A new report from the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) in Berkeley projects that development of cost-competitive algae biofuel production will require much more long-term research, development and demonstration. In the meantime, several non-fuel applications of algae could serve to advance the nascent industry. "Even with relatively favorable and forward-looking process assumptions (from cultivation to harvesting to processing), algae oil production with microalgae cultures will be expensive and, at least in the near-to-mid-term, will require additional income streams ...

Amsterdam, 2 November, 2010 - An investigation conducted in the context of the Swiss National Research Programme (NRP50), Endocrine Disrupters: Relevance to Humans, Animals and Ecosystems, demonstrates for the first time that internal exposure of humans to cosmetic UV filters is widespread. In the course of the Summer and Fall 2004, 2005 and 2006 (3 cohorts), human milk was sampled by mothers who had given birth at the University Women's Hospital in Basel. The participants filled out a detailed questionnaire with general questions and, as special feature, in depth questions ...

Over the past decade, the undersea robots known as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have become increasingly important in oceanographic research. Today's AUVs fall into two groups: 1) propeller-driven vehicles that can travel fast and carry lots of instruments, but are limited to expeditions of only a few days; and 2) "gliders," which can stay at sea for weeks or even months at a time, but cannot travel very quickly. MBARI engineers recently demonstrated a new super-efficient AUV that combines the best of these two approaches. This new long-range AUV (LRAUV) can travel ...

The November issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings includes three articles with leading research, highlighted below. Khat Chewing Increases Risk of Stroke and Death in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Researchers found that people who chew khat and present with acute coronary syndrome had significantly higher rates of death, cardiogenic stroke, and stroke complications, despite having lower cardiovascular risk profiles. "The leaves of khat, a leafy green shrub, are chewed habitually for euphoric and stimulating effects. The main ingredients, ...

Note to journalists: Please credit the journal or the American Chemical Society as publisher of this report. WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2010 — For the first time in the United States, researchers are reporting in a peer-reviewed scientific journal today detection of Bisphenol A (BPA) in fresh and canned food as well as food wrapped in plastic packaging. The amounts in the limited sample, however, were almost 1,000 times lower than the "tolerable daily intake" levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Their report ...

A team of scientists from Japan and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have created a new mouse model that confirms that mutations of a protein called beta-synuclein promote neurodegeneration. The discovery creates a potential new target for developing treatments of diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The work is published in today's issue of Nature Communications. Lead author is Makoto Hashimoto of the Division of Chemistry and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, with colleagues including Eliezer Masliah, MD, professor ...

A Spontaneous Self-Reference Effect in Memory: Why Some Birthdays Are Harder to Remember Than Others (http://pss.sagepub.com/content/21/10/1525.abstract) Selin Kesebir and Shigehiro Oishi People may have a better memory for birthdays that are closer to their own: Volunteers recalling their friends' birthdays tended to remember birthdays that were closer to their own than birthdays that were farther away from their own birthday. In a separate experiment, after reading brief biographies of people they did not know, volunteers correctly remembered the birthdays of the ...

In an article published in November 3 edition of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Chad Boult, MD, MPH, MBA, professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, calls for key improvements to primary care in order to improve the health of the nation's most costly patients—older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Boult and his co-author, G. Darryl Wieland, PhD, MPH, research director of Geriatrics Services at Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, Columbia, South Carolina, evaluated studies of new primary care ...

WORCESTER, Mass. – A potentially life-threatening challenge characterized by pauses in breathing that can last for more than 20 seconds, apnea of prematurity (AOP) affects more than 50 percent of premature infants and is almost universal in the smallest of preemies. Caused in part by an underdeveloped central nervous system that can't adequately regulate breathing outside of the womb, especially during sleep, AOP is not yet fully understood by scientists and remains a grave concern among neonatologists and parents alike. New research published in the October issue of Pediatrics ...

A new material with a split personality -- part superconductor, part metal -- has been observed by a Princeton University-led research team. The discovery may have implications for the development of next-generation electronics that could transform the way information is stored and processed. The new material -- a crystal called a topological superconductor -- has two electronic identities at once. At very low temperatures, the interior of the crystal behaves like a normal superconductor, able to conduct electricity with zero resistance. At the same time, the surface ...

NEW YORK (November 2, 2010) -- For patients with the most common form of hepatitis C being treated for the first time, the addition of an investigational hepatitis C–specific protease inhibitor called telaprevir to the current standard therapy markedly improved their sustained viral response (SVR or viral cure) rate. The lead investigator reporting the results of the ADVANCE trial is Dr. Ira M. Jacobson, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and the Vincent Astor Distinguished Professor ...

The following highlights summarize research papers that have been recently published in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), Water Resources Research (WRR), and Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres (JGR-D). 1. Toxic levels of chemicals found kilometers from Gulf spill site Oil contains compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which can be toxic. These compounds were released into the water during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which was larger than any previously studied release of oil. The impacts of the oil spill on marine life are not ...

Turns out the high school guidance counselor was right. Students who have high aspirations and put thought into their futures during their high school years tend to reach higher levels of educational attainment, according to a recent study. And what's a significant factor in those goals and expectations taking shape in the first place? It matters if teens are involved in extracurricular activities -- whether it's football, fine arts or French club. The research, by Sarah Beal and Lisa Crockett of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, surveyed hundreds of high school students ...

