Monthly Archives: May 2012

SF State biology department receives $1.5 million to support science teaching

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Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nan Broadbent nbroadbe@sfsu.edu 415-338-7108 San Francisco State University

SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2012 -- The San Francisco State University Department of Biology has received a $1.5 million education grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to support the faculty as they refine their teaching skills and explore new resources and new ways to assess their students' learning.

The 2012 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Science Education Award will support a new program called Biology Faculty Explorations in Scientific Teaching (FEST). The program will begin in September 2012 and continue for four years. SF State is one of only three applicants for the grant to receive the maximum award amount of $1.5 million.

Biology FEST has the potential to transform the learning experiences of nearly 5000 students -- almost 20 percent of the SF State student body -- who enroll in biology courses, said Kimberly Tanner, professor of biology and the grant's principal investigator. She is the director at the University's Science Education Partnership and Assessment Laboratory (SEPAL).

National experts have urged a complete overhaul of undergraduate science education, Tanner noted, but few programs address the key role that university teachers will have to play in this transformation. "Scientists are trained to be fabulous researchers, and then the vast majority of them are drop-kicked into a college or university classroom and told to teach, with no training in how to teach effectively the science they know," she said.

The Biology FEST program will help the biology faculty refine their teaching in the same way they approach their lab and field work: using scientific, evidence-based methods, Tanner said. They will "put their scientific skills to work in their classrooms," she noted, discovering the best ways to teach, collaborate and measure their students' progress.

The grant will fund scientific teaching workshops and a summer institute for biology faculty, faculty team collaborations that bring together four faculty members to observe and collaborate on teaching challenges, mini-grants for curriculum changes, new classroom equipment and partnerships with graduate students to develop assessments.

Tanner noted that 88 percent of the faculty has shown interest in the program -- and that fewer than 28 percent of them reported having any teacher training beyond a graduate school teaching assistantship. "The quality of our research is extraordinarily high, and the quality of intentions is also very high, but most university scientists are not trained in effective approaches to teaching," she said.

"We have a very talented, very willing faculty, and they're ready to be innovative," she continued. "They just need access to new ways of thinking and to intellectual and material resources to support change."

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SF State biology department receives $1.5 million to support science teaching

Funding will establish platform technology for emerging synthetic biology field

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Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Hilda Kalap hilda.kalap@epsrc.ac.uk Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will help the UK's world-leading researchers in synthetic biology to establish platform technology in the emerging field with a new grant of almost 5 million. Platform technology is the crucial next step necessary for applications to be produced and commercialised.

Announcing the grant later today in a major speech at the University of East Anglia, Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts will say: "Synthetic biology could provide solutions to many of humanity's most pressing issues and at the same time presents significant growth opportunities. This investment will lay the groundwork for the commercialisation of research, ensuring academics and industry can realise the full potential of this exciting area of science."

The Flowers Consortium of five universities, Imperial College London, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Newcastle and King's College London, carries out research into synthetic biology in the UK. The Consortium builds on earlier EPSRC investments such as the 4.5 million for the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation (CsynBI) at Imperial which is co-directed by Professor Richard Kitney and Professor Paul Freemont.

Synthetic biology aims to design and engineer novel biologically based parts, devices and systems, and redesign existing natural biological systems for useful purposes. It is seen as affecting a wide range of industrial sectors including chemicals, materials, biosensors, biofuels and healthcare.

The platform technology will be based on an information system SynBIS which uses a web-based environment. SynBIS is currently in Beta trials and is expected to be available by the end of June. SynBIS will host BioCAD and modelling tools for the field. This opens up the possibility of undertaking high level software design of bioparts and devices which can be assembled using laboratory robots and other automatic methods.

The grant will also be used to establish a professional registry of biological parts and devices using a robotic data-collection pipeline for characterisation. The richer data that can be obtained will lead to improved mathematical modelling and in turn more predictable and reliable design and construction of the parts.

