With the 2013 legislative session in full swing in Maryland, many lawmakers are focusing on making changes to aid businesses in the state. Thus far, a number of bills have been proposed that would change the corporate income tax rate and affect tax credits for businesses in certain areas. In addition, a House committee has been established with the express purpose of improving the economy in the state, specifically by enhancing the business climate in Maryland. The committee will reportedly focus on a number of areas, including: - Ways to limit bureaucratic holdups ...

Whether at the airport, a mall or sometimes even around campus, law enforcement and security officers are often accompanied by working dogs. The use of dogs in crime investigation has evolved from tracking suspects involved in crimes to sniffing out explosives and drugs. In a recent traffic stop on Interstate 25 near Denver, police called in a drug-sniffing dog after the occupants of the vehicle acted suspiciously. The vehicle was initially stopped because its license plate was not visible. When officers asked the driver and passenger where they were coming from, each ...

A recent arrest tied to a Facebook post offers a cautionary tale. Social media users vary on the amount of information they feel comfortable sharing via Facebook and Twitter. A few holdouts still even refuse to set up Facebook or Twitter profiles, but more people seem to lean toward the side of sharing too many details. Law enforcement has taken note of the increasing comfort many feel posting about all aspects of their lives. In some situations, police are able to solve crimes based on incriminating evidence posted. Teenager's post concerns Facebook friends An ...

When behind the wheel -- particularly when traveling long distances -- it is not uncommon for drivers to experience exhaustion. The lull of the engine and hours focusing on the road ahead can easily lead to fatigue. While these symptoms may seem commonplace and not raise concern among many drivers, recent statistics have shown that drowsy driving is a dangerous phenomenon on roads in South Carolina and across the country. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 2.5 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. are caused ...

The jury trial of Texas seaman Sergio Higa's Jones Act lawsuit against his employer Esco Marine, Inc., is set to begin in February 2013 in Texas state court in Jefferson County. Higa's complaint alleges that while working on an Esco Marine vessel, he received a severe offshore injury because of his employer's negligence and the ship's unseaworthiness. According to its website, Esco Marine is a major Brownsville ship dismantler and recycler. The Jones Act The Jones Act sets up a federal remedy -- similar in many ways to state workers' compensation systems -- that ...

On December 11, 2012, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced the largest bank settlement in U.S. history, totaling $875 million. The target of the lawsuit was HSBC, one of the largest banks in the world. HSBC was charged with violating money-laundering regulations that are part of the Bank Secrecy Act. According to the U.S. government, HSBC allowed hundreds of millions of dollars from Mexican drug trafficking organizations to pass through its banks. HSBC failed to put in place an anti-money laundering program that rated countries' risk for money laundering. For ...

Maybe it was the 85 miles-per-hour speed limit change last year or the governor's veto of a statewide ban on texting while driving. No matter, a recent study shows that Texas has one of the lowest ratings in the nation for highway safety. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety alliance issues a highway and auto safety report each year. Their tenth issue, The 2013 Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws, compiles data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, ranking them according to performance based on 15 recommended traffic safety laws. Some of the basic safety ...

Debt can be a vicious cycle. Bills are paid just to have more creep up. Unexpected expenses like medical bills, auto repairs or property damage can strain budgets to the breaking point. Paychecks are spent to pay expenses before they are even earned. Unemployment, layoffs and slashed hours have put millions of Americans at the mercy of creditors. Many of those overburdened by debt are tempted by quick influxes of money provided by the countless payday loan businesses around the nation, lured in by a promise of immediate payment. These businesses operate by essentially ...

Individuals in New Jersey facing charges for driving while intoxicated have serious rights at stake. It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol in New Jersey, and the state takes this very seriously. It is important for people to know and understand their rights. Different levels of charges based on BAC There are two different levels of DWI charges in New Jersey. The first is for a blood alcohol level between 0.08 percent and 0.10 percent. Individuals facing charges for a DWI under this law will face fines up to $900, plus an automobile insurance surcharge ...

Before a medical device can be marketed and sold in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must review the device and make a determination about its safety and effectiveness. Once the FDA is satisfied with the safety and effectiveness of a medical device, it will clear the device for marketing to the public. Unfortunately, in an attempt to obtain speedy clearance to market from the FDA, some manufactures misrepresent the characteristics and/or intended uses of devices resulting in the sale and use of unsafe and ineffective medical devices, often resulting ...

Washington voters have acted to confirm a law legalizing same-sex marriage by way of a state referendum. As one of the 9 states that now allow same-sex marriage within its borders, Washington will have to prepare for an onslaught of same-sex marriage applicants. And, with marriage equality comes dissolution of marriage equality. Many same-sex couples married outside the state of Washington can now officially divorce in the state of Washington. The state and its residents will also grapple with the complexities of a state-sanctioned same-sex marriage system at odds with ...

Gun crime has received increased attention in recent weeks. Communities across the nation, including many in New Jersey, have been highlighting programs that allow area residents to turn in unwanted firearms to local authorities. "Project Safe Surrender," a public awareness program aimed at getting weapons off the streets, is the latest initiative launched by police in South Brunswick. Under the terms of the program, individuals can turn into unwanted guns to the police, and in return receive immunity from weapons charges. However, the offer of immunity is ...

Even though the dangers of distracted driving are widely-publicized, it seems that the message has not sunk in to every driver. According to the Transportation Safety Group at the National Safety Council, driver distraction is the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents. The Group found distraction is a factor in about 80 percent of car accidents. Before picking up the phone while behind the wheel, Illinois drivers should consider the dangers of distracted driving and the state's laws about distracted driving. Dangers of distracted driving The U.S. Department of ...

