Mountain View, CA – June 23, 2011 – Today 23andMe, an industry leader in personal genetics, announced the discovery of two significant, novel genetic associations with Parkinson's disease (PD) and provided new evidence that there is a substantial genetic component remaining to be discovered for Parkinson's. "Web-based genome-wide association study identifies two novel loci and a substantial genetic component for Parkinson's disease" was published online today in PLoS Genetics. The 23andMe study discovered two novel associations with Parkinson's disease. The first lies ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The 25.8 million Americans who have diabetes may soon be free of finger pricks and daily insulin dosing. Mayo Clinic endocrinologists Yogish Kudva, M.B.B.S., and Ananda Basu, M.B.B.S., M.D., are developing an artificial pancreas that will deliver insulin automatically and with an individualized precision never before possible. As part of this effort, Drs. Kudva and Basu will present their latest findings on how the mundane movements of everyday life affect blood sugar to the American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org/) meeting this month ...

How much can a woman lower her risk of breast cancer by losing weight, drinking less, or exercising more? A study published online June 24 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute describes a new model to estimate the impact of these lifestyle changes on absolute breast cancer risk, suggesting risk reductions that could translate into a substantial number of prevented cancers across an entire population. Breast cancer risk models are widely used to estimate a woman's chances of developing the disease. These are based on non-modifiable risk factors such as age and ...

Scientists of the MINOS experiment at the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced today (June 24) the results from a search for a rare phenomenon, the transformation of muon neutrinos into electron neutrinos. The result is consistent with and significantly constrains a measurement reported 10 days ago by the Japanese T2K experiment, which announced an indication of this type of transformation. The results of these two experiments could have implications for our understanding of the role that neutrinos may have played in the evolution of ...

Boulder, CO, USA - The June 2011 GEOSPHERE announces a new themed issue: Tectonics, volcanism, and stratigraphy within the evolving transform margin north of San Francisco Bay, California. The issue also includes a contribution to an existing theme, Advances in 3D Imaging and Analysis of Geomaterials, and features several articles not associated with a specific theme. Highlights are provided below. Representatives of the media may obtain complementary copies of any GEOSPHERE article by contacting Christa Stratton at the address above. Please discuss articles of interest ...

A unique study using over 70 years of information from local newspapers has helped to examine the incidence and location of coastal floods in the Solent region of southern England. Coastal flood events in the Solent have been common over the last 70 years and are often associated with the highest sea levels. A significant number of events with severe impacts have been identified, with repeated damage and disruption at certain locations. Using newly digitised sea-level data for the ports of Southampton (1935�) and Portsmouth (1961�) on the south coast ...

The UK Courier service leader Parcel2Go has added City Link's Standard service, bringing an affordable and comprehensive delivery service starting at just GBP7.99 + VAT to the parcel delivery specialist's customers. A courier service that is familiar to many UK businesses and online shoppers, City Link have become a firm favourite with customers at Parcel2Go.com and the addition of the new Standard delivery service that offers same day parcel collections at an incredibly attractive price has the customer that wants a low cost, high performing parcel delivery solution. Whether ...

This spring, scientists from the California Academy of Sciences braved leeches, lionfish, whip-scorpions and a wide variety of other biting and stinging creatures to lead the most comprehensive scientific survey effort ever conducted in the Philippines, documenting both terrestrial and marine life forms from the tops of the highest mountains to the depths of the sea. They were joined on this unprecedented, multi-disciplinary undertaking by more than two dozen colleagues from the Philippines, as well as by a team of Academy educators who worked to share the expedition's ...

Pinpoint, LLC announces the launch of Pinpoint, an innovative web application that allows people to point, store, and share their personal locations with the world. Pinpoint will save businesses and people time by enabling them to create pins on a map. Users can give each pin its own customized URL, which makes referring back to a particular place easier than ever! Businesses can also use their office pin as an alternative to their postal address. "I invented Pinpoint when I found myself searching the same place over and over again on Google Maps and sending ...

Marine biologist David Wiley of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others report in the latest issue of Behaviour (Volume 148, Nos. 5-6) how humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine catch prey with advanced water technology. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are large baleen whales (up to 14 m long) that feed on a small prey in dense concentrations, such as krill or herrings. Humpbacks whales have large flukes relative to their size providing greater thrust for quick maneuvers. While other baleen whales feed by swimming rapidly forward, ...

Fruits and vegetables that provide the highest levels of vitamins and minerals to the human diet globally depend heavily on bees and other pollinating animals, according to a new study published in the international online journal PLoS ONE. The new study was carried out by an interdisciplinary research team, comprised of pollination ecologists and a nutrition expert, based at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, the University of Berlin in Germany, and the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco. The research team showed that globally "animal-pollinated ...

URALCHEM Holding P.L.C., one of the largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers in Russia, today announced its unaudited IFRS financial results for the 1st Quarter of 2011 ending 31 March 2011. - Revenue increased to US $ 566 million, compared to US $ 325 million in Q1 2010 - Operating profit increased to US $ 160 million, compared with US $ 39 million in Q1 2010 - Adjusted EBITDA grew to US $ 186 million, compared to US $ 66 million in Q1 2010 - Net profit amounted to US $ 161 million compared to US $ 19 million in Q1 2010 URALCHEM Holding P.L.C. (hereinafter ...

