This news release is available in French. We know that babies and young children often put non-food items in their mouths, a behaviour that occasionally leads to swallowing of foreign objects. Metallic toys and low-cost jewelry often contain toxic substances such as lead and cadmium. Do these objects present a health risk for young children? To answer this question, Gérald J. Zagury, a professor in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, and Mert Guney, a former doctoral student under Professor Zagury's supervision, ...

As shown in a study carried out by researchers at 13 research centres in Asturias, Gipuzkoa, Sabadell and Valencia, over half of non-smoking pregnant women, 55%, are passive smokers. These women are under the effect of tobacco smoke to a considerable extent because a member of the household, their partner in particular, smokes at home. The result of the study has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. Within the INMA project that studies childhood and the environment, research has been carried out into the extent to which non-smoking pregnant ...

Scientists from the same team have previously reported large amounts of sulphur and iron accumulation in the warship Vasa. In that study, the scientists found an outbreak of acidity and sulphate salts on the surface of the hull and other wooden objects. 'This is the result of biological and chemical processes that occur naturally in low-oxygen waters and in sediments,' says Yvonne Fors from the Department of Conservation at the University of Gothenburg and one of the scientists behind the article. However, even if sulphur and iron accumulation is commonly occurring ...

This news release is available in German. When we drift into deep slow-wave sleep (SWS), waves of neuronal activity wash across our neocortex. Birds also engage in SWS, but they lack this particular brain structure. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen, Germany together with colleagues from the Netherlands and Australia have gained deeper insight into the sleeping avian brain. They found complex 3D plumes of brain activity propagating through the brain that clearly differed from the two-dimensional activity found in mammals. These ...

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique that uses existing technology to allow researchers and natural resource managers to collect significantly more information on water quality to better inform policy decisions. "Right now, incomplete or infrequent water quality data can give people an inaccurate picture of what's happening – and making decisions based on inaccurate data can be risky," says Dr. François Birgand, an assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the ...

This news release is available in German. According to a current study from the University of Cambridge, software developers are spending about the half of their time on detecting errors and resolving them. Projected onto the global software industry, according to the study, this would amount to a bill of about 312 billion US dollars every year. "Of course, automated testing is cheaper", explains Andreas Zeller, professor of Software Engineering at Saarland University, as you could run a program a thousand times without incurring any charges. "But where do these ...

Research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests that the expression of the so called MYC gene is important and necessary for neurogenesis in the spinal cord. The findings are being published in the journal EMBO Reports. The MYC gene encodes the protein with the same name, and has an important role in many cellular processes such as proliferation, metabolism, cell death and the potential of differentiation from immature stem cell s to different types of specialized cells . Importantly it is also one of the most frequently activated genes in human cancer. Previously ...

Although the marketing slogan suggests that Barbie can "Be Anything," girls who play with this extremely popular doll see fewer career options available to themselves compared to boys. So say Aurora Sherman of Oregon State University and Eileen Zurbriggen of the University of California, Santa Cruz, who conducted one of the first experiments on how playing with fashion dolls influences girls' perceptions about their future occupational options. The findings, which the psychologists describe as "sobering," are published in Springer's journal Sex Roles. Sherman and Zurbriggen ...

This news release is available in Spanish. Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) have opened the door to the development of new drugs against osteoporosis, one of the most common chronic illnesses in the world, especially among women 65 or over. The researchers, from the University of Granada's Department of Physio-Chemistry, have patented a new methodology that allows specialists to measure – none-invasively and in real time – the concentration of phosphate ions inside living cells. The scientific importance of measuring phosphate ions is based precisely ...

The banana variety Yangambi km5 produces toxic substances that kill the nematode Radopholus similis, a roundworm that infects the root tissue of banana plants – to the frustration of farmers worldwide. The finding bodes well for the Grande Naine, the export banana par excellence, which is very susceptible to the roundworms. The parasitic nematode Radopholus similis is the invisible nemesis of the banana plant, says Professor Dirk De Waele (Laboratory for Tropical Crop Improvement, KU Leuven), a co-author of the study: "This roundworm infects banana crops worldwide. The ...

A research project led by Oxford University is showing how patient experiences can be used to improve healthcare – not through targets and surveys, but by getting doctors, nurses and patients talking together about care on the ward. The new approach has been used in pilot projects at two UK hospital trusts – Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust in London and the Royal Berkshire in Reading. Videos of patients talking about care they received at various hospitals are used to trigger a discussion between NHS staff, managers, patients and family members about the ...

A program designed to move families out of high-poverty neighborhoods resulted in reduced rates of depression and conduct disorder among girls, but increased rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and conduct disorder among boys, according to a study published in the March 5 issue of JAMA. Prof. Jens Ludwig, one of the study's authors, said this was a follow-up long-term analysis of families participating in the Moving to Opportunity residential-mobility demonstration sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ludwig is the ...

The spiral galaxy ESO 137-001 looks like a dandelion caught in a breeze in this new Hubble Space Telescope image. The galaxy is zooming toward the upper right of this image, in between other galaxies in the Norma cluster located over 200 million light-years away. The road is harsh: intergalactic gas in the Norma cluster is sparse, but so hot at 180 million degrees Fahrenheit that it glows in X-rays. The spiral plows through the seething intra-cluster gas so rapidly – at nearly 4.5 million miles per hour — that much of its own gas is caught and torn away. Astronomers ...

