Scientists are reporting the first direct evidence that a subtle change in the physical properties of a tissue can affect its function. The finding has immediate implications for understanding several rare hearing disorders, they said, and ultimately could offer insight into such conditions as osteoporosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. In their study, the scientists discovered that blocking the function of a particular molecule in the ear bone of mice decreased the hardness of the bone, causing hearing loss. Reactivating the molecule restored the bone's ...

As frogs around the world continue to disappear—many killed by a rapidly spreading disease called chytridiomycosis, which attacks the skin cells of amphibians—one critically endangered species has received an encouraging boost. Although the La Loma tree frog, Hyloscirtus colymba, is notoriously difficult to care for in captivity, the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is the first to successfully breed this species. "We are some of the first researchers to attempt to breed these animals into captivity and we have very little information about how to care ...

Atoms of antimatter have been trapped and stored for the first time by the ALPHA collaboration, an international team of scientists working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva, Switzerland. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley have made key contributions to the ongoing international effort. ALPHA stored atoms of antihydrogen, consisting of a single negatively charged antiproton orbited by a single positively charged anti-electron (positron). While ...

Geneva, 17 November 2011. The ALPHA experiment at CERN has taken an important step forward in developing techniques to understand one of the Universe's open questions: is there a difference between matter and antimatter? In a paper published in Nature today, the collaboration shows that it has successfully produced and trapped atoms of antihydrogen. This development opens the path to new ways of making detailed measurements of antihydrogen, which will in turn allow scientists to compare matter and antimatter. Antimatter – or the lack of it – remains one of the biggest ...

Madison WI November 17 2010 – There is considerable amount of uncertainty concerning the environmental impacts that animal hormones have on surface water. Higher concentrations of hormones in waterways have been found to cause physiological and sexual impairment in fish and other aquatic species. However, a study from the University of Delaware that examined estrogen concentrations runoff from agricultural fields fertilized with chicken manure found that it is as much about the application of the manure as it is about the measurement of the types of estrogen. The study ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The national job market for college graduates should rebound slightly next year as many large corporations end hiring freezes and small, fast-growth companies continue helping reshape the economy, according to Michigan State University's 2010-11 Recruiting Trends report. Overall hiring is expected to increase 3 percent, with bachelor's-level and MBA-level hiring both surging 10 percent, said Phil Gardner, director of MSU's Collegiate Employment Research Institute, which conducted the survey of some 4,600 employers. Geographically, the Great Lakes ...

As electronics become smaller and smaller the need to understand nanoscale phenomena becomes greater and greater. Because materials exhibit different properties at the nanoscale than they do at larger scales, new techniques are required to understand and to exploit these new phenomena. A team of researchers led by Paul Weiss, UCLA's Fred Kavli Chair in NanoSystems Sciences, has developed a tool to study nanoscale interactions. Their device is a dual scanning tunneling and microwave-frequency probe that is capable of measuring the interactions between single molecules and ...

CLEVELAND – Coaching happens just about everywhere, and every day, with learning as the goal. Effective coaching can lead to smoothly functioning organizations, better productivity and potentially more profit. In classrooms, better student performance can occur. Doctors or nurses can connect more with patients. So, doing coaching right would seem to be a natural goal, and it has been a major topic of research at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management since 1990. For all the energy and money spent on coaching, there is little understanding ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have found a clue as to how some people develop a form of dementia that affects the brain areas associated with personality, behavior, and language. In the Nov. 17 online issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, the scientists write that they discovered a link between two proteins — progranulin and sortilin — they say might open new avenues for the treatment of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), which occurs in the frontal lobe and temporal lobe of the brain. This form of dementia, which ...

Physicians caring for patients with sepsis may soon have a new safe and cost-effective treatment for this life-threatening illness. Research led by Dr. Karel Tyml and his colleagues at The University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research Institute have found that vitamin C can not only prevent the onset of sepsis, but can reverse the disease. Sepsis is caused by a bacterial infection that can begin anywhere in your body. Your immune system goes into overdrive, overwhelming normal processes in your blood. The result is that small blood clots form, blocking blood ...

KINGSTON, ON – Researchers at Queen's University have discovered the method for studying oxygen in large molecular systems. The findings will help in the study of proteins, DNA, RNA and other molecular structures. Biological molecules make up all living creatures on earth and contain four major elements – hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. But until now scientists were only able to use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study three out of the four elements in the molecule puzzle because oxygen wavelengths were difficult to detect. "Oxygen signals were so weak, ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Heart tissue and stem cells spring into action to begin repairing muscle damaged in a heart attack, and researchers at Duke University School of Medicine found that a protein naturally produced in the body may potentially play a role in accelerating heart muscle repair. Giving the right dose of this protein named secreted frizzled related protein 2 (sfrp2) in studies of rats helped to prevent heart failure and reduce collagen layering that can form thick scar tissue after a heart attack (also called MI, or myocardial infarction). Previously the same researchers ...

Every year about this time, on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally begins the holiday shopping season, early-morning consumers stand in long lines eager to purchase some sought after prize. From the outside, it looks as if these holiday shoppers can't wait to plunk down their cash, but University of Michigan Marketing Professor Scott Rick says consumers often behave differently than they would ideally like to behave. "Some consumers chronically spend more than they would like, and some consumers chronically spend less than they would like," he ...