Professor Kitney said: "The new grant will build on the work of CsynBI and the other universities in the Flowers Consortium to create important new resources for the academic and industrial community in synthetic biology."

Professor Freemont said: "The establishment of the Flowers Consortium now provides a critical mass of researchers who are developing innovative open access technology platforms to accelerate the growth of synthetic biology research in the UK."

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Funding will establish platform technology for emerging synthetic biology field

TEDxLSE – Jan-Emmanuel De Neve – Genoeconomics – Video

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24-05-2012 06:48 Genoeconomics: the promise and pitfalls of a new research frontier in economics. Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve outlines how and why social scientists have started to integrate genetics into economic models of behavior. This stimulating talk highlights the potential of "genoeconomics" and presents some preliminary genetic association results on happiness, leadership, and borrowing behavior. Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve is Assistant Professor in Political Economy and Behavioral Science at University College London and a research associate of the Centre for Economic Performance at LSE. His research interests and publications span the economic, political, and behavioral sciences. He obtained his PhD from the LSE and was a Fulbright scholar at Harvard University. His research and commentary regularly feature in the media, including in The Economist, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, El Pais, Le Monde, and BBCWorld. About TEDx, x = independently organized event: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)"

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Study: Autistic Kids Diagnosed Late

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Many children may be diagnosed with autism years too late to benefit from early behavioral intervention, according to 2011 national survey findings released Thursday from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Intensive behavioral therapy for autism, which can begin as early as age two, can significantly improve language and thinking skills in children with autism, according to the National Institutes of Health. The therapy, which helps develop a child's social and behavior skills within different environments, is considered among the best forms of treatment by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

However, the survey found that more than half of children had reached age five before they were first identified as having an autism spectrum disorder.

Although children can continue to benefit from behavioral interventions after age five, earlier behavioral intervention is associated with better outcomes, according to many experts.

"It is critical that we address the barriers that are preventing children from receiving early intervention," said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, who was not involved in the study.

More than 1400 children ages 6 to 17 with autism were included in the survey. The survey looked at diagnosis of the disorder within the last 17 years.

The older children may have been receiving some sort of medical assessment for their condition before receiving a formal diagnosis, according to Lisa Colpe, chief officer of clinical and population epidemiology research at the National Institute of Mental Health's and co-author of the study.

"It's still a very complex disorder to diagnose and does take some time," said Colpe. "These ages mean that they have been getting assessed for some period of time before getting a diagnosed."

Ninety percent of the children diagnosed participated in some form of developmental service including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and social skills training, according to the study. However, fewer than half of the children underwent behavioral therapy.

A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder can take five different forms, ranging from mild to severe. Because the report did not specify what forms of autism were diagnosed within the spectrum, it's unclear what the appropriate intervention would have been for the children included in the survey.

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Study: Autistic Kids Diagnosed Late

Protein necessary for behavioral flexibility discovered

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ScienceDaily (May 24, 2012) Researchers have identified a protein necessary to maintain behavioral flexibility, which allows us to modify our behaviors to adjust to circumstances that are similar, but not identical, to previous experiences. Their findings, which appear in the journal Cell Reports, may offer new insights into addressing autism and schizophrenia -- afflictions marked by impaired behavioral flexibility.

Our stored memories from previous experiences allow us to repeat certain tasks. For instance, after driving to a particular location, we recall the route the next time we make that trip. However, sometimes circumstances change -- one road on the route is temporarily closed -- and we need to make adjustments to reach our destination. Our behavioral flexibility allows us to make such changes and, then, successfully complete our task. It is driven, in part, by protein synthesis, which produces experience-dependent changes in neural function and behavior.

However, this process is impaired for many, preventing an adjustment in behavior when faced with different circumstances. In the Cell Reports study, the researchers sought to understand how protein synthesis is regulated during behavioral flexibility.

