Durham, NC —Many plants can pollinate themselves and reproduce without the aid of a mate, thanks to having both male and female parts. But the short-term perks of being able to go it alone come with long-term costs, says a new study in the journal Science. The reason is because plants that can pollinate themselves are more prone to extinction, scientists say. Flowering plants are incredibly creative when it comes to sex, said co-author Boris Igic, a biologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Plants just can't walk over to potential mates like we do. Many species ...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Common foot disorders such as flat feet, corns and bunions are more prevalent among African Americans than in whites, a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers has found. African Americans in the study age 45 or older were three times more likely than whites of the same age to have corns or flat feet (medical name: pes planus). In people who were not obese, African Americans were twice as likely to have bunions (hallux valgus) and hammer toes than whites, said Yvonne M. Golightly, PT, PhD, lead author of the study, titled ...

One drug's startling ability to restore retinal health in the eyes of diabetic mice has researchers wanting to learn more about how it works and whether it might do the same for people. "We want to know if this drug has the potential to block the visual devastation that can occur with diabetes," said Dr. Sylvia Smith, retinal cell biologist and co-director of the Vision Discovery Institute at the Medical College of Georgia. "That means we need to know more about how and when it is effective." Diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans, ...

SANTA CRUZ, CA--A team of marine scientists has found that toxin-producing algae once thought to be limited to coastal waters are also common in the open ocean, where the addition of iron from natural or artificial sources can stimulate rapid growth of the harmful algae. The new findings, reported this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, add to concerns about proposals to use iron fertilization of the oceans as a way to combat global warming. Blooms of diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitschia, which produce a neurotoxin called domoic acid, are a regular ...

TORONTO, ON – Psychologists at the University of Toronto have shown that the nature of a social interaction has the ability to influence an individual's sensitivity to physical pain. The discovery could have significant clinical implications for doctor-patient relationships and the general well-being of an individual on a daily basis. "Dozens of studies over the past several decades have demonstrated the impact of inadequate social connectedness on numerous health outcomes, including cardiovascular health, immune function, post-surgical recovery, and lifespan," says ...

Toronto, Canada – A Canadian science team has found more dramatic evidence that speaking two languages can help delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by as much as five years. The latest study, led by Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute, examined the clinical records of more than 200 patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease and found that those who have spoken two or more languages consistently over many years experienced a delay in the onset of their symptoms by as much as five years. The study is published in the Nov. 9th issue of Neurology. The science ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Kids who are deficient in vitamin D accumulated fat around the waist and gained weight more rapidly than kids who got enough vitamin D, a new University of Michigan study suggests. Vitamin D, which is primarily provided to the body by the sun, has been a hot topic in the U.S. lately. The federal standards for vitamin D intake have come under fire by public health professionals as being much too low, and disagreement continues over the proper amount of vitamin D necessary for optimal health. Accumulation of abdominal fat, or central fat, may lead ...

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers Jeremy Busby, De-en Jiang and Sergei Kalinin are among 13 Department of Energy scientists to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, or PECASE. The PECASE, one of the nation's top honors for young scientists, was designed to recognize some of the finest researchers who show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge. "Science and technology have long been at the core of America's economic strength and global leadership," President Obama said. "I am confident ...

Alexandria, Va., USA – It is well known that oral infection progressively destroys periodontal tissues and is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. A major goal of periodontal treatment is regeneration of the tissues lost to periodontitis. Unfortunately, most current therapies cannot predictably promote repair of tooth-supporting defects. A variety of regenerative approaches have been used clinically using bone grafts and guiding tissue membranes with limited success. In an article titled "FGF-2 Stimulates Periodontal Regeneration: Results of a Multicenter Randomized ...

A fundamental principle of medicine is: "first, do no harm." However, for doctors who treat breast cancer, this is easier said than done. Every year, almost 22,000 Canadian women are diagnosed with breast cancer — their treatment usually involves surgery to remove a tumour and then chemotherapy to reduce the risk of cancer returning. But studies show that for most patients with early stage breast cancer, chemotherapy following surgery is totally unnecessary and therefore does more harm than good. Identifying whether a patient's cancer is at low or high risk of recurring ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – By combining optical and x-ray imaging, radiologists may be better able to distinguish cancer from benign lesions in the breast, according to a new study published in the online edition and January issue of Radiology. Researchers at Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston helped develop a combined optical/x-ray imaging system capable of obtaining both structural and functional information of the breast. The two technologies used were digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), a three-dimensional application of digital ...

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Multidetector computed tomography (CT) helps pinpoint the causes of ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke, potentially speeding the delivery of life-saving treatments, according to a study published online and in the January issue of Radiology. "Our results suggest that multidetector CT could become the first-line imaging tool for identifying the cause of acute ischemic stroke," said the study's lead author, Loic Boussel, M.D., Ph.D., professor of radiology at Louis Pradel Hospital in Bron, France. An ischemic stroke occurs when blockage ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — When it comes to public perception about health disparities in the United States, political ideology plays a surprisingly large role – more so even than party affiliation, according to new research by a Michigan State University sociologist. "As far as our beliefs about unequal access to health care, whether we are conservative or liberal seems to be much more important than whether we are Republican or Democrat," said Harry Perlstadt, professor of sociology. Perlstadt's study is the first to scientifically examine political and ideological beliefs ...

