(Press-News.org) Tropical Storm Oswald's heavy rains have caused flooding in Queensland, Australia and NASA's TRMM satellite measured almost two feet of rain fell in certain areas.
Tropical cyclone Oswald's sustained winds have never been greater than 35 knots (~40.2 mph) but the storm's extreme rainfall has resulted in widespread flooding in Australia over northern Queensland. Many roads have been reported flooded resulting in some communities being cut off.
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a satellite that can measure rainfall from space. TRMM-based satellite precipitation estimates are created at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. within about seven hours of observation time. Hal Pierce of NASA Goddard created a rainfall image from a Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) for the period from January 15 to 22, 2013. The analysis showed that Oswald and its remnants had dropped over 600 mm (~23.6 inches) of rain in areas of the Cape York Peninsula near the Gulf of Carpentaria.
According to a report on news.com.au, travelers were requested to cancel plans to go to the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Many rivers have flooded and dirt roads are mired in mud over a distance of 560 kilometers (348 miles) that stretch from Laura to Bamaga. Rainfall totals over the Cape York Peninsula to Cardwell were as high as 200mm (7.8 inches) to 300 mm (11.8 inches), which fell south of the town of Innisfail.
INFORMATION:
For Oswald's storm history, visit NASA's Hurricane page: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2013/h2013_Oswald.html
NASA sees massive rainfall totals from Tropical Storm Oswald
2013-01-24
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Experts propose overhaul of ethics oversight of research
2013-01-24
The longstanding ethical framework for protecting human volunteers in medical research needs to be replaced because it is outdated and can impede efforts to improve health care quality, assert leaders in bioethics, medicine, and health policy in two companion articles in a Hastings Center Report special report, "Ethical Oversight of Learning Health Care Systems." One of the authors calling for a new approach is the main architect of the current ethical framework.
Seven commentaries in the publication, written by leaders with national responsibility for ethical oversight ...
Vaccinating children against rotavirus may indirectly protect adults too, study finds
2013-01-24
[EMBARGOED FOR JAN. 24, 2013] Pediatric rotavirus vaccination also indirectly protects unvaccinated adults from the highly contagious cause of severe diarrhea and vomiting, suggests a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. The findings suggest pediatric immunization against the virus may be more cost effective than previously thought, given rotavirus-related health care costs among adults.
Before the vaccine, rotavirus caused an estimated 24 million outpatient visits, 2.4 million hospitalizations, and 453,000 deaths in infants and young ...
Newly approved oral medication slows rheumatoid arthritis joint damage
2013-01-24
A Phase 3 clinical trial demonstrates that tofacitinib improves disease activity and inhibits progression of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who did not respond to methotrexate (MTX). Results of the 12-month interim analysis of the efficacy of tofacitinib appear in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
RA is a chronic, autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, pain and swelling of the joints. Over time, RA may destroy joints, impair daily function, and lead to significant disability. ...
Queen's and NSPCC publish Northern Ireland's first child death and serious injury review
2013-01-24
The first ever review of abuse cases related to child death or serious injury in Northern Ireland will be launched at Queen's University today (24 January 2013). The review, Translating Learning into Action, was commissioned by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) and was carried out by researchers at Queen's University and the NSPCC.
The Case Management Review (CMR) report – the first to be produced in Northern Ireland - analysed 24 case reviews relating to 45 children which resulted in death or serious injury in the period between 2003 ...
New drug improves survival in multiple myeloma relapse, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers say
2013-01-24
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have investigated the safety, efficacy and the maximum tolerated dose of pomalidomide for patients with multiple myeloma who have disease relapsed after treatments with other drugs, such as bortezomib and lenalidomide. This phase I clinical trial enrolled 38 patients, and pomalidomide provided a minimal or better response for 42 percent of the patients, a partial response or better for 21 percent, and a complete response for 3 percent.
The study, a collaborative effort among researchers from Moffitt, Dana-Farber Cancer ...
Using Social Media To Search For Sex Offenders
2013-01-24
Using social media to search for sex offenders
Facebook and other social media sites have been increasing their efforts to identify possible child predators that use their sites to reach children and teenagers. While the technology available to Facebook has improved and expanded over time, most online predators are not flagged in the system and end up reaching their victims without ever being stopped or identified. While some arrests are being made through the efforts of these websites, they still face problems trying to make sure that their sites aren't being used to ...
Concussions More Harmful Than Thought, Symptoms Persist for Years
2013-01-24
Concussions More Harmful Than Thought, Symptoms Persist for Years
For years physicians, coaches and parents thought that a concussion was something that could be cured with a little rest. Unfortunately, new research is questioning this notion.
Researchers with the University of Oklahoma suggest that the symptoms associated with concussions, also known as traumatic brain injuries, can last years longer than expected. Even more surprising: the symptoms may not decrease in intensity.
Details of the Study
The study focused on the severity and duration of symptoms ...
New Law Increases Penalty For Fatal Hit-and-Run Accidents
2013-01-24
New law increases penalty for fatal hit-and-run accidents
Leaving the scene of an accident has always been a serious offense. Now, drivers who flee the scene in Pennsylvania face even tougher penalties under a law designed to punish drivers involved in fatal hit-and-run accidents.
Details of the new law
A fatal accident in 2005, involving a 29-year-old man who was hit while riding his bicycle by a driver who fled the scene, prompted the new law, which went into effect in September 2012.
Previously classified as a third-degree felony, fatal hit-and-runs carried ...
Child Custody Involving Grandparents
2013-01-24
Child custody involving grandparents
While grandparents can have a large and important role in a child's life, they do not have a constitutional right to see their grandchildren. The Supreme Court case Troxel v. Granville decided that parents are the individuals with the "fundamental right" to make decisions about the care of their children. Grandparents do not have the same legal rights over the care of their grandchildren, and their rights are limited in comparison to those of a parent. However a lack of a constitutional right to visitation does not mean ...
How Small Businesses Can Handle Tax Audits
2013-01-24
How small businesses can handle tax audits
You do not have to run an unethical small business in order to be the subject of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service. And even if you have not done anything wrong, that does not make the process any less stressful. The following tips can help you avoid a tax audit, as well as help to deal with the IRS if your business is being audited.
How to avoid a tax audit
Although you may not be intentionally trying to defraud the government when you file your taxes, there are some common mistakes that small businesses make that ...