Scientists have developed a way to grow iron-oxidizing bacteria using electricity instead of iron, an advance that will allow them to better study the organisms and could one day be used to turn electricity into fuel. The study will be published on January 29 in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The method, called electrochemical cultivation, supplies these bacteria with a steady supply of electrons that the bacteria use to respire, or "breathe". It opens the possibility that one day electricity generated from renewable sources ...

Women with harmful mutations in the BRCA gene, which put them at higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, tend to undergo menopause significantly sooner than other women, allowing them an even briefer reproductive window and possibly a higher risk of infertility, according to a study led by researchers at UC San Francisco. Moreover, the study showed that carriers of the mutation who are heavy smokers enter menopause at an even earlier age than non-smoking women with the mutation. While the authors note that further research is needed, given the size and ...

Lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) who are out to others have lower stress hormone levels and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and burnout, according to researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, affiliated with the University of Montreal. Cortisol is a stress hormone in our body. When chronically strained, cortisol contributes to the 'wear and tear' exerted on multiple biological systems. Taken together, this strain is called "allostatic load". "Our goals were to determine if the mental and physical health of lesbians, ...

The pros and cons of Chapter 13 bankruptcy Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which is often referred to as reorganization bankruptcy or wage earner's bankruptcy, is a very different process from Chapter 7 "liquidation" bankruptcy. Unlike Chapter 7, which often requires filers to surrender certain assets in order to have their debts discharged, people who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy typically do not have to give up any of their property to get out of debt. For this reason, some people find Chapter 13 to be a more appealing approach to dealing with unmanageable debt. What ...

Teen jailed after Facebook drunk driving admission A teen driver recently found himself in hot water -- and in jail -- after posting on Facebook about his New Year's Eve drunk driving escapades. According to several major news outlets, an 18-year-old Oregon resident was arrested after posting the following message to his Facebook profile early on New Year's Day: "Drivin drunk... classic ;) but to whoever's vehicle i hit i am sorry. :P" At least two of the teen's Facebook friends reported the message to police, who were already in the process of investigating ...

Common financial mistakes made during divorce It is no secret: divorce can be expensive. However, many people compound their financial woes by making grave mistakes during the divorce process that result in unfair settlements, gross hardship and a financial situation that could have been avoided at the outset by being more knowledgeable about the issues to look out for. The following article provides a brief introduction about what financial mistakes to avoid during a divorce. Accepting illiquid assets unknowingly One common mistake is a failure to learn about ...

The importance of advance health care directives It's been said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. So while no one wants to contemplate his or her own death, the only way to protect loved ones from having to make what might be unbearable difficult decisions in their time of grief is to plan for what you want to happen at the end of your life. Advance health care directives speak for you if you are unable to speak for yourself. This document allows you to spell out your preferences for end-of-life care so when the time comes your family and health ...

FBI Washington office targets financial fraud Since the onset of the U.S. financial crisis in 2008, federal investigators have intensified their focus on financial fraud issues throughout the nation. FBI Director Robert Mueller testified last year that the FBI's corporate and securities fraud cases have increased by nearly 50 percent since September 2008, Bloomberg Businessweek reported recently. By the end of 2011, Mueller said, the bureau was handling more than 2,600 fraud cases. Many of these cases are being handled by the FBI's field office in Washington, which ...

Mothers and fathers have equal rights to custody in South Carolina There is a perceived bias in South Carolina that family law judges are more likely to award custody to a mother than a father in a divorce case. However, South Carolina law holds that judges must decide custody in the best interests of the child, not whether the parent is the mother or father. While mothers were preferred in the past, South Carolina has repealed the "Tender Years Doctrine," the traditional law that granted preference for custody to mothers of young children. The only exception ...

Preparing for an IRS income tax audit When a business owner gets a notice of an IRS audit, a bit of fear is sparked even if his or her records are spotless and well organized. An audit may be time consuming and is always a bit stressful -- and it is just one more thing for an already overscheduled business owner to put on the "to do" list. Small business owners, especially those with high incomes, seem to be the most common target for an IRS Audit according to a report from Transaction Records Access Clearinghouse. What to expect from an audit When the ...

Costs and benefits of personal bankruptcy Many people who are struggling financially wonder if filing for personal bankruptcy is a good solution for them. Whether bankruptcy is right for a person will depend on a number of factors that are unique to each person's situation. Filing bankruptcy can offer several advantages, but it also may have some costs. Advantages of personal bankruptcy The main advantage of bankruptcy is that it offers individuals a chance to start over financially. Most people who file for bankruptcy will be able to get most types of debt completely ...

Foreclosures in Alabama increasing The Alabama foreclosure rate jumped in 2012. According to RealtyTrac, between the months of November 2011 and November 2012 foreclosures in the state reached 2,194 -- a 22 percent increase. The foreclosure filing rate in Alabama in November 2012 was one in 990 homes. Although Alabama still has the 18th lowest foreclosure rate in the country, this uptick indicates that residents need to know what they can do to protect themselves. More people are buying foreclosed homes Foreclosed properties are often sold at a hefty discount; ...

