DURHAM, N.H. – Although scientists involved in NASA's Van Allen Probes mission were confident they would eventually be able to rewrite the textbook on Earth's twin radiation belts, getting material for the new edition just two days after launch was surprising, momentous, and gratifying. The Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission, subsequently renamed in honor of the belts' discoverer, astrophysicist James Van Allen, was launched in the pre-dawn hours of August 30, 2012. Shortly thereafter, and well ahead of schedule in normal operational protocol, mission scientists turned ...

DARIEN, IL – A new study found that adult sleepwalking is a potentially serious condition that may induce violent behaviors and affect health-related quality of life. "We found a higher frequency of daytime sleepiness, fatigue, insomnia, depressive and anxiety symptoms and altered quality of life in patients with sleepwalking compared to the control group," said Yves Dauvilliers, MD, PhD, the study's principal investigator and lead author. Dr. Dauvilliers is professor of physiology and neurology and director of the sleep lab at Gui-de-Chauliac Hospital in Montpellier, ...

NEW YORK (Feb. 28, 2013) — The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) largest remaining forest elephant population, located in the Okapi Faunal Reserve (OFR), has declined by 37 percent in the last five years, with only 1,700 elephants now remaining, according to wildlife surveys by WCS and DRC officials. WCS scientists warn that if poaching of forest elephants in DRC continues unabated, the species could be nearly extinguished from Africa's second largest country within ten years. According to the latest survey, 5,100, or 75 percent, of the reserve's elephants have been ...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at the University of Florida and The Johns Hopkins University have developed a line of genetically altered mice that model the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease. This model may help scientists identify new therapies to provide relief to patients who are beginning to experience symptoms. The researchers report their findings in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. "The development of this model could help scientists identify new ways to enhance brain function in patients in the early stages of the disease," said David ...

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Feb. 28, 2013) – A South Dakota School of Mines & Technology assistant professor and his team have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur and published the first fossil evidence of prehistoric crocodyliforms feeding on small dinosaurs. Research by Clint Boyd, Ph.D., provides the first definitive evidence that plant-eating baby ornithopod dinosaurs were a food of choice for the crocodyliform, a now extinct relative of the crocodile family. While conducting their research, the team also discovered that this dinosaur prey was a previously unrecognized ...

WASHINGTON (Feb. 28, 2013) –The American College of Cardiology and the Heart Rhythm Society, along with key specialty societies, today released appropriate use criteria for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The document provides assessed levels of appropriateness for implanting the devices in 369 real-life clinical scenarios, with the goal of enhancing physician and patient decision making and improving care and health outcomes. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are devices that monitor the heart's rhythms ...

Beginning in 2004, a group of scientists from around the globe, including two University of Oklahoma faculty members, set out to map the genome of the sea lamprey. The secrets of how this jawless vertebrate separated from the jawed vertebrates early in the evolutionary process will give insight to the ancestry of vertebrate characters and may help investigators more fully understand neurodegenerative diseases in humans. David McCauley, associate professor in the Biology Department in the OU College of Arts and Sciences, and Sandra W. Clifton, with the OU Center for Advanced ...

TORONTO, Ontario (Feb. 28, 2013) - A diagnostic "cocktail" containing a single drop of blood, a dribble of water, and a dose of DNA powder with gold particles could mean rapid diagnosis and treatment of the world's leading diseases in the near future. The cocktail diagnostic is a homegrown brew being developed by University of Toronto's Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) PhD student Kyryl Zagorovsky and Professor Warren Chan that could change the way infectious diseases, from HPV and HIV to malaria, are diagnosed. And it involves the same technology ...

A new satellite that will detect the lightning inside storm clouds may lead to valuable improvements in tornado detection. The GOES-R satellite is currently being built with new technology that may help provide earlier warnings for severe weather. The national average is a 14-minute lead time to warn residents of a tornado, but NASA and NOAA scientists are looking to improve severe weather detection to save lives and property. They are developing the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series, or GOES-R, to observe thunderstorm development with much greater ...

After most NASA science spacecraft launches, researchers wait patiently for months as instruments on board are turned on one at a time, slowly ramped up to full power, and tested to make sure they work at full capacity. It's a rite of passage for any new satellite in space, and such a schedule was in place for the Van Allen Probes when they launched on Aug. 30, 2012, to study two giant belts of radiation that surround Earth. But a group of scientists on the mission made a case for changing the plan. They asked that the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT) be ...

Studies screening the genome of hundreds of thousands of individuals (known as Genome-wide association studies or GWAS) have linked more than 100 regions in the genome to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University of Heidelberg, through the joint Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), are taking these results one step further by pinpointing the exact genes that could have a role in the onset of the disease. Their findings are published today in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) ...

HOLLYWOOD Fla. — When Jim Thomas and his global team of researchers returned to the Madang Lagoon in Papua New Guinea, they discovered a treasure trove of new species unknown to science. This is especially relevant as the research team consisted of scientists who had conducted a previous survey in the 1990s. "In the Madang Lagoon, we went a half mile out off the leading edge of the active Australian Plate and were in 6,000 meters of water," said Thomas, Ph.D., a researcher at Nova Southeastern University's National Coral Reef Institute in Hollywood, Fla. "It was ...

Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health are the first to report an association between early childhood exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and an elevated risk for asthma in young children. BPA is a component of some plastics and is found in food can liners and store receipts. Results appear in the March edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. "Asthma prevalence has increased dramatically over the past 30 years, which suggests that some as-yet-undiscovered environmental exposures ...

