Science Letter articles from December 2008

Science Letter archives from December 2008

As Household Budgets Shrink, Associated Content Puts Money in 80,000 Pockets.
December 2, 2008... Associated Content (http://www.associatedcontent.com/) is providing people with unprecedented earning opportunities, even as the economic forecast remains grim. 80,000 people have already earned money with Associated Content in 2008 and the...

Best Practice Database Provides Benchmarks for Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) Drug Development.(Report)
December 2, 2008... Bio-Pharma executives are increasingly finding value in the research products and services offered by Best Practices, LLC and in particular in use of the on-demand benchmark repository known as the Best Practice Database. (...

Cathay General Bancorp Receives Preliminary Approval for Participation in the U.S. Treasury Capital Purchase Program.
December 2, 2008... Cathay General Bancorp (the "Company", Nasdaq: CATY), the holding company for Cathay Bank (the "Bank"), announced that it has received preliminary approval to participate in the U.S. Department of Treasury's ("U.S. Treasury") Capital Purchase...

China Healthcare Acquisition Corp Agrees to Terminate Agreement to Acquire Europe Asia Huadu Environment Holding Pte, Ltd.
December 2, 2008... China Healthcare Acquisition Corp (AMEX:CHM)(AMEX:CHMU)(AMEX:CHMW) ("CHM") announced that China Healthcare Acquisition Corp ("CHM") and Teambest International, Ltd. and Madame Wang Lahua (collectively, "Seller") have mutually agreed, effective...

76% of American Middle Class Households Not Financially Secure According to New Report.(Report)
December 2, 2008... As the economy continues to reel, a new report finds that 4 million American households lost economic security between 2000 and 2006, and that a majority of America's middle class households are either borderline or at high risk of falling out...

Envysion Named Among Top Ten IT Security Companies to Watch by Network World Magazine.
December 2, 2008... Envysion(TM) Inc., (www.envysion.com) the leading Managed Video as a Service (MVaaS) provider, announced it has been named among Network World Magazine's "Top Ten IT Security Companies to Watch." Published in the November 17, 2008 issue, the...

'56 Water Street': Young Adult Book Combines a Supernatural Mystery with Coming of Age.
December 2, 2008... It is the close of the school year and summer break is about to begin in a small Ontario town. For 10-year-old best friends Derek and Ravine, the summer holds an adventure they could never have imagined. Melissa Strangway's "56 Water Street"...

'And This Our Life: Chronicles of the Darcy Family Book I': New Book Continues Where Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' Leaves Off.
December 2, 2008... "Pride and Prejudice" has been a favorite of Jane Austen fans since its publication in 1813. In "And This Our Life: Chronicles of the Darcy Family Book I" (published by iUniverse - http://www.iuniverse.com/), C. Allyn Pierson picks up where...

Who's Who in America Turns 110 and Brings Some of its History to Life.
December 2, 2008... Marquis Who's Who, America's biographer for over a century, recently published its 2009 edition of Who's Who in America(R), marking 110 years since its first publication in 1899. To commemorate this milestone, the publisher has decided to look...

Federal Register Announces Launch of New Electronic Public Inspection Desk.
December 2, 2008... The Office of the Federal Register has created an Electronic Public Inspection Desk to provide free worldwide electronic access to public documents. For the first time in the 72-year existence of the daily Federal Register, the documents on...

Statement Regarding Paid PR Campaign Against UC RUSAL.
December 2, 2008... In recent days there have been certain reports published on internet news sources and in print media. Whilst on first sight these stories appear sensational, on closer reading they contain absurd and grossly misleading information about UC...

SRA/McGraw-Hill Supports California's English Learners with State-Approved Imagine It! ELD Program.
December 2, 2008... Imagine It! English Language Development (ELD) is a new reading and language arts program from SRA/McGraw-Hill published specifically for California elementary students learning English. It was recently approved by the California State Board of...

iNACOL Releases Part 2 of Going Virtual Study: 'Going Virtual! Unique Needs and Challenges of K-12 Online Teachers'.
December 2, 2008... The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) released the results of the second phase of the research study in partnership with Boise State University, Going Virtual! Unique Needs and Challenges of K-12 Online Teachers (see...

Investigators at Oklahoma State University target anthropology.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Field Methods, "Recent research has shown that even minor changes in the visual layout of survey questions can affect the way in which respondents answer. Still, little is known about how...

Research from University of Florida has provided new information about anthropology.
December 2, 2008... "In this conceptual article, we discuss how the conventional experience sampling method (ESM) was applied to a qualitative research project to increase participants' agency and empowerment during data collection," scientists in the United...

