For the first time, scientists have identified a mutation in plants that was selected twice - during both natural evolution and domestication. The mutation has been identified as the source of variation in the evolution of fruit morphology in Brassica plants and it was also the source of key changes during the domestication of rice. "We have shown that the genetic source of both natural and man-made changes was the same," said one of the authors on the findings, Dr Robert Sablowski from the John Innes Centre, which is strategically funded by the BBSRC. "These insights ...

With a limited time to apply, HomeOwnership.org announced a fast and easy way to apply for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program (EHLP). Rather than faxing or mailing in an application, troubled homeowners can easily apply for $50,000 in forgivable mortgage assistance by visiting the website - www.HomeOwnership.org - or by calling the Homeownership Preservation Foundation's (HPF) Hotline at 888-995 HOPE to see if they qualify for this new Federal program. In order to ensure that program funds are made available in ...

KANSAS CITY, MO—Look up "transcription"—the copying of a gene's DNA into RNA intermediaries—in any old molecular biology text book, and it all seems very simple: RNA polymerase II, the enzyme that catalyzes the reaction, assembles at the start site and starts motoring down the strand, cranking out the RNA ribbon used to construct proteins. But researchers now know that RNA polymerase II often stalls on DNA strands where it was once assumed to just barrel down. A report from the Conaway lab at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in the July 8, 2011, edition of ...

WP Internet Marketing Concepts, an established leader in Internet marketing and search engine optimization services, today announced the debut of the Link Building Blackbook, a comprehensive book containing more than 100 of the most effective link building strategies for growing website rankings in the search engine rankings. According to WP Internet Marketing Concepts President and CEO Jason Keith, the Link Building Blackbook will be available for purchase on July 8, 2011 and will be available at http://LinkBuildingBlackbook.com. "When trying to rank a website ...

Hamilton, ON (July 7, 2011) – Human stem cells have the ability to become any cell type in the human body, but when it comes to their destination they know where they want to go. This finding by McMaster University researchers sheds new light on how these regenerative cells turn into more specialized cell types, such as neural or blood cells. Until now, the thought has been that stem cells keep all their options open and have no preference when it comes to becoming more specialized. In a paper published in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell, Mick Bhatia, director ...

Leading Lauderhill cosmetic dentist, Dr. Robert Getz, is pleased to announce his 35th year of practice. Since 1976, Dr. Getz has proudly served the Broward County community. "As I look back on my 35 years as a dentist, I can honestly say I still love my job. I hope to continue to provide the best in quality dental health care for years to come in Broward County," said Dr. Robert Getz, Lauderhill dentist. Dr. Robert Getz is a graduate of Rutgers University and the University Of Detroit School Of Dentistry. After practicing in New Jersey for three years, ...

EUGENE, Ore. -- (July 7, 2011) -- Using a mouse genetic system co-developed by researchers at the University of Oregon and Stanford University, a research team led by UO biologist Hui Zong has isolated the cellular origin for malignant glioma, a deadly human brain cancer. The discovery that oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are the point of origin is reported online July 7 ahead of regular print publication in the July 22 issue of the journal Cell. These OPCs, the researchers said, were the first cells to display "significant overexpansion and aberrant growth." Malignant ...

MIG Real Estate (Merage Investment Group Real Estate) a Newport Beach, Calif.-based real estate investment company formerly known as Stoneridge Capital Partners, acquired Scottsdale Centre, a Class A office property comprised of five, two-story buildings totaling 164,300 square feet in Scottsdale, AZ. The former institutional owner recently completed a $5.1 million renovation to the property. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Scottsdale Centre was constructed in 1985 and is located in the Central Scottsdale submarket, providing easy access to the Loop 101 Freeway ...

Researchers have described a new, recessively inherited human syndrome featuring craniosynostosis, maxillary hyperplasia, delayed tooth eruption and extra teeth. They also identified causative mutations in a gene IL11RA. In craniosynostosis, the sutures between skull bones become ossified prematurely, affecting skull shape and limiting space for the growth of the brain. It is observed in 1:2500 and often requires operative surgery. Supernumerary teeth are more common, and in most cases they also require dental surgery. A combination of these anomalies was observed ...

Edmonds Woodway Dental Care will open the practice to those who cannot afford regular dental care during their Third Annual Day of Caring on Saturday, July 30. Free dental service will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Edmonds Woodway Dental Care, 21810 76th Avenue West, Suite 102, in Edmonds, Washington. "The Day of Caring has proven to be a great way to help take care of our neighbors," said Dr. Michael Hrankowski. Last year, doctors provided treatment to 37 people on the Day of Caring. Dr. Hrankowski said treatment would be offered on a first come, ...

In recent years, the UK government has made bold statements regarding the recommendations for living a healthy life; including guidelines for how much fruit and how many vegetables we should eat daily, along with the ideal amount of physical activity we should do in order to avoid the risks of obesity. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the research found that men from most of the minority ethnic groups studied, and women from Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups, are more likely than their white counterparts to eat the recommended five portions of fruit ...

A stem cell that can morph into a number of different tissues is proving a natural protector, healer and antibiotic maker, researchers at Case Western Reserve University and their peers have found. Mesenchymal stem cells reaped from bone marrow had been hailed as the key to growing new organs to replace those damaged or destroyed by violence or disease, but have failed to live up to the billing. Instead, scientists who'd been trying to manipulate the cells to build replacement parts have been finding the cells are innately potent antidotes to a growing list of maladies. ...

