Blue denim jeans are one of the most popular and iconic fashion items in the world; now a study published in Biotechnology Journal reveals a cheaper, more efficient and eco-friendly method for treating dyed denim. The process of 'surface activation' used to wash-down the denim following dyeing could also offer an alternative to the dangerous, and internationally banned, sandblasting technique. "The global production of denim is estimated at 3 billion linear meters and more than 4 billion garments per year," said Thomas Bechtold, from the Research Institute for Textile ...

CINCINNATI—The hormone ghrelin, known to promote hunger and fat storage, has been found to enhance exploratory "sniffing" in both animals and humans. The research, by University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists, suggests that ghrelin may be designed to boost detection of calories in our environment through smell and link those inputs with natural regulation of metabolism and body weight. Led by Jenny Tong, MD, and Matthias Tschöp, MD, both of UC's endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism division, the study appears in the April 13, 2011, issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, ...

A team of American and Chinese scientists studying the role of stem cells in repairing damaged retina tissue have found that pigs represent an effective proxy species to research treatments for humans. The study, published in STEM CELLS, demonstrates how stem cells can be isolated and transplanted between pigs, overcoming a key barrier to the research. Treatments to repair the human retina following degenerative diseases remain a challenge for medical science. Unlike species of lower vertebrates the human retina lacks a regenerative pathway meaning that research has ...

There are thousands of ways to classify a death: city officials categorize accidental deaths in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island using approximately 6,000 codes. Given the wide array of options in defining accidental death, an exhaustive list of the top contributors is a slippery concept. But, while lists may vary, there is a general hierarchy to sources of unintended tragedy. Unsurprisingly, motor vehicle accidents are the number one source of accidental deaths. Those 19-30 years old are most likely to be killed in traffic accidents, although ...

Using the amplifying power of a cosmic gravitational lens, astronomers have discovered a distant galaxy whose stars were born unexpectedly early in cosmic history. This result sheds new light on the formation of the first galaxies, as well as on the early evolution of the Universe. Johan Richard, the lead author of a new study [1] says: "We have discovered a distant galaxy that began forming stars just 200 million years after the Big Bang. This challenges theories of how soon galaxies formed and evolved in the first years of the Universe. It could even help solve the ...

A Travis County jury recently awarded a Texas man $1.6 million in damages resulting from business fraud committed by businessman and broker Christopher Bounds. Bounds worked for Merrill Lynch in Austin, where he conducted several business transactions that came to be the subject matter of the District Court lawsuit. Plaintiff David Fernea accused Bounds of committing investment fraud and theft through the sale of stock in two telemarketing businesses. In the sales agreement, Bounds was to transfer his business interests in Austrends Inc. and Bounds and Pinto Marketing ...

ATHENS, Ohio (April 12, 2011) – Birds are known more for their senses of vision and hearing than smell, but new research suggests that millions of years ago, the winged critters also boasted a better sense for scents. A study published today by scientists at the University of Calgary, the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine tested the long-standing view that during the evolution from dinosaurs to birds, the sense of smell declined as birds developed heightened senses of vision, hearing and balance for flight. The team compared ...

Individuals with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability, often develop epilepsy, but so far the underlying causes are unknown. Researchers have now discovered a potential mechanism that may contribute to the link between epilepsy and fragile X syndrome. The protein that is missing in fragile X syndrome, FMRP, controls the production of a protein that regulates electrical signals in brain cells, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found. The results were published April 13 in the Journal of Neuroscience. Individuals ...

In recent years, the United States has seen one of the most uncertain economic times in its history. The housing market has suffered perhaps more than any other area of our economy. According to CoreLogic, over 10.8 million homes are underwater, where the borrower owes more than the home is worth. That number is actually down from the second quarter of 2010, when over 11 million properties were underwater. But CoreLogic cautions that the decline in the number of properties with negative equity may be a result of a spike in foreclosures as opposed to a rebound in the ...

An appetite-stimulating hormone causes people and animals to sniff odors more often and with greater sensitivity, according to a new study in the April 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings suggest ghrelin may enhance the ability to find and identify food. Researchers led by Jenny Tong, MD, and Matthias Tschöp, MD, at the University of Cincinnati found the appetite-related hormone also influences smell. The new study shows ghrelin, made mainly in the stomach, binds to molecules in the brain's olfactory bulb, suggesting the hormone is directly involved in ...

Older adults at risk for stroke have significantly increased risk for some types of cognitive decline, according to a multicenter study led by University of California scientists. The study, which involved 73 older women and men who had not had a stroke and did not have dementia, showed that participants had substantially greater risk for decline in some aspects of "executive function" – specifically in verbal fluency and the ability to ignore irrelevant information. Verbal memory and short term, or "working memory," were not affected. The finding is reported in a ...

Travelzest owned VFB Holidays has revealed it is cutting the cost of going to France with a special promotional offer on return ferry crossings, running right through till the 30th of April 2011. The special offers will mean that customers can book a holiday cottage in France with VFB Holidays at any time during the month of April 2011 and they will get a discounted rate on a return ferry crossing with Sea France, which will save them GBP226 on the normal peak crossing rate for a car. The offer is exclusive to VFB Holidays and gives travellers the ability to make ...

