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Color Bias - Bulls No, Referees Yes

Color Bias - Bulls No, Referees Yes

Aug 08 2008 | comment(s)

Many sports teams select their uniforms based on the mascot, city or country they are representing and not on a referee’s preference or bias but a new study has found that choosing the color red for a uniform in competitive sports can actually affect the referee’s split-second decision-making ability and even promote a scoring bias.

Psychologists Norbert Hagemann, Bernd Strauss and Jan Leiβing from the University of Münster specifically found that referees tended to assign more points to TaeKwon Do competitors dressed in red than those dressed in blue. The researchers presented 42 experienced tae kwon do referees with videos of blue- and red-clad competitors sparring. The two sets of clips were identical except that the colors were reversed in the second set, making the red athlete appear to be wearing blue and vice versa. The referees were then asked to score the performance of each competitor, red or blue, after each video.

More Neanderthal DNA Sequenced

More Neanderthal DNA Sequenced

Aug 08 2008 | comment(s)

A paper in Cell is reporting the sequence of a Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA genome. Mitochondrial DNA, which you inherit only from your mother, has long been among the most useful DNA regions for tracing your ancestry. In the Neanderthal mitochondrial genome, researchers found, not surprisingly, that the sequence differences are well beyond the range of what we see within human populations, meaning that Neanderthals clearly were a distinct biological sub-species.
Abbott Study Shows Investigational Heat-Stable Norvir(R) Tablet Provides Similar Drug Levels To Current Norvir Capsule

Abbott Study Shows Investigational Heat-Stable Norvir(R) Tablet Provides Similar Drug Levels To Current Norvir Capsule

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

MEXICO CITY, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Pivotal Study of Norvir Tablet Bioavailability Will Form the Basis of Request for Priority Regulatory Review

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) presented pivotal data at the XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) in Mexico City today showing that its investigational Norvir(R) (ritonavir) tablet and the current soft-gelatin capsule provide similar levels of drug in the blood.

The heat-stable Norvir tablet will not require refrigeration, making it more convenient for patients to use, particularly in developing countries where the majority of people with HIV live.

Left, Right - Evolution Has Something For Everyone To Attack

Left, Right - Evolution Has Something For Everyone To Attack

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

Quick; who is against evolution the most? Right wing, religious fundamentalists or left-wing academics? Well, you're right. Both sides have something to fear and both sides attack evolution in order to keep their world view intact. The worst thing for a humanities professor who has spent his life dissecting the impact of social learning and culture is to find out there may actually be genetic distinctions that promote inequality. If you're a biologist, it's a strange fear because the exact opposite is true; evolution offers a way for everyone to share genetic commonality.
TravelBlogue, or How to live vicariously through one's student.

TravelBlogue, or How to live vicariously through one's student.

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

The first post at Genomicron was called "My grad student made me do it", and explained that a then-newly-arrived PhD student in my lab was a blogger and got me interested in blogging. He is still a blog author, and most recently has posted a very enjoyable series about his travels from more or less the bottom to the top of the USA/Canada parts of North America looking for aquatic creatures. I personally did not get to go anyplace exciting this summer, but it has been great having the option to live vicariously, especially as he was most recently at one of the coolest (literally?) places on Earth: Devon Island in the high Arctic.
Able-bodied athlete competing in a Paralympic wheelchair event? Discuss!

Able-bodied athlete competing in a Paralympic wheelchair event? Discuss!

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

Let me start with the story of South African sprinter and double-leg amputee Oscar Pistorius, the “fastest man on no legs.” He wants to be the first runner with an amputee to compete in the Olympics. There’s an interesting story about it here in the NY Times. The International Association of Athletics Federations originally tried to bar him from competition in the Olympics because his prosthetic legs gave him an unfair advantage—a decision that was recently overturned in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He didn’t quite make the Olympic qualifying time to compete in Beijing, but he’s still young so his journey is just beginning.
Quad/Graphics And Winkowski Announce New Leadership Appointments And Capital Investments At Poland-Based Winkowski

Quad/Graphics And Winkowski Announce New Leadership Appointments And Capital Investments At Poland-Based Winkowski

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

WARSAW, Poland, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Changes Will Further Enhance Client Services and Capabilities at Central Europe's Largest Commercial Printer

- Polish Operations to be Rebranded QuadWinkowski

To better serve magazine publishers, catalogers and retailers throughout Poland and Europe, U.S.-based Quad/Graphics and Poland-based Winkowski have augmented company leadership and committed to capital investments totaling 35 million USD (72 million PLN) at Winkowski.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080806/AQW513LOGO)

Further, now that Quad/Graphics has a majority ownership in Winkowski (since December 2007), the company will be rebranded QuadWinkowski to reflect the combined resources of the two companies.

