Computer programs are incorporating more and more safety features to protect users, but those features can also slow the programs down by 1,000 percent or more. Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a software tool that helps these programs run much more efficiently without sacrificing their safety features. "These safety features – or meta-functions – can slow a program down so much that software developers will often leave them out entirely," says Dr. James Tuck, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and leader ...

This release is available in German. Body weight influences the risk of developing diabetes: between 80 and 90 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. According to scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne and the Cologne Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), short ribonucleic acid molecules, known as micro-RNAs, appear to play an important role in this mechanism. The researchers discovered that the obese mice form increased levels of the regulatory RNA molecule ...

AuraPortal (www.auraportal.com), a global provider of Business Process Management (BPM), has announced today that the University of Deusto has signed a cooperation agreement with the company AURA, owner of the AuraPortal Learning System, in which AURA provides Deusto with a software tool for its use in educational activities in order to introduce and develop educational and research programs for BPM technologies. Currently, the AuraPortal BPM Suite is being used by the UTIC (Technical Unit for Innovation and Quality) for the implementation of quality processes in colleges. ...

To combat the obesity epidemic, the National Institutes of Health is encouraging diverse scientific investigations through a new Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research. More than one-third of adults in the United States and nearly 17 percent of the nation's children are now obese, which increases a person's chance of developing many health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and some cancers. In 2008, obesity-related medical costs were an estimated $147 billion. Government, nonprofit and community groups, businesses, ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers need to proactively engage lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in health studies and collect data on these populations to identify and better understand health conditions that affect them, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The scarcity of research yields an incomplete picture of LGBT health status and needs, which is further fragmented by the tendency to treat sexual and gender minorities as a single homogeneous group, said the committee that wrote the report. The report provides a thorough compilation of what is ...

KindredSole.com has announced that on 1st April between 6am and 1pm it will be having its first ever flash shoes sale. It might be April fools but this is no joke, its KindredSole.com shoe sale extravaganza! KindredSole.com flash sale will include designer brands from J Shoes to Bronx Shoes with savings of up to 50% off. A surge in customers are expected to form an orderly online queue following an online promotion through loyal customers and social media campaigns on Twitter and Facebook. Visitors to Kindred Sole will be able to access the sale through the following KindredSole.com ...

This press release is available in French.Montreal, March 31, 2011 – Anyone who's ever used an electric or gas lawnmower knows how pushing the device can cause tingling hands. This side-effect is caused by motor vibrations and comes with the turf for people who cut grass for a living. Workers who employ handheld power tools in the mining, forestry, manufacturing and services sectors can also be exposed to large levels of vibrations in their hands and upper arms. Such vibrations are not without consequence. "Prolonged exposure to intensive tool vibration can cause ...

This release is available in Spanish. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found strains of bacteria that could one day be used as environmentally friendly treatments to keep caterpillars and other pests out of gardens and cultivated fields. Researchers with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) surveyed the agency's bacterial collection and discovered that strains sharing the ability to produce a particular enzyme survive being fed to caterpillars longer than those that don't. Such survivability makes them better candidates for controlling ...

TakeCare, a provider of online personality and risk assessments and TeenPalz.com, which offers virtual supervision, support and activities for the millions of teens home alone, have agreed to offer NannyTest as screening tool for virtual "Palz". NannyTest is an online personality test that helps parents screen potential caregivers. It is unique in combining both risk assessment and personal traits assessment. The test provides better insight into the personality and traits of the caregiver, and ensures parents that they have done the best they can to leave their kids ...

Hospitals can reduce the risk of life-threatening bloodstream infections in children with peripherally inserted central venous catheters by assessing daily the patient's progress and removing the device as early as possible, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online March 31 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The findings will be presented on Saturday, April 2, at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The study, believed to be the largest one to date of its kind in pediatric patients, analyzed ...

New Haven, Conn.—Fuel cells have been touted as a cleaner solution to tomorrow's energy needs, with potential applications in everything from cars to computers. But one reason fuel cells aren't already more widespread is their lack of endurance. Over time, the catalysts used even in today's state-of-the-art fuels cells break down, inhibiting the chemical reaction that converts fuel into electricity. In addition, current technology relies on small particles coated with the catalyst; however, the particles' limited surface area means only a fraction of the catalyst is ...

Congratulations for the Eleventh consecutive year. Rang Mahal, the exquisite rooftop Indian restaurant at Rembrandt Hotel, was honored once again as one of Thailand's Best Restaurants 2011 by Thailand Tatler. The award-presentation took place at Central World and featured some of Bangkok's most famous restaurants, famous Thai and foreign celebrities and media personalities. HSH Prince Bhisadej Rajani, a guest of honor, presided over the event and presented the prestigious awards. General Manager, Eric Hallin, Hotel Manager, Simon Rindlisbacher, and Quentin Fougeroux, ...

Crystal Pharmatech Co.,Ltd researchers held an incredibly successful two-day training program on polymorphism and solid state characterization held at Suzhou Industrial Park, China March 24th and 25th. The training program was attended by over 130 researchers representing more than 70 China based pharmaceutical companies. Attendees included senior scientists and managers from global Pharm R&D centers in China including GSK, Novartis, Roche as well as other leading China-based companies including Huahai, Hengrui, and Donyangguang. Polymorphism in drug ...