US Supreme Court hears DUI warrantless blood draw case As Americans, we enjoy certain rights spelled out in the United States Constitution. At times, questions regarding how to interpret certain provisions in the Constitution require input from the judiciary. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case involving our Fourth Amendment rights. The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be ...

How the IRS handles collections Tax time is right around the corner, and many people are concerned because they are not able to pay the IRS what they owe. Although ideally it is best to pay your taxes right away, there are options if you are unable to tackle your entire tax bill in one payment. In many cases, you may be able to qualify for an installment agreement. You can make a request with the IRS to make monthly payments on your tax balance by filling out the Installment Agreement Request (Form 9465), which you can find on http://www.irs.gov. Another option ...

Child custody in Maryland Parents dealing with child custody issues may have a stressful time ahead of them. These issues are often emotional and the laws may be confusing. Maryland laws govern child custody and have been enacted with the goal of serving the best interest of the child. What is at stake for the child? Maryland uses the best interests standard when making child custody determinations. The court looks at the best interest factors anytime a child custody decision is made, while also taking into consideration whether any agreements have been made and ...

Atlanta PD accused of using unconstitutional arrest quotas Both the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Georgia establish strong protections against unreasonable searches and arrests by law enforcement. However, for all of the rights these documents endow, they cannot prevent individual officers -- or even entire police departments -- from intentionally disregarding their rules. Unfortunately, over the last several years, many Atlanta residents have been forced to learn this lesson the hard way. In January 2013, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ...

Child custody and visitation options in Massachusetts When couples with children divorce or break up, one of the most pressing questions on everyone's mind is often where the children will live and how their relationships with their parents will be affected. In some cases, parents are able to resolve these questions outside of court and come up with a schedule and parenting plan that meets the needs of everyone involved. However, when parents do not agree on matters of child custody and visitation, they must go to family court and have the disagreement settled by ...

Indictment of Cowboys' Josh Brent shows stiff DUI penalties The Cowboys' season may be over, but the woes continue for Josh Brent, the Cowboys nose tackle who suffered tragedy in December when he overturned the vehicle he and his close friend and teammate Jerry Brown were in. Brown suffered head and neck trauma from the crash and died. Brent has since been indicted on intoxication manslaughter charges. Toxicology reports revealed that Brent had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16, which is twice the legal limit in Texas. In a sad twist, a recent autopsy report revealed ...

A few tips to help protect your business from a lawsuit Business owners want to spend their time building their business, not defending themselves from lawsuits. While a business owner's time is often stretched thin, some legal preparation can go a long way to prevent a business from getting involved in legal quagmires further down the road. Many large businesses conduct annual legal audits to determine unknown legal issues and small businesses should spend some time doing the same. Two of the most common areas of risk for small businesses are employment and intellectual ...

EBI Consultancy, a successful provider of high quality commercial, management and supply chain consulting services in Asia, shares their expertise in the use of high-technology supply chain tools and what businesses could do to cope up with these trends, in a blog post released on January 18, 2013. They have listed down three (3) important tools for improving the reliability of the supply chain by increasing the visibility of goods scattered across the network through a better flow of information and using technology to improve the supply chain process. EBI stated ...

Reichle & De-Massari (R&M) Middle East, Turkey and Africa, the Swiss structured cabling specialist, has announced a strong performance during 2012 posting double digit growth in the region during the last 12 months. During this period, the company nearly doubled its staff strength, inaugurated a new regional office in Saudi Arabia and opened the region's first-of-its-kind patch cord assembly facility at its headquarters in Dubai. This continued investment in the region and industry-leading Swiss quality has led to impressive results for the cabling specialist. The ...

Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. (President and CEO: Kengo Sakurada; hereinafter, gSompo Japanh) announces that the company has joined the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot established by the World Bank (President: Jim Yong Kim). The program aims to reduce the natural disaster risks of Pacific Island countries, which are vulnerable to catastrophic damages caused by major cyclones and tsunamis whose frequency is increasing in recent years. 1. Background of Sompo Japanfs Participation in Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot Major natural disasters, including ...

A team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California recently embarked upon a study to help determine the causes of insomnia among premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The team conducted phone interviews with 982 women and gathered information about their sleep history, frequency of hot flashes, and overall health. They found that 51% of postmenopausal women suffer with hot flashes and that 79% of premenopausal women have them. Among the women with the most intense hot flashes (based on their severity and frequency), 81% of them experienced ...

News this month from the Malaga Developer's Association reveals that the Russians have overtaken the Germans to become the second largest international home buying audience on the Costa del Sol. Marbella agent Spanish Hot Properties believes this is a trend to continue. Nick Stuart, Director of Spanish Hot Properties, says, "Russians now make up 9% of foreign property purchases leaving the Germans trailing with 7%. This is still minimal in comparison to the Brits who lead the way with 35% but, in my opinion, the start of a greater wave of Russian clients on the ...

"We have recognized a need for aerial photography services throughout Georgia and have responded to fulfill this need by expanding our service area", explains Michael. Aerial photography has many uses in today's world whether the user needs creative marketing strategies, thorough and accurate documentation such as in land disputes or traffic accidents, project analysis, environmental impacts, or advertising campaigns. These aerial photos provide a very impressive and detailed view of the entire project from a bird's eye perspective. "We are extremely excited ...