To do so, they focused on the kinase PERK, an enzyme that regulates protein synthesis. PERK is known to modify eIF2, a factor that is required for proper protein synthesis. Their experiments involved comparing normal lab mice, which possessed the enzyme, with those that lacked it.

In their study, the mice were asked to navigate a water maze, which included elevating themselves onto a platform to get out of the water. Normal mice and those lacking PERK learned to complete this task.

However, in a second step, the researchers tested the mice's behavioral flexibility by moving the maze's platform to another location, thereby requiring them to respond to a change in the terrain. Here, the normal mice located the platform, but those lacking PERK were unable to do so or took significantly more time to complete the task.

A second experiment offered a different test of the role of PERK in aiding behavioral flexibility. In this measure, both normal and mutant mice heard an audible tone that was followed by a mild foot shock. At this stage, all of the mice developed a normal fear response -- freezing at the tone in anticipation of the foot shock. However, the researchers subsequently removed the foot shock from the procedure and the mice heard only the tone. Eventually, the normal mice adjusted their responses so they did not freeze after hearing the tone. However, the mutant mice continued to respond as if they expected a foot shock to follow.

The researchers sought additional support for their conclusion that the absence of PERK may contribute to impaired behavioral flexibility in human neurological disorders. To do so, they conducted postmortem analyses of human frontal cortex samples from patients afflicted with schizophrenia, who often exhibit behavioral inflexibility, and unaffected individuals. The samples from the control group showed normal levels of PERK while those from the schizophrenic patients had significantly reduced levels of the protein.

"A rapidly expanding list of neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Fragile X syndrome, have already been linked to aberrant protein synthesis," explained Eric Klann, a professor in NYU's Center for Neural Science and one of the study's co-authors. "Our results show the significance of PERK in maintaining behavioral flexibility and how its absence might be associated with schizophrenia. Further studies clarifying the specific role of PERK-regulated protein synthesis in the brain may provide new avenues to tackle such widespread and often debilitating neurological disorders."

The study's other co-authors were: Mimi Trinh, who recently completed her Ph.D. in NYU's Center for Neural Science; Hanoch Kaphzan, a former post-doctoral fellow in NYU's Center for Neural Science and now at the University of Haifa in Israel; Ronald Wek, a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine; Philippe Pierre, a group leader at France's Universit de la Mditerrane; and Douglas Cavener, a professor at Penn State's Department of Biology.

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Protein necessary for behavioral flexibility discovered

Researchers identify protein necessary for behavioral flexibility

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Public release date: 24-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: James Devitt james.devitt@nyu.edu 212-998-6808 New York University

Researchers have identified a protein necessary to maintain behavioral flexibility, which allows us to modify our behaviors to adjust to circumstances that are similar, but not identical, to previous experiences. Their findings, which appear in the journal Cell Reports, may offer new insights into addressing autism and schizophreniaafflictions marked by impaired behavioral flexibility.

Our stored memories from previous experiences allow us to repeat certain tasks. For instance, after driving to a particular location, we recall the route the next time we make that trip. However, sometimes circumstances changeone road on the route is temporarily closedand we need to make adjustments to reach our destination. Our behavioral flexibility allows us to make such changes and, then, successfully complete our task. It is driven, in part, by protein synthesis, which produces experience-dependent changes in neural function and behavior.

However, this process is impaired for many, preventing an adjustment in behavior when faced with different circumstances. In the Cell Reports study, the researchers sought to understand how protein synthesis is regulated during behavioral flexibility.

To do so, they focused on the kinase PERK, an enzyme that regulates protein synthesis. PERK is known to modify eIF2alpha, a factor that is required for proper protein synthesis. Their experiments involved comparing normal lab mice, which possessed the enzyme, with those that lacked it.

In their study, the mice were asked to navigate a water maze, which included elevating themselves onto a platform to get out of the water. Normal mice and those lacking PERK learned to complete this task.

