DURHAM, N.H. -- Looking at a hagfish – an eyeless, snot-covered, worm-like scavenger of the deep –the last thing that comes to mind is sex. Yet the reproductive functioning of these ancient vertebrates is such an enduring enigma that a gold medal was once offered to anyone who could elucidate it. Although the prize expired, unclaimed, long ago, University of New Hampshire professor of biochemistry Stacia Sower and colleagues at two Japanese universities have identified the first reproductive hormone of the hagfish – a gonadatropin -- representing a significant step toward ...

Researchers from Northwestern University and NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) have developed a method to detect early signs of lung cancer by examining cheek cells in humans using pioneering biophotonics technology. "By examining the lining of the cheek with this optical technology, we have the potential to prescreen patients at high risk for lung cancer, such as those who smoke, and identify the individuals who would likely benefit from more invasive and expensive tests versus those who don't need additional tests," said Hemant K. Roy, M.D., director ...

Berkeley – Exposure to dirty air is linked to decreased function of a gene that appears to increase the severity of asthma in children, according to a joint study by researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. While air pollution is known to be a source of immediate inflammation, this new study provides one of the first pieces of direct evidence that explains how some ambient air pollutants could have long-term effects. The findings, published in the October 2010 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, come from ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Doppler weather radar will significantly improve forecasting models used to track monsoon systems influencing the monsoon in and around India, according to a research collaboration including Purdue University, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Dev Niyogi, a Purdue associate professor of agronomy and earth and atmospheric sciences, said modeling of a monsoon depression track can have a margin of error of about 200 kilometers for landfall, which can be significant for storms that produce as ...

The GOES-13 satellite passed over a low pressure area designated as "System 97L" earlier today and captured a visible image of the low in the eastern Caribbean Sea. System 97L appears in a good place for development into a tropical depression in the next day or two. The National Hurricane Center currently gives the low pressure area known as System 97L an "80 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours." The low pressure area is located just north of the Virgin Islands near 19.0 North latitude and 65.3 West longitude. The visible image ...

The northwestern Pacific Ocean is just as active as the Atlantic Ocean this hurricane season. The fourteenth tropical depression formed near Hainan Island, China this morning and its birth was captured by a NASA infrared satellite instrument. The NASA image showed the depression's strong thunderstorms near its center and east of its center. NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Tropical Depression 14W (TD14W) today, October 5 at 06:05 UTC (2:05 a.m. EDT). Infrared imagery from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument onboard the Aqua satellite revealed a concentrated ...

A new species of dinosaur discovered in Arizona suggests dinosaurs did not spread throughout the world by overpowering other species, but by taking advantage of a natural catastrophe that wiped out their competitors. The new dinosaur, named Sarahsaurus, was studied by an international team of scientists, including Robert R. Reisz, professor and chair of biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Tim Rowe, professor of paleontology at the University of Texas at Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences and Hans-Dieter Sues, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the ...

The Red Planet bleeds. Not blood, but its atmosphere, slowly trickling away to space. The culprit is our sun, which is using its own breath, the solar wind, and its radiation to rob Mars of its air. The crime may have condemned the planet's surface, once apparently promising for life, to a cold and sterile existence. Features on Mars resembling dry riverbeds, and the discovery of minerals that form in the presence of water, indicate that Mars once had a thicker atmosphere and was warm enough for liquid water to flow on the surface. However, somehow that thick atmosphere ...

GREENBELT, Md. – NASA's mission to investigate the mystery of how Mars lost much of its atmosphere passed a critical milestone on October 4, 2010. NASA has given approval for the development and 2013 launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission. Clues on the Martian surface, such as features resembling dry riverbeds and minerals that only form in the presence of liquid water, suggest that Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which supported the presence of liquid water on the surface. As part of a dramatic climate change, most of the Martian atmosphere ...

With the Major League Baseball Division Series set to begin, associate math professor Bruce Bukiet at NJIT is performing his analysis of the probability of each team advancing to the League Championship Series. "Going into these series, the Philadelphia Phillies have a 64 percent chance of defeating the Cincinnati Reds in their best of five game series," he said. "The Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants have slight advantages to win series over their opponents, the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves respectively in the first round ...

DALLAS – Oct. 6, 2010 – A set of proteins found in blood serum shows promise as a sensitive and accurate way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found as part of a statewide study. An analysis of the proteins, plus a clinical exam, proved 94 percent accurate in detecting suspected Alzheimer's and 84 percent accurate in ruling it out in people without the disease, the researchers said. "This research uses a novel technology that makes it possible to analyze several biomarkers in a single blood sample in a cost-effective ...

ST. LOUIS -- Low levels of the male sex hormone, testosterone, in older men is associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to research by a team that includes a Saint Louis University scientist. "Having low testosterone may make you more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease," said John E. Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatric medicine at Saint Louis University and a study co-investigator. "The take-home message is we should pay more attention to low testosterone, particularly in people who have memory problems or other signs of cognitive impairment." The ...

LOS ANGELES– In research that one day may lead to the discovery of how to regenerate tissue damaged by heart disease, investigators at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles have identified PDGF as a key factor in the proliferation and transformation of epicardial cells, one type of cell that surrounds heart muscle and contributes to vessels. The study was published online September 21 in advance of the publication of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Ching-Ling (Ellen) Lien, PhD, led a team of researchers at the Developmental ...

A new study from North Carolina State University finds that fish located near coal-fired power plants have lower levels of mercury than fish that live much further away. The surprising finding appears to be linked to high levels of another chemical, selenium, found near such facilities, which unfortunately poses problems of its own. "We found that fish in lakes located at least 30 kilometers (km) from a coal-fired power plant had mercury levels more than three times higher than fish of the same species in lakes that are within 10 km of a plant," says Dana Sackett, a Ph.D. ...

