The mineral properties of the aerosol particles and the wavelength distribution of incident light combine to determine whether a dust particle reflects radiation and cools the local atmosphere, absorbs radiation and warms the local atmosphere, or both. While scientists have a good handle on dust's primary effect of reflecting and cooling at the visible wavelengths, the smaller influence of absorbing and warming at the longer infrared wavelengths has remained more of an uncertainty – and most climate models either underestimate it or do not include it at all. When the ...

Interventions designed to improve core deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders are supported by varying levels of evidence, highlighting the need for well-designed studies to better evaluate the interventions, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Researchers found that when they evaluated the past research on a wide variety of interventions aimed at improving core deficits in social/communication, language, behavior and adaptive skills, the evidence of efficacy ranged from moderate to insufficient. The findings are published in the November edition of ...

(Boston) - In the United States, the cost paid for statins (drugs to lower cholesterol) in people under the age of 65 who have private insurance continues to exceed comparable costs paid by the government in the United Kingdom (U.K.) by more than three fold. These results from Boston University's Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program, are a follow up of an ongoing comparison of prescription drug costs between the U.S. and U.K. The initial results reported on relative drug costs in 2005. The current updated results for 2009 appear this week in the journal Pharmacotherapy. ...

People who undergo repeated surgeries to remove glioblastomas — the most aggressive and deadliest type of brain tumors — may survive longer than those who have just a one-time operation, new Johns Hopkins research suggests. Glioblastoma, the brain cancer that killed Sen. Edward Kennedy, inevitably returns after tumor-removal surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation. The median survival time after diagnosis is only 14 months. With recurrence a near certainty, experts say, many have questioned the value of performing second, third or even fourth operations, especially given ...

Results of a Johns Hopkins study suggest that individuals with schizophrenia are significantly more likely to live longer if they take their antipsychotic drugs on schedule, avoid extremely high doses and also regularly see a mental health professional. Psychiatrists have long known that people with schizophrenia who stick to a drug regimen have fewer of the debilitating delusions and hallucinations that are hallmarks of this illness. But there have been concerns about whether some of the known side effects of the medications — increased risk of cardiovascular disease ...

Understanding Workplace Sexual Harassment No one should ever be subjected to a situation where they feel unsafe at work. Sexual harassment can have huge negative effects not only on individual workers, but on the workplace as a whole. Understanding what sexual harassment is can go a long way toward making a workplace safer. Many employees don't take action to stop sexual harassment because they aren't fully aware of their rights. In other cases, a supervisor or coworker perpetrating the harassment may not even be aware that their conduct is both harmful and illegal. What ...

EEOC: Workplace Discrimination Claims Hit Record High in 2011 The American workforce is getting more diverse, and that's a good thing. However, some employers have been slower than others to adapt to these changing demographics. Nowhere is this more evident than in the fact that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported a record-high number of workplace discrimination complaints last year. All told, the EEOC received almost 100,000 complaints in 2011. The largest increase came from religious discrimination complaints, which were up 9.5 percent from ...

New Law Reduces Penalties for Marijuana Possession in Maryland Maryland's drug laws are some of the toughest on the east coast. Currently, a person convicted of possessing less than 10 grams of marijuana can face up to a year in jail and a $1000 fine. In comparison, in nearby states the penalty for possessing similar amounts of marijuana is limited to 30 days in jail and a maximum $500 fine. A recently passed bill aims to relax the strict penalties for Maryland residents convicted of possessing only a small amount of marijuana. Supporters of the bill say it will help ...

Reverse mortgages bring risks and benefits for New York seniors Reverse mortgages can be great sources of income for senior citizens in New York. However, reverse mortgages can also have significant down sides. If you are considering a reverse mortgage, it is important to make sure you fully understand the terms and conditions of the contract. Prospective borrowers should always have a reverse mortgage reviewed by a New York real estate lawyer before closing on the loan. With that said, taking some time to learn about the potential pros and cons of a reverse mortgage ...

Wage Garnishment in Massachusetts If you have ever fallen behind on payments of a credit card or other debt, you may have received notices from creditors or debt collectors. You may have been tempted to avoid opening them or paying them to buy yourself some time to get the needed funds. However, eventually your creditors will catch up with you and they may employ a powerful tool to force you to make payments: wage garnishment. About Wage Garnishment Wage garnishment is an order from a court or government agency that is sent to your employer ordering them to withhold ...

Hospital Infections Increase When Nurses Are Spread Too Thin It is no secret that hospital nurses have a stressful work environment, and one might expect nurses to feel the negative effects of a heavy workload, including burnout. To analyze this issue, a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing looked at the impact on patients when nurses are overworked. Nurse Burnout Studied More than 7,000 nurses employed at 161 Pennsylvania hospitals participated in the study. The researchers collected responses concerning issues like the nurses' feelings ...

Foreclosures Slow in New Jersey Because of Legal Issues Before the summer of 2010, foreclosures and the sale of houses by sheriff's auctions whirled through the courtrooms of New Jersey. But, after the discovery that banks were "robo-signing" mortgage documents used to prove home ownership in foreclosure proceedings, foreclosures and sheriff's auctions slowed in the state. Even after lenders in New Jersey demonstrated they were abiding by foreclosure rules, foreclosure activity has not resumed to the previous level because of a recent state appellate court ...

Cousia Towns, Executive Director of Amore Transitional Group, Inc. (ATG), today announced the launch of its ATG SEEDS program for disadvantaged and underprivileged young women throughout the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. The program represents the newest curriculum of Amore Transitional Group and is indicative of its growth in providing community services to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and both to and through young women. Towns stated, "I am so honored and proud to lead a cutting-edge and innovative organization such as Amore Transitional Group. We have a saying ...

