Chinese soft-shelled turtles are exquisitely adapted to their aquatic lifestyle, sitting contentedly on the bottom of brackish muddy swamps or snorkelling at the surface to breath. According to Y. K. Ip from the National University of Singapore, they even immerse their heads in puddles when their swampy homes dry up: which intrigued Ip and his colleagues. Why do these air-breathing turtles submerge their heads when they mainly depend on their lungs to breathe and are unlikely to breathe in water? Given that some fish excrete waste nitrogen as urea – in addition to ammonia ...

A key assumption that biologists have relied on widely over the past quarter-century in studying the evolution of protein molecules is "highly questionable," according to an article published in the November issue of BioScience. The article, by Shozo Yokoyama, a vision researcher at Emory University, summarizes experimental work that involved creating and measuring the properties of dozens of reconstructed ancestral versions of visual pigments found in the eyes of vertebrates, including humans, as well as deliberately altered variants. Yokoyama concludes that the studies ...

Food marketers are masters at getting people to crave and consume the foods that they promote. In this study authors Dr. Brian Wansink, co-director of the Cornell University Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition and Professor of Marketing and Dr. Pierre Chandon, professor of Marketing at the leading French graduate school of business, INSEAD challenge popular assumptions that link food marketing and obesity. Their findings presented last weekend at the Association for Consumer Research Conference in Vancouver, Canada point to ways in which smart food marketers ...

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University researchers have developed a new drug candidate that dramatically improves the cognitive function of rats with Alzheimer's-like mental impairment. Their compound, which is intended to repair brain damage that has already occurred, is a significant departure from current Alzheimer's treatments, which either slow the process of cell death or inhibit cholinesterase, an enzyme believed to break down a key neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory development. Such drugs, says Joe Harding, a professor in WSU's College of Veterinary ...

For the past four decades, the "marshmallow test" has served as a classic experimental measure of children's self-control: will a preschooler eat one of the fluffy white confections now or hold out for two later? Now a new study demonstrates that being able to delay gratification is influenced as much by the environment as by innate ability. Children who experienced reliable interactions immediately before the marshmallow task waited on average four times longer—12 versus three minutes—than youngsters in similar but unreliable situations. "Our results definitely ...

Michelle Salater will host an extension of her business blog, Copy Doodle, in a new radio show that will focus on helping businesses grow and become more profitable. Business Confessional Talk Radio: Where Entrepreneurs Gather and Experts Tell All is featured on the Entrepreneur Podcast Network, a platform that condenses advice, information, and inspiration into one space. Geared toward an audience of entrepreneurs in different stages of their businesses, this show will invite innovative and successful business owners to answer questions and discuss the recipe for ...

This new singer is continuing to make impressive music that showcases her keen sense of sound and style and natural talent. Following the successes of her previous single, Courtney has now released her highly anticipated single "Thanks, But No Thanks" on iTunes. An energetic tune with an empowering tone, Courtney's latest release, "Thanks, But No Thanks," charges the listener, leaving them wanting more. It has a melody that makes it an easy one to play again and again, enlivening and uplifting with its catchy beat and great sense of energy. Now available ...

The Lighthouse for the Blind-St. Louis, a not-for-profit manufacturing and packaging organization with a dedicated social service mission, has been awarded a contract to provide supplies for use by U.S. Navy Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) disaster response groups. Under the contract awarded by the federal AbilityOne program, the Lighthouse will utilize employees who are blind in fulfillment operations to pack orders for many types of personal protective equipment and ship these essential supplies to more than 65 U.S. Navy sites around ...

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Go Skate Skateboard School is based in San Diego and has taught skateboard lessons at over 1300 locations in United States for the past three years. In October 2012, Go Skate has expanded to cover all of the country's over 2500 skate parks. Go Skate's owner, Rob Dunfey says, "We used to get calls all the time from people who would love to learn to skate, but we didn't have a location in their area. Now, they can learn how to skate." It is now possible to get a skateboard lesson at any public U.S. skate park year-round. Dunfey also adds, "It didn't ...

Eliot Wayne puts on a guitar clinic in his new powerful southern rock track 'Everyside'. The smooth country vocals blend perfectly with the chugging of Wayne's heavy rock telecaster. The video is great within it's simplicity, as it has Wayne playing the entire song from his patio. Not being distracted by anything else on the screen, the viewer is able to truly focus on the raw emotion displayed by Eliot Wayne. The song's about falling in love, and his lyrics are so moving and so powerful. But let's not forget the awesome guitar lines! When Eliot Wayne goes into a guitar ...

Design and marketing agency McDill Associates has added another award to its list of noteworthy honors. The agency, now in its 34th year, recently won a 2012 American Graphic Design Award for its Laptop Lunches Bento-Ware packaging for Obentec, Inc. The packaging recognized by AGDA was designed for an innovative product line of waste-free packing for any meal or snack. The packaging design incorporated original illustrations and key messages developed to broaden the appeal of the nationally distributed line. A messaging and positioning exercise defined the direction. ...

Alternative and renewable energy consulting group, Lee Enterprises of Little Rock, Ark., is pleased to announce the addition of Scott Greenfield to its team of biofuels consultants. Greenfield received a B.A. in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master's in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. A former Naval Officer, Greenfield has over 22 years of experience working with the Navy as well as in the government and private sectors, most recently working in Special Projects for the Naval Special Warfare Command in the study ...

