COLUMBIA, Mo. – Health care practitioners now can access patients' data using electronic medical records, which often include information systems that assess individuals' medical histories and clinical research to facilitate doctors' diagnoses. A University of Missouri researcher says the increased use of computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) leads to greater patient dissatisfaction and could increase noncompliance with preventative care and treatment recommendations. Victoria Shaffer, an assistant professor of health sciences and psychological sciences, ...

ANN ARBOR—A new way of making crystalline silicon, developed by U-M researchers, could make this crucial ingredient of computers and solar cells much cheaper and greener. Silicon dioxide, or sand, makes up about 40 percent of the earth's crust, but the industrial method for converting sand into crystalline silicon is expensive and has a major environmental impact due to the extreme processing conditions. "The crystalline silicon in modern electronics is currently made through a series of energy-intensive chemical reactions with temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees ...

PHILADELPHIA—Infectious diseases in Ghana tend to capture the most attention, but a quiet crisis may soon take over as the country's most threatening epidemic: cancer. A new study published in January in the journal BMC Cancer, led by Kosj Yamoah, M.D., Ph.D., a resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital, takes aim at the issue by investigating prostate cancer diagnoses and treatment delivery in black men living in the West African region, in order to devise research strategies to help improve health outcomes. Overall, ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A retailer's optimal store layout is the result of balancing the interests of two different types of markets – consumers and suppliers, says new research co-written by a University of Illinois business professor. According to Yunchuan "Frank" Liu, a retailer's strategic manipulation of store layout is driven by an incentive to balance the shopping process of "fit-uncertain consumers" and the pricing behavior of upstream suppliers. "Retailers face two different kinds of markets – the consumers who buy goods, and the manufacturers that supply goods," ...

Tropical Cyclone Garry is in a good environment to intensify and satellite imagery from NOAA's GOES-15 satellite helped confirm that the storm has become more organized. NOAA's GOES-15 satellite captured an infrared image of Tropical Storm Garry when it was located about 330 nautical miles (379.8 miles/ 611.2 km) east of Pago Pago, American Samoa. The image, created by the NASA GOES Project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., was taken Jan. 24 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST). The image showed a bright white circle of clouds that indicate strong thunderstorms ...

Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed that a band of thunderstorms on the eastern side of Tropical Storm Oswald's remnants still contained some punch. Oswald's remnants have triggered severe weather warnings in parts of Queensland, Australia. When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the eastern side of the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Oswald the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured an infrared image of a powerful band of thunderstorms over the Coral Sea. The band of thunderstorms east of Oswald's center showed some strong convection and ...

Flying high over Antarctica, a NASA long duration balloon has broken the record for longest flight by a balloon of its size. The record-breaking balloon, carrying the Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (Super-TIGER) experiment, has been afloat for 46 days and is on its third orbit around the South Pole. "This is an outstanding achievement for NASA's Astrophysics balloon team," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Keeping these huge balloons aloft for such long periods lets us do ...

Irvine, Calif. (Corrected version) — Exposing pregnant mice to low doses of the chemical tributyltin (TBT) – which was used in marine antifouling paints and is used as an antifungal agent in some paints, certain plastics and a variety of consumer products – can lead to obesity for multiple generations without subsequent exposure, a UC Irvine study has found. After exposing pregnant mice to TBT at low concentrations, similar to those found in the environment and in humans, researchers observed increased body fat, liver fat and fat-specific gene expression in liver and ...

In a development that could lead to faster and more effective toxicity tests for airborne chemicals, scientists from Rice University and the Rice spinoff company Nano3D Biosciences have used magnetic levitation to grow some of the most realistic lung tissue ever produced in a laboratory. The research is part of an international trend in biomedical engineering to create laboratory techniques for growing tissues that are virtually identical to those found in people's bodies. In the new study, researchers combined four types of cells to replicate tissue from the wall of ...

Pulsars—tiny spinning stars, heavier than the sun and smaller than a city—have puzzled scientists since they were discovered in 1967. Now, new observations by an international team, including University of Vermont astrophysicist Joanna Rankin, make these bizarre stars even more puzzling. The scientists identified a pulsar that is able to dramatically change the way in which it shines. In just a few seconds, the star can quiet its radio waves while at the same time it makes its X-ray emissions much brighter. The research "challenges all proposed pulsar emission theories," ...

A prospective study led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has found that low serum vitamin D levels in the months preceding diagnosis may predict a high risk of premenopausal breast cancer. The study of blood levels of 1,200 healthy women found that women whose serum vitamin D level was low during the three-month period just before diagnosis had approximately three times the risk of breast cancer as women in the highest vitamin D group. The study is currently published online in advance of the print edition of the journal ...

Cincinnati, OH, January 25, 2013 -- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are commonly used to treat pain and reduce fever in children. However, the use of NSAIDs has been shown to cause acute kidney injury (AKI) in some children. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics reports the findings on the number of children diagnosed with AKI caused by NSAIDs in one hospital over an 11 ½ year span. Dr. Jason Misurac and colleagues from the Indiana University School of Medicine and Butler University retrospectively ...

