STANFORD, Calif. - Researchers at Stanford University were able to use light to induce normal patterns of muscle contraction, in a study involving bioengineered mice whose nerve-cell surfaces are coated with special light-sensitive proteins. The new approach allows scientists to more accurately reproduce muscle firing order, making it a valuable research tool. The investigators, from Stanford's Schools of Medicine and of Engineering, also believe this technique could someday spawn practical applications, from restoring movement to limbs paralyzed by stroke or spinal-cord ...

CINCINNATI – Identification of a molecular communications pathway that influences the mobilization of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells could lead to targeted therapies for improving bone marrow transplant success rates. In a bed-side to bench approach, researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center report Sept. 26 in Nature Medicine that pharmacological inhibition of a signaling pathway triggered by Egfr (epidermal growth factor receptor) increased the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells in mice. The finding provides a scientific basis for enhancing ...

Using optically dense, ultra-cold clouds of rubidium atoms, researchers have made advances in three key elements needed for quantum information systems – including a technique for converting photons carrying quantum data to wavelengths that can be transmitted long distances on optical fiber telecom networks. The developments move quantum information networks – which securely encode information by entangling photons and atoms – closer to a possible prototype system. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology reported the findings Sept. 26 in the journal ...

DETROIT – Head and neck cancer outcomes associated with race may be more closely linked to social and behavioral factors than biological differences, especially for African Americans, according to a new Henry Ford Hospital study. Researchers found that while those who self-reported to be African American are at greater risk for late stage cancer, there was no correlation between patients' genetic ancestry and cancer stage or survival. In fact, the study shows only 5 percent of patients who self-reported to be African American had more than 95 percent West African ancestry. ...

A better way to pinpoint where volcanic eruptions are likely to occur has been produced by an international team of geophysicists. Scientists from the universities of Leeds, Purdue, Indiana and Addis Ababa, investigated volcanic activity occurring in the remote Afar desert of Northern Ethiopia between 2005 and 2009. By studying a rare sequence of 13 magmatic events – where hot molten rock was intruded into a crack between the African and Arabian plates – they found that the location of each intrusion was not random. They showed that they were linked because each event ...

Santa Cruz, CA, USA and Oxford, UK, 27 September 2010: Research published this week in Nature Nanotechnology shows a new method of enzyme-controlled movement of a single strand of DNA through a protein nanopore. The paper, by researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), represents a key step towards nanopore sequencing of DNA strands. The publication describes the observation of single stranded DNA (ssDNA) as it translocates through a protein nanopore, alpha hemolysin (AHL). Movement of the ssDNA was controlled by polymerase-facilitated replication ...

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 27, 2010 – If drivers are yakking on cell phones and don't hear spoken instructions to turn left or right from a passenger or navigation system, they still can get directions from devices that are mounted on the steering wheel and pull skin on the driver's index fingertips left or right, a University of Utah study found. The researchers say they don't want their results to encourage dangerous and distracted driving by cell phone users. Instead, they hope the study will point to new touch-based directional devices to help motorists and ...

STANFORD, Calif. - People go to emergency departments when they've broken a leg, been stabbed or otherwise need urgent care. But a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine finds that 90 percent of EDs nationwide also offer preventive-care services. The high prevalence was surprising, said M. Kit Delgado, MD, the study's lead author and a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford's Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research, and it likely stems from less-than-ideal conditions. "It's more evidence that our health-care system is dysfunctional," said Delgado, ...

A new analysis finds that men whose partners have breast cancer are at increased risk of developing mood disorders that are so severe that they warrant hospitalization. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that clinicians should address the mental health of cancer patients' loved ones. Diseases can compromise the mental health of not only affected patients but of their closest relatives as well. Partners in particular are at risk because they may feel stressed and may be deprived of emotional, social, ...

Working to solve the puzzle of when people develop celiac disease has led researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Celiac Research to some surprising findings. They have found that the autoimmune disorder is on the rise with evidence of increasing cases in the elderly. An epidemiological study published September 27 in the Annals of Medicine supports both trends—with interesting implications for possible treatment and prevention. "You're never too old to develop celiac disease," says Alessio Fasano, M.D., director of the University of ...

Preliminary findings from an upcoming new report by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) show alarming projections and reveal the poor state of post-fracture care in the Russian Federation and many other countries in the region. The findings were announced today at a press conference in St. Petersburg at the IOF Summit of Eastern European and Central Asian Osteoporosis Patient Societies. Osteoporosis, a disease of the bone which leaves people at increased risk of fracture, is most common in the older population. Population projections for most countries in ...

Exposure to common viruses in daycare puts children with a chronic lung condition caused by premature birth at risk for serious respiratory infections, according to a study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center published in the October issue of Pediatrics. The researchers say their findings should prompt pediatricians to monitor their prematurely born patients, regardless of age, for signs of lung disease and to discuss the risks of daycare-acquired infections with the children's parents. These risks, the researchers found, include increased emergency room visits and ...

The use of device-assisted enteroscopy, a technique that allows complete examination of the small bowel, may be just as successful pediatrics as it has been in adult medicine, according to a study from Nationwide Children's Hospital. One of these techniques known as Double-Balloon Enteroscopy (DBE), a procedure readily available in adults, allows doctors to reach parts of the small intestine that cannot be reached using standard endoscopic procedures. Due to access issues and size limitations, DBE is rarely considered an option in pediatrics. As a result, little is known ...

