CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Most people have trouble telling them apart, but bumble bees, honey bees, stingless bees and solitary bees have home lives that are as different from one another as a monarch's palace is from a hippie commune or a hermit's cabin in the woods. A new study of these bees offers a first look at the genetic underpinnings of their differences in lifestyle. The study focuses on the evolution of "eusociality," a system of collective living in which most members of a female-centric colony forego their reproductive rights and instead devote themselves to specialized ...

Intense Peru, experts in designing unique travel experiences to Peru, recently announced a 10% savings on all Machu Picchu tours in recognition of the 100 year anniversary of the discovery of Lost City of the Incas by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Every year an increasing number of travelers come from different parts of the world to admire the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. Some travelers have little information and some others not only are well prepared but fill their tour guides with enthusiastic comments and questions. And the truth is that no matter how ...

Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels, is required during embryonic development and wound healing, as well as during disease processes such as tumor growth. The signals that direct angiogensis are incompletely understood, but could represent novel targets for the development of therapies that promote or inhibit this process. In this paper, Young-Guen Kwon and colleagues, of Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, investigated the role of two related proteins- DKK1 and DKK2- in angiogenesis. These proteins are known to have similar functions in inhibiting a particular ...

PASADENA, Calif.—When black holes slam into each other, the surrounding space and time surge and undulate like a heaving sea during a storm. This warping of space and time is so complicated that physicists haven't been able to understand the details of what goes on—until now. "We've found ways to visualize warped space-time like never before," says Kip Thorne, Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). By combining theory with computer simulations, Thorne and his colleagues at Caltech, Cornell University, ...

Denver, CO., April 11, 2011 – Research to be presented this week at The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Conference in Washington, D.C., demonstrates that consumption of white potatoes (non-fried) by children does not displace other vegetables from children's meals. In fact, meals that contain white potatoes contain more servings of other vegetables, and are significantly higher in potassium, fiber and vitamin C. Both potassium and fiber were identified as nutrients of concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, released February 2011. "Potatoes ...

Washington, D.C., April 11, 2011 – In a first-of-its-kind study with nuts, randomized controlled-feeding research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that fat in pistachios may not be completely absorbed by the body. The findings indicate that pistachios may actually contain fewer calories per serving than originally thought – further validating pistachios as one of the lowest calorie nuts with 160 calories per 30 gram serving (approximately 1 ounce). The study was presented today at the Experimental ...

Fear of the unknown is one of the greatest issues facing patients with glaucoma - the second leading cause of blindness worldwide after cataracts - according to research in the April issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing. People also worry about how the eye disease, which can be hereditary, will affect other members of their family. Researchers spoke to 24 people with glaucoma, which can lead to severe restriction of the visual field and irreversible blindness if it is not detected early enough and successfully treated. It's estimated that 4.5 million people worldwide ...

Targeted photodynamic therapy can completely eradicate some models of cancer, according to the latest research by UK and Swiss scientists, published in the current issue of the British Journal of Cancer. The team – including researchers from the University of Hull and ETH Zurich – linked light-sensitive molecules with antibodies that target tumour blood vessels. When irradiated with light, the molecules create particles known as reactive oxygen species, which in high numbers cause irreparable damage to cells. By ensuring the light-sensitive molecules were targeted at ...

People that want to learn about the customs of different nations can head to the Aberdeen International Fun Day to see all sorts of activities. Performers will be giving an insight into the music and dance of each of their representative countries and this will include dances from Russia, India, Sweden and China. Attendees can see firsthand the steps of Bhangra dances, take part in a Tai Chi class or even listen to the melodic voices or a Gaelic choir. The performances are designed to bridge the gap between communities and for people to learn about each other's cultures ...

The Internet has no borders, no universal legislation, and although highly social and distributed is not represented by cooperation across the globe. Given those characteristics how might nations make their plans for counter terrorism in cyberspace as active online as they are in the everyday world? A collaboration between researchers in the US and Iran hoped to address that issue and its findings are published this month in the International Journal of Internet Technology and Secured Transactions. Incidence of online crime has grown considerably in recent years, with ...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory Center for Bio-Molecular Science and Engineering have developed a method to detect the presence of viruses in cells and to study their growth. Targeting a virus that has ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic makeup, the new technique referred to as locked nucleic acid (LNA) flow cytometry-fluorescence in situ hybridization (flow-FISH), involves the binding of an LNA probe to viral RNA. While individual parts of the technique have been developed previously, Drs. Kelly Robertson and Eddie Chang, in collaboration ...

Pan American Metals of Miami sees the silver lining as the dollar is crashing. Precious metals of gold, silver, paladium and platinum. You hear stories of people making money and wonder, why can't I get a break like that? Well, this is the break. You now know something that most people won't find out until its headline news... and by that time it's too late. Let's pick up so many oz. positions. You see finding a bag of money on the train is only part of winning... you still have to pick it up and carry it home... don't you? So what I'm saying is it is not that easy ...

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. -- For years, researchers in genome stability have observed that several neurodegenerative diseases—including Huntington's disease—are associated with cell-killing proteins that are created during expansion of a CAG/CTG trinucleotide repeat. In research published in the March 17 online edition of the journal PLoS Genetics, Tufts University biologist Catherine Freudenreich, and then-graduate student Rangapriya Sundararajan show that cell death in yeast can also result from the process by which the cell repairs damage that occurs within a repeated ...