However, in a second step, the researchers tested the mice's behavioral flexibility by moving the maze's platform to another location, thereby requiring them to respond to a change in the terrain. Here, the normal mice located the platform, but those lacking PERK were unable to do so or took significantly more time to complete the task.

A second experiment offered a different test of the role of PERK in aiding behavioral flexibility. In this measure, both normal and mutant mice heard an audible tone that was followed by a mild foot shock. At this stage, all of the mice developed a normal fear responsefreezing at the tone in anticipation of the foot shock. However, the researchers subsequently removed the foot shock from the procedure and the mice heard only the tone. Eventually, the normal mice adjusted their responses so they did not freeze after hearing the tone. However, the mutant mice continued to respond as if they expected a foot shock to follow.

The researchers sought additional support for their conclusion that the absence of PERK may contribute to impaired behavioral flexibility in human neurological disorders. To do so, they conducted postmortem analyses of human frontal cortex samples from patients afflicted with schizophrenia, who often exhibit behavioral inflexibility, and unaffected individuals. The samples from the control group showed normal levels of PERK while those from the schizophrenic patients had significantly reduced levels of the protein.

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Researchers identify protein necessary for behavioral flexibility

Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being

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Prevention, early intervention, and mental health promotion can help assure the health of young children and adolescents. There are several core concepts behind the science of prevention and promotion:

Prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders requires a shift in focus. Instead of addressing a disorder after it occurs, prevention means supporting the healthy development of young people starting at birth. Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. Young people who grow up in good physical health are likely to also have good mental health; similarly, good mental health contributes to good physical health. Successful prevention must involve many different groups, including informed parents, professional educators (e.g., elementary school teachers), as well as mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals. Promotion of mental health is essential throughout a young persons developmental life cycle from the earliest years of life through adolescence and young adulthood as well as in a variety of settings such as families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

What is mental, emotional, and behavioral health?

Mental, emotional, and behavioral health refers to the overall psychological well-being of individuals and includes the presence of positive characteristics, such as the ability to manage stress, demonstrate flexibility under changing conditions, and bounce back from adverse situations.

Factors that Impact the Healthy Development of Young People

Exposure to risk and protective factors affects the healthy development and mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being of young people. Risk factors are conditions or characteristics that put an individual at greater risk for a specific health problem or disorder. Protective factors are personal traits or conditions in families and communities that, when present, contribute to an individuals well-being. While protective factors can make people resilient to mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, risk factors can be detrimental to mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. Some risk factors include:

Negative experiences when communicating with others in the home. An inability to confide in at least one close family member. The absence of positive role models. Loneliness or a perceived lack of safety, isolation, confusion and abuse. Experiencing trauma or serious loss, such as the death of a parent or other traumatic experience, especially early in life. Failing to maintain good physical health; physical and mental health are closely intertwined, and poor physical health can lead to the development of serious mental health issues. Alcohol and drug abuse increases the risk of mental health problems and can make pre-existing problems worse, and vice versa.

What Communities Can Do

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Promotion of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Well-Being

Anti-Aging Medicine: Amelia’s Look Into A Medical Controversy

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) Would you like a little extra energy? Most people would.

Thats why coffee shops and supplements are all so popular. But when I started having insomnia and feeling run down and irritable, I knew I needed more than a cup of coffee.

At first, I thought it was early menopause, or worse. It turns out, many women in their 30s and 40s have similar symptoms of weariness and irritability.

The solution I found not only has me feeling more energetic and stronger; it also opened my eyes to a growing controversy in womens medicine.

At first, I turned to Bonnie Erickson, a friend, who suggested I see an anti-aging doctor who had worked wonders for her.

Immediately I felt as though things were different, she said. I felt like I had my quality of life back.

Shes been seeing Dr. Khalid Mahmud for eight years. And after disappointing results with traditional medicine, she swears by his combination of holistic treatments and natural hormones.