Western Australia's Minister for Child Protection, Community Services and Women's Interests, Hon. Robyn McSweeney is one of the featured speakers who will be speaking about WA's "Safe at Home Program" during the 2010 Global Domestic Violence Conference. Over the last decade, action to address violence against women has become a priority in many countries. However despite these advances, violence against women and girls is a global pandemic. The problem remains universal, with women and girls affected by violence in every region and every country. The year 2010 is an ...

You may be wondering what's happening in downtown Fuquay-Varina toward the end of September. Several iconic video game characters have been seen walking the streets including Mario, Link from Zelda, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy and many others. Recently the character crew was spotted at the "Taste of Fuquay-Varina" festival on Saturday the 25th as well as Fuquay's GameStop, Fuquay Gun & Gold and many other locations. The characters are in town to help promote a new business opening its door on October 16th, 2010 called Strafe Gaming Lounge. ...

A new Web site called Chillola.com is giving parents a fun, safe learning environment where their kids can explore different languages. Chillola.com employs a playful, child-oriented theme to introduce children to five languages: English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. "Chillola.com is designed to give children all over the world the opportunity to explore foreign languages, and learn about different countries, cultures and people," said Tina Jack, a California-based kindergarten teacher who owns the Web site. "Playful illustrations, real-life pictures, native ...

Dominion strikes a blow against major telcom companies today as they introduce their new Telecommunications Analysis Service. The service allows businesses, non profits and residential customers to audit their current service provider and determine if they are getting the best service at the best price. Dominion owner Jason McKinley says "big name service providers depend on their customers not knowing about their competitors, but with this free service we are putting the power of choice back into the hands of consumers". The new service will scrutinize a company's telecommunication ...

Most people think of fall as the season of falling leaves and pumpkins, but not Scott Halahan, owner of Old Faithful Sprinklers in Plymouth, MI. Fall is the season for lawn sprinkler winterization of underground or in-ground sprinkler systems. Proper maintenance avoids costly lawn sprinkler repairs, and keeps the system operating at peak efficiency. An important part of proper annual maintenance is lawn sprinkler winterization. What this means to the business or homeowner is overall lower sprinkler operation costs and less costly sprinkler system start-up next spring. This ...

25 September 2010. What is the future of the green movement? Shane Snipes, Sustainability Expert, is traveling across 48-states and conducting 1000 interviews across the United States to find out. Shane, called "one of the most innovative and dedicated proponents of the Green Movement", hosts the Sustainable 1000 Eco Road Trip. In Just 250 days, Shane has the opportunity to interview 1000 politicians, celebrities and community leaders about the future of sustainability from April to November. Some interviews include Oscar-winning Producer of The Cove, O.A.R. bassist ...

Above All Advertising, Inc. (http://abovealladvertising.com), an international provider of inflatables and advertising signage solutions, has just announced the unveiling of a new line of moving signage, the Twizla . The new advertising device is causing quite a stir, boasting unique spin technology to attract attention. Used both indoors and out, on concrete, carpet and grass, the Twizla provides multiple imprint surfaces in the area where ordinarily one flag would stand. Available now from Above All Advertising, Inc., the Twizla ships ready to set-up upon delivery. ...

Dandy Canes have just been introduced by international award winning product designers and sculptors Mark and Diane Weisbeck, of Weisbeck Design, the only artists in the world to represent New York State in the Beijing Olympics, winning the prestigious Excellent Works Award. The Weisbecks are acclaimed luxury leather accessory designers as well as the creators of the world's only solid gold pen tray. Their desktop furnishings have been featured worldwide. The Dandy Cane is the modern, elegant, 21st century walking stick. The stylized handle is handcrafted out of solid ...

Taking a novel "retro" approach to vertical wind turbine design, Dorje has produced a vertical wind turbine that is easily adaptable to a wide range of energy needs and site conditions. What makes Dorje Inc's new wind turbine so unique? Their design paradigm is unlike any other turbine builder, combining proven historical methodologies with ultra-modern technological advances and materials. For example, the Dorje vertical turbine combines traditional mechanical wind-power concepts with such high-tech innovations such as rare-earth magnetic bearings and high output generators. ...

Joseph Decuis is celebrating its tenth anniversary this fall. The announcement is made by Alice Eshelman, proprietor of the Joseph Decuis Gourmet Restaurant, Farm, Emporium, Culinarium and Inn located in Roanoke, Indiana, just outside Fort Wayne. Along with husband Pete, the couple has built the Joseph Decuis brand and its dedication to excellence in the 'Farm to Fork" tradition into a world-class fine dining destination during the past decade. The crown jewel of achievement occurred in August, when Joseph Decuis, led by Executive Chef Aaron Butts, was honored to cook ...

Seventy two percent of professional engineering contractors are not happy with their contract agencies, according to an informal LinkedIn poll conducted by Good Pay Low Rates. Thirty-three percent of respondents report being unhappy with their contracting agency, 6% are very unhappy, and 31% are neutral. Twenty percent report being happy, while 8% report being very happy. Nearly half of the respondents are engineers. Among engineers, 61% report being unhappy or very unhappy, 31% feel neutral, while only 8% report being happy. None report being very happy. Randy ...

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