Over the next eight weeks, eight lucky customers of Carrentals.co.uk, the leading comparator for car hire, will win their hire car booking for free. The lucky winners will be drawn at random, every Tuesday, and be announced on the Facebook page of Carrentals.co.uk. The competition is called 'Carrentals.co.uk 8 Weeks Car Hire Give Away' and for those customers who book their rental car online either by the Facebook App or on the main site, they will be entered into the draw automatically. "The competition is fantastic for those looking to save a some money this ...

Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), in collaboration with the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), have discovered how the body uses a single communication system to decide the fate of stem cells. The study, published in the scientific journal PLoS Genetics on 23rd June 2011, paves the way for the development of new methods of stem cell therapy with fewer side effects. Dr Kian Leong Lee and his team of scientists studied how a single signaling system known as the Nodal/Activin ...

This release is available in German. Valves, nozzles, pistons, spark plugs and camshafts – the heart of each car is its engine. It is a complex structure with many levels and individual parts and must therefore be assembled in a correspondingly precise way. Parts that are slightly damaged, malformed or assembled the wrong way can cause engine damage. The results would be an angry customer and damage to the reputation of the car manufacturer. While assembly is mostly automated for the construction of the body, the engine is still assembled by hand over long stretches. ...

The 14th annual conference is the premier, daylong, and statewide conference for Alternative Dispute Resolution professionals: negotiators, mediators, arbitrators and neutral experts, with special presentations and interactive workshops on today's cutting-edge ADR issues. It is a "must attend" event for all attorneys, arbitrators, mediators and other professionals who want to enhance their conflict management techniques. The Conference Sessions are taught by highly authoritative national and state experts, providing proven practice tips, CLE credits, and ...

Making arrangements for child custody and visitation can be difficult in the best of situations, but even more so if the parents are unmarried. Unwed parents have to work even harder to ensure that the best interests of their children are protected when making decisions about child custody and parenting time (perhaps better known as "visitation"). Since roughly 40 percent of children are now born out of wedlock, issues surrounding parenting plans for the children of unmarried parents are more important than ever. While it is always advisable to craft a comprehensive ...

Professor Jeremy O'Brien, Director of the University of Bristol's Centre for Quantum Photonics, and his Japanese colleagues have demonstrated a quantum logic gate acting on four particles of light – photons. The researchers believe their device could provide important routes to new quantum technologies, including secure communication, precision measurement, and ultimately a quantum computer—a powerful type of computer that uses quantum bits (qubits) rather than the conventional bits used in today's computers. Unlike conventional bits or transistors, which can be in one ...

The eye of the peacock mantis shrimp has led an international team of researchers to develop a two-part waveplate that could improve CD, DVD, blu-ray and holographic technology, creating even higher definition and larger storage density. Peacock mantis shrimp are one of only a few animal species that can see circularly polarized light -- like the light used to create 3-D movies. Some researchers believe the mantis shrimp's eyes are better over the entire visual spectrum than any man-made waveplates. A waveplate is a transparent slab that can alter the polarization of ...

According to Maryland driving instructor Charlie Hook (who has been teaching people how to drive for more than 40 years), teen drivers can be "just as good" as drivers with years of experience, as Vanessa Junkin of the Carroll County Times reports. But, Hook also said, "The attitude's more important than anything," weighting attitude as a heavier factor than age when it comes to good driving. And when you think of attitude, you think of your orientation to responsible driving. A teen driver with the right attitude will avoid drinking and driving, ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Astronomers' research on celestial bodies may have an impact on the human body. Ohio State University astronomers are working with medical physicists and radiation oncologists to develop a potential new radiation treatment – one that is intended to be tougher on tumors, but gentler on healthy tissue. In studying how chemical elements emit and absorb radiation inside stars and around black holes, the astronomers discovered that heavy metals such as iron emit low-energy electrons when exposed to X-rays at specific energies. Their discovery raises the ...

This release is available in German. The quantum mechanical entanglement is at the heart of the famous quantum teleportation experiment and was referred to by Albert Einstein as "spooky action at a distance". A team of researchers led by Anton Zeilinger at the University of Vienna and the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences used a system which does not allow for entanglement, and still found results which cannot be interpreted classically. Their findings were published in the latest issue of the renowned scientific ...

In September and October 2010, several major mortgage lenders confessed that many of their employees had been signing and notarizing home foreclosure documents (affidavits) without reviewing their content. Lenders including GMAC/Ally, Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase all revealed they had filed thousands of documents without verifying the underlying mortgage information. As these documents were used in court proceedings, the inaccuracies often resulted in unintended and unfortunate outcomes for people trying to salvage what they could after a foreclosure. The revelation ...

AURORA, Colo. (June 25, 2011) New research shows that adolescents and young adults with type 1 (juvenile) diabetes have thicker and stiffer carotid arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, a risk factor for heart attack and stroke in adults. This research is believed to be the first to examine whether type 1 diabetes has a measurable effect on carotid arteries in this age group. The research is part of The SEARCH CVD Study, a collaborative effort between investigators at the Colorado School of Public Health and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dana ...

DALLAS – June 24, 2011 – A new anti-inflammatory drug used by patients with type 2 diabetes improved their kidney function during a year-long study involving researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center. The study findings, reported in today's New England Journal of Medicine, mark the first time a drug therapy has led to improved kidney function for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Previous studies have identified drugs that slowed the deterioration of kidney function, said Dr. Robert Toto, director of the Houston J. and Florence A. Doswell ...