Conservation paleobiologists—scientists who use the fossil record to understand the evolutionary and ecological responses of present-day species to changes in their environment – are putting the dead to work. A new review of the research in this emerging field provides examples of how the fossil record can help assess environmental impact, predict which species will be most vulnerable to environmental changes and provide guidelines for restoration. The literature review by conservation paleobiologists Gregory P. Dietl of the Paleontological Research Institution ...

It is possible to construct a three-dimensional, 3D, face from flat 2D images, according to research published in the International Journal of Biometrics this month. The discovery could be used for biometrics in security applications or in forensic investigations. Xin Guan and Hanqi Zhuang of Florida Atlantic University on Boca Raton explain how Biometrics, the technology of performing personal identification or authentication via an individual's physical attributes, is becoming an increasingly viable solution for identity management, information protection and homeland ...

LA JOLLA, CA – A team of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Virginia has determined the structure of the protein package that delivers the genetic material of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to human cells. The work is the culmination of studies carried out over the last decade looking at different portions of the cone-shaped container, or the capsid. The final piece of the puzzle, described in an article published in Nature on January 20, 2011, details the structure of the two ends of the cone. "This paper is a real milestone ...

PORTLAND, Ore. – According to research conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University, the commonly held belief that oral contraceptives cause weight gain appears to be false. The results of the study are published online and will appear in next month's edition of the journal Human Reproduction. "A simple Google search will reveal that contraceptives and the possibility that they may cause weight gain is a very highly debated topic," said Alison Edelman, M.D., a physician and researcher in the Department of Obstetrics ...

With mortgage loan defaults on the rise yet again, two mortgage researchers are proposing a new type of mortgage contract that automatically resets the balance and the monthly payment based on the mortgaged home's market value. Brent Ambrose, Smeal Professor of Real Estate and director of the Institute for Real Estate Studies at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, and Richard Buttimer, a professor in the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, call their new mortgage contract the "adjustable balance mortgage" and contend that it ...

Researcher Walker Smith of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, has been conducting shipboard studies of biological productivity in Antarctica's Ross Sea for the last three decades. This year he's letting underwater robots do some of the work. Smith and graduate student Xiao Liu are using a two-year grant from the National Science Foundation to deploy and test a free-swimming underwater glider in the frigid waters of the Ross Sea near the U.S. McMurdo Research Station. The grant also funds efforts by fellow VIMS professor Marjorie Friedrichs ...

Grand Rapids, Mich. (January 19, 2011) – In a collaborative project involving scientists from three continents, researchers have identified a gene that is mutated in one in three patients with the most common form of renal cancer. The gene – called PBRM1 – was found to be mutated in 88 cases out of 257 clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) analysed, making it the most prevalent to be identified in renal cancer in 20 years. The identification of a frequently mutated gene provides new insights into the biology of the disease, which will be critical in the continued effort ...

The instability of large, complex societies is a predictable phenomenon, according to a new mathematical model that explores the emergence of early human societies via warfare. Capturing hundreds of years of human history, the model reveals the dynamical nature of societies, which can be difficult to uncover in archaeological data. The research, led Sergey Gavrilets, associate director for scientific activities at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis and a professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, is published in the first issue of ...

Chapel Hill, NC – The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 43,000 Americans were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and more than 36,000 died from the disease. Despite advances in genetic science showing that the Ras oncogene is mutated in virtually all pancreatic cancers, scientists have been frustrated by the complexity of the signaling pathways in humans, which make it difficult to pinpoint potential therapeutic targets. In a study published today in the Cell Press journal Developmental Cell, a team of researchers led by Channing Der, PhD, Distinguished ...

LIVERMORE, Calif. – Using seawater and calcium to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) in a natural gas power plant's flue stream, and then pumping the resulting calcium bicarbonate in the sea, could be beneficial to the oceans' marine life. Greg Rau, senior scientist with the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz and who also works in the Carbon Management Program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, conducted a series of lab-scale experiments to find out if a seawater/mineral carbonate (limestone) gas scrubber would remove enough CO2 to be effective, and whether ...

Washington, DC — Recent legislative and regulatory actions make great strides toward establishing much needed incentives for pharmaceutical companies and others to develop and test more medications for pediatric rare diseases, including pediatric cancers, according to commentary by experts from Children's National Medical Center. The commentary appears in the January 19 issue of Science Translational Medicine. "Pediatricians who treat children with serious and life-threatening diseases often find themselves face to face with the inadequacies of pediatric drug development," ...

Ebola, a virus that causes deadly hemorrhagic fever in humans, has no known cure or vaccine. But a new study by University of Illinois at Chicago scientists has uncovered a family of small molecules which appear to bind to the virus's outer protein coat and may inhibit its entry into human cells. The results are to be published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and are now online. Previous studies have shown that small molecules can interfere with the Ebola infection process, says Duncan Wardrop, associate professor of chemistry at UIC and corresponding author of ...

Some amoebae do what many people do. Before they travel, they pack a lunch. In results of a study reported today in the journal Nature, evolutionary biologists Joan Strassmann and David Queller of Rice University show that long-studied social amoebae Dictyostellum discoideum (commonly known as slime molds) increase their odds of survival through a rudimentary form of agriculture. Research by lead author Debra Brock, a graduate student at Rice, found that some amoebae sequester their food--particular strains of bacteria--for later use. "We now know that primitively ...

