January 19, 2013 – New Orleans – We all know that getting a good night's sleep is good for our general health and well-being. But new research is highlighting a more surprising benefit of good sleep: more feelings of gratitude for relationships. "A plethora of research highlights the importance of getting a good night's sleep for physical and psychological well-being, yet in our society, people still seem to take pride in needing, and getting, little sleep," says Amie Gordon of the University of California, Berkeley. "And in the past, research has shown that gratitude ...

It's often said that women can have it all – motherhood and a successful career. But a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that women who rule the household have less energy for or interest in being a rising star in the workplace. While household decision-making power was highly valued by both men and women who participated in the UC Berkeley study, women reported that running the home made them less likely to pursue promotions and other career advancement steps at the office. This was not the case for men, whose work goals were unchanged by ...

January 18, 2013 – New Orleans – When mom is the boss at home, she may have a harder time being the boss at work. New research suggests that women, but not men, become less interested in pursuing workplace power when they view that they are in control of decision-making in the home. This shift in thinking affects career choices without women even being aware. "Women don't know that they are backing off from workplace power because of how they are thinking about their role at home," says Melissa Williams of Emory University. "As a result, women may make decisions such ...

With more than 40 million people living under exceptional drought conditions in East Africa, the ability to make accurate predictions of drought has never been more important. In the aftermath of widespread famine and a humanitarian crisis caused by the 2010-2011 drought in the Horn of Africa—possibly the worst drought in 60 years— researchers are striving to determine whether drying trends will continue. While it is clear that El Niño can affect precipitation in this region of East Africa, very little is known about the drivers of long-term shifts in rainfall. However, ...

1/18/2013, Bethesda, MD. – Today, the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago released the new report, 2012 NORC Presidential Election Study: American's Views on Entitlement Reform and Health Care. Results from this survey suggest that substantial majorities of the American public prefer the status quo on most provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and on entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare. However, most Americans are not in favor of the status quo on partisanship and prefer that their own representatives work with others ...

Two heads are better than one, as the saying goes – and a new study by a duo at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) demonstrates how having two attending surgeons in the operating room during spinal surgeries can benefit patients in multiple ways. Most spinal surgeries in the United States are performed by teams led by a single attending surgeon – one top-level doctor who has completed medical school, residency and other specialized training. In 2007, two spinal surgeons in the Departments of Neurological Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery joined forces and ...

Longer, warmer growing seasons associated with a changing climate are altering growing conditions in temperate rain forests, but not all plant species will be negatively affected, according to research conducted by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station. Research featured in the January 2013 issue of Science Findings—a monthly publication of the station—reveals a complex range of forest plant responses to a warming climate. "Although the overall potential for growth increases as the climate warms, we found that plant species differ in their ability ...

VIDEO: Last year, a team of University of Pennsylvania physicists showed how to undo the "coffee-ring effect, " a commonplace occurrence when drops of liquid with suspended particles dry, leaving a ring-shaped... Click here for more information. PHILADELPHIA — Last year, a team of University of Pennsylvania physicists showed how to undo the "coffee-ring effect," a commonplace occurrence when drops of liquid with suspended particles dry, leaving a ring-shaped stain ...

Humans do it, chimpanzees do it, cuckoos do it – cheating to score a free ride is a well-documented behavior by many animals, even plants. But microscopically small, single-celled algae? Yes, they do it too, biologists with the University of Arizona's department of ecology and evolutionary biology have discovered. "There are cheaters out there that we didn't know of," said William Driscoll, lead author of a research report on the topic who studied an environmentally devastating toxic alga that is invading U.S. waters as part of his doctoral research in the lab of Jeremiah ...

PHILADELPHIA — With a new insight into a model of Parkinson's disease, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a novel target for mitigating some of the disease's toll on the brain. Narayan G. Avadhani, Harriet Ellison Woodward Professor of Biochemistry and chair of the Department of Animal Biology at Penn Vet, was the senior author on the research. Other department members contributing to the work included Prachi Bajpai, Michelle C. Sangar, Shilpee Singh, Weigang Tang, Seema Bansal and Ji-Kang Fang. Co-authors from ...

NASA's next Small Explorer (SMEX) mission to study the little-understood lower levels of the sun's atmosphere has been fully integrated and final testing is underway. Scheduled to launch in April 2013, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) will make use of high-resolution images, data and advanced computer models to unravel how matter, light, and energy move from the sun's 6,000 K (10,240 F / 5,727 C) surface to its million K (1.8 million F / 999,700 C) outer atmosphere, the corona. Such movement ultimately heats the sun's atmosphere to temperatures much hotter ...

A new view of a 20,000-year old supernova remnant demonstrates the upgraded imaging power of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and provides more clues to the history of this giant cloud that resembles a beloved endangered species, the Florida Manatee. W50 is one of the largest supernova remnants ever viewed by the VLA. At nearly 700 light years across, it covers two degrees on the sky – that's the span of four full Moons! Turbulent History The enormous W50 cloud formed when a giant star, 18,000 light years away in the constellation ...

Employee versus independent contractor Most small business owners want to expand their businesses. With expansion comes the need for additional help. Before doing so, however, business owners need to understand the difference between an employee and independent contractor. There can be significant legal consequences for misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they are really employees. What is an independent contractor? Independent contractors, sometimes referred to as a freelancers or consultants, are self-employed. They are hired by a business ...

