Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Washington, and other groups are grappling with a wildlife mystery: Why are some penguin chicks losing their feathers? The appearance of "naked" penguins—afflicted with what is known as feather-loss disorder—in penguin colonies on both sides of the South Atlantic in recent years has scientists puzzled as to what could be causing the condition. A study on the disorder appears in a recent edition of the journal Waterbirds. The authors of the paper are: Olivia J. Kane, Jeffrey R. Smith, and P. Dee ...

OAK RIDGE, Tenn, April 8, 2011 -- A newly sequenced bacterial genome from a team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could contain clues as to how microorganisms produce a highly toxic form of mercury. Methylmercury, a potent human neurotoxin, appears in the environment when certain naturally occurring bacteria transform inorganic mercury into its more toxic cousin. Few bacterial species are capable of this conversion, and exactly how the transformation takes place has been a matter of debate for decades. "What is not known are the genes ...

The hand moves the computer mouse, but the cursor doesn't comply. The cursor doesn't go where told. The hand tries again. The cursor shoots past the intended target. The hand tries a third time – and the cursor loops farther from the target than where it started. And the user is frustrated. So it often goes for computer users whose motor disabilities prevent them from easily using a mouse. As the population ages, more people are having trouble with motor control, but a University of Washington team has invented two mouse cursors that make clicking targets a whole ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – It is important that the United States begin to live within its means and address the federal deficit. But APS believes that as a nation we need to be smart about how we do it. Cutting spending across the board without a clear understanding of what it means for America's future jeopardizes the very future we want to secure for our children. For more than half a century, science and technology have been the primary drivers of job creation and economic growth. Slashing spending on science, as the budget plans of the House of Representatives call for, ...

The phrase "invasive plant species" typically evokes negative images such as broad swaths of kudzu smothered trees along the highway or purple loosestrife taking over wetlands and clogging waterways—and as such, invasive plants are largely viewed as major threats to native biodiversity. However, research has shown both that invasive species may be one of the most important threats to biodiversity and that plant invasions are rarely the cause for native species extinctions. How can these conflicting pieces of evidence be reconciled? Kristin Powell, from Washington University, ...

SAN DIEGO, April 8, 2011 -- A reformed Medicaid program must put coordinated primary care at the forefront of its efforts, the American College of Physicians (ACP) said in a new position paper released today at Internal Medicine 2011, ACP's annual scientific meeting. Medicaid and Health Care Reform highlights how primary care physicians will assume a major role in providing care to Medicaid beneficiaries. "The Medicaid program faces significant changes in the next few years as millions of current and newly eligible people will receive Medicaid coverage," said J. Fred ...

A study by Indiana University sociologists found that many Americans had inflated views of minority students' opportunities to attend college, yet a large contingent - around 43 percent of people surveyed - believed that low income students had fewer opportunities for college access. The study, which will be discussed on Monday at the American Educational Research Association's meeting in New Orleans, found that Americans have varying beliefs when it comes to college access. A quarter of the people interviewed thought minority and low-income students held a better position ...

A preliminary study conducted by a team at the National Institutes of Health has identified a promising new treatment in children for the most common form of a rare disorder. The syndrome is called periodic fever associated with aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis — or PFAPA — and is characterized by monthly flare-ups of fever, accompanied by sore throat, swollen glands and mouth lesions. The proposed treatment, which will be validated in a larger study before it is recommended in treating PFAPA syndrome, wards off an inappropriate immune system attack ...

VANCOUVER, BC, April 09, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- This is the first of a six-part series on improving your writing style. Whether you write for business or academic purposes, there are a few golden rules that will help you sharpen up your prose. Part 1: Avoid wordiness and repetition Many of us fall into this trap, for various reasons. Possibly this is just a bad habit we have got into or perhaps we feel that we need to have extra words, either to reinforce our point, or (Heaven forbid) to 'pad out' our academic writing to make up a stipulated word count. If you ...

The long-held theory that early human ancestors in East Asia crafted their tools from bamboo and wood is much more complicated than originally conceived, according to a new study. Research until now has failed to address a fundamental question: Is it even possible to make complex bamboo tools with simple stone tools? Now an experimental archaeological study — in which a modern-day flint knapper replicated the crafting of bamboo knives — confirms that it is indeed possible to make a variety of bamboo tools with the simplest stone tools. However, rather than confirming ...

By studying fossilized mollusks from some 3.5 million years ago, UCLA geoscientists and colleagues have been able to construct an ancient climate record that holds clues about the long-term effects of Earth's current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a key contributor to global climate change. Two novel geochemical techniques used to determine the temperature at which the mollusk shells were formed suggest that summertime Arctic temperatures during the early Pliocene epoch (3.5 million to 4 million years ago) may have been a staggering 18 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit ...

Mohammad Golabi, a soil science professor at the University of Guam, has put his years of research on vetiver grass to practical use in shielding the reefs in Pago Bay from the harmful effects of construction-induced run-off. One of the major health hazards facing Guam's reefs is soil erosion resulting in sedimentation and suffocation of the complex organisms that make up a reef system. "Vetiver's ability to tolerate high stress situations, adapt to a variety of conditions, develop a dense vertical root system, and powerful soil binding characteristics make it an ideal ...