Texting or talking to a client who has a question that can't wait until the morning. Putting on makeup or getting in a quick shave before a job interview. Eating breakfast or drinking your morning coffee on the go. Setting your GPS as you set off on a long weekend. Even disciplining squabbling siblings in the back seat. Sound familiar? That's because many people do all of these things while behind the wheel -- and more -- without thinking twice. More important, they often believe that they are still in control of their vehicle at the time and that accidents only happen ...

Ranked number one according to a consumer-based review conducted by EcigaretteReviewed.com and a myriad of other websites, V2 Cigs has put forth its stellar product the 'V2 Couples Kit' on an exclusive Valentine's Day discount. Customers can further obtain an additional discount by using the special coupon code brought to them by E Cigarette Reviewed. In light of the upcoming Valentine's Day, the formerly priced $124.95 V2 Couples Kit can now be purchased at $79.96 with the V2 Cigs coupon. Inclusive in the kit are 4 V2 Batteries, 2 Wall Adaptors, 2 NEW Smart Chargers, ...

The newly rebranded Bridesandlovers.com has once again achieved a major milestone, for the second quater in a row visitor numbers to the site has doubled affirming its position as one of the largest and fastest growing Russian brides sites online. A special page has been created for men searching for Ukrainian brides, http://www.bridesandlovers.com/marry_ukrainian_brides.php Bridesandlovers.com operate In an increasingly competitive dating niche, the site distinguishes itself with a diverse international membership database made up of Russian women living in Russia ...

Hotter Comfort Concept has launched its new collection for spring 2013 with 32 new ladies styles. Shoe fans will be delighted with the new collection; each and every style has been designed with style seeking customers in mind and comes in the latest on-trend seasonal shades. The new range features styles for every shoe-loving customer and covers all their wardrobe dilemmas. Hotter's signature collection has shoes for summer days, work shoes, designs for glamorous evenings out with friends, casual styles for everyday wear and the active collection features shoes ...

Two new studies from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggest ways to improve surgical treatment for a debilitating condition caused by compressed nerves in the neck and shoulder. The condition, neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, causes pain, numbness or tingling in the shoulder, arm or hand and is perhaps best known for affecting baseball pitchers and other elite athletes. Patients often describe pain and tension in the neck and upper back, numbness and tingling in the fingers, headaches and perceived muscle weakness in the affected limb. Treatment ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Many pregnant women with sexually transmitted infections aren't getting the treatment they need when they visit emergency rooms, according to a new Michigan State University study that highlights a wholly preventable risk to unborn children and raises questions about current medical guidelines. About half of the 735 women with gonorrhea or chlamydia who visited the ERs at three hospitals in Grand Rapids, Mich. from 2008 through 2010 did not get treatment there, despite the availability of effective and relatively inexpensive antibiotics. Of the ...

A team of researchers have developed a method to identify the cause of infectious disease outbreaks based on online reports about the symptoms, the season, and the ratio of cases to fatalities. Using data from the Internet outbreak reporting system ProMED-mail, the researchers applied this method to more than 100 outbreaks of encephalitis in South Asia, recently identified as an emerging infectious disease "hotspot," to determine which of 10 infectious diseases was causing symptoms of encephalitis, and whether Nipah -- a serious emerging infection -- could be reliably differentiated ...

Albert Einstein called quantum entanglement—two particles in different locations, even on other sides of the universe, influencing each other—"spooky action at a distance." Einstein made the comment while criticizing quantum mechanics as incomplete—the phenomenon of quantum entanglement seems to be at odds with Einstein's theory of relativity. "Eighty years after Einstein, quantum physics is still so mysterious that there are many different interpretations of its physical meaning. All the interpretations agree on what is going to be observed in any given experiment, ...

1. Scientists from Singapore and Germany have identified that the proteins lamin A (Lmna) and lamin B receptor (Lbr) are essential for holding silent genes in their correct position at the edge of the nucleus, in the form of heterochromatin . A deviation from their normal position will cause the genes to malfunction, leading to heart failure, vascular disease and muscle wasting. 2. For hundreds of years before this discovery, scientists were puzzled by why heterochromatin clustered at the edge of the nucleus and how it was relevant to normal cell function. This recent ...

Due to chemotherapy resistance and a high rate of relapse, triple negative cancers are among the most difficult breast cancers to treat. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Carlos Arteaga at Vanderbilt University identified a protein, TGF-β, that is highly expressed in triple negative breast cancer cells after chemotherapy. In a mouse model of breast cancer, TGF-β both diverted cells down a path to becoming cancerous and allowed for cancer to come back after treatment. Importantly, loss of TGF-β prevented tumor recurrence ...

The RAS pathway is a cellular signaling pathway that regulates growth and development in humans. RASopathies are a group of diseases characterized by defects in RAS signaling. Many patients with RASopathies present with defects in the lymphatic system, which removes excess fluid from tissues, absorbs fats from the digestive system, and transports immune cells. To determine how alterations in the RAS pathway affect development of the lymphatic system, researchers at Yale University generated transgenic mice that expressed mutations associated with a RASopathy known as Noonan ...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and erosion. Specific sets of immune cells, known as T cells, are responsible for inducing disease. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Harvey Cantor at Harvard University analyzed the contributions of different subsets of T cells to an RA-like condition in mice. Cantor and colleagues identified a subset of regulatory T cells (CD8+ Tregs) that can remove pathogenic T cell subsets and inhibit disease progression. ...