San Francisco, Calif. – March 5, 2014 – A new study from the University of Washington has found that performance on Lumosity games can distinguish between patients with cirrhosis of the liver, pre-cirrhotic patients, and healthy controls. The study used Lumosity games as psychometric tests to detect subtle cognitive impairments in patients with cirrhosis. The study is published in the March issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Studies have found that an estimated 60-80 percent of cirrhosis patients experience cognitive dysfunction, which can range from ...

LOS ANGELES – (March 5, 2014) – Changing the hospital orders for women who have just delivered a child led to a 69% increase in the new mothers' pertussis vaccination rate, providing protection for themselves and their newborns against the disease, commonly known as whooping cough, according to a study in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Sylvia Yeh, MD, a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) lead researcher and corresponding author of the study, said it is the first to compare immunization rates among two hospitals: ...

The new research, which was published in the journal Demographic Research, shows that increasing labor force participation by as little as 1 or 2 percentage points could allow pension ages to be reduced by one year without increasing the burden on the working population. "Coping with aging populations is a challenge for most developed countries," says IIASA population expert Sergei Scherbov, who co-led the study with Warren Sanderson, a researcher at IIASA and Stony Brook University. In Europe and many other areas of the developed world, birth rates have dropped while ...

You can hear the metallic buzz as the milling machine bores into the workpiece. Just a few last drill holes, and the camshaft is complete. The computer-guided machine performed the entire job – thanks to the digital manufacturing data that were uploaded onto its embedded computer beforehand. Everything runs without a hitch, only – the data are stolen. Manufacturing data determine the production process for a product, and are just as valuable today as the design plans. They contain distinctive, inimitable information about the product and its manufacture. Whoever possesses ...

The network of charging stations for electric vehicles is becoming more tightly meshed. In Germany, the ratio of electric cars to charging stations is currently two to one and utility companies are pushing forward expansion of charging opportunities, especially in cities and metropolitan areas. Over 2000 charging spots have already been installed nationwide and the country's largest charging infrastructure is at the Fraunhofer Institute Center Stuttgart IZS – where up to 30 electric vehicles (EVs) at a time can re- charge at AC charge spots in the Fraunhofer Campus parking ...

Though present in more than 6,000 living species of fish, the adipose fin, a small appendage that lies between the dorsal fin and tail, has no clear function and is thought to be vestigial. However, a new study analyzing their origins finds that these fins arose repeatedly and independently in multiple species. In addition, adipose fins appear to have repeatedly and independently evolved a skeleton, offering a glimpse into how new tissue types and structural complexity evolve in vertebrate appendages. Adipose fins therefore represent a unique example of convergent evolution ...

Following testing and preliminary acceptance in Europe in September 2013, MUSE was shipped to ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. It was reassembled at the base camp before being carefully transported to its new home at the VLT, where it is now installed on Unit Telescope 4. MUSE is the latest of the second generation instruments for the VLT (the first two were X-shooter and KMOS and the next, SPHERE, will follow shortly). The leader of the team and principal investigator for the instrument, Roland Bacon (Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon, France), expressed his ...

Alexandria, VA and Needham, MA – Due to rigorous disaster preparedness and the heroic actions of first responders and emergency and trauma personnel, not a single one of the nearly 200 people hospitalized after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings died, despite many grave injuries. And, thanks to the orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists who have helped those affected, survivors are now well on the road to recovery. The Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) and The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) co-published a Special Report today entitled ...

The financial advantages of a legal separation compared with divorce Article provided by Magner, Hueneke, Smith & Borda, LLP Visit us at http://www.mhslaw.net Deciding to get divorced is a big and permanent decision. For couples in Milwaukee County, many opt to try being separated before they make the final decision to get divorced. While there are many factors that may play into a couple's decision to legally separate or divorce, this decision can be influenced by the financial advantages that come with a legal separation. What does it mean to legally separate? Couples ...

Workplace injuries on the rise for temporary employees Article provided by Mark A. Skibiel, Attorney at Law Visit us at http://www.skibiellaw.com Numerous advocacy and news organizations have reported increased numbers of reported on-the-job injuries suffered by temporary or seasonal workers, particularly those in blue-collar workplaces like factories, non-union construction projects and warehouses. Since the so-called "Great Recession" began in 2007-2008, the numbers of temporary workers has steadily risen, and there are now nearly three million temps ...

Obesity and disability Article provided by The Law Office of Sheryl Gandel Mazur Visit us at http://www.mazurdisabilitylaw.com Obesity is a problem in this country--and a problem growing more serious. According to the results of a recent study, 29 percent of adults were identified as obese and almost 4 percent were found to be extremely obese. As a general rule, obesity has been defined as weighing more than 20 percent above the weight medical experts consider to be the ideal weight considering gender, age, and height. The same recent study, published in the ...

After killing four in an accident, Texas teen gets 10 years probation Article provided by The Bates Law Firm Visit us at http://www.harrybateslaw.com According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. Not only are teens less likely to drive safely overall, but they are more likely to crash when there is alcohol in their bloodstream than older drivers. The CDC states that in a national survey conducted in 2011, eight percent of the teen participants admitted that they had consumed alcohol ...