UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Brine water that flows back from gas wells in the Marcellus Shale region after hydraulic fracturing is many times more salty than seawater, with high contents of various elements, including radium and barium. The chemistry is consistent with brines formed during the Paleozoic era, a study by an undergraduate student and two professors in Penn State's Department of Geosciences found. The study indicates that the brine flowback elements found in high levels in the late stages of hydraulic fracturing come from the ancient brines rather than from salts ...

New York, NY, December 19, 2012 – About 30 percent of the more than 70,000 bladder cancer cases expected in 2012 are muscle invasive. In such cases, radical cystectomy is the preferred treatment. In a pilot trial, a team of investigators assessed the efficacy of open radical cystectomy (ORC) vs. robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC). While there were no significant differences in treatment outcomes, RARC resulted in decreased estimated blood loss and shorter hospital stay compared to ORC. The results are published in the February 2013 issue of The Journal ...

Among HIV patients receiving well-organized care with free access to antiretroviral therapy, those who smoke lose more years of life to smoking than to HIV, according to a Danish study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. The findings highlight the importance of smoking cessation efforts in the long-term, integrated care of patients infected with HIV. Marie Helleberg, MD, of Copenhagen University Hospital and colleagues estimated the effect of smoking on mortality, risk of death, and life expectancy, and the number of life years lost to smoking ...

Finding the next Barack Obama or Warren Buffett might be as simple as looking at who attracts the most eyes in a crowd, a new University of British Columbia study finds. For the study, which used eye-tracking technology, participants who observed groups of strangers were able to accurately predict who would emerge as leader of the group in 120 seconds or less. According to the study – to appear in the forthcoming Journal of Personality and Social Psychology – two sets of behaviours will accurately predict future leadership and catch people's attention. The first is ...

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among children in China are a growing public health concern. Two new studies by researchers of the International Program at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Wuhan Children's Hospital in China examined pediatric TBIs that were treated at Wuhan Children's Hospital from 2002 to 2011. The first study, appearing in the December 2012 print issue of PLOS ONE, investigated the causes, characteristics and trends of pediatric TBIs in China and found that falls, struck by/against ...

The attorney representing a man accused of stabbing a man to death in an argument over $20 worth of marijuana earlier this year attempted to get some of the evidence tossed out before his client's trial. A twenty-one-year old man in State College, Pennsylvania was accused of killing a 20-year-old man over $20 worth of marijuana in January 2012. The 21-year-old was charged with first-degree, second-degree and third-degree murder, as well as robbery and aggravated assault. Centre County prosecutors alleged that what started as two men arguing over the drugs ended in one ...

Texans who are considering if they need a will should know what happens to their property if they die without one. This depends on a lot of factors and can involve a very complicated court process. Texas has laws in place to deal with property transfers after death, but people who have certain wishes for their property disposition may want to talk to an attorney about creating a will. Separate property and community property for spouses After people get married in Texas, they own two types of property. One is separate property, and the other is community property. ...

Residents of Boulder County and people throughout the nation now know that on Election Day 2012, Colorado residents voted in favor of Amendment 64, which legalizes the recreational use of marijuana. That vote will likely have important consequences not only related to the decriminalization of some uses of marijuana, but for the use of police resources as well. Use of police resources for marijuana arrests According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting, the police in the United States arrest someone for marijuana possession every 42 seconds. Of the 1.5 million drug ...

When someone is behind on his or her loan payments and has creditors calling at all hours threatening to repossess a vehicle or foreclose on a home, the best option may be to file for bankruptcy. Two forms of bankruptcy are generally available to individual filers: Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a legal process through which debts are forgiven to give filers a fresh start. Under Chapter 13 bankruptcy, filers develop a repayment plan and after making payments on time over three to five years, have the rest of their debts forgiven. Those who are unable ...

In the past, bankruptcy often carried a stigma, but times are changing, and bankruptcy is becoming a preferable option for many. The difficult economy makes bankruptcy a viable and respectable choice, and filing for bankruptcy allows individuals and businesses to start fresh and rebuild Chapter 11 Bankruptcy for Businesses Chapter 11 Bankruptcy allows the debtor to enter into agreements with creditors that will keep the debtor's business in operation. Sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations are all eligible for Chapter 11. Sole proprietors, since their ...

Arizona residents know a slip and fall accident in a retail store can cause significant disruption to daily life. A recently released report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau reveals over 2000 slip and fall accidents occurred in 2011. That number is a 12 percent increase from 2010. New laser technology in retail stores New 3D laser technology is proving useful in documenting scenes where slip and fall accidents occur. The security and loss department of a retail store normally assists when a customer slips and falls. They help determine if the customer is injured ...

Is an "alert" from a drug sniffing dog enough to justify a search of a home or car? That question is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court has long held that the sniff of a drug detection canine is not a search under the Fourth Amendment, which protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures." However, two Florida cases before the nation's High Court could change the parameters of the law and either limit or expand the privacy rights of everyone in the United States. Florida v. Harris The first case, Florida v. Harris, goes directly ...

Personal bankruptcy filings in Utah appear to have peaked, according to a recent report, and are showing signs of significant decline for the first time since 2005. Utah bankruptcy filings fell by 13 percent during the first nine months of 2012, the Salt Lake Tribune reported recently. While this certainly is good news for Utah homeowners, the progress is relatively modest in comparison to the gains seen in the national bankruptcy rate, which declined 14 percent during the same period according to the National Bankruptcy Institute. Despite the overall improvements, Utah ...