Paying For Plagiarism; Would You Pay $41,000 For A Dissertation?

Paying For Plagiarism; Would You Pay $41,000 For A Dissertation?

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

If you have £21,250 (about $41,000) but only 15 days until your PhD dissertation is due, Oxbridge Essays LLC will custom-write Your Exact Question for you—with an upper 1st class degree GUARANTEED. Just need something smaller, like a literature review? Yeah, they do those too. For students interested in using this service, it is up to you to “thoroughly examine...the particular rules, regulations and provisions” to check whether your school allows you to use services like Oxbridge Essays. The site offers their services to students all over the world, but since it is UK based, I took the liberty of contacting each of the Top 10 Universities in the UK to see whether they permit the "employment of services" such as those offered by Oxbridge Essays LLP.
Home Networking To Reach 168 Million Households Worldwide In 2008

Home Networking To Reach 168 Million Households Worldwide In 2008

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

DALLAS, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit focuses on entertainment and multimedia services in European markets

Rapid growth in home networking, approaching 168 million households worldwide in 2008, is laying the foundation for expansion of multimedia services internationally and especially in the European markets, according to Parks Associates.

The market research firm will host CONNECTIONS(TM) Europe Summit on August 29, 2008, at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol Berlin, to discuss the implications of this market growth and share the latest findings of its Global Digital Living(TM) (GDL) project.

Townsend's RealTick Execution Management System Connects To Morgan Stanley Electronic Trading For Buyside And Global Execution

Townsend's RealTick Execution Management System Connects To Morgan Stanley Electronic Trading For Buyside And Global Execution

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

CHICAGO, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

Townsend Analytics (http://www.townsendanalytics.com), a leading provider of global multi-broker, cross-asset electronic trading solutions, today announced its connection to Morgan Stanley's Electronic Trading (MSET) platform. The arrangement allows clients to access MSET services through Townsend Analytics' flagship EMS, RealTick(R).

Health Canada Cuts Fluoride - To Protect Children’s Teeth

Health Canada Cuts Fluoride - To Protect Children’s Teeth

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

Canadian children are ingesting too much cavity-fighting fluoride and it can ruin their teeth. U.S. children ingest even more fluoride but no such sound advice is evident from US officials. To avoid fluoride-induced yellow and tan discolored teeth (moderate dental fluorosis), fluoride chemicals injected into Canadian water supplies should be lowered, says an expert panel, including two Americans, convened by Health Canada. Less fluoride in children’s toothpaste and infant formula is also recommended.
ProteoTech's Exebryl-1(R) Enters Human Clinical Trials For The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease

ProteoTech's Exebryl-1(R) Enters Human Clinical Trials For The Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

KIRKLAND, Washington, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

ProteoTech Inc. (ProteoTech) today announced that it has completed regulatory Investigational New Drug (IND) requirements and has been cleared by the FDA to initiate its Phase 1 human clinical trial on Exebryl-1(R), a novel small molecule drug targeting toxic beta-amyloid protein accumulation for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. ProteoTech initiated its Phase 1 human trial on July 29, 2008.

InNexus Biotechnology Announces Launch Of Large Scale Primate Study Of DXL625

InNexus Biotechnology Announces Launch Of Large Scale Primate Study Of DXL625

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

InNexus Biotechnology Inc., (TSX: IXS.V; OTC Bulletin Board: IXSBF) (http://www.ixsbio.com), a drug development company commercializing the next generation of monoclonal antibodies based on its Dynamic Cross Linking (DXL(TM)) technology, announced today that it has launched a large scale primate study of DXL625 (CD20), the company's lead program.