Yoga has positive effects on mild depression and sleep complaints, even in the absence of drug treatments, and improves symptoms associated with schizophrenia and ADHD in patients on medication, according to a systematic review of the exercise on major clinical psychiatric disorders. Published in the open-access journal, Frontiers in Psychiatry, on January 25th, 2013, the review of more than one hundred studies focusing on 16 high-quality controlled studies looked at the effects of yoga on depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, sleep complaints, eating disorders and cognition ...

Sick children, especially those with some dehydration from flu or other illnesses, risk significant kidney injury if given drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen, Indiana University School of Medicine researchers said Friday. In an article published online Jan. 25 by the Journal of Pediatrics, Jason Misurac, M.D., and colleagues from IU and Butler University reported that nearly 3 percent of cases of pediatric acute kidney injury over a decade could be traced directly to having taken the common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. Although relatively few ...

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at Wayne State University School of Medicine investigated the acidity in solid tumors to determine if pH levels play a role in cancer cell invasion in surrounding tissues. They found that an acidic microenvironment can drive cancer cells to spread and propose that neutralizing pH would inhibit further invasion, providing a therapeutic opportunity to slow the progression of cancers. Their study appeared in the Jan. 3 online release of Cancer Research, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research. According ...

A new law in California now allows drivers to send text messages with hands-free technology. As technology continues to advance, lawmakers in California have reconsidered certain distracted driving laws. Recently, a new law was enacted, making the previous texting ban more lenient for California motorists. The new law in California allows drivers to use hands-free technology to send text messages or listen to incoming messages while they are behind the wheel. Previously, motorists in the state had been prohibited from texting altogether, regardless of whether they ...

House-swapping and lifetime gifts as money-saving options In this difficult economic landscape, most families are trying to find ways to save costs in major areas of expenditures such as buying a house or estate taxes. Two possible solutions are house-swapping among family members to avoid realtor's fees and using life-time gifts to children as a means of avoiding overly burdensome estate taxes. House-swapping House swaps are when family members buy each other's homes in order to meet changing needs and to avoid realtors' commissions and other fees. For example, ...

State police advise Illinois motorists to stay safe this winter With the winter driving season in full force, parts of Illinois and the Midwest have already experienced major snowstorms, bringing with it icy and slippery roads. In order to lessen the risk of being involved in a car accident, the Illinois State Police are advising drivers to take proper precautions when driving during adverse weather conditions. State officials encourage Illinois motorists to take extra care when driving on icy or snowy roads and to allow for extra travel time. In addition, winter ...

Getting a mortgage loan after bankruptcy Even after filing bankruptcy, a person may still be eligible to be approved for a mortgage loan. A record of the bankruptcy can remain on the filer's credit report for up to 10 years. Although many people believe the myth that they will never be able to obtain a mortgage after filing bankruptcy, in reality, filers can be approved for mortgage in as little as one year after a bankruptcy. A mortgage loan can be approved in as little as one year after bankruptcy The amount of time it takes for someone who filed bankruptcy to ...

2013 brings sweeping changes to Florida's PIP law In Florida, every driver is required to carry personal injury protection auto insurance, also known as no-fault insurance or PIP coverage. This insurance is designed to cover reasonable medical expenses and wage loss stemming from a car accident injury, regardless of who was at fault in causing the crash. Florida's PIP system has long been the subject of significant controversy. Advocates say that PIP coverage provides an important safety net, and that a generous interpretation of the terms of coverage is necessary ...

Dealing with the financial fallout of childhood illnesses To a parent, there is nothing more terrifying than learning your child has a serious or life-threatening illness. For nearly every parent, protecting their child's life and health is their most important priority. Parents of sick children often sacrifice everything to help their kids get the treatment they need. Unfortunately, though, treatment for childhood illnesses usually comes at a great expense. When a family's resources are diverted toward paying for a child's medical care, it is not uncommon for the ...

Despite national decline, California traffic deaths on the rise In 2011, the number of fatal collisions nationwide dropped to its lowest point in over 60 years. According to federal transportation data, 32,367 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2011. This figure represents a 1.9 percent decrease from 2010. Although the federal figures are on the decline, not all states are experiencing individual declines. In fact, only 36 states have experienced a decrease in fatal automobile collisions. In addition, despite the national decrease in fatal collisions, pedestrian ...

Child custody after divorce in Indiana For parents going through a divorce or separation, questions about child custody and visitation rights often weigh heavily on their minds. In these situations, it can be helpful to know how the Indiana courts handle issues of parenting time and what options are available for parents and children after divorce. The best interests of the child As a general matter, judges in Indiana are required to rule on child custody and visitation matters according to the best interests of the child. This means that the child's well-being ...

Survey finds more drivers surfing Web while behind the wheel Cellphones that double as mini-computers and allow you to remain constantly connected to your friends and family via email and social networking sites have many benefits -- a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips, easily accessible from any location where you can connect to your network. As a result, these days few people leave home without their smartphones. As people have become more accustomed to using their cellphones for a wide array of activities, it has become harder for them to put their phones ...

Student loan debt a growing problem in California Right now, a college education is more important that it has ever been. With the manufacturing sector on the decline, it has become increasingly difficult for young people to find career-track jobs with only a high school education. Unfortunately, a college education is also more expensive than it has ever been, leaving many struggling with debt. In the wake of the recession, state governments have cut appropriations to their higher education systems, leaving students to shoulder a greater percentage of the cost of ...