NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will have two opportunities in the next few years to hunt for Earth-sized planets around the red dwarf Proxima Centauri. The opportunities will occur in October 2014 and February 2016 when Proxima Centauri, the star nearest to our sun, passes in front of two other stars. Astronomers plotted Proxima Centauri's precise path in the heavens and predicted the two close encounters using data from Hubble. "Proxima Centauri's trajectory offers a most interesting opportunity because of its extremely close passage to the two stars," said Kailash ...

Urban epidemics resulting from viral diseases, such as West Nile fever and chikungunya fever, are transmitted by infected mosquitoes. According to Virginia Tech scientists, mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to dangerous viruses and more likely to transmit them to people. The connection between temperature and the mosquito's immune system, published Friday (May 31, 2013) in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, is significant in light of global climate change, said researchers Kevin Myles and Zach Adelman, ...

Measuring blood flow in the brain may be an easy, noninvasive way to predict stroke or hemorrhage in children receiving cardiac or respiratory support through a machine called ECMO, according to a new study by researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Early detection would allow physicians to alter treatment and take steps to prevent these complications—the leading cause of death for patients on ECMO. Short for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ECMO is used when a patient is unable to sustain enough oxygen in the blood supply due to heart failure, septic shock, ...

Alexandria, VA — The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation on Tuesday published a new Clinical Practice Guideline on "Improving Voice Outcomes after Thyroid Surgery" to recognize the importance of the patient's voice and the potential impact thyroid surgery can have on it. "Thyroid surgery rates have tripled over the last three decades," said Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, guideline chair. "This new guideline will help educate physicians and patients of the importance of voice outcomes after thyroid surgery, steps that can be taken during ...

Dutch researchers report that weather conditions including temperature, sunshine, and precipitation have no impact on fibromyalgia symptoms in female patients. Results published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), suggest that individual patients may be sensitive to some changes in the weather. Medical evidence shows that fibromyalgia affects 2% of the world population with a greater prevalence among women. In the U.S., the ACR estimates that five million people experience the widespread pain, unexplained fatigue, headaches, ...

NORTH GRAFTON, Mass. —Another piece of the puzzle to better understand and treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has fallen into place with the publication of new research that shows that the structural brain abnormalities of Doberman pinschers afflicted with canine compulsive disorder (CCD) are similar to those of humans with OCD. The research suggests that further study of anxiety disorders in dogs may help find new therapies for OCD and similar conditions in humans. Published online in advance of print on April 13 in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological ...

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa –disorders characterized by extreme eating behavior and distorted body image – are among the deadliest of psychiatric disorders, with few proven effective treatments. A landmark study, with first author Tyson Oberndorfer, MD, and led by Walter H. Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, suggests that the altered function of neural circuitry contributes to restricted eating in anorexia and overeating in bulimia. The research, published June 4 in the early on-line edition of the ...

Boston, Mass. – After receiving an organ transplant, patients must follow a regimented medication routine to maintain the health of their graft (transplanted organ). Failure to do so, known as non-adherence (NA), can result in life-threatening illness. NA has long been a concern among adolescent patients, but a new study from Boston Children's Hospital demonstrates the problem may be more serious than previously understood. The study, published online June 4 by the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, looked at eight years' worth of data from the Organ Procurement ...

Immigration reform bill would work through the family-based visa backlog Article provided by Kim H. Buhler, Attorney at Law, P.C. Visit us at http://www.buhlerlawoffice.com Reuniting families has been a focus of U.S. immigration policy for several decades, and it is possible for some people to obtain a visa to live in the U.S. through a family member who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident. Limits on the number of these visas that can be granted have led to some very long periods of separation, however, as some relatives wait years to obtain a visa. One provision ...

Be aware of the risk factors that lead to pedestrian accidents Article provided by VanMeveren Law Group P.C. Visit us at http://www.vanmeverenlaw.com In many areas in Colorado, motor vehicles are required to share the road with people traveling by other means -- such as bicyclists and pedestrians. Due to the disparity in size and power, when a motor vehicle collides with a pedestrian, for instance, the consequences can be tragic. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 4,300 pedestrians died in motor vehicle accidents in 2010. ...

Colorado motorists: Don't get behind the wheel when drowsy Article provided by VanMeveren Law Group P.C. Visit us at http://www.vanmeverenlaw.com When people must drive for long distances, it should come as no surprise that they will likely feel drowsy at some point during their trip. Unfortunately, a common response when people feel fatigued behind the wheel is to attempt to wake themselves up and continue driving. Many of the techniques people employ -- such as turning up the radio or eating -- are not helpful. Sadly, many people do not appreciate the danger ...

Safety agency recommends lower alcohol limit for DUI charges Article provided by Law Office of Jay C. Whittle Visit us at http://www.jcwhittlelaw.com/ The National Transportation Safety Board issued a controversial recommendation recently, suggesting that states should dramatically lower the blood alcohol content threshold at which motorists can be convicted of driving while intoxicated. The NTSB recommends that states reduce the legal BAC limit to 0.05 from the current limit of 0.08. Reaction to the suggestion has been mixed, however, and some experts predict that ...

Mississippi lawmakers enhance DUI penalties Article provided by Laher Law Firm Visit us at http://www.laherlawfirm.com Mississippi lawmakers recently approved a measure that will modify the state's drunk driving laws, making the consequences of DUI conviction harsher in some regards and less so in others. License suspension and ignition interlock Under the new Mississippi DUI law, drivers convicted of a first-offense DUI can have their driver's licenses suspended for 90 days. In the alternative, however, the law also provides that a judge may order a 30-day ...

