Its stay on this planet was actually meant to be a very short one. Male twisted-wing parasites (Strepsiptera) usually have a life span of only few hours. However, accidentally a specimen of Mengea tertiara, about the size of an aphid, became preserved for 'eternity': during its wedding flight about 42 million years ago it was caught in a drop of tree resin and subsequently almost perfectly conserved in a piece of amber. PD Dr. Hans Pohl of Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) calls this "a very exceptional stroke of luck." Together with colleagues from Jena, Hamburg ...

Cambridge, Mass., January 7, 2011 – By rethinking what happens on the surface of things, engineers at Harvard University have discovered that Bacillus subtilis biofilm colonies exhibit an unmatched ability to repel a wide range of liquids—and even vapors. Centimeters across yet only hundreds of microns thick, such slimy bacterial coatings cling to the surfaces of everything from pipes to teeth and are notoriously resistant to antimicrobial agents. The researchers now suspect they know the secret to a biofilm's resiliency. Published in the January 5th early edition of ...

Scientists have identified the type of cell that is at the origin of brain tumors known as oligodendrogliomas, which are a type of glioma – a category that defines the most common type of malignant brain tumor. In a paper published in the December 2010 issue of the journal Cancer Cell, investigators found that the tumor originates in and spreads through cells known as glial progenitor cells – cells that are often referred to as "daughter" cells of stem cells. The work comes at a time when many researchers are actively investigating the role that stem cells which have ...

Despite U.S. consumers' threats of protests in response to the redesigned Starbucks logo unveiled yesterday, the new look may be a smart move in the long run as the coffee company expands into Asian markets, according to a Rice University researcher who has studied consumer reaction to logos. "The logo of a brand is much more than a pictorial representation of the brand," said Rice Professor of Marketing Vikas Mittal, who has co-authored two studies on customers, logos and brand commitment. "For consumers who are highly committed to the brand, the logo represents a visual ...

BOSTON, Mass.––Consumers may place a high value on information to predict their future health, and may be willing to pay out of pocket to get it. In a national survey conducted by researchers at Tufts Medical Center, roughly 76% of people indicated that they would take a hypothetical predictive test to find out if they will later develop Alzheimer's disease, breast or prostate cancer, or arthritis. On average, respondents were willing to pay $300 to $600, depending on the specific disease and the accuracy of the test. Published online in the journal Health Economics, ...

Theo Odijk, you win. The professor of biotechnology at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has a new best friend in Rice University's Matteo Pasquali. Together with collaborators at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the University of Bordeaux, France, and Vrije University, Amsterdam, the Rice professor and his team have settled a long-standing controversy in the field of polymer dynamics: The researchers proved once and for all that Odijk was correct in proclaiming that a little flexibility goes a long way for stiff filaments in ...

TORONTO, Ont., January 7, 2011 — People suffering from fatty liver disease may be three times more likely to suffer a stroke than individuals without fatty liver, according to a study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the London Health Sciences Centre. The study is the first to find a link between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease — a disease characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver in non drinkers — and stroke. In a research letter to the editor in the journal Epidemiology released Thursday, Drs. Joel Ray, Ivan Ying and colleagues explain they ...

January 6, 2010 -- Nearly 10 years after the greatest human-made disaster in U.S. history-- the destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers -- there has been little research documenting the attacks' consequences among those most directly affected -- the survivors who escaped the World Trade Center towers. In a study just released by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR), researchers found that of the ...

SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 7, 2011) — Resveratrol, a compound in grapes, displays antioxidant and other positive properties. In a study published this week, researchers at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio describe a novel way in which resveratrol exerts these beneficial health effects. Resveratrol stimulates the expression of adiponectin, a hormone derived from cells that manufacture and store fat, the team found. Adiponectin has a wide range of beneficial effects on obesity-related medical complications, said senior author Feng Liu, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and ...

SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 7, 2011) — Just 5 percent of Parkinson's disease cases can be explained by genetic mutation, while the rest have no known cause. But a new discovery by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio may begin to explain why the vast majority of Parkinson's patients develop the progressive neurodegenerative disease. This week in the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers demystified a process that leads to the death of brain cells – or neurons – in Parkinson's patients. When researchers blocked the process, the neurons survived. The ...

HOUSTON - The interplay between a major tumor-suppressing gene, a truncated chromosome and two sets of microRNAs provides a molecular basis for explaining the less aggressive form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, an international team of researchers reports today in the Jan. 4 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Our findings could reveal new mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapy among leukemia patients as this feedback mechanism could help us differentiate between patients with poor or good prognosis," said co-senior author George Adrian Calin, ...

The first drug to treat the underlying disorder instead of the symptoms of Fragile X, the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability, shows some promise according to a new study published in the January 5 issue of Science Translational Medicine. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center helped design the study and are now participating in the larger follow-up clinical trial. The data from the early trial of 30 Fragile X patients, found the drug, called AFQ056, made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, helped improve symptoms in some patients. Patients who had ...

A Jackson Laboratory research team led by Professor Patsy Nishina, Ph.D., has identified a mutation in a gene that's essential for correct protein-processing in cells. Defects in protein folding are associated with a variety of abnormalities and diseases. Cells don't come prefabricated, with pieces plunked down and tacked together like modular homes offloaded from trucks. The structural proteins that give cells shape, tubulin and actin (think beams and girders), are themselves subject to essential processing before they become part of the assembly. Proteins must be folded ...

SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 7, 2010) — In the Old West, camps sent smoke signals across distances to share key developments or strategy. Likewise, two important signaling molecules communicate across nerve cells to regulate electrical and chemical activity, neuroscientists from the UT Health Science Center San Antonio reported today. The findings in rodent models have implications for potential future treatment of epilepsy, stroke and other problems, the researchers said. "We now have novel targets for therapeutic intervention for a range of neurological and cardiovascular diseases, ...

Sri-Lankan born Psychologist / Cognitive Neuroscientist Prof. Erantha De Mel received the President's Call to Service Award at a ceremony held in Washington DC recently. This distinguished service award by President Barack Obama was presented to him for his outstanding services to the American community in the fields of Psychology and Psychotherapy. This lifetime achievement award was established in 2003 after President George W. Bush created the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. It is given annually to individuals who have dedicated over 4,000 ...

Salesforce.com announced that AppBuddy's new application GridBuddy was recognized as one of the top 4 installed applications in the 'Hack into Dreamforce' contest. Awards were given to applications with the highest number of customer AppExchange software installs between 9/20/10 and 11/30/10 leading up to the annual Dreamforce conference. GridBuddy is a 100% native Force.com application that allows users to edit multiple related Salesforce objects using an Excel-like view. GridBuddy has a clean, simple-to-use interface for users to view one parent object with multiple ...

In recent years, programs geared to women only have began to take popularity. From fitness kickboxing classes, boot camps, and women fitness clubs -- women only programs have taken off like a grand slam in baseball. Starting on February 7th, 2011, local martial arts and fitness school owner and instructor, Javier Lozano, Jr. will be teaching a series of 8 Week Women Self-Defense Courses throughout the year. These 8 week courses are designed to teach women the basic fundamentals of empty-hand self-defense by using effective strikes, kicks, and blocks to fend ...

The benefits and risks of IT outsourcing to Latin America will be explored in-depth during a special one-hour webinar coming January 25th at 2 p.m. EST. "The Agile Alternative: What Does Mexico Have that India Doesn't?", hosted by the premiere IT offshoring blog - Nearshore Americas, examines the value proposition of relying on 'nearshore' partners to provide custom application development services. Register today by visiting: http://www.csvep.com/registration/view.php?id=123 Geared toward IT decision makers and managers responsible for software development, testing ...

To start with, it is important that we clear things up. The oatmeal that will give you health benefits are those made from pure oak flakes. The instant oatmeals will do you more harm than good since they have much sugar in them; not to mention traces of preservatives. Having oatmeal for breakfast is a good way to pump you full of energy and start the day. Aside from giving you the boost you need, there are tons of benefits of eating oatmeal. This is why it became a favorite household food item. The first of the obvious benefits of eating oatmeal is it contains fiber, ...

With today's economy and the unique needs of today's work force the face of leadership is changing. Authority driven leadership no longer works and current employee engagement statistics report that only 29% of today's workforce are engaged, reporting to work focused on meeting performance and business outcomes. Successful companies are focusing on educating leaders on employee engagement and current cutting edge leadership strategies to positively affect the bottom line. January 5th, 2011 Debora McLaughlin, CEO of Open Door Coaching and co-founder of The Real World ...

Job boards are irresistible because they seemingly put everything within easy reach. Unfortunately, the majority of job hunters are competing for the same small pool of jobs and getting turned down. More than 80% of job openings are actually unlisted, says Steven Rothberg, founder of job website CollegeRecruiter.com in Minneapolis. This can be a good opportunity for outside candidates with research and networking skills since most companies will try to promote from within or rely on employee referrals. Look for signs: Keep up with what's going on in your industry. ...

Hound Comics is proud to formally announce that its flagship brand, "Brimstone and The Borderhounds" will officially be on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and Book World retail stores nationwide on Tuesday, January 11th! On this date, the brand new comic book will be available in bookstores as well as online worldwide via Amazon.com. Hot off the official launch signing held at Borders Books & Music (October 2010 - Westbury, NY) this past fall, the "Hounds" are excited their fans will have full access to their latest endeavor. "Brimstone and the Borderhounds" is a comic ...

Epicure Digital, a leader in digital menu boards, presents the Epicure Digital Menu System with special emphasis on nutritional labeling at the California School Nutrition Association (CSNA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Pasadena, California, January 14-15, 2011, Booth #415. Epicure Digital Systems is a digital menu board company uniquely integrating its expertise in software technology and food service operations and marketing to create digital signage products and services for the food service industry. Its core product is the Epicure Digital Menu System . Its ...

Brite Future Plumbing, Inc., a leading provider of residential and commercial plumbing services in the South Florida area, recently established its newest branch in North Miami Beach, Florida. The new North Miami Beach Plumbers branch will act as a strategic center for sales and support services to the Dade County market. "The Brite Future North Miami Beach team consists of some of the most talented plumbing experts familiar with all areas of residential and commercial plumbing," said Cassandra Cordero, President of Brite Future Plumbing. "We are committed to meeting ...

Boot camp founder and local fitness expert Jason Yun urges Columbus residents to join up, burn some serious fat, and make 2011 the year they truly lose the weight and keep it off. "Lots of people make New Year's resolutions to eat better and get in shape," says Yun. "Unfortunately, for many people, those goals are abandoned by the end of January. By joining a proven program that gets results fast, you'll stay motivated. You'll surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish and how much fun you'll have doing it." Yun Fitness Boot Camps are enjoyable and effective. ...