The Fourth Annual WorkBoat Environmental Awards, which annually recognizes the marine industry's commitment to environmental stewardship, is now accepting nominations from businesses and government agencies operating in the United States maritime industry. "The Awards are an outstanding way to showcase leading maritime businesses and government agencies and the incredible variety of innovative environmental practices in the industry," said Bruce Buls, technical editor, WorkBoat magazine, which presents the awards. The application deadline is Friday, September ...

The discovery potential of the future international SKA radio telescope has been glimpsed following the commissioning of a working optical fibre link between CSIRO's Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope in Western Australia, and other radio telescopes across Australia and New Zealand. The achievement will be announced at the 2011 International SKA Forum, taking place this week in Banff, Canada. On 29 June, six telescopes – ASKAP, three CSIRO telescopes in New South Wales, a University of Tasmania telescope and another operated by the Auckland University of ...

Identifying a suitable donor for leukemia and lymphoma patients who need bone marrow transplants may be far easier now that results of two clinical trials show transplant results with half-matched bone marrow or umbilical cord blood are comparable to fully matched tissue, thanks in large part to the availability of effective antirejection drugs and special post-transplant chemotherapy. The finding means that nearly all patients in need of a transplant can find donors, according to Johns Hopkins scientists who participated in the trials. Plans are under way for a four-year ...

Girls Fun Under The Tuscan has proudly partnered with IMG Artists to offer two very special itineraries at this year's Tuscan Sun Festival The region's premiere Arts Festival and Lifestyle Event will take place in Saturday, July 30th through Sunday, August 7th 2011. Known for celebrating the finest arts and local culture in the charming hill top town of Cortona, the Tuscan Sun Festival's musical program in the evening is balanced with daytime events including cooking demonstrations by celebrated chefs as well as other culinary events, art exhibitions, discussions and ...

The diverse functions of living cells are all based on the information encoded in the structure of the hereditary material DNA. Gene expression must therefore be tightly controlled, and this task is accomplished by the binding of regulatory proteins to, and their removal from, specific DNA sequences. One class of large molecular machines known as Swi2/Snf2 remodelers plays a central role in modulating these processes. However, until now, it was not clear how Swi2/Snf2 remodelers actually work. A team led by Professor Karl-Peter Hopfner at the Gene Center at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität ...

Sexual orientation and 'gender conformity' in women are both genetic traits, according to new research from Queen Mary, University of London. It is well recognised that there consistent differences in the psychological characteristics of boys and girls; for example, boys engage in more 'rough and tumble' play than girls do. Studies also show that children who become gay or lesbian adults differ in such traits from those who become heterosexual – so-called gender nonconformity. Research which follows these children to adulthood shows that between 50 to 80 per cent of ...

Pupils with special needs and teachers in mainstream schools in the UK are often the victims of a "one size fits all" approach to schooling and education, a leading academic has claimed. Professor Paul Cooper, a chartered psychologist and professor of education at the University of Leicester, said pupils with social, emotional and behavioural problems (SEBD) are at particular risk of under-achieving because schools are frequently ill-equipped to handle their problems. Teachers need better training in the appropriate skills and methods for supporting pupils with special ...

Nature sees to it that we do not have "too much choler" (bile) in our body. A delicately equilibrated regulation system ensures that there is always exactly the right amount of bile in the gallbladder. When we are hungry, our body releases a hormone called cortisol, which is a glucocorticoid. Hepatic cells receive this hormone signal through their cortisol receptors (glucocorticoid receptors) and respond by filling the gallbladder with bile in preparation of the imminent food intake. Directly upon eating a meal, bile is secreted into the intestine. Bile acids contained ...

Brussels, 7 July 2011 – Intelligent electricity networks – smart grids – are a key component in the EU energy strategy, but substantial investments are needed to make them a reality. A new study from the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), presents a review of 219 smart grid projects Europe-wide. The vast majority of investments, amounting to about €5.5 billion, were made in old Member States ("EU15"), while new Member States ("EU12") tend to lag behind. By providing a complete catalogue of the projects to date, the report ...

Villa Can Cardona is the former luxury home of Lighthouse Family musician, Paul Tucker. This exclusive villa on Ibiza is a new addition to the Hip Holidays Ibiza portfolio. Located a short drive from Ibiza town, the airport and a stunning beach the villa sits on a hill surrounded by pines and benefits from breath-taking views over the nearby Salinas beach. With its impeccable design, outlook and luxury furnishings, Can Cardona is a truly unique place to stay. For those looking for luxurious living combined with a well-functioning layout, Villa Can Cardona does not disappoint. ...

This release is available in Spanish. Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are identifying factors that influence pesticide levels in the Chesapeake Bay airshed, including traces of "legacy" pesticides that still linger even though they are no longer being used. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemists Laura McConnell and Cathleen Hapeman obtained weekly air samples and rain samples for precipitation events from 2000 to 2003 at three sites in Maryland and Delaware. Both scientists work at the ARS Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In the last decade, minorities have poured into nursing homes at a time when whites have left in even greater numbers, according to a new Brown University study that suggests a racial disparity in elder care options in the United States. At first blush the analysis, published July 7 in the journal Health Affairs, suggests that elderly blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are gaining greater access to nursing home care. But the growing proportion of minorities in nursing homes is coming about partly because they do not have the same access ...

After living incognito for millions of years in a remote area of a forested mountain range in the Philippines, seven newfound species of mice owe their recent discovery to DNA evidence and the Florida State University biologist who deciphered it. What's more, the DNA drawn from the reclusive "new" mammals told FSU Associate Professor Scott J. Steppan an unusual evolutionary story. As he analyzed and compared the genetic codes of mice found in separate but proximate parts of a small area on Luzon, the largest Philippine island, he determined that while each mouse was a ...