Research reports from University of Maribor provide new insights into anthropology.
December 2, 2008... "Student samples have become a widely, used resource in the study of not only particular phenomena and problems within individual environments but also of their study within a cross-cultural context. A number of such studies, most often...

New antioxidants and redox signaling study findings have been reported by researchers at University of Illinois.
December 2, 2008... "Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a transcriptional activator that promotes death or survival in neurons. The regulators and targets of HIF-1 alpha-mediated death remain unclear," researchers in the United States report (see also Antioxidants...

Researchers from University of North Carolina publish new studies and findings in the area of antioxidants and redox signaling.(Report)
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that is important in protection against oxidative stress. This study was designed to determine the role of Nrf2...

Studies conducted at Hebrew University on antioxidants and redox signaling recently published.(Report)
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Jerusalem, Israel, "Accumulation of fat in the liver, also known as steatosis, may lead to inflammation and tissue damage. Kupffer cells (KCs) are the resident macrophages of the liver and have an important role in...

Investigators at University of Arkansas target antiquity.
December 2, 2008... "CORONA satellite imagery preserving an account of the earths surface from 40 years ago, is a most important archaeological survey tool and we have often sung its praises. Here the authors use new procedures to extend the competence and...

New antiquity study findings reported from University of Sydney.
December 2, 2008... "Meticulous survey of the banks, channels and reservoirs at Angkor shows them to have been part of a large scale water management network instigated in the ninth century AD. Water collected from the hills was stored and could have been...

Recent findings in antiquity described by researchers from Georgia State University.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Defining territories and settlement hierarchies is a primary goal of archaeological survey, involving the mapping of different-sized settlements on the ground." "However it may not...

Research from Hebrew University in the area of antiquity described.
December 2, 2008... "Bechives were discovered in a densley built area in the Iron Age city of Rehov (tenth-ninth century BC)," scientists writing in the journal Antiquity report (see also Antiquity). "They consisted of hollow clay cylinders, each with a little...

Research from University of California in antiquity provides new insights.(Report)
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Antiquity, "The Sannai Maruyama site (3900-2300 BC) is one of the largest known from Japan's Jomon period (14000-300 BC)." "This study shows that over 1500 years the nunber of...

Research on antiquity described by scientists at University of Bristol.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Bristol, the United Kingdom, "Techiques for identifying organic residues in pottery have been refined over the years by Professor Evershed and his colleagues. Here they address address the problem of radiocarbon dating...

Researchers at University of California publish new data on antiquity.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from the United States, "When a monument is excavated it removes a piece of cultural property from the landscape." "So modern thinking in field archaeology rightly includes the maintenance of monumentality in its...

Data on arthroscopy reported by P. Volpi and co-researchers.
December 2, 2008... "We present an arthroscopic surgical procedure for double-bundle transtibial anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with 2 tibial and femoral tunnels using autologous semitendinosus and gracilis tendons. The first aim is to attempt to create...

Findings from University of Tokyo advance knowledge in arthroscopy.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Hongo, Japan, "In anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, it is more technically demanding, even for experienced surgeons, to place 2 femoral tunnels within the ACL attachment than to...

Research from P.A. Smith and co-authors in the area of arthroscopy published.
December 2, 2008... "This report describes an all-inside, double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament retroconstruction (all-inside X2 technique), which is a less invasive technique because of the use of sockets (2 femoral and 2 tibial) instead of complete bone...

Studies from P.D. Colombet and co-researchers yield new data on arthroscopy.
December 2, 2008... "Accurate placement of the separate anteromedial bundle and posterolateral bundle bone tunnels required for anatomic, double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction remains a concern, and the advantages the technique confers, in terms...

Data on bioactive and compatible polymers discussed by researchers at Tsinghua University.
December 2, 2008... "A novel 3D hybrid construct was developed for liver manufacturing by depositing biodegradable polyurethane (PU) and a naturally derived polymer gelatin simultaneously via a double nozzle rapid prototyping (RP) technique. A grid object was...

Research from University of Pisa in the area of bioactive and compatible polymers published.(Report)
December 2, 2008... "The objective of this study was to evaluate the bioerodible polymer poly(maleic anhydride-alt-2-methoxyethyl vinyl ether) n-butyl hemiester, for multicomponent drug-loaded nanofibers produced by electrospinning. Diclofenac sodium (DS) and...