Mothers' exposure during pregnancy to pollutants created by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and other organic material may lead to behavioral problems in their children, according to a new study. Researchers found that within a sample of 215 children monitored from birth, those children with high levels of a pollution exposure marker in their cord blood had more symptoms of attention problems and anxiety/depression at ages 5 and 7 than did children with lower exposure. The study, "PAH/Aromatic DNA Adducts in Cord Blood and Behavior Scores in New York City Children," ...

Osteoporosis constitutes a major public health problem through its association with age-related fractures, most notably those of the hip. As life expectancy rises around the world, along with the number of elderly people in every geographic region, the incidence of hip fractures is estimated to reach 6.3 million in 2050 - assuming a constant age-specific rate of fracture in men and women. A new review paper by a scientific working group of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) shows however that age-specific hip fracture rates have changed during recent decades ...

Animal and bird species found only on a single island should still be common within that island. This is the finding of a new model developed by researchers from the University of Leeds and Imperial College London. The model could apply both to actual islands and isolated areas of habitat on the mainland that are home to unique species, such as the table top mountains of South America. The natural history of islands is littered with examples of unusual species found only in one place, such as the Hawaiian Goose, Galápagos Tortoises and Dodo that may once have been ...

Cutting Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions by a half within 20 years is achievable, a study suggests. Scientists say greener transport and cleaner power generation could help deliver big savings on CO2 emissions. The researchers say the use of smart meters for homes and businesses, improved recycling, and greener building designs could make a difference. They also recommend carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions from carbon-intensive industry and coal-fired power plants. The study, carried out at the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences and Business ...

SENTIDO has been recognised by HolidayCheck, the largest German language travel and holiday portal on the web, with the hotel company winning three awards. The four-star SENTIDO hotel Djerba Beach has enjoyed an especially large number of satisfied guests and so has captured the HolidayCheck Award 2011. It was voted one of the world's 99 most popular hotels and one of the best resorts in the category "Popular among guests aged below 30". The four-star SENTIDO Djerba Beach is located on Djerba, Tunisia, not far from the island's capital of Houmt Souk and 25 kilometres ...

Current UK and European policies on biofuels encourage unethical practices, says a report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics today following an 18-month inquiry. Policies such as the European Renewable Energy Directive are particularly weak when it comes to protecting the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding human rights violations in developing countries. They also include few incentives for the development of new biofuel technologies that could help avoid these problems. "Biofuels are one of the only renewable alternatives we have for transport ...

Natural gas extracted from shale formations has a greater greenhouse gas footprint - in the form of methane emissions - than conventional gas, oil and coal over a 20 year period. This calls into question the logic of its use as a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, according to Robert Howarth and colleagues, from Cornell University in New York. Their work (1) is published online in Springer's journal, Climatic Change Letters (2). Shale gas* has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States over the past decade. Howarth and team ...

Grand Imperial London has put a spin on authentic Hong Kong cuisine by creating a collection of exquisite chocolate dim sum dumplings - ideal for chocolate lovers looking to indulge in an Easter celebration with Asian flair. Each crispy dumpling is freshly prepared and filled with a warm silky chocolate sauce made with 70% cacao. The platter comes with four individual parcels; the crispy 'Canton Cracker' pastry, the 'Pumpkin Bundle', a miniature pumpkin made with pumpkin essence and lemon zest, the 'Cashew Crescent', a half moon pastry topped with cashew nuts and icing ...

A new study finds that the general public thinks getting a suntan poses a greater public health risk than nanotechnology or other nanoparticle applications. The study, from North Carolina State University, compared survey respondents' perceived risk of nanoparticles with 23 other public-health risks. The study is the first to compare the public's perception of the risks associated with nanoparticles to other environmental and health safety risks. Researchers found that nanoparticles are perceived as being a relatively low risk. "For example, 19 of the other public-health ...

This release is available in German. Reactive nitrogen compounds from agriculture, transport, and industry lead to increased emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) from forests in Europe. Nitrous oxide emission from forest soils is at least twice as high as estimated so far by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This is one of the key messages of the first study on nitrogen in Europe (European Nitrogen Assessment, ENA) that is presented this week at the International Conference "Nitrogen and Global Change 2011" in Edinburgh, Scotland. Reactive ...

Northern Rock has announced the launch of its Easy ISA Issue 2. Following the success of its recently launched Easy ISA, Northern Rock has improved the variable rate cash ISA account, which offers a competitive tax-free* interest rate for a minimum deposit of just GBP1. Easy ISA can now be opened and administered by post, as well as in branch. The Easy ISA Issue 2 account provides a variable rate of interest, and easy access to savings funds. With a minimum deposit of GBP1, a competitive flat rate of 2.65% tax free*/AER** pa, and the option to transfer across any ...

By cleverly linking five Wii Balance Boards, a team of Rice University undergraduates has combined the appeal of a video game with the utility of a computerized motion-tracking system that can enhance the progress of patients at Shriners Hospital for Children-Houston. The Rice engineering students created the new device using components of the popular Nintendo game system to create a balance training system. What the kids may see as a fun video game is really a sophisticated way to help them advance their skills. The Wii Balance Boards lined up between handrails will ...

NewBlue, Inc., the fastest growing provider of integrated video effects technologies, and CommNexus, a nonprofit technology industry association that works to accelerate the success of the technology industry in the region, today announces that NewBlue has been accepted into EvoNexus, San Diego's only community-supported, fully pro-bono technology incubator. Founded by proven, experienced entrepreneurs in digital media, NewBlue was created on the premise that video would become an integral part of popular culture and a critical player in the consumer marketplace. EvoNexus ...