Arizona bankruptcy exemptions go up, making now a good time to file Article provided by Carmichael & Powell, P.C. Visit us at http://www.cplawfirm.com For many consumers, bankruptcy can be a scary word. Yet, the apprehension is often alleviated simply by getting a better understanding of the process. If you are struggling financially, Chapter 7 bankruptcy can be a great way to discharge your debts in a quick and efficient manner. But will you have to give up some of your property to partially repay creditors? Chapter 7 is sometimes called "liquidation," ...

Despite anti-pregnancy discrimination laws, the practice continues Article provided by Robert N. Levin, PC Visit us at http://www.robertnlevin.com/ Over 30 years ago, Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, a law that prevents discrimination in the workplace against pregnant women. Women today make up approximately half of the workforce, and many women work through their pregnancies. While the law has been around for decades, pregnancy discrimination is still an issue today, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which tracks the number ...

NKSJ Holdings, Inc. (President: Kengo Sakurada) announced that NKSJ Group has been awarded the Honorable Mention Award at the 4th Make a CHANGE Day Award. During the month of October 2012, the NKSJ Group organized activities across Japan as part of the NKSJ Volunteer Day program held to coincide with Make a CHANGE Day, a nationwide volunteer day organized by the Make a CHANGE Day Planning Committee. The Honorable Mention Award was presented in recognition of these activities. This is the second time that the NKSJ Group has received this award, following on from last year. ...

Essential photographic principles are the foundation for both digital and film photography. When we ignore them, the basics of learning photography go out the window. It's time to bring photography back into digital. Learning Digital Photography Techniques in our instant society is only possible by applying the basic principles of good photography. Digital is another tool and there is no real fast way of doing this. But if you are prepared to follow these six quick photography principles you're on the road to learning digital photography fast. And I really mean fast. ...

In 2010, the world that Laurie Windeknecht knew came to a sudden halt when she was laid off from her job of 8 years due to city budget cuts. Finding a stable job in the corporate world seemed the only answer, so she joined a private company and went to work. After two years of trying to acclimate to a world of cubicles and politics, she left the corporate job and regular paycheck to pursue her true passion. She left the corporate world to follow her passion for painting. "I do not remember a time that I did not think of art, or painting, or colors. It is always ...

World-renowned and based in sunny Southern California, 10 expert event planners tell all while showcasing images of their finest ceremonies and celebrations in the new 332-page hardcover tome Southern California Weddings (Panache Partners, May 2013, distributed by Independent Publishers Group). Mindy Weiss, Colette and Kaitlin Lopez, Jonathan Reeves, Jeannie Savage, Rebecca Stone, Lisa Vorce, Kristin Banta, Thomas Bui, and Lisa Gorjestani author chapters dedicated to the best resources—both people and places—their favorite cities have to offer. Touring scenic destinations ...

Long Beach resident and business owner Wendy Manasse, 53, was selected the Readers' Choice in the MORE Magazine Beauty Search Contest. With 1,137 votes received on the Internet, Manasse got the official news by phone on May 29th. As the Readers' Choice winner, Manasse will receive a $1,000 cash prize. "I am thrilled and grateful for every single vote," says Manasse, who founded the lifestyle brand Quenchwear to help all women look and feel fabulous. "I had never entered a "beauty" contest before, but the topic of the MORE Beauty Search resonated ...

Nanny Magazine announces a Kickstarter campaign, which launches today and ends at midnight Eastern on June 30. The magazine hopes to earn the $8,500 needed to launch its first issue. Incentives for pledges include free advertising space, exclusive launch party tickets, subscriptions and more. Nannies and other childcare professionals across the country are gearing up for the January 2014 launch of Nanny Magazine. The publication will be the first of its kind in the United States. Chelle Cochran of Frederick MD, a nanny for three children, is excited for Nanny Magazine. ...

Kim Bond became a Christian in December of 1996. Soon after, she publicly confessed her faith in Christ and became baptized. She loved hearing and telling stories. She began writing short stories in 2008. She deeply desired to hone her creative writing skill and began to study classic authors such as Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Gustave Flaubert. Editors were instantly impressed with her writing skill. Her Christian short stories now appear in over thirty publications. Although her stories reached a wide audience, she noticed a dilemma. Having stories published ...

A new player in the crowdsourcing trend launched in beta this week. Advertising creatives Cassandra Nguyen and Grazina Snipas are offering a new way to find custom photography with their site PicoImages.com. Pico Images will connect users looking for specific photographs with just about anyone that can use a camera. "We believe the democratization of photography and technology has increased the quality of photos people take every day," said Snipas. "You no longer have to be a professional photographer to take a great photo." The process is simple ...

Don McCauley of the Free Publicity Focus Group and Danielle Hampson of eBroadcastMedia.com, founders of Book Marketing, have announced The Authors Show radio and broadcast schedule for the week of June 3, 2013. The new show schedule is available at the Book Marketing site. For those who hope to sell books on the Internet, the challenge can be daunting. It can be confusing difficult, time consuming and expensive. Book Marketing, branded as 'The Authors Marketing Powerhouse', helps authors overcome these challenges by providing authors and publishers three distinct benefits: * ...

Santana Equipment Trading Company, one of the fastest growing companies in the material handling industry, announces the 10 year milestone for their Intern/Management Trainee program. The program is designed to provide college students throughout the United States with an opportunity to gain professional work experience, attain industry-related skills, and learn real-world issues not taught in school. Santana Equipment Trading Company seeks sharp and talented college students/recent graduates as candidates for its Intern/Management Trainee positions. The program was ...