Researchers at Ajou University release new data on bioactive and compatible polymers.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from South Korea, "Novel heparin-conjugated PLGA-PEG-PLGA hydrogels were prepared via Michael-type addition between thiolated heparin and PLGA-PEG-PLGA diacrylate. The thiolated heparin (HP-SH) was conjugated with...

Studies by C.Y. Chen and co-authors describe new findings in bioactive and compatible polymers.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Nanjing, People's Republic of China, "A new microwave-assisted method was used to prepare magnetic Fe3O4 particles and magnetic bovine albumin microspheres. The microwave method produced smaller particles and is faster...

New findings in biochemistry described from Vanderbilt University, Medical Department.
December 2, 2008... "G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) catalyze nucleotide release in heterotrimeric G proteins, the slow step in G protein activation. G(i/o) family proteins are permanently, cotranslationally myristoylated at the extreme amino terminus,"...

Investigators at University of Wisconsin have published new data on biology.
December 2, 2008... "Signaling via the large protocadherin Fat (Ft), regulated in part by its binding partner Dachsous (Ds) and the Golgi-resident kinase Four-jointed (Fj), is required for a variety of developmental functions in Drosophila. Ft and, to a lesser...

New findings in biology described from University of Cologne.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Cologne, Germany, "Like vertebrate hair cells, Drosophila auditory neurons are endowed with an active, force-generating process that boosts the macroscopic performance of the ear. The underlying force generator may be...

Research on biology reported by scientists at RIKEN.
December 2, 2008... "The first line of active defense in plants is triggered by invariant microbial epitopes known as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Perception of PAMPs by receptors activates a plethora of reactions ending in PAMP-triggered...

Data on brain topography described by J.J. Foxe et al.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "The C1 component of the VEP is considered to index initial afference of retinotopic regions of human visual cortex (V1 and V2). C1 onsets over central parieto-occipital scalp between 45 and...

Research from INSERM has provided new data on brain topography.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Brain Topography, "The T1 head template model used in Statistical Parametric Mapping Version 2000 (SPM2), was segmented into five layers (scalp, skull, CSF, grey and white matter) and...

Study results from C. Esopenko and colleagues in the area of brain topography published.(Report)
December 2, 2008... "Previous neuroanatomical research has shown that semantic processing of action-related language activates the premotor, motor, and sensory cortices somatotopically (e.g., Tettamanti et al., J Cognitive Neurosci. 2005;17(2): 273-281, using a...

Data on cell biology discussed by researchers at Mayo Clinic, Medical Department.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "WAVE2 regulates T cell receptor (TCR)-stimulated actin cytoskeletal dynamics leading to both integrin clustering and affinity maturation. Although WAVE2 mediates integrin affinity maturation...

Investigators at City University of New York zero in on cell biology.
December 2, 2008... "The myelin sheath forms by the spiral wrapping of a glial membrane around the axon. The mechanisms responsible for this process are unknown but are likely to involve coordinated changes in the glial cell cytoskeleton," scientists in the United...

New cell biology study results from University of Massachusetts described.
December 2, 2008... "Many recent studies have raised interest in the nuclear associations of coregulated genes from different chromosomes, often evoking interpretations of gene-gene interactions, communication, and even ''romance.'' However, in some cases, the...

New data from A.B. Rebocho et al illuminate research in cell biology.
December 2, 2008... "Plants species diverge with regard to the time and place where they make flowers. Flowers can develop from apical meristems, lateral meristems, or both, resulting in three major inflorescence types known as racemes, cymes, and panicles,...

Research from Harvard University provides new data on cell biology.
December 2, 2008... "A prominent feature of synaptic maturation at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the topological transformation of the acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-rich postsynaptic membrane from an ovoid plaque into a complex array of branches. We show...

Research from University of South Carolina in the area of cell biology published.
December 2, 2008... "Lis1 and Ndel1 are essential for animal development. They interact directly with one another and with cytoplasmic dynein," researchers in the United States report (see also Cell Biology). "The developing brain is especially sensitive to...

Studies from Columbia University add new findings in the area of cell biology.
December 2, 2008... "Cytoplasmic dynein has been implicated in diverse mitotic functions, several involving its association with kinetochores. Much of the supporting evidence comes from inhibition of dynein regulatory factors," investigators in the United States...

Study findings from University of California provide new insights into cell biology.
December 2, 2008... "The four-subunit Ndc80 complex, comprised of Ndc80/Nuf2 and Spc24/Spc25 dimers, directly connects kinetochores to spindle microtubules. The complex is anchored to the kinetochore at the Spc24/25 end, and the Ndc80/Nuf2 dimer projects outward...

