COLUMBIA, Mo. – Simulation-based engineering science (SBES) allows researchers to predict the effects of building explosions and analyze the response of building materials to those threats. Using a $400,000, five-year CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Missouri developed the Material Point Method (MPM) a computer-generated tool that not only creates blast scenarios that informs blast and impact resistant materials and design, but also is crossing over into Hollywood animation—most recently, Disney's Oscar-winning animated ...

Researchers of the Tobaco Control Unit of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) evaluated exposure to snuff smoke in nonsmokers before the entry into force of the first Spanish smoking ban and after the launch of the second law (2011 ) in the city of Barcelona. Salivary cotinine Cotinine is a nicotine derived substance that is used as a marker of exposure to snuff smoke in nonsmokers. Researchers at the ICO- IDIBELL measured the concentration of this substance in the saliva of those surveyed and found to have ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Social relationships, fatigue and other coexisting medical problems have a stronger effect on how patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rate their overall health than the severity of their gastrointestinal symptoms, a University at Buffalo study has found. "Our findings suggest that in IBS patients and possibly patients with other diseases as well, health perceptions depend to a much larger extent on non-biomedical factors than those of us who are health care providers have ever suspected," says lead author Jeffrey Lackner, PsyD, associate professor ...

In many industrialized countries, city skylines are dominated by imposing glass façades and skyscrapers made of concrete and steel. There is a drawback to these magnificent structures, though – they often get very hot in the summer, so they mostly need elaborate and costly air conditioning systems. And these already account for some 14 percent of Germany's annual energy consumption. Experts reckon that total cooling requirements in buildings will triple by 2020. Cooling and heating using metal organic frameworks Thermally driven cooling systems are one possible alternative ...

New Rochelle, NY, March 18, 2014–Recent high-profile cases have drawn attention to the problem of sexual assault in the U.S. military, the effects on survivors, and the actions and response of military leadership. Issues such as why there is more sexual assault in the military than in the general population, why it is under-reported, and what preventive approaches should the military adopt are explored in a provocative Roundtable Discussion published in the preview issue of Violence and Gender, a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article ...

This news release is available in French. The Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the Université de Montréal (UdeM), in collaboration with the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital's Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank, recently achieved a significant breakthrough thanks to the laboratory growth of leukemic stem cells, which will speed up the development of new cancer drugs. In a recent study published in Nature Methods, the scientists involved describe how they succeeded in identifying two new chemical compounds that allow to maintain leukemic stem cells ...

Whether you're looking at hairy spider legs, the alien-like faces of ants, or the spiky-looking surfaces of pollen – a scanning electron microscope delivers high-resolution images that are rich in detail. But you can't get perfect images unless you protect the microscope from vibration. If someone walking across the room or an elevator going up and down between nearby floors makes the table shake, you're unlikely to get good results. The simplest way to quell vibrations is to put the microscope on a granite base – a stone so heavy that it dampens vibrations occurring at ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study of math anxiety shows how some people may be at greater risk to fear math not only because of negative experiences, but also because of genetic risks related to both general anxiety and math skills. The study, which examined how fraternal and identical twins differ on measures of math anxiety, provides a revised view on why some children – and adults – may develop a fear of math that makes it more difficult for them to solve math problems and succeed in school. "We found that math anxiety taps into genetic predispositions in two ways: people's ...

Researchers part-funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) have shown that, contrary to what was previously assumed, suppressing unwanted memories reduces their unconscious influences on subsequent behaviour, and have shed light on how this process happens in the brain. The study, published online in PNAS, challenges the idea that suppressed memories remain fully preserved in the brain's unconscious, allowing them to be inadvertently expressed in someone's behaviour. The results of the study suggest instead that the act of suppressing intrusive memories helps to disrupt ...

For almost 40 years, field scientists strapped on cross-country skis, shouldered backpacks with supplies and set out over three miles of snow and rocks to a field station by a meadow high in the Rocky Mountains as soon as the snow began melting. Every other day, they counted each flower they found, identified the plant it belonged to and kept meticulous records of their observations. Their observations provide the longest-running scientific study of its kind and tell a story of biological change that teaches scientists new lessons about phenology – the timing of biological ...

Bottom Line: Daily dietary supplements of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (also found in fish) or lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients found in green leafy vegetables) were not associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in elderly patients with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration. Author: The writing group for the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) clinical trial. Background: Diet studies have suggested that increased intake of fish, a source of omega (ω)-3 fatty acids, can reduce rates of cardiac death, death from all other ...

Bottom Line: Neuroimaging for headaches is frequently ordered by physicians during outpatient visits, despite guidelines that recommend against such routine procedures. Author: Brian C. Callaghan, M.D., M.S., of the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, and colleagues. Background: Most headaches are due to benign causes, and multiple guidelines have recommended against routine neuroimaging for headaches. How the Study Was Conducted: The authors analyzed National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data for all headache visits for patients 18 years or older ...

Lewis Owen has been scraping out icy fragments of history's truth from one of the most glaciated regions on Earth for the past 25 years. His frequent excursions to Tibet and the Himalayas have led the University of Cincinnati professor of geology to some cold, hard facts. Owen knows climate change is immortal – fluctuating across millennia, patiently building toward moments when circumstances are ripe for apocalypse. It was true thousands of years ago, when rapid climate change had profound effects on landscapes and the creatures that lived on them. That scenario could ...