Brightstar Corp. To Expand Operations Into Turkey

Brightstar Corp. To Expand Operations Into Turkey

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

ISTANBUL, Turkey, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Company Announces Joint Venture Partnership with Turkey's leading Media Group

Brightstar Corp., a global leader in customized distribution and integrated supply chain solutions for the wireless industry, announced today its entrance into Turkey. The addition of Turkey marks Brightstar's further entrance into Eastern Europe, and enhances the company's global geographic leadership in more than 50 countries on six continents.

Shuttle Exhibits Mini-PC Complete Solutions At IFA In Berlin

Shuttle Exhibits Mini-PC Complete Solutions At IFA In Berlin

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

ELMSHORN, Germany, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Market Leader Exhibits for the First Time at the World's Largest Consumer Electronics Fair

Shuttle Inc., the market leader in the Mini-PC segment and the manufacturer of Multi-Form-Factor solutions, is exhibiting its product range of innovative solutions for home users at this year's IFA Consumer Electronics Fair. A range of options for using digital content throughout the home will be presented.

"The IFA as an exhibition open to the general public is an ideal way of bringing Shuttle's latest innovations and technologies for every day use directly to consumers" said Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH.

Thoughts on

Thoughts on "Conversation with a modern creationist"

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

Recently there was a post on this site that generated a lot of feedback, Conversation with a modern creationist. This was posted by Professor Lee Silver June 4, 2008. It is the record of an exchange between Professor Silver and Josh Pepper who is a very articulate and well read creationist. Maybe this exchange should be a warning sign, a shot across the bow of science.

There were an incredible number of comments on this post including my comment below. I have been thinking about the entire debate since then and have some additional comments.

ChemBridge Research Laboratories, Inc. (CRL) Has Established An Industry Record And Benchmark In Hit-to-Lead Libraries Turn-arou

ChemBridge Research Laboratories, Inc. (CRL) Has Established An Industry Record And Benchmark In Hit-to-Lead Libraries Turn-arou

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

SAN DIEGO, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

ChemBridge Research Laboratories, Inc. (CRL) announced today that it has established an industry record in turn-around time for hit-to-lead follow-up libraries. Such ultra-fast hit-to-lead libraries are now produced in CRL's San Diego facilities in a matter of three to six days which enables critical acceleration of our clients' medicinal chemistry projects and sets a new industry benchmark. This state-of-the-art high-throughput chemistry technology was developed at CRL over the last seven years and refined in collaborations with Pfizer, Merck, AstraZeneca and others.

Financial Technologies Launches DMA LIVE!

Financial Technologies Launches DMA LIVE!

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

MUMBAI, India, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- DMA LIVE! Together With FTNet Will Provide International Market Connectivity and Access to Over 80% of Indian Brokerage and Institutional Market. - ANMI (Association of National Exchanges Members of India), Mr. G.N.Bajpai (former SEBI Chairman), Mr. Kiran Karnik (Former Chairman of NASSCOM) Together With Other Leading Industry Leaders Welcome the Announcement - Next-Generation Technology Innovation to Provide Unmatched Price / Value Competitive Advantage to India's Institutional Brokerage and buy Side Firms.

Award-Winning Avistar C3 Technology Sees Rapid Distribution Through Partner And Technology Channel Strategy

Award-Winning Avistar C3 Technology Sees Rapid Distribution Through Partner And Technology Channel Strategy

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

SAN MATEO, California, August 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Explosive Growth in Reseller, Distributor and Technology Partner Commitments Underpins Avistar's Turnaround Success and Product Expansion

VocaLink Secures Processing Contract For Bacs Payments To 2015

VocaLink Secures Processing Contract For Bacs Payments To 2015

Aug 07 2008 | comment(s)

LONDON, August 7 /PRNewswire/ -- VocaLink, the payment transaction specialist, announced today that its contract with Bacs Payments Schemes Limited (Bacs) to process the UK automated payments has been extended. The contract which ran to 2010 has been extended for a further five years to 2015.

Bacs is responsible for the Schemes behind the clearing and settlement of automated payments in the UK including Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit. VocaLink services and maintains the infrastructure network on behalf of Bacs, processing more than 5.5 billion automated payments a year on behalf of the Scheme.