MADISON — It's one of the more frustrating parts of summer. You check the weather forecast, see nothing dramatic, and go hiking or biking. Then, four hours later, a thunderstorm appears out of nowhere and ruins your afternoon. Thunderstorms can bring intense rain, hail, lightning and even tornadoes, but "predicting them a few hours out is one of the great problems of meteorology," says Chian-Yi Liu, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. And the consequences can be more serious than a rained-out hike — even major storms can be missed, Liu ...

New research findings appearing in the January Journal of Lipid Research indicate that compounds called oxysterols are not present in any significant amount in multiple sclerosis patients, contradicting a previous study that suggested that some of these cholesterol metabolites were associated with MS and could be used as diagnostic tools in the clinic. Oxysterols are somewhat controversial in science; while some laboratory experiments suggest these steroid molecules may be biologically important, they are present in only trace amounts in the blood, and studies in living ...

URBANA – Is red seaweed a viable future biofuel? Now that a University of Illinois metabolic engineer has developed a strain of yeast that can make short work of fermenting galactose, the answer is an unequivocal yes. "When Americans think about biofuel crops, they think of corn, miscanthus, and switchgrass. ln small island or peninsular nations, though, the natural, obvious choice is marine biomass," said Yong-Su Jin, a U of I assistant professor of microbial genomics and a faculty member in its Institute for Genomic Biology. Producers of biofuels made from terrestrial ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Despite increased racial and ethnic diversity, American neighborhoods continue to be segregated, and some of the progress made toward integration since 1980 has come to a halt this decade, according to a new report by Brown University sociologist John Logan. The report, co-authored by Florida State University sociologist Brian Stults, marks the launch of the US2010 project, a program of research on changes in American society, supported by the Russell Sage Foundation and Brown University. "This is a surprising result," said Logan, ...

Not a happy holiday thought, but an important one: The number of babies who die of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, surges by 33 percent on New Year's Day. The suspected reason? Alcohol consumption by caretakers the night before. Led by sociologist David Phillips of the University of California, San Diego, the study documenting the dramatic rise in SIDS deaths on New Year's is published in the journal Addiction. The spike, write Phillips and his coauthors, is beyond the normal winter increase in SIDS. The study examined 129,090 SIDS cases from 1973 to 2006 using ...

A mother's voice will preferentially activate the parts of the brain responsible for language learning, say researchers from the University of Montreal and the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre. The research team made the discovery after performing electrical recordings on the infants within the 24 hours following their birth. The brain signals also revealed that while the infants did react to other women's voices, these sounds only activated the voice recognition parts of the brains. "This is exciting research that proves for the first time that the newborn's ...

Cincinnati, OH, December 16, 2010 -- Caffeine consumption in children is often blamed for sleep problems and bedwetting. Information on childhood caffeine consumption is limited, and many parents may not know the amount or effects of their child's caffeine consumption. In a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that 75% of children surveyed consumed caffeine on a daily basis, and the more caffeine the children consumed, the less they slept. Dr. William Warzak and colleagues from the University of Nebraska Medical Center surveyed the parents ...

Washington, DC – The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today released its first report—a wide-ranging review of the emerging field of synthetic biology—issuing 18 recommendations including a call for coordinated federal oversight of scientists working in both large institutions and smaller settings. The panel, comprised of 13 scientists, ethicists, and public policy experts, said that the very newness of the science, which involves the design and construction of laboratory-made biological parts, gives regulators, ethicists and others time to identify ...

Novosoft, one of the leading backup solution providers worldwide, has announced the release of the new version for innovative disaster recovery utility (http://www.handybackup.net/disaster-recovery.shtml ) - Handy Backup Disaster Recovery. The new version represents a complex data protection solution and includes tools for operation system and file recovery, antivirus protection and partition edition. "The new version of Handy Backup Disaster Recovery was developed with the idea of generalization now that it's rapidly seizing influence, - said Alexandr Prichalov, head ...

Y & S Auto Body (http://www.YandSAutoBody.com), a car repair shop with locations in San Pedro, Ca and Torrance, Ca is proud to introduce their website's new layout and design which will be both interactive and user friendly. With many new features and functionality to the newly rebuilt website makes customer interaction simple. With the website completed a few months ago, the new website feature's tips, techniques, and advice for customers. The brand new website will have a new, up to date feel and look to it. It will be extremely user friendly and easy to navigate ...

iFunia, a professional developer of Mac multimedia software, today has just launched special promotions with 4 discounted packs, targeting the 2010 holiday season. The iFunia discounted software packs should be very useful for users who would like to convert holiday video(including HD!) or movie into any formats and enjoy the video entertainment on iPad, iPhone, iPod or other portable device, This software packs also includes a FlashGallery Suite to help users keep the happy and carefree Christmas Day memory with Stunning Flash photo gallery maker. Hightlights of ...

Signazon.com joins in holiday celebration with the Christian Fellowship Center in Aurora, Colorado. As the church is preparing for their annual Christmas festivities and the celebration of the birth of Jesus, Signazon is actively participating with custom church banners and signs for their holiday decorations. Celebrating the true meaning of the Christian holiday is very important to the Christian Fellowship Center as they strive to put community focus back on the act of love shown in the birth of our savior. Pastor Michaels of Christian Fellowship Center contacted ...

This couple has been making a living with a work-at-home, automated, online business for over four years, and now they are helping three people a month to achieve the same success they have. "There are so many goofy deals out there when it comes to working at home, and having an online Internet business. People are right to be skeptical, and so my wife and I are willing to pay the cost to start a business online to prove to people that it is legitimate and works like we say. We put our money on the line so they don't have to," explained David Bresnahan. The Bresnahans ...

AWAI's Wealthy Web Writer Division is delighted to announce that Nick Usborne will be speaking at the first-ever virtual event of its kind, the "2011 State of the Web: Web Writer Summit," on why online copywriting is the #1 opportunity for freelancers today... and will be for years to come. American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI), http://www.awaionline.com, and its Wealthy Web Writer division, recently announced the first-ever, virtual Web Writer Summit that will take place on December 18, 2011. The 2011 State of the Web: Web Writer Summit will be an innovative addition ...

Central Chem-Dry Nashville's premier carpet cleaning provider is beginning its second decade of serving the Nashville area, offering superior carpet and upholstery cleaning. It is independently owned and operated by Darrell and Diane Baker of Franklin, TN. They are very involved in the day-to-day operations of the company, and it is not unusual for them to interact directly with their customers. http://www.centralcarpetcleaning.net/ Chem-Dry has been a household name for over 30 years, owing its success to the fact that it eliminates the pitfalls of traditional steam-cleaning. ...

Luxury Hotels Las Vegas, a website that promises to uncover the best Las Vegas hotel rates and discounts at the many luxury hotels in Las Vegas, recently announced a new service for businesses where corporate events can be booked directly from the website. Luxury Hotels Las Vegas will now assist clients with a presentation, an annual event, an awards ceremony, or any other corporate function, and will also help clients find Las Vegas group hotel rates. Businesses interested in the service need only fill out a quote request form that will provide all the necessary information ...

Own a small business with a limited budget? Company is offering multimedia websites for $29 a year with no setup fee. Yes, you read it right: If you own a small business but have no website, or need an additional one you can order it today for $29 a year. 29dollarwebsites.com, a division of the well-known Discounted Online Services launched a new program which is hard to beat. With the 29dollarwebsites.com program you will be able to have your own multimedia website for $29 a year with no setup fee. And your website is ready in 24 hours. 29 dollar websites ...

In the 1920's sled dogs carried mail and supplies to remote regions of Alaska along a trail now called Iditarod. Guests on an AdventureSmith Explorations' http://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/ nine-day program in Alaska this winter can place bets on their favorite huskies and witness the start of the annual Iditarod dog sled race while basking under the magnificence of the Northern Lights. This 1,150-mile wilderness trek from Anchorage to the Bering Sea commemorates an heroic race against death by diphtheria in 1925 when these fabled dogs brought life-saving serum ...

There is no better way for a plumbing business to be appreciated than to have customers tell them how satisfied they are for the services they provided. The owner of Glendale Associated Plumbers cannot think of words to express his gratitude to customers who write, call, and send email messages to communicate to the company and its employees their thankfulness for a job well done. I was able to spoke with one such customer, when she visited the company's office to deliver two boxes of muffins as a way of saying thank you to the plumber who handled her plumbing issue, ...

A pair of carved, early Continental alabaster and marble statues of Cleopatra and Judith, each standing 23 inches tall and having exceptional detail, sold for $132,250 at a cataloged antique auction held Nov. 13 by Fontaine's Auction Gallery. The statues were the top earner of the more than 500 lots sold. Overall, the sale grossed about $1.4 million. Around 300 people packed the Fontaine's Auction Gallery showroom, located at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield, for the standing room only event. In addition, there were about 800 Internet bidders who participated ...

A new website launched this week to help Broomfield patients realize the benefits of gentle but effective chiropractic care. MileHighChiropractic.com offers free information and tips on how to relieve back pain and live well. Patients can visit http://milehighchiropractic.com to receive free information on common conditions that may relate to their occupation. The website also describes the company's two types of chiropractic care: relief care and corrective care. It introduces the firm's staff which has collectively more than 15 years of experience providing chiropractic ...

The Thorburn Chiropractic and Wellness Center of Burbank CA has been honored by Celebration Media, U.S. (CMUS) as a 2011 Talk of the Town Award Recipient in the category of Excellence in Customer Satisfaction for a Chiropractor. This is the second year CMUS has honored companies with its Talk of the Town Awards, which recognizes select businesses and professionals who have been noted by their customers through multiple Web sites for their excellent customer service. The awards honor companies and professionals in several categories, highlighting the best companies in ...

Kiva Dunes, the only beachfront resort course in Alabama, has been named to Golfweek magazine's "America's Best Resort Courses" national rankings. The list included hundreds of U.S. courses that were rated on their overall strength of routing, shaping, natural setting, greens, variety and memorable holes, conditioning and maintenance, landscape management and other criteria. "Gulf Shores continues to garner national golf rankings, reinforcing it as a 'must see' destination," says Duncan Millar, executive director of Golf Gulf Shores. "Kiva Dunes is among the best ...

Dreamstar Custom Homes is making dreams come true for some of the medically underserved who are in a battle with breast cancer. "Build for the Cure," spearheaded by Dreamstar Custom Homes President Brett Handler, raised $45,000 to benefit the South Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure . He recently presented a check to its executive director, Anita Holmes. This past February, Handler initiated the "Build for the Cure" project by cutting his price for a home that was under construction and donating the difference to the local Komen affiliate. He asked his ...

Goodreads is proud to announce that on Monday, December 20, the top five write-in candidates in 23 Goodreads Choice Awards categories will become Official Nominees for 2010. These additional nominees will deepen the pool of talent represented by the Goodreads Choice Awards and further represent the unique "reader's choice" spirit behind Goodreads' celebration of books. The new nominees will be added to the polls for the final ten days of voting. More than 100,000 votes have been cast so far. In each category, voters may write-in a candidate of their choosing or select ...