Built with flexibility and ease of use in mind, the next generation of Lanner Group's flagship software contains further advances in virtual representation, combined with a wide range of new features which enhance the breadth and depth of the solution's capabilities. Says Mandy Tague, Lanner Group director of business development, Americas, "WITNESS software makes the complex simple with new features that allow users to build simulations faster, get the results they need, and make the right decisions, first time." The solution builds on the core strength of WITNESS ...

ZippyCart.com is known for their expert reviews of the best e-commerce solutions available, as they have become a leader in their field by providing succinct and reliable information on the latest innovation and technologies of the e-commerce software solutions' industry. They feature only the top valued solutions in the current market that provide small to mid-sized companies with the tools they need to power an online store. Collaborating with a team of e-commerce experts, ZippyCart spent 3 weeks reviewing all aspects of the AmeriCommerce ecommerce software suite, which ...

A Neumann & Associates (www.neumannassociates.com), a ten-year-old NJ business broker and business valuation firm has announced that they are seeing small business transactions at a low volume level for the second year in a row. A significant indicator of small business environment health is the number of businesses bought and sold. 1,117 U.S. small businesses were sold during the third quarter of 2010, approximately the same number that sold last year during the same time period. By contrast, there were over 345 more sold either via business sale by owner or through ...

Custom Shirts Now, a custom printing company, today announced availability of its newest e-commerce site to simplify online ordering of promotional t-shirts, hoodies, polo shirts and other promotional products into three easy steps. The process begins with the selection of shirt color, size and quantity. The second step is the selection of print colors and location. Then the final step is uploading artwork or allowing the company to provide a design. Prior to printing, an email proof is available for final approval by the customer. Custom Shirts Now produces the final ...

This years winners were chosen by backpackers voting through the TNT magazine website. Nomads Queenstown backpackers hostel has a high level of facilities including a cinema room, sauna and daily activities run every night. A free daily breakfast is provided for each guest and each dorm bed has an individual reading lamp and locker to keep belongings safe. There are dorms to suit every budget from large dorms to smaller dorms with ensuites as well as female -only dorms. Many dorms have large balconies overlooking the lake and mountains. The private rooms include a plasma ...

Every Tuesday evening at 7:03 PM eastern time, you can listen to Wellness, Wholeness & Wisdom radio with host Psychologist Parthenia Izzard, CNHP. The program is archived within minutes of the live broadcast on the internet and rebroadcast Saturday mornings at 9:03 AM eastern time. On your computer go to http://www.amtherapies.com and click on the Radio link to listen to the show live online or on your phone! Program topics range from authors like Bishop Jordan, James Redfield, Immaculee Ilibagiza, and William Tiller to owners of products like Rishi Teas, and Dr. Kracker. ...

Tristan Couvares' web-inspired party Saturday night at the ControlTV house was filled with fun and laughter. The party went on live all night long as fans got an exclusive invite to tune in on the ControlTV website. Fans witnessed the hottest internet celebrities who joined Tristan inside of the live streaming 'fun house'. Fashion News Live creator and host Rocco Leo Gaglioti was one of the many guests who attended. Gaglioti made his fierce entrance inside of the ControlTV house bringing enthusiasm and live interactions from fans who were encouraged to tweet throughout ...

Regent Markets Australia has always been a solid company. They have always delivered strong returns for their clients and have an A+ customer service rating independently with the AAC. Regent Markets has also pioneered many modern trading tools that have astounded even the harshest critics. So what is there to say when a company like this announces it has improved its overall investment profitability by 15.68% overnight? Nothing, just get in early and try not to miss out. This piece examines Regent Markets Australia's recent leap forward in investment returns and gives ...

Sound Physicians, a leading hospitalist organization, today announced "Best Practices for Improving Patient Satisfaction and HCAHPS Scores," a webcast for hospital executives who want to improve the inpatient experience. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), is a national standardized survey tool used to measure adult inpatient perception of the quality of care they receive at a given acute care hospital. Participants will learn practical methods to improve inpatient satisfaction and drive up HCAHPS results. The recently enacted ...

Team Fitness America announced their November Personal Trainer Of The Month. From Parlin, New Jersey, Megha Shah has demonstrated what it takes to be chosen as a top personal trainer of Team Fitness America from a nationwide team of personal trainers. Shah's dedication to her client's success and weight loss shows her exemplarily fitness training skills and her ability to keep her clients motivated in the toughest of situations. For that Shah was chosen for the prestigious Team Fitness America Personal Trainer Of The Month Award. Shah, who is also in line for personal ...

Books for children should educate and entertain and touch the growing minds of your impressionable little ones. But with so many new kids books hitting the shelves of brick and mortar bookstores and online retailers, how do you choose which new books for children are the right ones to have in your personal family library? Kids books that have staying power usually combine colorful illustrations, exciting stories and a deeper message that empowers children to take action. Enter the new healthy super kid on the block: Mitch Spinach! In our research, we have found very ...

Chattertree.com, a family website, has announced three new online features to make connecting and sharing easier for its members. Chattertree promotes positive synergy within the core of the modern family. It offers feature-rich tools, resources and initiatives that will embrace important family communications through technology and the larger community. It also emphasizes online privacy. According to Chattertree founder Ryan Beale, the three new features are: - Family Feed: a dynamic component that allows members to see, share and connect with their entire family ...