I just think its a more natural approach, Bonnie said. Its more of a preventative approach.

Over the years, shes convinced most of her family, including her husband and two of her daughters, to see Mahmud.

One of her daughters, Keri Fuqua, had symptoms similar to mine. She also said her treatment with Mahmud was successful so successful that I couldnt help thinking that I needed to see him myself.

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Anti-Aging Medicine: Amelia’s Look Into A Medical Controversy

The Anatomy of a Videogame-Scare Story

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How weak correlations and scant research were spun up into an argument about how videogames and porn are leading to "the demise of guys."

People playing the game Overkill (Reuters).

If the name Philip Zimbardo rings a bell, you may have read about the famous study he ran called the Stanford Prison Experiment -- a groundbreaking study that showed how assuming a given role could change people's behavior toward others based on the power relationship they shared with them.

Forty-one years later, the former Stanford professor has co-authored an essay arguing that video games and pornography are to blame for what he calls "the demise of guys." The op-ed stokes fears of a testosterone-fueled implosion among young men -- the kind of apocalyptic emergency that threatens the country's future if society doesn't act right now.

The gist of the piece is this: violent and sexualized digital media are addictive. Consuming too much of it, as young Americans are doing, risks turning them into vegetables incapable of negotiating the real world. From this, we can conclude that an entire cohort is slipping down the drain as we speak.

The problem is that the assertions outstrip the evidence and research. The framing and argument are flawed from start to finish. Here, we break those problems down in detail.

Zimbardo and his co-author open with a rhetorical question:

As a psychologist, Zimbardo ought to know better than to prime his readers to accept an affirmative answer in the first sentence without being shown any evidence.

He continues:

Curious. Perhaps the research is coming, you think. Wrong. The first study isn't mentioned for another seven paragraphs. When Zimbardo does bring it up, it turns out the experiment was carried out in 1954, was performed on rats, and merely proved the existence of the brain's pleasure center (a major discovery at the time, but hardly the resounding proof that Zimbardo needs for his human addiction thesis).

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The Anatomy of a Videogame-Scare Story

Japanese Knives, the best in the world, Osaka – Video

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24-05-2012 02:53 Japanese knives are the finest in the world and Osaka produces the best knives in Japan. I visit tower knives to learn why Japanese knives are the best, how they are made, how much they cost and look at some fine examples. Learn more about tower knives - AROUND THE WORLD TRAVEL VIDEO ADVENTURE web: fb: twt: g+:

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu Interview by Peace Love and Photography, Episode 4 NEW – Video

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24-05-2012 03:31 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Interview by Peace Love and Photography, Episode 4. Archbishop Desmond Tutu answers questions about Peace and the meaning of life. Ashley & Filip head to Namibia to plan the letter B with 500 children and continue their 26 Country World tour. Archbishop Desmond Tutu Peace Love and Photography Ashley and Filip Peace Love Photography inspiration motivation spiritual leader travel adventure world tour happiness charity non profit activism africa south africa namibia

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu Interview by Peace Love and Photography, Episode 4 NEW - Video

Japanese Knives, World’s Best Tested and Reviewed, Osaka – Video

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24-05-2012 09:26 Japan makes the best kitchen knives in the world and Osaka is the capital of knife making in Japan. I visit Tower Knives in Osaka where owner Bjorn allows me to test various knives of differing quality and price. More information about about Tower Knives visit AROUND THE WORLD TRAVEL VIDEO ADVENTURE web: fb: twt: g+:

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Japanese Knives, World's Best Tested and Reviewed, Osaka - Video

Travel Apps That Help You Pack, Explore, And Enjoy The Scenery

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Enlarge Stuck on Earth

An image from a demo of the Stuck on Earth app, which Lauren Goode of All Things D calls "a photographer's dream."

An image from a demo of the Stuck on Earth app, which Lauren Goode of All Things D calls "a photographer's dream."