For many women the perfect day can be ruined by imperfect weather, hence why the spring and summer months are heavily populated with weddings, with the higher chance of the sun turning out that Magical gleam. "This season seems to be inundated with weddings and that often comes with the pressure to not only find appropriate wedding themed gifts, but also find gifts that are going to stand out from the hundreds of other 'generic' wedding gifts," said Su Cameron, Marketing Director of Red Wrappings online website. The use of gift registries has been an adequate ...

'We were recognized for bringing an entirely fresh approach to recruitment', said Michael Overell, RecruitLoop Cofounder and CEO. 'Our network of independent recruiters help employers with as much or little of the recruitment process as required while charging an hourly rate for the time they work. And our recorded video interview platform has helped recruiters and employers save thousands of hours in the recruitment process.' Profiling some of the most creative operators and organizations, the award shone the spotlight on businesses with a focus on innovation. 'Since ...

Today Martin Tobias, CEO of KASHLESS, Inc., announced the official launch of The Open Offer Exchange (OpenOfferExchange.com), a robust, patented offer marketplace that provides a central resource for publishers, agencies and merchants to create and distribute offers through a nationwide network of partners. The Open Offer Exchange has been under development and in beta for over two years as PoweredbyTIPPR Marketplace (marketplace.poweredbytippr.com). The Open Offer Exchange is the first and largest open standards-based offer exchange available. There are currently over ...

The Maine Diner, an award-winning family-owned restaurant on Route 1 known for its hallmark hospitality, speedy service and hearty home-cooking, is awarding annual academic scholarships to deserving Wells High School student athletes in honor of former Maine Diner Owner Myles Henry. To date, two students have been awarded the scholarships. Applications for 2013 graduates are being accepted at this time. Henry, one of the beloved owners of the Maine Diner, died unexpectedly in 2010. To know Myles was to know of his love of sports -all sports- whether it was golfing, basketball, ...

The Chicago Tribune, wrote that Alexander Scourby has the Greatest Voice ever recorded and is the World's best book narrator. Now that Voice is in the all NEW Scourby Bible APP... at your fingertips ready to access anytime and anywhere. Imagine this APP in your hands, Scourby Audio Bible APPS for Iphone and Android Device are now available by merging the power of Technology, with the King James Bible and the unequaled voice of Alexander Scourby. But ii's much more than just audio!!! The Scourby Audio Bible APP presents the Bible in a Bimodal presentation with audio ...

Morris Kaye & Sons Furs is pleased to announce they have the newest fur fashion trends available for the upcoming winter season. The furriers at Morris Kaye travel the country and the globe to learn about the latest trends in fur fashions so they can create quality merchandise that follows the current trends. Fur fashion is a constantly changing venue. A company that doesn't stay on top isn't capable of competing against the other furriers. Morris Kaye & Sons Furs features a professional furrier right on staff so customers can get all the service they need in ...

XMPro Inc. is pleased to announce a new partnership with Bytes Connect, a division of Bytes Technology Group, to provide cutting edge iBOS (Intelligent Business Operations Server) technology to African Customers. Bytes Connect offers a range of strategic ICT services and has a strong partner base including Microsoft, Dell, HP, Genesys, CISCO, Alcatel and others. Bytes Connect is eager to enhance their offerings with XMPro's iBOS solution; Raymond Rea, Bytes Connect Software Services Manager commented, "We have identified XMPro as a proven solution when addressing ...

Recently celebrating it's 25th anniversary, the Anaheim White House is continuing it's annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Dinner on Sunday, November 18 at 6 p.m. Upon arriving, guests will be greeted by a blanket of real snow, tray passed hors d'oeuvres and champagne before the ceremony at 7 p.m. The tree lighting also will serve as a special dedication to a select few who have shown the restaurant exceptional support over the past 25 years. Immediately following the tree lighting will be a 4-course prix fixe dinner especially created for the evening. Menu ...

"We're extraordinarily proud that Del Sur's schools are not only part of PUSD, but that they there are top-performing schools in the district," said Bill Ostrem, president and CEO of Black Mountain Ranch LLC, developer of Del Sur. "The diversified programs and outstanding academic leaders, including teachers at Del Sur Elementary and Oak Valley Middle who were named Teacher of the Year in 2011 and 2012, are what make these schools so successful." Here's how Del Sur schools are performing: • Del Norte High School earned 865, and was the only high ...

New Author Douglas Underhill , has recently released his first digital book. Underhill's novel, SS Roulette, brings unparalleled suspense and entertainment while also delivering a semi-historical account of the U.S. government's illegal actions during the country's Prohibition. After accidentally uncovering classified files buried deep inside archives of a Los Angeles off-shore drilling corporation, two friends decide to risk their lives in search of a clandestine sunken gambling ship off the coast of Catalina Island. However, these two friends quickly find themselves ...

One fashionable pet outfits seen in Disney Entertainment's new "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta!" can be purchased from a Rocklin, Calif.-based business. The family movie follows a family of well heeled Chihuahuas as it moves into a posh hotel in Beverly Hills. The youngest pup, Rosa, feels neglected. Father Papi throws her a fiesta to show her how special she is. Viewers paying careful attention to the recent release will not only see many well-dressed dogs, they will also catch Posh Puppy Boutique logos in several scenes. Its recognizable logo shopping ...

Phillips Charitable Organizations has awarded financial assistance to Tom and Tiffany Bandy, veterans who live in Whittier, CA, with help during a time of need. Phillips Charitable Organizations is a charity founded by Infor CEO Charles Phillips that includes veterans as one of its constituencies. Both Tom and Tiffany Bandy served in the US military. However, the Bandy family entered difficult times when Tom was unable to find employment and Tiffany found herself on disability and unable to find work. Though Tom eventually found a job after a three-year search, the ...