In 2011 the state of Washington began changing over the machines its law enforcement officers use to determine the blood alcohol content of people suspected of driving drunk. Commonly referred to as Breathalyzers, these machines use a breath test to measure how much alcohol is in a person's system. If a person is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, the Breathalyzer results may be used by prosecutors in a DUI case. How Breathalyzers Work After a person ingests alcohol, the alcohol enters the bloodstream from the stomach without undergoing ...

When a driver in Washington is pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving, in addition to a breath test, the law enforcement officer may administer a series of driver field sobriety tests. These tests are used to attempt to determine whether a driver is impaired by alcohol, but the officer must ask and the driver must consent to the field tests before they can be performed. The following is a brief overview of the three standardized tests used in field sobriety testing. Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus An officer administers a horizontal gaze nystagmus test, commonly called ...

When a train approaches a railroad crossing, barriers and sounds are supposed to warn crossing traffic. Despite the warning, though, train accidents continue to occur at crossings and along other portions of the rail network in Texas. To help prevent the risk of train accidents, the federal government required railroad companies to outfit their tracks with certain collision-avoidance technology; however, the requirement was recently relaxed due to cost concerns, which may have a detrimental impact on public safety. Train Crash Prompts Greater Safety Controls In 2008, ...

Plenty of commercial truck traffic flows through the Dallas-Fort Worth area every day. Unfortunately, because of the high number of 18-wheelers and other heavy trucks, folks in Arlington are no stranger to trucking accidents involving serious injury. One of the worst types of these truck accidents is rear-end collisions. Truck Accident Statistics According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, each year about 400,000 motor vehicle crashes involve large trucks in the United States, and rear-end crashes account for 18 percent of those crashes. Rear-end crashes ...

Recently a 23-year old motorist ran into two bicyclists who were riding on the side of the Van Winkle Expressway in Murray, Utah, sending one of the bicyclists to the hospital with serious head injuries. The other bicyclist was less seriously hurt, receiving only minor injuries. The driver has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. If convicted, the driver could face serious penalties under Utah's DUI and vehicular assault laws. Drunk Driving in Utah Under Utah law, a drunk driving charge can be pursued if the driver was operating a motor vehicle ...

For years secret tunnels along the United States border with Mexico have been built to smuggle drugs, but recently the tunnels have become more sophisticated. In July 2012, four drug smuggling tunnels were discovered within a week of one another: two in California and two in Arizona, with one of the Arizona tunnels being the most advanced tunnel yet discovered. Authorities believe the growing sophistication of the passages may be explained in part by support from Mexican drug cartels. In the middle of July, Arizona state police discovered a 240-yard tunnel running from ...

Popular NFL player Brandon Meriweather of the Washington Redskins is able to move on after a DUI charge earlier this year. After pleading no contest to a reduced charge of reckless driving, Meriweather's case was resolved when he paid a fine, court fees, and received a suspended 180-day jail sentence, avoiding worse penalties that follow a Virginia DUI conviction. Arrested for Suspected DUI On April 26, 2012, the two-time Pro Bowler was pulled over by an Arlington County, Virginia police officer around 3:00 a.m. after the officer clocked him driving 73 mph in a 55 ...

A sluggish economy has incentivized people to do their own home repairs, cook for themselves more and perform other tasks that in a more vibrant economy might not be necessary. Unfortunately, as part this trend, many individuals are using cookie-cutter, out-of-the-box wills and will programs to plan for their heirs and beneficiaries when they pass away. Rarely do these DIY wills provide anything like what you intend. Attorney-drafted wills are not just for millionaires concerned about federal and state estate taxes. Estate taxes are commonly referred to as an inheritance ...

In 2003, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania struck down a state law that banned people convicted of certain crimes from ever working in nursing homes or other personal care facilities, no matter how much time had passed since the offense. The court found that the ban violated the Pennsylvania state constitution by depriving rehabilitated individuals of their right to pursue their occupations long after they had paid their debts to society. Unfortunately, the ban has remained in effect in Pennsylvania despite the court's ruling. In the 2003 case Nixon v. Commonwealth of ...

In July 2012, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decided a case addressing whether lifetime parole is mandatory for those convicted of failing to register as a sex offender when required to do so under the state's laws. In Massachusetts, lifetime parole means the individual will be under supervision by parole officers for life. The case may affect people convicted of sex crimes in Massachusetts as well as some of the other consequences of sex crime convictions in the state. Parole Not Mandatory In 1985, the defendant in the case was convicted of rape, abuse ...

Even though you may be familiar with the term child custody, in Texas there are different types of child custody and varying factors that a court looks at to determine the custody role of each parent. While many in Texas may use the term custody, under the Texas Family Code custody is referred to as conservatorship. In Texas, the courts favor granting both parents access to the child absent parental misconduct, such as neglect, domestic violence or abuse. Texas Child Custody In Texas, there are two different forms of custody or conservatorship rights given to parents. ...

Perhaps after child custody, the division of property is the most important issue to address when going through divorce. Your life after divorce will certainly be different than before and the assets you have entering post-divorce life can have a great impact going forward. Therefore it's important to understand how assets and debts are separated by the court if you and your former spouse cannot agree on a division yourself. Texas is a community property state, and the term community property relates to how the court identifies property to divide. In Texas there are ...