Findings in chromatography reported from P.K. Basniwal and co-researchers.
December 2, 2008... "A sensitive, stability-indicating liquid-chromatographic method for analysis of racecadotril in the presence of its degradation products has been developed and validated. Efficient chromatographic separation was achieved on a C-18 column with...

Investigators at University of Cordoba publish new data on chromatography.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Chromatographia, "GC-MS and chemometric analysis of subcutaneous fat has been studied to classify three different feeding regimes of Iberian pigs. Nineteen fatty acids present in 57 fat...

New chromatography findings from Zhengzhou University published.
December 2, 2008... "Capillary zone electrophoresis was used for the enantiomeric separation of six beta-blocking drug substances with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and its derivatives as chiral selectors employing an uncoated capillary. The effects of pH value and...

New chromatography research from S. Jamil and co-researchers described.
December 2, 2008... "A stability-indicating reversed-phase LC method for analysis of aceclofenac and paracetamol in tablets and in microsphere formulations has been developed and validated. The mobile phase was 80:20 (v/v) methanol-phosphate buffer (10 mM at pH...

New chromatography research from University of Kansas discussed.
December 2, 2008... "A highly selective sequential derivatization sequence has been developed for the transformation of 3-nitrotyrosine to a 2-anilino-benzoxazole derivative. This sequence can be applied to any ortho-nitrophenol, such as 3-nitrotyrosine or...

New chromatography research from University of Mysore described.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Chromatographia, "LC separation of carboprost diastereomers in bulk drug was developed and validated using normal-phase amylose stationary phase Chiralpak AD-H. The effect of the organic...

New findings in chromatography described from Wayne State University.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Chromatographia, "Differences in the system constants of the solvation parameter model and retention factor correlation plots for varied solutes are used to study the retention mechanism on...

Reports outline chromatography study findings from X.L. Huang and colleagues.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Chromatographia, "A simple, sensitive and accurate liquid chromatographic method with UV detection was developed and validated to determine voriconazole in a new emulsion formulation....

Research from Fudan University provides new data on chromatography.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from Shanghai, People's Republic of China, "A method has been developed for confirmatory determination of chrysoidine in fish by GC-MS." "Samples were extracted with methanol, and an aliquot was subjected to...

Research on chromatography described by M. Zhu and colleagues.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from Shanghai, People's Republic of China, "Generally the volatile compounds of tea are quite complicated and are found at trace levels (around 0.1% in total)." "The top-note of tea usually contains 40-100 main...

Studies from Devi Ahilya University update current data on chromatography.
December 2, 2008... "A simple, rapid, and accurate method based on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) combined with image-analysis software has been developed for analysis of steroid drug intermediates formed during bioconversion of soysterols. The results obtained...

Study data from K.S.V. Srinivas and co-authors update knowledge of chromatography.
December 2, 2008... "The present paper describes the development of a stability indicating reversed phase column liquid chromatographic method for aripiprazole in the presence of its impurities and degradation products generated from forced decomposition studies....

Data on cloning published by L. Lecunff and colleagues.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Genetics, "The genome Of modern sugarcane cultivars is highly polyploid (similar to 12x), aneuploid, of interspecific origin, and contains 10 Gb of DNA. Its size and complexity represent a...

Researchers from University of Western Australia detail findings in cyclic nucleotide research.
December 2, 2008... "Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) in the plasma membrane transport K+ and other cations; however, their roles in the response and adaptation of plants to environmental salinity are unclear. Growth, cation contents, salt tolerance and K+...

Researchers from University of Oxford describe findings in demographics.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Demographic Research, "Indonesian family systems do not conform to the prevailing image of Asian families, the predominant arrangements being nuclear and bilateral, with an important...

Study results from J. Klotz et al provide new insights into demographics.
December 2, 2008... "Many studies for European populations found an increase in socioeconomic mortality differentials during the last decades of the 20(th) century, at least in relative terms. The aim of our paper is to explore the situation in Austria, for a wide...

Findings from University of Osnabruck provide new insights into entomology.(Report)
December 2, 2008... "Digestion of proteins in the midgut of lepidopteran larvae relies on different trypsin and chymotrypsin isoforms. In this study we describe three chymotrypsin-like proteinases (CTLP2-4) from the larval midgut of Manduca sexta, which are...

