Two women taking part in the world's first controlled study of a comprehensive genetic screening test before IVF have given birth to healthy babies. The babies, twin girls born in Germany in June and a singleton boy born in Italy in September, are the first deliveries in a pilot study of comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) by microarray, a new method of screening oocytes for IVF for a full range of chromosomal disorders. Dr Cristina Magli, embryologist at the SISMER Centre in Bologna, one of the two centres taking part in the trial, said: " All the babies and their ...

Sophia Antipolis, 15 October 2010: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) welcomes the findings of a paper presented today at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2010 Scientific Sessions (HBPR 2010) held in Washington, DC, USA. The paper details research into the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure in children. It concludes that an increase in BMI in already overweight children risks a far greater rise in blood pressure than would the same increase in BMI in normal-weight children. Commenting on the paper, ESC spokesperson ...

ChoiceBatter's® transformation from a federal laboratory bench technology to a grocery shelf product is among topics that will be discussed here today by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials and other participants attending the 17th annual conference of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF). ChoiceBatter®, the brand name for a line of low oil-uptake batters marketed by CrispTek, LLC, of Columbia, Md., is based on a rice-flour formulation created by Fred Shih and Kim Daigle, chemists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal ...

Scientific data continue to indicate that higher intake of alcohol during pregnancy adversely affects the fetus, and could lead to very severe developmental or other problems in the child. However, most recent publications show little or no effects of occasional or light drinking by the mother during pregnancy. The studies also demonstrate how socio-economic, education, and other lifestyle factors of the mother may have large effects on the health of the fetus and child; these must be considered when evaluating the potential effects of alcohol during pregnancy. A ...

INDIANAPOLIS – Technologies for rapid detection of bacterial pathogens are crucial to maintaining a secure food supply. Researchers from the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and the Bindley Bioscience Center at Purdue University have developed a novel approach to automated detection and classification of harmful bacteria in food. The investigators have designed and implemented a sophisticated statistical approach that allows computers to improve their ability to detect the presence of bacterial contamination in tested samples. ...

UPTON, NY - A new source of ions will soon be the starting point for the beams entering two major research facilities at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory - the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC - http://www.bnl.gov/rhic), where physicists are recreating conditions of the early universe to learn more about the forces that hold matter together, and the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL: http://www.bnl.gov/medical/NASA/NSRL_description.asp), where scientists study the effects of space radiation to help find ways to protect astronauts. ...

Alzheimer's disease is not the only type of dementia. Two particular forms are dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia. In both forms, the diagnosis is of vital importance because the treatment for these dementias differs from that for Alzheimer's dementia, as Brit Mollenhauer and co-authors explain in the dementia theme issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[39]: 684-91). In more than 75% of patients, the memory impairments are due to Alzheimer's disease. In Lewy body dementia, which is accompanied by cognitive and/or ...

Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in conjunction with the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Ca., recently reported a detailed study of the interactions of water soluble semi-conductor quantum dots (QDs) with the electro-active neuro-transmitter dopamine. These biocompatible QD-dopamine nano-assemblies may be used as the active component for sensors that are used to detect a wide variety of target analytes ranging from sugars to peroxides. According to NRL's Dr. Michael Stewart, a member of the research team "The nature of the QD-dopamine ...

The ordinary squid, Loligo pealii—best known until now as a kind of floating buffet for just about any fish in the sea—may be on the verge of becoming a scientific superstar, providing clues about the origin and evolution of the sense of hearing. In a hangar-like research building at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), biologist T. Aran Mooney is exploring virtually uncharted waters: Can squid hear? Is their hearing sensitive enough to hear approaching predators? How do squid and other marine species rely on sound to interact, migrate, and communicate? Will ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- We've all heard the adage that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger, but until now the preponderance of scientific evidence has offered little support for it. However, a new national multi-year longitudinal study of the effects of adverse life events on mental health has found that adverse experiences do, in fact, appear to foster subsequent adaptability and resilience, with resulting advantages for mental health and well being. The study, "Whatever Does Not Kill Us: Cumulative Lifetime Adversity, Vulnerability and Resilience," to be published in ...

For the first time researchers have found out what effect multiple, rather than just single, foods with anti-inflammatory effects have on healthy individuals. The results of a diet study show that bad cholesterol was reduced by 33 per cent, blood lipids by 14 per cent, blood pressure by 8 per cent and a risk marker for blood clots by 26 per cent. A marker of inflammation in the body was also greatly reduced, while memory and cognitive function were improved. "The results have exceeded our expectations! I would like to claim that there has been no previous study ...

An article published in the October issue of the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden describes a new genus of tree of the Aptandraceae family, a group that is related to the sandalwoods (order Santalales). The genus, which has been given the name Hondurodendron, is endemic to Honduras and means "tree of Honduras." In the article, "Hondurodendron, a New Monotypic Genus of Aptandraceae from Honduras," lead author Dr. Carmen Ulloa, associate curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and co-authors Dr. Daniel L. Nickrent, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Dr. ...

How do astronomers weigh a star that's trillions of miles away and way too big to fit on a bathroom scale? In most cases they can't, although they can get a best estimate using computer models of stellar structure. New work by astrophysicist David Kipping says that in special cases, we can weigh a star directly. If the star has a planet, and that planet has a moon, and both of them cross in front of their star, then we can measure their sizes and orbits to learn about the star. "I often get asked how astronomers weigh stars. We've just added a new technique to our toolbox ...

