ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Sea-ice habitats essential to polar bears would likely respond positively should more curbs be placed on global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new modeling study published today in the journal, Nature. The study, led by the U.S. Geological Survey, included university and other federal agency scientists. The research broke new ground in the "tipping point" debate in the scientific community by providing evidence that during this century there does not seem to be a tipping point at which sea-ice loss would become irreversible. The report ...

Washington, D.C.—Scientists from all over the world are taking a second, more expansive, look at the car-sized asteroid that exploded over Sudan's Nubian Desert in 2008. Initial research was focused on classifying the meteorite fragments that were collected two to five months after they were strewn across the desert and tracked by NASA's Near Earth Object astronomical network. Now in a series of 20 papers for a special double issue of the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science, published on December 15, researchers have expanded their work to demonstrate the diversity ...

A small area deep in the brain called the perirhinal cortex is critical for forming unconscious conceptual memories, researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain have found. The perirhinal cortex was thought to be involved, like the neighboring hippocampus, in "declarative" or conscious memories, but the new results show that the picture is more complex, said lead author Wei-chun Wang, a graduate student at UC Davis. The results were published Dec. 9 in the journal Neuron. We're all familiar with memories that rise from the unconscious mind. Imagine looking ...

Dolphins along coast of Argentina could experience a significant loss of genetic diversity because some of the animals that accidently die when tangled in fishing nets are related. According to a new genetic analysis published this week in the journal PLoS One, Franciscana dolphins that die as by-catch are more than a collection of random individuals: many are most likely mother-offspring pairs. This result, which suggests reduced genetic diversity and reproductive potential, could have significant implications for the conservation of small marine mammals. "It has always ...

Polar bears were added to the threatened species list nearly three years ago when their icy habitat showed steady, precipitous decline because of a warming climate. But it appears the Arctic icons aren't necessarily doomed after all, according to results of a study published in this week's issue of the journal Nature. The findings indicate that there is no "tipping point" that would result in unstoppable loss of summer sea ice when greenhouse gas-driven warming rises above a certain threshold. Scientists from several institutions, including the U.S. Geological Survey ...

New York, NY, December 15, 2010 – There is burgeoning public interest in possible wide-ranging health benefits from vitamin D, including cardiovascular health. In a study published in the December 2010 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, investigators found that there was no independent association between serum levels of vitamin D or parathyroid hormone and cardiovascular mortality in this prospective study, the first in a population of older community-dwelling adults with a low prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and a broad range of kidney function. Researchers ...

Madison, WI DECEMBER 15, 2010 -- The manufacturing of nanomaterials has been steadily on the rise in the medical, industrial, and scientific fields. Nanomaterials are materials that are engineered to have dimensions less than 100 nanometers and have very unique properties as a result of their small size. In a study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a team of scientists from the University of Kentucky determined that earthworms could absorb copper nanoparticles present in soil. One crucial step in determining the uptake of nanomaterials was discerning ...

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 ...