Tour d'Afrique (http://www.tourdafrique.com/), a leader in cross-continent, multi-country cycling tours, invites riders to save space on their dance cards for an Aug. 14 to Sept. 18, 2011, Samba Tango Adventure http://www.tourdafrique.com/tours/sambatango spanning 3,150 km (1,950 miles) in 36 days from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires. The Full Tour per person rate of $3,900 offers the privilege of averaging 100 km per day in the saddle with six rest and sightseeing days sprinkled in. If full payment is made on or before Feb. 20, 2011, a discount of 5% applies. Riders ...

Calling all bakers, caterers, personal chefs and aspiring food entrepreneurs - The Culinary Studio will help local food-oriented businesses launch and grow without the burden of start-up costs. Fully equipped kitchens will be available at The Culinary Studio for hourly rental to food entrepreneurs and for special cooking events. Located in the Applegate Shopping Center on Northwestern Highway in Southfield, Michigan, The Culinary Studio will have two state of the art commercial kitchens, with areas for preparing, packaging, catering and baking along with cooking classes. ...

DPR Construction's (DPR) San Diego regional headquarters was recently honored with an "Award of Merit" for Interior Renovation by the American Institute of Architects California Council and Savings By Design group. The DPR office was recognized for its commitment to resource efficiency, responsibility for the environment, human productivity and quality of life. "Our San Diego headquarters is a true representation of DPR's culture," said Jay Leopold, regional manager of DPR Construction. "It is important for us to uphold sustainable practices while creating a positive ...

Casmiro: Casmiro today announced that it has become the #1 Pay-to-Access Video Streaming Company Online. In Q1&Q2 of 2010, Casmiro's customer base grew over 93%, leading them to offering the most successful platform for video publishers looking to monetize their video footage. Wilbert Jackson of Casmiro states, "Since our private Beta launch in July, we've seen a dramatic spike in video publishers. The numbers prove that the demand for video filmmakers looking to monetize their films online is on the rise. Whether they have video filmed using professional equipment ...

Emus Beach Resort is a newly opened Backpackers Resort on the Capricorn Coast. Located just 30 minutes from Rockhampton, Emus Beach Resort is a great stop-over for backpackers travelling between Fraser Island (Hervey Bay) and The Whitsundays (Airlie Beach). Features at Emu Parks Emu Beach Resort Backpackers hostel include a swimming pool, an onsite bar, internet & wifi, TV lounge, large sunny deck and communal kitchen facilities. None of the shared rooms have bunk beds and have a maximum of 4 beds. Emus Beach Resort Contact Details * Address: 92 Pattison Street, ...

Chasing Arrows will be performing live on Friday, October 15, 2010 at 9:00pm at Paradocks Grille in Chesapeake, Virginia in support of their latest CD, Life on Hold. Chasing Arrows is a group of like-minded musicians that have integrated varied musical influences into a seamless dynamic whole. They have played the last several years up and down the East Coast for numerous enthusiastic audiences while sharing the stage with many notable acts including The Plain White T's, Carbon Leaf, Days Difference, Uh Huh Her and Vertical Horizon to name but a few. And to top it off, ...

Kaboom Radio News has confirmed that SACEM (societe des auteurs, compositeurs et editeurs de musique), France's largest collecting society representing authors, composers and publishers today announced the first French collection society deal with the video platform YouTube. The license covers the international repertoire managed by SACEM including in particular the anglo-american-repertoire of multinational publishers, as well as other works managed by SACEM present on the platform, from the launch of the service in France to 2012. This agreement means that authors, ...

Rena Revivo, Spa de Soleil (http://www.spadesoleil.com) Manufacturing founder and CEO, completes her first USDA Certified Organic, easy and simple to use skin care line titled Organic Olive Essence (http://www.organicoliveessence.com) after her company completed the stringent and comprehensive process to gain the USDA Certified Organic seal. The new organic line is formulated around the age-old medicinal benefits of olive oil combined with newly discovered certified organic ingredients and nature's most precious mineral -- 24K gold. Organic Olive Essence products have ...

Blkheart Group is proud to announce that I Am Cassettes will be releasing their new EP titled "Lovers And Liars" through the label utilizing Blkheart's recent distribution partnership with GoodFight / Sony RED. I Am Cassettes signed with Blkheart Group this past April and have been busy since playing shows around the West Coast while writing and recording their debut EP. "Blkheart Group is a compelling and growing business that has proven to keep a step ahead of the ever changing music climate. They are creative with their approach and work with bands that excite ...

Whether it is a charter tour any where in America or Canada a luncheon meeting for your Board of Directors, a sales meeting for 1500, or a national company convention for 20,000, Charters By Sandra can formulate a game plan to maximize your return on investment. Charters by Sandra will put you in the right location at the right price. Whether you are looking for a seaside meeting at a beach resort in Naples, a resort nestled in the quiet mountains of East Tennessee, a meeting facility situated among the rugged beauty of the Catskills, to be smack dab in the middle of ...

The fight against hunger in San Francisco and Marin received strong support today as Tyson Foods, Inc. provided a truckload of over 34,000 pounds of high-protein items to the San Francisco Food Bank. This donation is a result of the Food Bank's annual Hunger Challenge in which people live on a food stamp budget for a week - $4 a day per person for their entire food and drink budget. The donation was a fulfillment of a pledge to provide 100 pounds of chicken for each comment to a blog post, "Who Are the Hungry People," written by Gayle Keck of the Food Bank. The article, ...