The most widely adopted measure for assessing the state of the world's oceans and fisheries led to inaccurate conclusions in nearly half the ecosystems where it was applied. The new analysis was performed by an international team of fisheries scientists, and is reported in this week's issue of the journal Nature. "Applied to individual ecosystems it's like flipping a coin; half the time you get the right answer and half the time you get the wrong answer," said Trevor Branch, a University of Washington (UW) aquatic and fisheries scientist. "Monitoring all the fish ...

Approximately 13 million metric tons of rare earth elements (REE) exist within known deposits in the United States, according to the first-ever nationwide estimate of these elements by the U.S. Geological Survey. This estimate of domestic rare earth deposits is part of a larger report that includes a review of global sources for REE, information on known deposits that might provide domestic sources of REE in the future, and geologic information crucial for studies of the availability of REE to U.S. industry. The report describes significant deposits of REE in 14 states, ...

By tracking the fate of a group of immature cells that persist in the adult brain and spinal cord, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered in mice that these cells undergo dramatic changes in ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. A study reported November 17 online in Neuron shows that these cells, called NG2+, grow and expand rapidly during early life, eventually morphing into mature nervous system cells called oligodendrocytes. These "oligos" help speed the transmission of electrical impulses by providing insulation around nerve cells. This insulation, known as myelin, ...

A better understanding of how we use acoustic cues to stress new information and put old information in the background may help computer programmers produce more realistic-sounding speech. Dr. Michael Wagner, a researcher in McGill's Department of Linguistics, has compared the way French- and English-speakers evaluate poetry, as a way of finding evidence for a systematic difference in how the two languages use these cues. "Voice synthesis has become quite impressive in terms of the pronunciation of individual words," Wagner explained. "But when a computer 'speaks,' whole ...

New York, NY, November 18, 2010—A new 11-country survey from The Commonwealth Fund finds that adults in the United States are far more likely than those in 10 other industrialized nations to go without health care because of costs, have trouble paying medical bills, encounter high medical bills even when insured, and have disputes with their insurers or discover insurance wouldn't pay as they expected. According to the report, the findings highlight the need for Affordable Care Act reforms that will ensure access to health care, protect people from medical debt, and simplify ...

Villeroy & Boch now offers its innovative SupraFix fastening system throughout the U.S. marketplace. SupraFix, a patent-pending system, sets new standards for wall-mounted WC installation by simplifying the process of attaching both the Water Closet (WC) and the WC seat. "SupraFix changes everything. Conventional fastening holes are no longer required so unsightly plastic covers are a thing of the past," said Constantin von Boch, national sales manager for the Villeroy & Boch brand. "In addition, a valuable feature of SupraFix is an uninterrupted design which makes ...

The growth of the green building market will drive adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, according to a new Market Report, Building Information Modeling is Contributing to Green Design and Construction, released by MCIPE Constructors & Professional Engineers. The report provides new insights on the convergence of two important construction industry trends: green building and BIM, known simply as "Green BIM." "Green building is already transforming design and construction in the United States, and BIM has the potential to increase innovation---and ...

SunPods will return to participate as alumni in the CleantTech National Awards Gala on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 - an event recognized as the "Academy Awards of Cleantech". A fully assembled, factory-built SunPods solar array will be featured outside of the event venue to showcase the technology that reduces installation of ground mount solar installations by up to 90 percent. The mission of the Cleantech Open is to find, fund, and foster the big ideas that address today's most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. Following a valued placement in ...

Kick off your holiday season at Salon Oasis, while you and your friends enjoy glamorous fun with delicious appetizers from Blue Martini, drinks from Hpnotiq and music by Cat Shell. Come check out the latest in holiday fashion by Intrigue Couture, hair and make-up trend by Salon Oasis and enjoy the sounds of Cat Shell, singer/songwriter (catshellmusic.com). Prizes galore to be given away at the end of the evening, and the first 200 guests receive a free swag bag filled with glam goodies! At 8 pm head over to Blue Martini at Town Center Mall for the continuation of ...

Around 250 lots of fine clocks, estate jewelry and other small items that would make excellent holiday presents will be sold in an online-only auction slated to end Friday, Dec. 10, by Gordon S. Converse & Co. The auction is already online and all lots may be viewed at the website AuctionsatConverse.com, with a hyperlink to LiveAuctioneers.com. "If payment is received promptly there will be no trouble shipping in time for the holidays," said Gordon Converse of Gordon S. Converse & Co. "The jewelry includes many affordable precious and semi-precious mounted pins, pendants, ...

BrightStar Franchising, LLC, a full-service healthcare staffing agency that provides medical and non-medical homecare to private clients within their homes, as well as supplemental healthcare staff to corporate clients, announces the appointment of JD Sun as Executive Vice President of Franchise Development. Sun, who co-founded BrightStar with his wife, Shelly, and most recently played an integral role building sales in company-owned markets, launching franchise sales efforts and leading the company's rebranding efforts to drive franchisee performance, will now lead ...

Brooklyn Stone Boutique is turning Black Friday PINK, Hot Pink to be exact! Then we are going to celebrate NYC's first "Small Business Saturday", which is a nationwide initiative to motivate shoppers to patronize locally owned, independent businesses during Thanksgiving weekend. Brooklyn Stone Boutique's PINK Friday will consist of store wide sales, coupons, and free gifts! The Small Business Saturday celebration will offer customers door prizes, promotions, coupons and free gifts! Shop and celebrate with us in style. Support local businesses, enhance your wardrobe, ...