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland Solar Decathlon Team has unveiled its entry in the U.S. Department of Energy competition - a high-tech structure they call WaterShed, because it integrates a unique array of sustainable features designed to protect and make the most of the Chesapeake Bay. The unveiling ceremony brought together officials and the dozens of students, faculty and mentors that make up the Maryland team, one of only 20 finalists in the international competition. Each team designs and builds a house that runs on solar power. The final Solar Decathlon ...

Montreal, Canada, April 8, 2011 - Researchers from the CHUM Research Centre (CRCHUM) have identified a new gene that predisposes people to both autism and epilepsy. Led by the neurologist Dr. Patrick Cossette, the research team found a severe mutation of the synapsin gene (SYN1) in all members of a large French-Canadian family suffering from epilepsy, including individuals also suffering from autism. This study also includes an analysis of two cohorts of individuals from Quebec, which made it possible to identify other mutations in the SYN1 gene among 1% and 3.5% of those ...

As humans face increasing distractions in their personal and professional lives, University of British Columbia researchers have discovered that people can gain greater control over their thoughts with real-time brain feedback. The study is the world's first investigation of how real-time functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) feedback from the brain region responsible for higher-order thoughts, including introspection, affects our ability to control these thoughts. The researchers find that real-time brain feedback significantly improves people's ability to control ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – With the Easter holiday season coming up soon, egg consumption is expected to rise temporarily. But are hens in egg farms producing the maximum number of eggs they can? "Parasites such as fowl mites that commonly infest hens can reduce egg production by five percent or more," says Bradley A. Mullens, a professor of entomology at the University of California, Riverside. "One way to boost egg production is to rid the hens of these parasites." In a research paper published online March 18 in the journal Parasitology, Mullens and colleagues argue that ...

This tip sheet highlights presentations at the upcoming international meeting of SSA, which is an international scientific society devoted to the advancement of seismology and its applications in understanding and mitigating earthquake hazards and in imaging the structure of the Earth. These summaries reflect submitted abstracts and the actual presentations will include additional data and analysis. We are available to assist you should need to contact speakers at the annual meeting, located at the Marriott Downtown Memphis. Please cite the Seismological Society of ...

A study of the salamander brain has led researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet to discover a hitherto unknown function of the neurotransmitter dopamine. In an article published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell Stem Cell they show how in acting as a kind of switch for stem cells, dopamine controls the formation of new neurons in the adult brain. Their findings may one day contribute to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's. The study was conducted using salamanders which unlike mammals recover fully from ...

In a new study performed in humans, researchers from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have determined the age of atherosclerotic plaques by taking advantage of Carbon-14 (14C) residues in the atmosphere, prevailing after the extensive atomic bomb tests in the 50ties and 60ties. The findings, published in the scientific online journal PLoS ONE, suggest that in most people plaque formation occurs during a relatively short and late time period in life of 3-5 years. The investigators collected carotid plaques during carotid stenosis surgery at the Stockholm South General Hospital ...

Late cancer diagnosis in Northern Ireland contributes to hospital deaths despite patient's preference to die at home according to a major report launched at Queen's University Belfast. The study conducted by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and funded by the Ulster Cancer Foundation found that while patients who die in hospital with cancer are very ill, late diagnosis of their cancer is a major factor in hospital cancer deaths here. This is the first ever study in Northern Ireland specifically investigating why cancer patients die in acute hospitals. Over half ...

In recent years, the value of local lead generation has grown exponentially as new businesses around the globe sprouted to help offer small businesses in thousands of markets easy lead capture opportunities. WP Lead Engine offers a first-of-its-kind lead generation opportunity for small business owners wanting to provide a long term solution for local business owners in their region. WP Lead Engine is a standalone system that includes a custom built Wordpress system, Step by Step Lead Generation walkthrough, and multiple lead generation resources all designed to help ...

Are you going for Shakespearian festival and looking for a luxurious stay in a hotel? There are various Stratford-upon-Avon hotels which provide you comfortable stay with luxurious facilities at budget rates. Shakespearian festival is one of the fun-filled festivals held in remembrance of William Shakespeare. Stratford festival draws crowd from around the world as it is an internationally recognized festival, flocks of people including actors, educationist, students and many more throng the city. It takes place from April to November and you can enjoy the Shakespearian ...

People with Fibromyalgia often think they're alone in pain, and no one understands. People in pain suffer the burden of feeling that no one believes them. Dr. Keith Lynch understands, and has put together a vital video highlighting the ways in which people with Fibromyalgia can find solutions to their ailments. Dr. Lynch has been treating people successfully for over 13 years. Fibromyalgia sufferers find poor sleep, chronic pain, irritable bowels, anxiety, depression, brain fog and fatigue burdening them. Many of these symptoms can be addressed by a new protocol ...

Volunteering gives people a chance to to take an active part in the development of not only their own communities, but to also take responsibility for the needs of others. Volunteering, very much like charity, often begins at home, but with motivation and application, volunteers can make a positive and lasting change at an international level. It is 10 years since the International Year of Volunteers in 2001 and through a UN General Assembly Resolution, this anniversary is being marked across the globe, with volunteering organizations world-wide promoting the values ...

Agoda.com, Asia's global hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed priceline.com Inc. (Nasdaq:PCLN), today announced hotel promotions to tie in with some special events during May. May is a good time to travel for a variety of reasons. For many destinations, May falls in the shoulder period when seasons are changing and the weather is temperate. Across Europe and the northern hemisphere the days are warm, while in Australia and New Zealand the autumn brings crisp, clear days that are perfect for sightseeing. During May, hotels in many destinations also drop their ...