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed two strategies to ward off cattle fever ticks that are crossing the border from Mexico into the United States. These ticks transmit bovine babesiosis, commonly known as Texas cattle fever, a deadly disease of cattle that's caused by singled-celled organisms. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Kerrville, Texas, are developing and testing new interventions to eliminate cattle fever ticks within U.S. borders and mitigate the impact on the livestock industry. ARS is USDA's principal ...

Women now dominate the field of veterinary medicine — the result of a nearly 40-year trend that is likely to repeat itself in the fields of medicine and law. That's the conclusion of a new study that found three factors that appear to be driving the change: the 1972 federal amendment that outlaws discrimination against female students; male applicants to graduate schools who may be deterred by a growing number of women enrolling; and the increasing number of women earning Bachelor's degrees in numbers that far exceed those of male graduates, says sociologist Anne E. Lincoln. An ...

SANTA MONICA, CA—Humans have walked on the Moon, and inevitably, according to NASA, humans will tread the Red Planet as well, possibly by 2037. An ergonomist and an industrial designer pondered the challenges of the Martian environment and developed an award-winning concept rover that could someday transport and house astronauts on the surface of Mars. The rover is described in an article to be published in Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications. Using a human factors/ergonomics method called function analysis, part of a larger systems approach, ...

Acritum Software has released One-click BackUp for WinRAR 2.30, a handy file backup utility for Windows. The product is available as freeware for home users and non-commercial organizations. Professional version with network support is available for corporate and advanced users at a small price. It's important to have backup copies of all important documents, so you can restore your information if accidentally erase it, or if you have a hardware malfunction or virus attack. Because creating daily backups is boring, most people don't do it. One-click BackUp makes your ...

Anyone would agree that running a successful business is tough but opening and running a very successful business during one of the greatest recessions takes a very special entrepreneur. Celebrity stylist and entrepreneur Deana Reed opened her doors a year ago and her salon, HairPlaay Studio is now one of LA's chicest salons catering to the Hollywood crowd. How did she did persevere to create a top salon? "The first few months of running any business is hard but I knew I was offering the best services to people at the best prices," says Deana. "At the end of the day, you ...

After a highly successful run just off the Las Vegas strip, Brian Hoffman's Tribute to Red Skelton has moved to the Las Vegas Rocks Cafe in historic downtown Las Vegas. Located at 450 Fremont Street (corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Fremont St) the Las Vegas Rocks Cafe's - Embassy Theatre is a great place to come see Brian performing the jokes and routines that made Red famous. The Cafe is filled with history and memorabilia including a time-line of how Las Vegas has became what it is today. The owners of the Las Vegas Rocks Cafe have opened their arms and welcomed this ...

Festivities are scheduled to include a glow-in-the-dark dance party, Conde' Couture fashion show, bikini contest, clap dem thighs contest and more than four hours of live performances, 20 artists, 10 dance groups and four DJs as well as all-day giveaways. The highlight of the celebration will be the coveted Keep Jookn Contest, a judged dance competition between the state's hottest acts. The winners will receive cash, gift cards, a shopping spree at Best Buy and the opportunity to spend the day with one of the celebrity guest artists. In attendance will be popular Miami ...

ProSecure Inc. President/CEO Charles Barrague is one of 14 Dallas area business leaders to have successfully completed the Emerging 200 (e200) Initiative sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration Dallas-Fort Worth Office. The graduation ceremony will be held Monday, November 8, 2010 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm in the Flag Room of Dallas City Hall. The program has provided ProSecure Inc., a leader in the Security and Safety Solutions industry, with the training, networking, and resources required for expanding operations and creating jobs in the inner-city. The SBA ...

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation's (LAEDC) Business Assistance Department has secured a number of Layoff Aversion grants from the Southeast Los Angeles County (SELACO) Workforce Investment Board, South Bay WIB, Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority, Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network and most recently the City of L.A. WIB. Through this funding, the LAEDC, in partnership with local communities, workforce investment partners, employers, and workers, will assist small and medium-sized businesses explore alternatives to layoffs ...

For the first time this season the Express have lost consecutive games. They dropped a pair of 4-3 decisions to the Westside Warriors in regulation Friday, and to the Merritt Centennials in overtime Saturday. In Friday's game, the Express had the lead on 3 occasions, only to drop it each time; and goalkeeper for the Warriors Kevin Boyle saved a total of 22 shots from the Express. Jason Grecica and Alex Petan scored first period powerplay goals for the Express, but later the Warriors' aggressive fore checking and up ice pressure prevented the Express from getting a shot ...

The Coaching Institute announced today The International Coach of the Year for 2010. The winner was selected by a panel of top coaches not affiliated with The Coaching Institute that included coaches from 4 different coaching schools. The Coaching Institute has named a Coach of the Year since 2003. Previous winners can be seen at terrilevine.com/previouscotywinners.html. The International Coach of the Year is the most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one nominated by clients and selected by an independent panel of coaches. The winner ...

This November, Sketch Maven is waiving their already low fees for new and existing sellers in their original comic art marketplace. This is part of Sketch Maven's month-long celebration of their first year in business. "We owe everything to the sellers who have made so much high quality comic art available for our buying community," comments Mike Todasco, founder of Sketch Maven, the World's Greatest Original Comic Art Marketplace. "From artists to dealers to casual collectors, the people who sell comic art and sketches on our site have helped make our first year great. ...