Mobile phones and tablets have put a world of information at our fingertips, even when we're on the go. It would seem natural, then, for smartphones to help make traveling easier and more fun.

But not all apps are created equal so Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep sought advice from Lauren Goode, a senior editor at All Things D, where she recently reviewed travel apps. Here are some of the tips Goode discussed with Steve:

Pack the Bag (iPad/iPhone) "It breaks luggage down into categories," Goode says, and includes details like sunscreen and sunglasses. "And you can set a reminder on the app that'll tell you when you're supposed to start packing," Goode says. The app also lets you email a packing list to friends or family.

TuneyFish Available for many phones, the 99-cent app provides videos and tips on repairing your car a possible savior if your vehicle breaks down. "It sounds better in theory than I actually found it to work," says Goode, who adds that the videos were sometimes hard to follow.

Google Translate (Android, iOS) Also known as "the fan favorite," Goode says Google's tool promises to help travelers understand more than 63 languages. But "once you get into more complicated or long blocks of communication," she says, some of the results "might not make that much sense to you." Instead, Goode says, stick with short phrases.

Lonely Planet (Android/iPhone) "Lonely Planet's travel apps are really, really extensive," Goode says. "These apps are really great. They offer a simpler interface than something like Frommer's." The apps include recommendations for places to eat, where to stay and what to see. They also offer audio walking tours.

Stuck on Earth (iPad) "This is a really fascinating, unique travel app I'm not even sure if I would call it a travel app, as I would call it a photographer's dream," Goode says. "It crowdsources all of these photos from Flickr that people around the world have posted to this particular area of Flickr that's designated for Stuck on Earth."

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Travel Apps That Help You Pack, Explore, And Enjoy The Scenery

Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa Honored On Travel + Leisure's List for World's Best Service in 2012

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BORA BORA, French Polynesia, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa was selected by the readers of Travel + Leisure for the magazine's prestigious "World's Best Service" list, garnering the top spot for service in French Polynesia and ranking second in service among top lodges and resorts in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.

The list recognizes city hotels, lodges, resorts, cruise lines, and airlines that have achieved top honors for service in Travel + Leisure's annual "World's Best Awards" survey. The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa garnered an impressive score of 96.67 out of a possible 100 points. Full survey results and methodology is available at http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-best-serviceand in the June 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure.

The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa is located along a virgin beach on the Motu Piti Aau (meaning "two hearts" in Tahitian) with breathtaking views of majestic Mount Otemanu.Not only does the resort provide exemplary service to its guests, it features a number of unique attributes, including:80 luxurious overwater villas each with a split-level terrace and sundeck for easy access to the turquoise waters of the lagoon; one of the finest culinary experiences in French Polynesia at its restaurant Reef; and the first overwater wedding chapel with glass bottom floor in French Polynesia.

The resort's acclaimed Deep Ocean Spa by Algotherm is the first spa in the world to use mineral-rich deep seawater extracted from 3,000 feet below sea level in its signature treatments. The 13,200 square-foot spa complex houses 14 treatment facilities for deep-sea water hydrotherapy, beauty treatments and gentle energy therapy. The spa offers glass-floored overwater Spa Suites where guests can admire maritime flora and fauna during treatment sessions.

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa was also the very first resort in the world to successfully implement a "Sea-Water Air-Conditioning System" (SWAC). The SWAC system draws on an inexhaustible supply of non-fossil and completely renewable clean energy. It has zero impact on the environment, is quiet, produces no carbon dioxide or other green house gasses, and saves 90 percent of the electricity consumed by a conventional cooling system of similar capacity. This translates to a reduction of CO2 emissions that is the equivalent of approximately 2.5 million liters of fuel oil imports per year to French Polynesia.