A new study offers evidence that simple and inexpensive changes to existing courses can help students learn more effectively. The study from Rice University and Duke University found that making a few changes to homework assignments in an upper-level undergraduate engineering course at Rice led to improved scores on exams. The study appears this week in the journal Educational Psychology Review. The findings by a team from Rice's Center for Digital Learning and Scholarship and Duke's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience demonstrate how technology and cognitive ...

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new, stretchable antenna that can be incorporated into wearable technologies, such as health monitoring devices. "Many researchers – including our lab – have developed prototype sensors for wearable health systems, but there was a clear need to develop antennas that can be easily incorporated into those systems to transmit data from the sensors, so that patients can be monitored or diagnosed," says Dr. Yong Zhu, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State and senior author ...

How can communities dodge future disasters from Mother Nature before she has dealt the blow? Researchers are taking a unique approach to the issue and gaining input and support from community stakeholders. Daniel Murphy, a University of Cincinnati assistant professor of anthropology, will present findings on March 20, at the 74th annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology (SFAA) in Albuquerque, N.M. The presentation reveals an innovative, interdisciplinary research technique for approaching climate change vulnerability that's called Multi-scale, Interactive ...

In critically ill patients in Australia and New Zealand with severe sepsis or septic shock, there was a decrease in the risk of death from 2000 to 2012, findings that were accompanied by changes in the patterns of discharge of intensive care unit (ICU) patients to home, rehabilitation, and other hospitals, according to a study appearing in JAMA. The study is being released early to coincide with its presentation at the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine. Severe sepsis and septic shock are the biggest cause of death in critically ill patients. ...

Survival of patients with septic shock was the same regardless of whether they received treatment based on specific protocols or the usual high-level standard of care, according to a five-year clinical study. The large-scale randomized trial, named ProCESS for Protocolized Care for Early Septic Shock, was done in 31 academic hospital emergency departments across the country and was funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The results of the trial, led by Derek C. Angus, M.D., M.P.H., and Donald ...

North Carolina crack bust highlights need for strong defense Article provided by Barnett & Falls Visit us at http://www.barnettfalls.com Catching and prosecuting suspected drug traffickers is a huge priority for both state and federal law enforcement officials in North Carolina. In many cases, drug investigations can persist for weeks or even months before arrests are made. During this time, police work to amass significant evidence from wiretaps, surveillance, undercover officers and sting operations that can be difficult to combat in court. An illustrative ...

Despite more insurance options, medical debt still a main cause of bankruptcy Article provided by Law Offices of Scott R. Schneider Visit us at http://www.scott-schneider.com Even with the recent implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Coverage Act (PPACA, colloquially known as "Obamacare"), it is still expected that medical debt - a leading cause of bankruptcy filings across the country - will still prove unmanageable for tens of thousands of people across the nation this year. Medical expenses have been steadily rising for the past several ...

Study finds filing for work comp benefits so stressful it dampens recovery Article provided by The Harris Firm Visit us at http://www.harrisworkerscomp.com Anyone who has been injured on the job and filed a claim for workers' compensation (perhaps better known as "work comp") benefits knows that the process is complex and stressful. Even though you are already in pain, out of work, worried about your health and concerned about paying your bills, you now have to deal with miles of proverbial red tape to seek compensation for your injuries. The process of ...

Negotiation plays a key role in California divorces Article provided by Barry Schneider, Esq. Attorney at Law Visit us at http://www.schneiderlawsf.com The mention of divorce usually brings up a host of unpleasant feelings for most spouses. Besides the obvious emotionality of ending a marriage, a common view of lawyers, judges and spouses is that the divorce process more often than not gives neither justice nor properly protects the interests of the people involved. The courts are overcrowded and few litigants really get their proper "day in court." That ...

Are you considering a divorce? Are you prepared for the changes? Article provided by M. J. Hill & Associates, PLLC Visit us at http://www.mjhillfirm.com There are many different issues that need to be addressed when a couple decides to get a divorce. The spouses may no longer be able to find agreement on certain issues, which can lead to problems throughout the process. Some people may not understand the significance of what they need to resolve, and this can lead to poor choices at a very critical time. When a couple gets divorcedin Texas, they will need ...

Florida receives poor marks for driving safety laws Article provided by Gibbs & Parnell, P.A. Visit us at http://www.caraccidentfl.com Most people taking to Tampa area roads have seen the aftermath of a serious accident, or watched as other drivers narrowly avoided a crash. These situations often make motorists more aware of some of the unexpected things that can happen when they are behind the wheel. Recently, the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety released a report that analyzed safe driving laws currently in place in states throughout the country. States ...

How an attorney can help you with the challenges of estate planning Article provided by Baxter & Borowicz Co. LPA Visit us at http://www.baxterandborowicz.com Many individuals have spent a considerable amount of time creating a plan for their financial future. They may have set aside resources to deal with unplanned expenses, which can help if they experience significant financial challenges. If people are unprepared for these events, it could cause serious problems, including potential delays in retirement. One part many individuals overlook is the creation ...