NEW YORK (March 31, 2011) -- Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that it is possible to immunize mammals to control fertility. They say their technique could possibly be used on other mammals -- including humans -- because fertility hormones and their receptors are species-non-specific and are similar in both females and males. For pets, the technique could be an alternative to castration and adverse effects of hormone administration. In the Feb. 24 online issue of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Journal, the researchers say their newly synthesized ...

CLEVELAND -- Dr. Leona Cuttler, a pediatric endocrinologist and growth hormone expert from University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, is the co-author of an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine commenting on a new study that found giving girls with Turner syndrome low doses of estrogen, as well as growth hormone, years before the onset of puberty, increases their height and offers other benefits. With her co-author Dr. Robert L. Rosenfield, a pediatric endocrinologist with the University of Chicago Medical Center, Dr. Cuttler writes, "The ...

As the internet grows more and more businesses are looking for ways to increase their exposure on the web. There are so many choices from building a website to joining social media platforms. And many of these take a lot of time to learn or use. There is one option however that makes it easy for Memphis businesses to get online and promote their business and services. This new option is offered by EverythingMemphis.com a new Memphis website offering from Glarrette Publishing. "If you want to increase traffic to your website or business, we're offering an easy way ...

Contact: Ian Demsky idemsky@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System Margarita Wagerson mbauza@umich.edu Age-related conditions develop faster in adults with diabetes Patients in their 50s with diabetes have nearly double the risk for developing 'geriatric' ailments, study finds Middle-aged adults with diabetes are much more likely to develop age-related conditions than their counterparts who don't have diabetes, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Adults between 51 and ...

Researchers offer the first evidence that DNA damage can lead to the regulation of inflammatory responses, the body's reaction to injury. The proteins involved in the regulation help protect the body from infection. The study, performed by scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, is one of the first studies to come out of the recently established NIEHS Clinical Research Unit (CRU) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/clinical/join/durham/index.cfm). Appearing in the March 31 issue ...

Washington, DC – University leaders and U.S. Senators gathered for a roundtable discussion today at the Capitol on the vital role university-based scientific research plays in fueling innovation and sparking economic growth. The event was organized by the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, chaired by Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), and included participation by Sens. Daniel Akaka (HI), Benjamin Cardin (MD), Kay Hagan (NC), Bernard Sanders (VT), and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and the following university leaders: Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern University in ...

Chelsea's Agora Gallery will feature an originally Italian artist, Guy Marino, in Altered States of Reality: an Exhibition of Analog and Digital Fine Art Photography. The exhibition is scheduled to run from April 19, 2011 through May 10, 2011 (opening reception: Thursday, April 21, 2011). About the Artist Guy Marino creates art that centers around contradictions. Fusing elements of his oil painting with original photography and cutting edge digital enhancement techniques, Marino relies on duality to form a distinct platform for his art. His large-scale archival digital ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Scientists from the United States and China have discovered the first intact fossil of a mature eudicot, a type of flowering plant whose membership includes buttercups, apple trees, maple trees, dandelions and proteas. The 125 million-year-old find, described in this week's Nature, reveals a remarkably developed species, leading the scientists to argue for an earlier origin of the eudicots -- and perhaps flowering plants in general. "This fossil opens up a new way of thinking about the evolution of some of the first flowering plants," said Indiana ...

On the heels of the recent launch of their franchise system, Welcomemat Services, a loyalty marketing firm that specializes in bringing new residents together with local businesses, will be exhibiting at the National Franchise & Business Opportunities Expo in Houston at Reliant Park on April 16-17, 2011. During the expo, Welcomemat Services will be speaking with anyone interested in learning more about the company's franchise opportunities and will be exhibiting during show hours. "The expo presents an ideal opportunity to discuss the growth of the local advertising ...

The wolves and moose of Isle Royale have done it again. They've surprised the scientists who have spent more than half a century studying them. In a journal article published online today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society and in their 2010-2011 annual report, Michigan Technological University researchers John A. Vucetich and Rolf O. Peterson tell an unexpected tale of genetic immigration. In 1997, a virile male wolf crossed an ice bridge from Canada to the remote island national park in northern Lake Superior. He was physically larger than most Isle Royale wolves, ...

New research suggests that infection with a probiotic strain of E. coli bacteria could help treat an reduce the negative effects of another E. coli infection that may be associated with Crohn's disease. Researchrs from the University of Auckland, New Zealand publish their results in the April 2011 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Crohn's disease is a common chronic disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract and is believed to develop as a result of an aberrant immune response to intestinal microbes in a genetically susceptible host. ...

One of William Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, opens in Perth in the coming weeks. The classic tale of love, magic and mischief follows the story of Hermia and Lysander, who flee into the woods to protect their relationship. They find themselves trapped in the middle of a dispute between the King and Queen of the Fairies, while a group of amateur actors also get caught up after visiting the forest to rehearse their latest play. James Beck, Elizabeth Blackmore and Benj D'Addario are among the cast for the Black Swan State Theatre ...