About InterContinental Resorts French PolynesiaOwned and operated by Richard H. Bailey and his company, Pacific Beachcomber S.C., there are four InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in French Polynesia: InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, InterContinental Tahiti Resort, and InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa. Each of the resorts has completed multimillion dollar enhancements over the course of the last five years and all have achieved "Earthcheck Silver Certification," recognizing their significant commitment towards achieving environmental and social sustainability.

For additional information, visit http://www.tahitiresorts.intercontinental.com.

Media Contact: Vanessa Bloy InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia T:425-440-6255 E: vbloy@pgcruises.com

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Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa Honored On Travel + Leisure's List for World's Best Service in 2012

TripAdvisor City Guides Now Available For 50 Global Travel Destinations

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PALO ALTO, Calif., May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, today announced that City Guides, the highly rated and free mobile app, is now available for 50 leading destinations around the world, more than doubling its original portfolio of travel guides. Conveniently accessible even when the user is offline, the app now includes three new features on its Android version, giving travelers the ability to view local transit stations, create personalized maps, and see itinerary suggestions from travel experts, in addition to reviews and opinions from the greater TripAdvisor community.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/49266-tripadvisor-city-guides-mobile-app

(Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120524/MM12395-INFO)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080902/TRIPADVISORLOGO)

"Users have already raved about the ease of use and helpfulness of TripAdvisor City Guides, with more than a million app downloads to date," said Adam Medros, vice president of global product at TripAdvisor. "We are excited to bring more cities and enhanced functionality to travelers, and ultimately help them enjoy their trips even more."

New App Features for Android Users

1.Transit Users can now view metro or subway stations on a map.The "Nearby Station" feature helps travelers find the closest station to their current location, or to the restaurant, hotel, or attraction that they want to visit.

2.TripIdeas TripIdeas are customized itinerary recommendations based on popular travel themes, such as traveling with family, foodie destinations, and places off the beaten path. Each itinerary includes beautiful large photos for inspiration. Users can keep track of their favorite TripIdeas in their "Saves" list.

3.Offline Map Update Users can now fully customize their own maps. This feature displays saved destinations, metro stations, and any restaurants, hotels, and attractions of interest, to help travelers plan and have their perfect trip.

30 New City Guides, Now Available for Download on Android and iOS

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TripAdvisor City Guides Now Available For 50 Global Travel Destinations

Bump's Super Popular App Just Got A Million Times Cooler With Its Latest Update

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Bump's Super Popular App Just Got A Million Times Cooler With Its Latest Update

1 Reason to Expect Big Things From Super Micro Computer

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Here at The Motley Fool, I've long cautioned investors to keep a close eye on inventory levels. It's a part of my standard diligence when searching for the market's best stocks. I think a quarterly checkup can help you spot potential problems. For many companies, products that sit on the shelves too long can become big trouble. Stale inventory may be sold for lower prices, hurting profitability. In extreme cases, it may be written off completely and sent to the shredder.

Basic guidelines In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Super Micro Computer (Nasdaq: SMCI) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Super Micro Computer doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, OK, it seems. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 12.9%, and inventory increased 11.3%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks potentially problematic. Revenue improved 2.5%, and inventory grew 11.3%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks worrisome. Revenue dropped 3.9%, and inventory grew 18.4%.

Advanced inventory I don't stop my checkup there, because the type of inventory can matter even more than the overall quantity. There's even one type of inventory bulge we sometimes like to see. You can check for it by examining the quarterly filings to evaluate the different kinds of inventory: raw materials, work-in-progress inventory, and finished goods. (Some companies report the first two types as a single category.)

A company ramping up for increased demand may increase raw materials and work-in-progress inventory at a faster rate when it expects robust future growth. As such, we might consider oversized growth in those categories to offer a clue to a brighter future, and a clue that most other investors will miss. We call it "positive inventory divergence."

On the other hand, if we see a big increase in finished goods, that often means product isn't moving as well as expected, and it's time to hunker down with the filings and conference calls to find out why.