Calgary, AB - Researchers at the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine are using an innovative new imaging technique to study how white blood cells (called neutrophils) respond to inflammation, and have revealed new targets to inhibit the response. When the body is invaded by infection, the immune system counters by generating inflammation with deployment of white blood cells to the site of danger to kill invading bacteria. However, inappropriate inflammation occurs in the absence of infection when tissues are damaged, and this inappropriate response contributes ...

Western culture is increasingly obsessed with physical appearance and beauty, but vanity is nothing new, nor is it limited to just one culture. Moreover, differences in our perception of physical beauty have an enormous impact on the fashion, cosmetics, and weight control industries, and more recently on aesthetic surgery trends. Understanding how culture and region alter the perception of beauty is therefore not only of anthropological and social interest but underpins multibillion dollar industries across the globe. According to Anil Mathur of Hofstra University in ...

(Phoenix, Arizona October 15, 2010) -- An internationally-recognized gynecologic oncologist at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona is warning that the results from a long-awaited global study of ovarian cancer should be viewed cautiously. Published in The Lancet last month, the study reported that women who received early chemotherapy for a recurrence of ovarian cancer did not live longer than those whose treatment is delayed. London-based, The Lancet is one of the world's most respected medical journals. "While this study is a bold challenge ...

UCSF Nobel laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, UCSF professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, today (Oct. 15, 2010) was named to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology. Prusiner was among 10 recipients named by President Barack Obama. In addition, three individuals and one team were named as recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. All of the awardees will receive their medals at a White House ceremony later this year. The National Medal of Science honors ...

PHILADELPHIA – How a T cell decides to make protein X, Y, or Z can have profound effects for fighting foreign invaders or staving off dire autoimmune reactions. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified the steps that control how different forms of an immune cell protein called CD45, which is critical for activating the immune system when faced with pathogens, are controlled in the arc of a body's immune response. The shift between different forms of CD45 helps T cells function properly and also prevents hyperactivity, which could ...

America's higher education system is widely regarded to be one of the largest and most flexible systems in the world. Despite this advantage, the U.S. is in danger of being outpaced by other countries in producing innovative scientists and engineers. Recent reports by the federal government underscore the challenge faced by the U.S.: science and engineering students need to be better prepared with the motivation, competence, and critical thinking skills required to solve problems and generate technological breakthroughs if the nation is to remain a global economic ...

In a Policy Forum article in today's issue of Science, a group of leading biodiversity scientists, including NJIT's Daniel Bunker, have argued that targets to be met by 2020 under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) must consider the real value of biodiversity if they are to be attained. "Ecosystem Services for 2020" outlines how biodiversity can be valued by considering the ecosystem services that biodiversity provides. By incorporating this ecosystem services approach into the CBD targets, signatory nations can better justify and thereby improve biodiversity ...

New Haven, Conn.—It turns out that the undisputed king of the dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, didn't just eat other dinosaurs but also each other. Paleontologists from the United States and Canada have found bite marks on the giants' bones that were made by other T. rex, according to a new study published online Oct. 15 in the journal PLoS ONE. While searching through dinosaur fossil collections for another study on dinosaur bones with mammal tooth marks, Yale researcher Nick Longrich discovered a bone with especially large gouges in them. Given the age and location of ...

For more than 15 years Pre-employ.com has long been established as a leader of the background screening industry: This month, the company welcomes Phillip A. Smith—an accomplished professional with extensive industry experience—to the role of President. "I am looking forward to joining the Pre-employ.com team and to working with its outstanding group of professionals," said Smith. "This is an exciting organization and I expect that we will continue to accomplish great things." Smith will assume the role of President and will oversee a variety of ongoing initiatives, ...

Danny Bushart has released his new line of handmade plumeria jewelry in fine sterling silver. The new line, titled Plumeria Nouveau, seeks to capture the essence of Hawaii, something for which the artist has already achieved widespread acclaim. "The sweet scent of the plumeria lei is one of my first memories of arriving in Hawaii 12 years ago," says Bushart. "I was inspired immediately, and have wanted to design a line devoted to plumeria for years. With the evolution of my art, I discovered that I could now tap into that feeling in a way that I never imagined before." For ...

Ramon Desage, President of Las Vegas based hotel and casino luxury goods supplier Cadeau Express, has made a $25,000 contribution to the Salt Lake City based Urban Youth Scholarship fund. The Urban Youth Scholarship fund provides scholarships to accomplished young people nationwide who have aspirations and dedication to earn a higher education but are limited by their means, and this gift will provide five talented young people the opportunity to pursue this dream. Their scholarships are awarded based on need, scholastic performance, and community service. To date, ...

Former US Air Force (USAF) Physical Training Instructor, Certified Personal Trainer, Weight Management Counselor, William Matthews, has officially launched Airforcept.com (www.airforcept.com), a website that introduces a new product that promises to help you ace your Air Force physical test, glide you into basic training, and transform your body. "So, if you're about to undertake U.S. Air Force (USAF) basic training, if you're already an actively serving Airman, or if you want to become as fit and strong as one, then be warned that the Air Force is now placing greater ...