ...

Most people know that unhealthy lifestyles are the cause of many of their personal challenges in life, from being overweight to chronic fatigue to PMS/PMDD symptoms, just to name a few - challenges which can determine the very quality of their lives. Yet few succeed in breaking free of these unhealthy lifestyles. Why? According to Jing Jin, the founder of cycleharmony.com, "It's because they've taken on an impossible task. An unhealthy lifestyle is almost impossible to break because it takes vigilance and an energy that few of us have. Think about the chocoholic ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study of interracial marriages in the United States since the 1980s suggests that the racial boundary between blacks and whites continues to break down – but is not yet close to disappearing. Marriages between African Americans and whites increased rapidly between 1980 and 2008, outpacing the rate of unions between whites and other ethnic and racial groups, including Latinos, Asian Americans and American Indians. Still, the total number of marriages between blacks and whites continues to be much smaller than those between whites and other racial ...

Most of the time, being ill with the flu is little more than a nuisance. Other times, it can spark an exaggerated immune response and turn deadly. Researchers reporting in the September 16th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, have now traced the origins of this severe immune response -- called a cytokine storm -- to its source. Cytokines are the chemical signals that drive inflammation, and cytokine storms are thought to be the cause of many of the deaths attributed to the 1918 worldwide influenza pandemic and to the more recent outbreaks of swine ...

In the midst of dramatically rising gold prices, Tungsten Depot announces an affordable alternative for exquisitely designed wedding bands and other fine jewelry. In fact, Tungsten Rings are quickly becoming the superior high-quality option for individuals looking for style, distinction and panache when selecting custom fit wedding rings or other tungsten jewelry that is designed to last a lifetime. As one of the hardest metals on the planet, tungsten has unmatched durability in the jewelry industry yet is far more economical to purchase, usually a fraction of the cost ...

SAN FRANCISCO — Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute have begun to uncover how the virus that causes most Merkel cell carcinoma – a rare and aggressive skin cancer – operates, meaning that a rational chemotherapeutic target for this cancer could be developed in the near future. Patrick Moore, M.D., M.P.H., an American Cancer Society professor in the laboratory of Yuan Chang and Patrick Moore at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, Pa., presented these study results at the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers ...

SAN FRANCISCO — The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is essential for KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer development, according to study results presented at the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research, held here Sept. 14-18, 2011. The mutation of the KRAS gene has been found to be an important component in the development of many cancers, including pancreatic cancer. However, Barbara M. Gruener, researcher at the Technical University in Munich, Germany, said that despite the presence of KRAS, the development of preneoplastic ...

SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers are investigating a potential treatment and noninvasive imaging modality for pancreatic cancer that shows promise, according to researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, N.Y., and Genelux Corporation in San Diego, Calif. The vaccinia virus construct GLV-1h153, engineered to encode for the human sodium iodide symporter gene (hNIS), is a promising candidate for viro-therapy of cancer and for long-term noninvasive monitoring of therapeutic response via deep tissue imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography ...

SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers are working to discover how genes interact with each other to lead to cancer progression. This research is expected to lead the way toward the discovery of new targeted therapies against breast cancer, according to a study presented at the Second AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research, held here Sept. 14-18, 2011. For example, the researchers found that a diuretic used to treat hypertension and edema also stops breast cancer cells from progressing, although this potential treatment is a long way from human trials, ...

The escalating cost of homeowners insurance ought not to deter homeowners from getting the best rates. Insure4USA.com, a leading online insurance service recently released a new comparison tool where homeowners can compare quotes amongst the leading insurance providers in the country. According to David, manager of Insure4USA.com, there has been a significant increase in the number of homeowners who now choose to purchase a policy online rather than merely research. David says, "Our new comparison tool is the first step in finding the best homeowners insurance policy ...

Washington, D.C. — A planet with two suns may be a familiar sight to fans of the "Star Wars" film series, but not, until now, to scientists. A team of researchers, including Carnegie's Alan Boss, has discovered a planet that orbits around a pair of stars. Their remarkable findings will be published Sept. 16 in Science. This is the first instance of astronomers finding direct evidence of a so-called circumbinary planet. A few other planets have been suspected of orbiting around both members of a dual-star system, but the transits of the circumbinary planet have never been ...

Apples and pears may keep strokes away. That's the conclusion of a Dutch study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association in which researchers found that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables with white flesh may protect against stroke. While previous studies have linked high consumption of fruits and vegetables with lower stroke risk, the researchers' prospective work is the first to examine associations of fruits and vegetable color groups with stroke. The color of the edible portion of fruits and vegetables reflects the presence of beneficial ...

Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY), a leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, today releases an expanded lineup of baby stationery. From modern and traditional to bright and brilliant design styles, Shutterfly's baby collection features more than 170 new birth announcements, a fresh bundle of baby shower invitations and corresponding thank you cards, perfect for new parents and expanding families. "Shower invitations and birth announcements are a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of your baby and share the news with family and friends," ...

If solar cells could generate higher voltages when sunlight falls on them, they'd produce more electrical power more efficiently. For over half a century scientists have known that ferroelectrics, materials whose atomic structure allows them to have an overall electrical polarization, can develop very high photovoltages under illumination. Until now, no one has figured out exactly how this photovoltaic process occurs. Now a team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley ...

Jagged Peak, Inc. (OTC BB: JGPK), a leading provider of enterprise-class eCommerce solutions and supply chain services announced today the successful launch of www.footpetals.com using the EDGE eCommerce platform to power the front-end website and order management. This is the second such site for the accessories company since January. The EDGE platform is recognized as a best-of-breed eCommerce solution, and is used by many of the world's leading consumer products companies to deploy their web stores and optimize their supply chain operations. The EDGE platform contains ...

PHILADELPHIA — Glioblastoma is among the most lethal cancers, but scientists have uncovered a novel growth mechanism that suggests patients with glioblastoma could be treated with cholesterol-lowering agents, according to a study published in Cancer Discovery, the newest journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Lead researcher Paul Mischel, M.D., Lya and Harrison Latta professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, and professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, ...

Lumeneering Inc. (Mountainview CA) has entered into a partnership with the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario to research and develop the recycling and manufacture of the Luma One light-emitting diode panel. The partnership is funded under the Engage program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). "We are confident that the University will deliver the most innovative product design and manufacturing process for our Luma One panels," said Michael R. Freeman, Lumeneering's ...

A new study of interracial marriages in the United States since the 1980s suggests that the racial boundary between blacks and whites continues to break down, but is not yet close to disappearing. The study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, reveals that marriages between black and white populations have continued to increase while Latin and Hispanic Americans have turned to marrying their racial compatriots from newly arrived immigrant populations. Marriages between African Americans and whites increased rapidly between 1980 and 2008, outpacing the rate ...

Older individuals' complaints about memory lapses such as having trouble remembering recent events may indicate that they are experiencing cognitive problems that are greater than typical age-related changes. These findings, which are published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, indicate that primary care clinicians, who are often the first to see patients who are worried about their memory, should be aware that such complaints might be indicative of something serious and warrant a further cognitive assessment. Because the number of U.S. adults ...