An increased interest in biofuel production and a growing need to find cost-effective livestock feedstuff alternatives has led University of Illinois researchers to further evaluate the use of glycerin in swine diets. This study, led by U of I graduate research assistant Omarh Mendoza, was published in the Journal of Animal Science and reports that swine diets may include up to 15 percent glycerin and achieve similar performance to a conventional corn:soybean diet. "Glycerin is not a new product, but little is known about its role as a feed ingredient for swine," ...

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have coaxed polymers to braid themselves into wispy nanoscale ropes that approach the structural complexity of biological materials. Their work is the latest development in the push to develop self-assembling nanoscale materials that mimic the intricacy and functionality of nature's handiwork, but which are rugged enough to withstand harsh conditions such as heat and dryness. Although still early in the development stage, their research could lead to new applications that ...

VIDEO: This is the Free Electron Laser video. Click here for more information. ARLINGTON, Va.-Scientists at Los Alamos National Lab, N.M., have achieved a remarkable breakthrough with the Office of Naval Research's Free Electron Laser (FEL) program, demonstrating an injector capable of producing the electrons needed to generate megawatt-class laser beams for the Navy's next-generation weapon system. The Dec. 20 milestone, which occurred months ahead of schedule, will be the ...

UK-based Veritas Financial Europe announces the official launch of the new information platform for investors - FrontiersInsight.com. This web-based platform is designed for both private as well as institutional investors that have substantial interest in investing into new, previously unexplored Frontier markets with huge upside potential. The unique tools offered by FrontiersInsight will also be useful for brokerage and investment firms, VC and PE companies, research and statistical centers. The platform covers more than 13,000 public and private companies in developing ...

Milen Peev, owner of Office Cleaning Denver is pleased to announce the expansion of their services to the greater Denver area. In order for a business environment to be optimally functional and productive, staff require a clean work area that is free of clutter and debris. The team is dedicated to ensuring that all of the needs of an office is met. A representative of the team works closely with business owners to assure that all of the requirements of the office are identified. After meeting and evaluating the building, the representative provides an in depth breakdown ...

Apollo Information Systems Pty Ltd staff and management have taken the time out today to celebrate the official launch of their new website (www.apollosystems.com.au). The new site is now up and have sleek designed to accommodate the costumer informational needs. Visitors are welcomed with warm and straight forward look—similar to the way they provide their services—sophisticated, efficient, and comprehensive but easy to understand. Notable features of the website include a warm color scheme and a fast navigation menu due to its light weight and straight forward menus. ...

The 2012 Project today announced that it is partnering with Rachel's Network to inspire women with environmental expertise to run for state legislative and Congressional office in 2012. "By joining forces with Rachel's Network, we can reach deeper into communities of talented and accomplished women environmentalists. We know many of them will make ideal candidates for office in 2012," said Mary Hughes, founder and director of The 2012 Project. A national, nonpartisan campaign of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, The 2012 Project is identifying ...

They take their work at nationwide level. They are with adequate manpower to meet the increase in work. "We are highly committed to the quality of our work and hence have a team of experts and professionals working hard to offer the best services in the business" says Mr. Andrew Cooper of Weld Delux. They offer a best quality work and this make them different from other companies. As always, good equipment is important for producing good work. Weld delux is serves with hi-tech equipments and they avail a high quality service to the customers. They offer their services ...

Finding a reputable Medical Collection Agency or Education Collection Agency in Pennsylvania is now easier and more cost-effective than ever, with Malvern-based MLR Solutions, Inc. The rapidly growing collection agency has continued to exceed client expectations through their unique and highly successful business model. Tim Kleppick, President of MLR Solutions, brings more than two decades of experience to his focused client base of private colleges, community colleges, medical practices, healthcare organizations and hospitals. Kleppick feels that in an industry where ...

In a country with an estimated 25% of children overweight or obese, one dietitian reaches out to those with the opposite problem by creating a website to help underweight children. "Obesity in children is a huge problem that deserves our attention, but children who are underweight or have feeding issues is an equally concerning issue that does not get much attention. These children often fall through the cracks of the healthcare system", stated website founder Sharon Yirilli. With an estimated 25-40% of children having feeding issues at some point in their life, and ...

National Office Systems (NOS), the nation's leading provider of storage and information management systems, has earned stellar reviews for a project managing and storing weapons at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX. Fort Bliss, one of the largest military installations in the world, recently acquired more than 260 weapons cabinets from Tactical Weapons Solutions, a division of NOS. The rugged steel cabinets have been customized to accommodate firearms, night goggles and other equipment housed in armories in a new on-base facility. NOS established a partnership with Cazador, ...

LiveAuctioneers, the Manhattan-based Internet company that provides an online live-bidding platform and related support services to more than 1,000 auction houses worldwide, has released fourth-quarter 2010 statistics revealing a marked increase in site visits, new-user signups and page views. During the fourth quarter of 2010, there were more than 3.8 million "absolute unique" visitors to LiveAuctioneers, where both current and archived auction catalogs are readily available to view. This figure reflects an 87% increase over the comparable quarter of 2009. There ...