Washington, D.C.—Drug companies spent nearly $84 million marketing pharmaceuticals in the District of Columbia in 2011, including an outlay of nearly $19 million for gifts given to physicians, hospitals and other health care providers, according to a report by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS). The report notes that 12 physicians in the District received gifts (including consulting payments) that totaled more than $100,000 apiece that one year alone. "There is nothing inherently wrong with such gifts," ...

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have found that healthy adolescent females have predetermined expectations for becoming parents in the future, but have concerns about fertility and childbearing should they develop a life-threatening illness, such as cancer. The study appeared in the February issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. According to the researchers, this study helped further validate a tool that seeks to understand teenage girls' hopes and feelings about reproduction, especially when fertility is threatened by cancer. The participants ...

The myth of altruism and generosity surrounding Mother Teresa is dispelled in a paper by Serge Larivée and Genevieve Chenard of University of Montreal's Department of Psychoeducation and Carole Sénéchal of the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Education. The paper will be published in the March issue of the journal Studies in Religion/Sciences religieuses and is an analysis of the published writings about Mother Teresa. Like the journalist and author Christopher Hitchens, who is amply quoted in their analysis, the researchers conclude that her hallowed image—which does ...

Credit card debt expected to rise in 2013 Article provided by The Law Office of Lauren Clark, L.L.C. Visit us at http://www.laurenclarklaw.com During the recent recession, many Americans imposed austerity measures on themselves. As a result, credit card debt declined. However, recent data indicates that many have become comfortable taking on more debt. According to a report issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, credit card debt rose by $2 billion in the third quarter of 2012, even as the total debt held by Americans dropped by $74 billion. Data from ...

Bankruptcy may be an option that can help you get out of debt Article provided by The Law Offices of William D. Black Visit us at http://www.billblacklaw.com Many Arizona residents who feel overwhelmed by debt are reluctant to file for bankruptcy. However, bankruptcy might be the best way out of a difficult financial situation, leaving a debtor in a position to make a new start. Many opt for bankruptcy Bankruptcy was a route taken by over 1.2 million Americans in 2012, according to the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts. In Arizona, 28,514 bankruptcies were filed in 2012, ...

Lax oversight of oil and gas sites leaves workers and neighbors at risk Article provided by Gilde Law Firm Visit us at http://www.gildelawfirm.com A report from ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization, highlights the danger presented by the network of oil and gas pipelines across the U.S. and under-supervised frackingsites. It appears there are simply not enough regulators to thoroughly inspect oil and gas operation sites, exacerbating the risk of harmful explosions and other dangers associated with oil and gas production. According to statistics ...

Wisconsin owners must pay when dogs cause harm Article provided by The Law Offices of John V. O'Connor, LLC Visit us at http://www.jvoconnor.com/ Many Wisconsin residents have found pets to be lovable creatures and a great joy to their owners. Unfortunately, cats and dogs have a down side. Whether defending their territory, acting out of self-protection or for some other reason, these animals may bite, and the resulting injuries can be severe. Bites are serious A recent incident made headlines in a Midwest city, when a dog got loose from the two young boys ...

Does the Fourth Amendment permit DNA collection from arrestees? Article provided by The Davis Law Firm, LLC Visit us at http://www.davisfirmllc.com A case that is currently before the United States Supreme Court could potentially affect New Jersey's law regarding the collection of DNA evidence. Specifically, the case questions whether the Fourth Amendment allows states to collect and analyze DNA from people arrested and charged with serious crimes. According to South Jersey Times, approximately 25 states and the federal government have passed laws that require ...

Want to start a new business? Ask these questions first Article provided by Collis, Smiles + Collis, LLC Visit us at http://www.collislaw.com Many people dream about starting a business and becoming their own boss. However, entrepreneurship takes a lot more than just a good idea. Starting a business can be a financially risky prospect. It is important to make sure you think carefully not just about your willingness and ability to make your idea a success before starting out but also about the planning necessary to comply with legal requirements in connection with ...

What recovery? Credit card debt, arrearages expected to increase Article provided by Law Office of Kevin J. Magorien Visit us at http://www.kevinmagorien.com It seems that the recent signs of economic recovery have done much to loosen many Americans' purse strings after several years of austerity. According to a recent report issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, credit card debt rose by $2 billion in the third quarter of 2012, although the total debt held by Americans dropped $74 billion overall. The credit bureau Transunion also reached a similar finding. ...

Lawsuit claims Wal-Mart violated various Illinois, federal labor laws Article provided by Billhorn Law Firm Visit us at http://www.billhornlaw.com/ This October, twenty plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart and two of its staffing agencies, claiming the companies violated state and federal labor laws. The lawsuit prompts a closer look at the protections granted to workers under Illinois law and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The allegations against Wal-Mart and its staffing agencies Wal-Mart and two of its staffing agencies, Labor ...

Issues facing divorcing couples Article provided by Robert J. Moraitis, P.A. Visit us at http://www.rjmpa.com When a couple decides to get married, they think about the life that they are going to create together. They talk about the things that they have in common or the dreams that they share. They may discuss where they want to live or how many children they will have. However, many couples never discuss what would happen if the marriage did not work. When the relationship starts to fall apart, the soon-to-be ex-spouses realize some of the potentially difficult ...