Massachusetts residents know illegal and legal drugs can both be dangerous. A recent report reveals serious issues with prescription drugs in Dedham. Drug addiction on the rise in Dedham Dedham police have already responded to three reports of fatal drug overdoses in 2012. Additionally, prescription drug abuse has risen by 600 percent in Massachusetts between 1990 and 2003. In Dedham, drug addiction is responsible for numerous robberies, according to Dedham police detectives. Unfortunately, individuals with a severe addiction problem sometimes engage in illegal ...

Atlanta, GA - This Christmas, multi-platinum rapper/actor Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges will provide a very special Christmas for more than 400 Atlanta area children. On Tuesday December 18th, the Ludacris Foundation, will host its annual "LudaCrismas" holiday event. 150 are youth invited to the holiday event. Each year, Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges provides a Christmas celebration to inner city youth from all over the Atlanta area with the donation of toys, books, and winter clothing. Ludacris, and The Ludacris Foundation are hosting a Christmas Winter ...

Located in the Greater Vancouver area, Canada, Viva Orthodontics provides the highest quality of orthodontic care and offers the the latest in orthodontic care including Invisalign: the "Clear" alternative to braces. Viva Orthodontics also offers Invisalign Teen, clear braces, and metal braces. With 4 locations across the Greater Vancouver area, Viva Orthodontics now serves orthodontic patients in Downtown Vancouver, New Westminster, Grandview Corners, and Clayton Heights. Viva Orthodontics is regarded throughout the Vancouver community for their state-of-the-art ...

Ambler Growth Strategy Consultants has been selected for the 2012 Best of Hammonton Award in the Management Consulting Services category by the Hammonton Award Program. Each year, the Hammonton Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Hammonton area a great place to live, work and play. Various ...

Grandstream Networks, a leading manufacturer of IP video and voice telephony solutions, today announced that its Linux-based IP phones successfully completed TR-069 interoperability testing (IOT) with Friendly Technologies' TR-069 device management solutions. Deployed together, the two product lines provide an answer to broadband service providers, who seek to reduce the time-to-market for launching next-generation services. Friendly's solution provides complete and unified service life cycle management for Grandstream IP phones, including Zero Touch provisioning, quick ...

John Moore, the Caretaker for the Thompson Farm, gave his heartfelt testimony in court (December 12th), for several hours at the Federal Appeals Court. His testimony left the court room in tears. Tune in this coming Thursday, December 20th, John Moore will speak live on http://www.joeexotictv.com at 6:00 pm cst about that tragic day, and his upcoming book release, "Eighteen Days to the Massacre" is the story of the Thompson Farm Animal Massacre as told by farm caregiver, John Moore and authored by Teresa Headley. Release date is anticipated December 2012. Almost ...

The Pacific Orchid Exposition is the largest orchid show in the United States, and on February 21st-24th, the event will return to San Francisco to showcase over 150,000 unique orchids from across the globe. This year the theme for the 61st annual event is "East Meets West", which will be reflected in the displays and exhibits in the show. Attendees will be immersed in Eastern culture from the moment they walk into Fort Mason Center and view the elaborate front entrance display, lavishly adorned with traditional Taiwanese lanterns. These beautiful decorations ...

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, laser hair removal was the third most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedure in 2010. Given the growing ethnic diversity of U.S. population, safe and effective treatments for all skin types has become the driving force behind the recent advance in technology which has created the Elite MPX by Cynosure. Boston Cosmetic Surgery Center is a premier facial rejuvenation and skin care practice in greater Boston and Massachusetts, founded and directed by Edwin Ishoo, MD, FACS, a board-certified surgeon specializing ...

If you have ever struggled with making a final sequence look better, or in trying to figure out how to fix a few bad shots for a director, you are not alone. For many editors, color correction is a black art that few seem to master. The Editors' Lounge shed new light on this topic recently with a seminar taught by author and veteran colorist, Steve Hullfish. Post-production professionals learned about the importance and the countless benefits of using waveform monitors to aid in perfecting the craft of color-correction. Now into its ninth year, The Editors' Lounge hosts ...

A-1 Decks is pleased to announce they are seeking the help of iWebContent to help them improve their web presence. Today, it is essential for businesses to have a solid web presence so their customers are better able to find them when they need their services. IWebContent is experienced in Internet marketing techniques, particularly in SEO websites and blogging, to help businesses better serve their customers. A-1 Decks is a construction company that specializes in helping homeowners and business owners with the exterior features of their property. While their primary ...

FOURTEEN GOLF, a global leader in wedge and iron design with over 48 professional tour victories, announced today that the company will be introducing their new TC-330 Irons, a new series of irons that feature a progressive sole design with a deep set and low set CG, at the upcoming 2013 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida. According to FOURTEEN GOLF COO Marcy Kamoda, "FOURTEEN GOLF is confident that golfers will be more than surprised at how much distance they can gain with these irons. Reaching the green on a 175-yard par three with a 7-iron is entirely possible." The ...

Taylor Morrison is pleased to report that due to the overwhelmingly positive response to their new Francesco in Haddington, the company is planning to build three showcase homes in the same Country Club East neighborhood. Construction on the new Lakewood Ranch homes will begin in December, and they will be available for move-in this spring. One of the new showcase homes that will be built in Haddington is a repeat of the popular Francesco model. Notable for its charming Tuscan-inspired details, the Francesco has a pleasingly open space plan that is ideal for entertaining. ...