Women sue National Basketball Association over gender discrimination In the fall of 2012, three women filed suit against the National Basketball Association, or NBA, and its subsidiaries NBA Entertainment and NBA Properties for gender discrimination. The women claim that the NBA changed their work schedules to make it impossible for them to continue to work with the company due to child care concerns. Lawsuit claims NBA forced working mothers to resign The women worked for a print group in a creative division of the NBA. In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that ...

Discharging tax debts through bankruptcy In many cases, people who are overwhelmed by unmanageable income tax debts are able find relief by filing for bankruptcy. However, not all tax debt can be discharged in bankruptcy. It is important to understand the basic requirements when weighing the options for dealing with tax debts. Other debt relief solutions may be available for those whose tax debts do not qualify for discharge in bankruptcy. When can tax debt be discharged in bankruptcy? Even if a person has other debts that qualify for discharge during bankruptcy, ...

Sex crime detection software and your privacy When people log onto the popular social networking site Facebook, they expect that their conversations are only read by those given permission through their privacy settings. However, an anonymous, automated presence constantly trolls Facebook accounts, hunting for inappropriate language and the sharing of personal contact information. This presence is Facebook's sophisticated software created to identify and block people who appear to be soliciting sex online. Some believe its implementation goes too far and violates ...

Pennsylvania enhancing enforcement of DUI-Ds Pennsylvania police officers are targeting drivers who are driving under the influence of drugs and substances other than alcohol. Driving under the influence of drugs does not just include illegal drugs; instead, prescription drugs and certain medicines obtained over the counter can also cause driver impairment and thereby fall under the DUI statute. Many Pennsylvania DUIs involve more than just alcohol According to a Moon Township police officer, the department believes that about half of the drivers charged with DUIs ...

Georgia's implied consent law: what it means for you If you are pulled over for driving under the influence (DUI) in Georgia, you may be asked to submit to a blood, breath or urine test. You may wonder if you have to submit to the test or if you can refuse. The answer to these questions lies in Georgia's implied consent law. Requirements of the law Under Georgia's implied consent law, in exchange for the privilege of operating a motor vehicle on the state's roadways, the driver is legally deemed to have consented to take a chemical test of his or her blood, breath, ...

A city official's resignation and the gravity of a DUI in Colorado Recently, a Larimer County deputy clerk was pulled over on suspected drinking and driving. The deputy clerk -- a former Fort Collins city councilman -- has not yet pled to the charge in court but has already given the city notice of his resignation. When asked about the incident, he simply stated, "Stuff happens," but otherwise remained quiet about the situation. The city official's nearly-immediate resignation, however, demonstrates the gravity of a driving under the influence offense. A ...

Study connects bedsores to increased patient mortality, hospitalization According to a recent study by the UCLA School of Nursing, there is a direct correlation between pressure ulcers (commonly called bedsores) and patient deaths or increases in the length of hospitalization. During the study, researchers tracked approximately 51,000 hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries across the nation who were randomly selected. The study found that about 4.5 per cent of the patients developed a bedsore during their stay in the hospital. Most of the bedsores developed on the sacrum ...

Missouri drivers not immune from problem of distracted driving Twenty years ago, the idea that everyone would have a cellphone would seem like a stretch. However, the age of ubiquitous mobile devices is upon us. For all of the convenience and good that mobile technology has brought us, it has also brought a new danger that plagues roadways both in Missouri and nationwide--distracted driving. When you have driven down the road, you may have noticed drivers performing odd tasks while behind the wheel such as text messaging, talking on the phone or putting on makeup--all ...

Helping children in Texas through divorce Divorcing Texas parents must help their children adjust to a new life. Experts have suggestions for supporting children during and beyond what is likely to be a major upheaval in their lives. Talking with children Regardless of the child's age, some basic principles always apply: tell the truth, keep it simple and avoid bad-mouthing or blaming the other parent. Children want to know what is going on and why, but they don't need a lengthy, involved explanation. The simplest statements are the best. When explaining why ...

Financial issues related to divorce Article provided by Collier, House and Brown, PLLC Visit us at http://www.joydaviscollier.com Tennessee couples going through divorce are experiencing changes on many levels, not the least of which is financial. Managing finances during and beyond divorce is a challenging enterprise, and the pitfalls can be devastating for those who do not become informed and take appropriate action. Here are just a few financial concerns to watch out for. Joint obligations One major mistaken belief is that when one spouse has been ordered by ...

Antitrust concerns with Accountable Care Organizations The new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was passed by Congress and President Obama provides for the creation of Accountable Care Organizations, or ACOs. An ACO is a group of medical professionals, including doctors and hospitals, who voluntarily come together to give high quality health care to Medicare patients. The goal of the ACO is to provide high quality patient care at a lower cost. Experts in the health care industry have raised concerns about the antitrust implications of ACOs; specifically, ...

New Jersey Supreme Court rules on surrogate parent law Couples struggling with infertility have several possible options; recently, surrogacy has become more a prevalent choice. In 2010, 1,488 children in the United States were born to surrogates--that is almost double the rate in 2004. With the increased use of surrogacy, many states are concerned about their laws regarding parental rights and surrogacy. The New Jersey Supreme Court recently upheld New Jersey's current and controversial surrogate parentage law. Controversy over New Jersey's surrogacy laws In ...