The largest one-day Business to Business Trade Show on Long Island is only a few short weeks away. The event, hosted by HIA-LI, the recognized voice for business on Long Island, in partnership with the Long Island Forum for Technology (LIFT) and Suffolk County Community College, will feature prominent local and regional speakers, nearly 400 exhibitors from the business, technology, professional, educational and governmental segments, and an anticipated 4,000 attendees. The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 26 from 9 AM to 4 PM, at the Suffolk County Community College ...

Fatigue and sleep problems dramatically reduce the thinking and reasoning abilities of adults who survived childhood cancer, according to new research from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Researchers hope the findings will lead to new strategies for improved neurocognitive functioning in this growing population. The work was led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators. This is the first study to show that childhood cancer survivors are particularly vulnerable to impaired memory, emotional control, organization and related neurocognitive skills due ...

A gene thought to be associated with cancer development can be a tumor suppressor gene in mice, researchers have discovered. Understanding which genes are involved in spreading cancer could lead to future therapies. "For cancer to spread, some genes are activated, while others that would prevent cancer growth are prevented from doing their jobs. The cancer research community has thought that the gene p120, falls into the latter category," said Douglas Stairs, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology, who completed this research at University of Pennsylvania and is now ...

Jerusalem, April 11, 2011 – Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered a previously unknown mechanism whereby tumor cells invade normal tissues, spreading cancer through various organs. The ability of tumor cells to invade adjacent structures is a prerequisite for metastasis and distinguishes malignant tumors from benign ones. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that drive malignant cells to invade and a possible avenue for halting that mechanism could have tremendous potential for enhancing early detection of malignant cells and for therapeutic ...

Tampa, Fla. (April 11, 2011) – Human umbilical cord blood-derived mensenchymal stem cells (uMSCs) have been found to offer benefits for treating lupus nephritis (LN) when transplanted into mouse models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE is an autoimmune disease with "myriad immune system aberrations" characterized by diverse clinical conditions, including LN, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with SLE. The beneficial results were reported in a study by Taiwanese researchers published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (20:2), freely ...

Each day we are making conscious and unconscious decisions that greatly affect how much energy that we use and, therefore, how much energy is required to be produced. The cost has never been higher. The effects of our energy consumption are all around us. Just take a look at any headline in the news today. Many are energy-driven. Each time a middle eastern country has a crisis our stock market shudders at the possibility that oil production may drop off by two or three percent. Every time a storm rises in the Gulf of Mexico, or a bill in Congress on deep water drilling ...

The turmoil in oil-producing nations is triggering turmoil at home, as rising oil prices force Americans to pay more at the pump. Meanwhile, there's a growing industry that's promising jobs and access to cheaper energy resources on American soil, but it's not without its controversy. Deborah Kittner, a University of Cincinnati doctoral student in geography, presents, "What's the Fracking Problem? Extraction Industry's Neglect of the Locals in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Region," at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers. Kittner will be presenting ...

Pathological gambling addiction is surprisingly common in the U.S., afflicting as many as 3.4% of all adults. Like other addictions, it is highly disabling both to the individual and to society, often leading to suicide, job loss, and criminal behavior. It affects more men than women and can become worse over time. Scientists have found that a wide range of drugs can be effective for treating this disorder in the short term, including Naltrexone, used to treat alcohol addiction. Now, psychiatrist Prof. Pinhas Dannon of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine ...

Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e, Netherlands) have developed a replacement for indium tin oxide (ITO), an important material used in displays for all kinds of everyday products such as TVs, telephones and laptops, as well as in solar cells. Unfortunately indium is a rare metal, and the available supplies are expected to be virtually exhausted within as little as ten years. The replacement material is a transparent, conducting film produced in water, and based on electrically conducting carbon nanotubes and plastic nanoparticles. It is made of commonly ...

Black River Computer an industry leader in business printing solutions, and the largest Dascom Americas Reseller in the Midwest, is pleased to announce website enhancements and aggressive trade-in rebate programs geared to the serial printer market. Black River has been serving prominent clients in the HP server maintenance environment and print document solutions business for over 20 years. "The enhancements to our website underscore our effort to become even more customer-centric by placing key information at the fingertips of our valued current and potential clients," ...

Measles is not always being reported in Germany as required by law, particularly when cases are sporadic. In this edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2011; 108[12]: 191𔃄), Annedore Mette's working group presents its conclusions. The WHO aims to eliminate measles in Europe by 2015. The criteria for this are for there to be no measles cases among the country's inhabitants, and for any measles arriving from abroad not to spread any further within the country, as a result of the high vaccination rate and compulsory reporting. In their study, ...

(Boston) – Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have concluded that the anatomy of the pelvis following robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is considerably different when compared to the anatomy of the pelvis following an open prostatectomy (OP). These findings, which are the first to ever compare pelvic anatomy following RARP and OP surgery, may have implications for patients requiring post-operative radiation. The study currently appears on-line in Practical Radiation Oncology. Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer ...