As markets for miniature, hybrid machines known as MEMS grow and diversify, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has introduced a long-awaited measurement tool that will help growing numbers of device designers, manufacturers and customers to see eye to eye on eight dimensional and material property measurements that are key to device performance. The NIST-developed test chips (Reference Materials 8096 and 8097) are quality assurance tools that enable accurate, reliable comparisons of measurements on MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) devices made ...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In Kenya, women face a cervical cancer mortality rate that is approximately 10 times as high as in the United States. A study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that training women to self-collect genital samples to test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the causative agent of cervical cancer, can increase the coverage rates of cervical cancer screening. Higher screening coverage helps increase rates of detection of cervical lesions and ultimately treatment of the disease. "The high mortality rate in Kenya is ...

Cold Spring Harbor, NY – When a pedestrian hears the screech of a car's brakes, she has to decide whether, and if so, how, to move in response. Is the action taking place blocks away, or 20 feet to the left? One of the truly primal mechanisms that we depend on every day of our lives -- acting on the basis of information gathered by our sense of hearing -- is yielding its secrets to modern neuroscience. A team of researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) today publishes experimental results in the journal Nature which they describe as surprising. The results ...

A growing number of college students are abusing the ADHD medication Adderall to give them an academic edge, and they're tweeting about it. Thanks to Twitter, tracking roughly when and where Adderall use happens is now possible. So a group of BYU health science and computer science researchers did just that. Their six-month study, appearing in the current issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, produced two major revelations about Adderall: It is mentioned most heavily among students in the northeast and south regions of the U.S. Tweets about Adderall ...

Normal vision is essentially a spatial sense that often relies upon touch and movement during and after development, there is often a correlation between how an object looks and how it feels. Moreover, as a child's senses develop, there is cross-referencing between the various senses. Indeed, where the links between the senses are not made, there may be developmental problems or delays. This should be taken into consideration when training new users of visual prosthetics, artificial retinas, or bionic eyes, suggest researchers in Australia. Writing in the International ...

CHICAGO (May 1, 2013) – Researchers at Lincoln Park Zoo and Northern Illinois University have discovered a new culprit contributing to amphibian decline and altered mammal distribution throughout the Midwest region – the invasive plant European buckthorn. This non-native shrub, which has invaded two-thirds of the United States, has long been known to negatively impact plant community composition and forest structure, but these two innovative studies slated to publish in upcoming editions of the Journal of Herpetology and Natural Areas Journal demonstrate how this shrub ...

Meteorologists have gained a better understanding of how storms like the one that battered Britain in 1987 develop, making them easier to predict. University of Manchester scientists, working with colleagues in Reading, Leeds and the US, have described how these types of cyclones can strengthen to become violent windstorms. The Great Storm of 1987, which famously caught out weatherman Michael Fish, left a trail of destruction when winds up to 120mph swept across southern England and northern France, killing 22 people. More recently, gusts of 100mph in January 2012 ...

Two studies from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program reveal details about the genomic landscapes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and endometrial cancer. Both provide new insights into the molecular underpinnings of these cancers with the potential to improve treatment. These studies represent the sixth and seventh in a series of genomes of at least 20 major cancers. The first study is on endometrial cancer: Study establishes basis for genomic classification of endometrial cancers; proper categorization is important for choosing the best treatment A comprehensive ...

Reston, Va. (May 1, 2013) – Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, may be detected and monitored more effectively in the future with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), according to research published in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Typically assessed by endoscopic and histologic evaluations, investigators demonstrated the ability of PET/CT to identify lesions along the complete intestinal wall that could be missed with traditional imaging techniques. "Animal models of intestinal ...

An experimental drug has shown promise in treating influenza, preventing lung injury and death from the virus in preclinical studies, according to University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers publishing in the journal Nature on May 1. The scientists found that a drug called Eritoran can protect mice from death after they have been infected with a lethal dose of influenza virus. The potential value of this drug as single therapy or in combination with antivirals is further supported by previous research that found that it is safe for use in humans. The findings ...

Abuse during childhood is different. A study of adult civilians with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) has shown that individuals with a history of childhood abuse have distinct, profound changes in gene activity patterns, compared to adults with PTSD but without a history of child abuse. A team of researchers from Atlanta and Munich probed blood samples from 169 participants in the Grady Trauma Project, a study of more than 5000 Atlanta residents with high levels of exposure to violence, physical and sexual abuse and with high risk for civilian PTSD. The results ...

Scientists at Princeton University used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability. The researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear. "In general, there are mechanical and thermal challenges with interfacing electronic materials with biological ...

(Boston) – A Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) study shows a mind-body class elective for medical students helps increase their self-compassion and ability to manage thoughts and tasks more effectively. The study, published in Medical Education Online, also discusses how this innovative course may help medical students better manage stress and feel more empowered to use mind-body skills with their patients. Allison Bond, MA, a third-year medical student at BUSM, served as the paper's first author. The course was designed and taught by co-author Heather Mason, ...

In an effort to determine if conditions were ever right on Mars to sustain life, a team of scientists, including a Michigan State University professor, has examined a meteorite that formed on the red planet more than a billion years ago. And although this team's work is not specifically solving the mystery, it is laying the groundwork for future researchers to answer this age-old question. The problem, said MSU geological sciences professor Michael Velbel, is that most meteorites that originated on Mars arrived on Earth so long ago that now they have characteristics ...

NEW YORK, MAY 1, 2013 – Endometrial tumors can be reclassified into distinct subtypes based partly on their genomic makeup and may respond to targeted drugs already being tested in clinical trials, according to a large-scale genomic analysis led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and other centers within The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network. Published in the May 2 issue of the journal Nature, the findings may help doctors more accurately diagnose endometrial cancer and choose treatments that will target genomic mutations in women with ...

In recent years, healthy people have been bombarded by stories in the media and on health websites warning about the dangers of too-low vitamin D levels, and urging high doses of supplements to protect against everything from hypertension to hardening of the arteries to diabetes. But new research from Johns Hopkins finds that blood levels of the so-called "sunshine vitamin" higher than the top of the range suggested by the Institute of Medicine confer no additional benefit. This finding, combined with results of a previous study by the same group noting potential harm ...

Berkeley — A new analysis of the contents of lipstick and lip gloss may cause you to pause before puckering. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health tested 32 different lipsticks and lip glosses commonly found in drugstores and department stores. They detected lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals, some of which were found at levels that could raise potential health concerns. Their findings will be published online Thursday, May 2, in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Prior studies also have found ...

The LAP-BAND® weight loss procedure is safe and effective in an expanded group of patients, not just in people who are morbidly obese. This conclusion is reported in a new study published in the scientific journal Obesity. The findings indicate that the procedure may help to intervene before obesity becomes life threatening to patients. In 2001 the LAP-BAND® adjustable gastric banding system (LAGB) was approved by the FDA as weight loss procedure for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2 or higher and for patients with a BMI of at least 35 with an obesity-related ...

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL. (May 2, 2013) – Many of today's school teachers opt for dustless chalk to keep hands and classrooms clean. But according to a study published in the May issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), this choice in chalk may cause allergy and asthma symptoms in students that have a milk allergy. Casein, a milk protein, is often used in low-powder chalk. When milk allergic children inhale chalk particles containing casein, life-threatening asthma attacks ...

Third time's the charm for California's Three Feet for Safety Act? Article provided by Hanasab & Zolekhian, LLP Visit us at http://www.hzpersonalinjury.com As Californians increasingly bike to work or hop on a bicycle for exercise, drivers and bicyclists must learn to share the road safely. Part of safe driving includes making sure the bicyclist has enough room to ride and is not in danger of being clipped by a passing car or running into trouble along curbs, gutters or parked vehicles. After being vetoed twice in previous years, legislation has been proposed ...

New federal agency standards to limit behind-the-wheel distractions Article provided by Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante, P.C. Visit us at http://www.ltke.com Connecticut recently passed one of the broadest cellphone bans in the country. But according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cellphones and other in-vehicle technology continue to cause driver distractions and Connecticut car accidents. The federal agency recently released new voluntary guidelines for automakers related to in-vehicle technology. The new guidelines discourage automakers ...

Potential overhaul of New York's workers' compensation Article provided by The Law Offices of Sher, Herman, Bellone & Tipograph Visit us at http://www.newyorkworkerscompensationlawattorney.com In January Governor Cuomo introduced a proposed budget bill, part of which aims at reforming several elements of the workers' compensation system. According to the Insurance Journal, the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board estimates that Cuomo's bill will increase future workers compensation loss costs by anywhere between 4.4 and 5.3 percent. Moreover, the NYCIRB ...

Traffic fatalities up in US in 2012; down in Wisconsin in 2013 Article provided by The Law Offices of Robert A. Levine Visit us at http://www.relevinelaw.com After almost a decade of declining numbers, preliminary reports from the National Safety Council have shown that the number of traffic fatalities rose in 2012 across the country. According to the NSC data, 36,200 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents during 2012. The NSC predictions represent a 5 percent increase from the number of traffic fatalities in 2011. The number of people killed in auto accidents ...

Study shows private airplane accidents result in most fatalities Article provided by Kreindler & Kreindler LLP Visit us at http://www.kreindler.com Recently the Federal Aviation Administration decided to eliminate funding for 149 air traffic control towers. Given this decision's tremendous safety impact, airport operators have brought suit in a federal court to prevent the FAA's plan from being implement. According to ABC News, safety is still one of the FAA's main concerns, and that the closing of the air traffic controllers is necessary in order to eliminate ...

Tread carefully when using social media for business purposes Article provided by Millstone, Peterson & Watts, LLP Visit us at http://www.mpwlaw.net Early in April, the Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) released new guidelines regarding the use of social media by businesses. The guidelines address disclosures by companies who use social networks including such outlets as: -Facebook -Twitter -Blogs -LinkedIn -Google Plus+ -Hootsuite -- a social media management system The newly established guidelines were a result of some perceived missteps ...