New entomology research reported from Korea University.(Report)
December 2, 2008... "Insects use their innate immunity to defend themselves against foreign invaders, such as microorganisms, nematodes and parasites. Cotesia plutellae, an endoparasitoid wasp that parasitizes the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella, uses several...

Reports summarize entomology research from Kyungpook National University.
December 2, 2008... "Expression of hemolin, which generates an immune protein, was up-regulated in wandering fifth instar larval stage of Plodia interpunctella. The mRNA level peaked in the middle of the wandering stage," investigators in South Korea report (see...

Research from University of Tokyo reveals new findings on entomology.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Chiba, Japan, "To examine the function of silkworm Bombyx mori L. athrocytes (nephrocytes), we constructed cDNAs of larval peritracheal athrocytes that were anatomically isolated from surrounding tissues. Larval...

Research on entomology detailed by Y. Nakahara and co-authors.
December 2, 2008... "Strategies to combat desiccation are critical for organisms living in and and semi-arid areas. Larvae of the Australian chironomid Paraborniella tonnoiri resist desiccation by reducing water loss," scientists in Tsukuba, Japan report (see also...

Scientists at University of Toronto release new data on entomology.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from Mississauga, Canada, "Tyramine-like immunoreactivity was identified in neurons of the VIIIth abdominal ganglion and in axons projecting to the spermatheca of adult females of Locusta migratotia. Tyramine-like...

Studies from A.M. Cieniewicz and colleagues reveal new findings on entomology.
December 2, 2008... "Gap junctions between insect oocytes and follicular epithelia] cells allow transit of elongate Ca2+-binding proteins Calmodulin (CaM, 17 kDa) and Troponin-C (Trop-C, 18 kDa), but not multi-branched dextran (10 kDa) nor the Ca2+-binding protein...

Data on ethnic research detailed by M. Dustin and co-authors.
December 2, 2008... "Developments in Britain reflect a shift from a shallow but widely endorsed multiculturalism to a growing preoccupation with abuses of women in minority cultural groups. Four main issues have been debated in the media and have become the basis...

New ethnic research findings from University of Twente described.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Netherlands, "Within a short period of time, the Netherlands transformed itself from a relatively tolerant country to a nation that called for cultural assimilation, tough measures and neo-patriotism. The discursive...

New ethnic research study results from B. Siim et al described.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research from Aalborg, Denmark, "This article discusses multicultural challenges to state feminism in Denmark and Norway, focusing both on similarities and differences in the two countries policy responses. In spite of...

New ethnic research study results from Stockholm University described.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Stockholm, Sweden, "Value conflicts involving gender equality are interwoven into current multicultural tensions in many European societies. They are at the core of these tensions in Sweden, in which gender equality...

Researchers' work from University of Berlin focuses on ethnic research.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Berlin, Germany, "Since the maxim of Germany as a non-immigration country was finally relinquished at the end of the 20(th) century, the country has struggled with redefining itself as an immigration society and...

Study findings from Vrije University provide new insights into ethnic research.
December 2, 2008... "This article presents an analysis of the recent headscarf debate in Belgium, and explores in particular to what extent issues of gender equality and feminist arguments were central to the discussion," scientists in Brussels, Belgium report...

Findings from University of Exeter advance knowledge in ethology.(Report)
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Exeter, the United Kingdom, "Many studies have found that scatter-hoarding animals change their behaviour when storing food in the presence of conspecifics to minimize the likelihood that their caches will be pilfered;...

Investigators at Carleton University zero in on ethology.
December 2, 2008... "Many animals respond to the presence of predators with conspicuous signals such as alarm calling. These signals may aid the detection of the predator by conspecifics or may deter the predator from attack," scientists in Ottawa, Canada report...

New ethology research from J. Moreno and co-researchers described.
December 2, 2008... According to a study from Madrid, Spain, "It has been proposed that blue-green egg colouration in certain avian species has evolved as a signal of female and egg quality to males, affecting their investment in the brood according to the...

New ethology study findings have been reported by researchers at Complutense University.(Report)
December 2, 2008... "The relational model of conflict resolution predicts that after an aggressive conflict there should be a motivational shift from aggression to attraction. Most tests of the reconciliation hypothesis assume, however, that all non-aggressive...

New ethology study findings reported from Campinas State University.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Ethology, "The males of numerous butterfly species fight with conspecific rivals to possess mating territories. Although there is little consensus on the nature of fight costs or on what...

New research on ethology from Auburn University summarized.
December 2, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Ethology, "Male territorial defence is a component of many vertebrate mating systems and is often regarded as a tactic for acquiring mates. Traditionally considered within the context of...