What's going on with the inventory at Super Micro Computer? I chart the details below for both quarterly and 12-month periods.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of latest fully reported quarter. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Data is current as of latest fully reported quarter. Dollar amounts in millions. FQ = fiscal quarter.

Let's dig into the inventory specifics. On a trailing-12-month basis, work-in-progress inventory was the fastest-growing segment, up 13.2%. On a sequential-quarter basis, work-in-progress inventory was also the fastest-growing segment, up 40.4%. Super Micro Computer may display positive inventory divergence, suggesting that management sees increased demand on the horizon.

Foolish bottom line When you're doing your research, remember that aggregate numbers such as inventory balances often mask situations that are more complex than they appear. Even the detailed numbers don't give us the final word. When in doubt, listen to the conference call, or contact investor relations. What at first looks like a problem may actually signal a stock that will provide the market's best returns. And what might look hunky-dory at first glance could actually be warning you to cut your losses before the rest of the Street wises up.

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1 Reason to Expect Big Things From Super Micro Computer

State awards stem cell grants to medical researchers

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SACRAMENTO California's stem cell agency today approved two grants to UC Davis Health System researchers for their innovative work in regenerative medicine.

Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, distinguished professor of orthopaedic surgery and professor and chair of biomedical engineering, and the Child Family Professor of Engineering at UC Davis, is investigating the use of skin-derived stem cells to heal cartilage injuries and debilitating conditions of the knee such as osteoarthritis.

W. Douglas Boyd, professor of surgery, plans to further refine a novel approach to treating cardiovascular injuries suffered during a heart attack by using stem cells and a tissue-like scaffold to repair cardiac damage.

The pair received individual grants totaling approximately $6.6 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's (CIRM) governing board.

Athanasiou's and Boyd's multi-year grants were among the proposals submitted to CIRM for its third round of Early Translational Awards, which are intended to enable clinical therapies to be developed more rapidly.

"Both of these scientists are conducting exciting research that could have far-reaching implications in health care," said Jan Nolta, director of the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures and the university's stem cell program director. "Dr. Athanasiou is bioengineering new cartilage that could have the same physiological integrity as the cartilage a person is born with. Dr. Boyd is developing a treatment that uses a paper-thin patch embedded with stem cells to harness their regenerative powers to repair damaged heart muscle."

Boyd, who's a pioneering cardiothoracic surgeon, pointed out in his CIRM proposal that heart disease is the nation's number-one cause of death and disability. An estimated 16.3 million Americans over the age of 20 suffer from coronary heart disease, which in 2007 accounted for an estimated 1 in 6 deaths in the U.S. Boyd plans to use bone-marrow derived stem cells -- known as mesenchymal stem cells -- in combination with a bioengineered framework known as an extracellular matrix, to regenerate damaged heart tissue, block heart disease and restore cardiac function, something currently not possible except in cases of a complete and very invasive heart transplant.

An expert in biomedical engineering, Athanasiou is focusing on developing a cellular therapy using stem cells created from an individual's own skin -- known as autologous skin-derived stem cells -- which have shown great promise in animal models. He plans to use the new funding to conduct extensive toxicology and durability tests to determine the technique's long-term safety and efficacy. Such tests are among the many steps needed to advance toward human clinical trials.

Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints, allowing bones to glide over each other and absorbing the shock of movement. Cartilage defects from injuries and lifelong wear and tear can eventually degenerate into osteoarthritis. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects an estimated 27 million Americans over the age of 25.

"For anyone suffering from osteoarthritis or other debilitating cartilage conditions, Dr. Athanasiou's goal of using stem cells to regenerate new tissue could have enormous quality-of-life and economic benefits," said Nolta, who is the recipient of a prior translational grant from CIRM to develop potential therapies for Huntington's disease . "Dr. Boyd's work is equally promising because he's using a bioengineered structure to encourage cardiac tissue repair, which could have important benefits in the treatment of heart disease."

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State awards stem cell grants to medical researchers