WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Nov. 13, 2012 – The U.S. preterm birth rate dropped for the fifth consecutive year in 2011 to 11.7 percent, the lowest in a decade, giving thousands more babies a healthy start in life and saving billions in health and social costs. Four states – Vermont, Oregon, New Hampshire, and Maine earned an "A" on the March of Dimes 2012 Premature Birth Report Card as their preterm birth rates met the March of Dimes 9.6 percent goal. Although, the US preterm birth rate improved, it again earned a "C" on the Report Card. "These results demonstrate that many ...

European researchers have published a study which analyses the health economics of increased dairy foods and related reduction in risk of osteoporotic fractures in the population aged over 50. The study was based on a new analytical model that links nutrition and fracture risk, and health economics. It was based on data from the Netherlands, France and Sweden, countries which have varying levels of dairy product intake in the population. Study co-author Professor René Rizzoli, Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Bone Disease at the University Hospitals ...

It's a simple, transparent acrylic plate – nothing embedded within it and nothing printed on its surface. Place it at a certain angle between a white wall and a light source, and a clear, coherent image appears of the face of Alan Turing, the famous British mathematician and father of modern computer science. There's no magic here; the only thing at work is the relief on the plaque's surface and a natural optical phenomenon known as a "caustic," which researchers in EPFL's Computer Graphics and Geometry Laboratory have succeeded in bending to their will. Their research ...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan (November 13, 2012) – As newly elected or reelected national leaders consider paths forward for continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act, an innovative, locally-implemented program focused on reducing disparities in diabetes is releasing a new set of policy considerations to help inform decisions on national health policy. The Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes, a national program launched and supported by The Merck Company Foundation, released "Policy Considerations That Make the Link," that offers policymakers options for ways ...

Are there risks involved in using a debt settlement company? In Kentucky and across the country, many Americans are struggling to pay their bills, often accumulating large debts in the process. When faced with mounting debts, it can be difficult for people to know how best to tackle the problem. When someone does not have enough money coming in to pay for necessities, finding a way to put a stop to the ever-increasing bills can seem difficult, if not impossible. Unfortunately, some companies are seeking to exploit those in difficult financial situations by making ...

Buying a home in New York City: co-op or condo? The decision to purchase a home is always a complicated one. However, in the New York City housing market, the process can be even more convoluted. In addition to deciding what neighborhood to live in, how much space they need and how much they can afford to pay, purchasers must also make the important decision between buying a co-op or a condo. In many ways, condos and co-ops are very similar. Both involve buying into a common-interest housing development. However, purchasers of condos and co-ops are buying different ...

Not All "Smiles" For Those Charged Under Florida Synthetic Drug Bans There's a new designer drug on Florida's streets, and it's got concerned citizens in an uproar. Known as "smiles," the new synthetic compound has been linked to violent behavior and even several deaths. Makers of synthetic drugs are constantly working to create new chemical compounds that stay ahead of laws that ban specific substances. But as the law becomes more complex, store owners who sell potpourri, incense and other seemingly innocuous substances have to be increasingly ...

Attorney Andrew Weinstein, managing partner and founder of the South Florida-based Weinstein Law Firm (www.weinstein-law.com) recently spoke as a guest lecturer at the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center. Andrew's presentation, given to students in the Electoral Process class, focused on Federal campaign finance law and his experiences serving as a member of President Obama's National Finance Committee and as a national co-chair of Lawyers for Obama. "It was an honor to be asked to speak to the students and to share my experience with federal ...

Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind (DLB) today announced that the recent award of a Compensation and Productivity Improvement (CPI) grant from National Industries of the Blind (NIB) to update equipment, upgrade software and obtain training for employees, has resulted in surpassing customer expectations for a contact center by increasing daily call volume productivity by 40 percent. "Currently, the employees working on this project are exceeding the customer's expectations by placing more than 20,000 calls per month with a success rate of 70 percent," said DLB ...

Author and poet Alyce Wilson hopes her short story about a woman who gets supernatural help to find love will be the magic key to win America's Next Author 2012. Wilson is competing with over 350 writers to win the most reader votes and social media mentions. The winner will receive $5,000 and a chance at publication. Wilson's story, "Dating Safari," follows a 30-something office worker who's been unlucky with romance. Thanks to a pendant, which may or may not contain magical powers, the protagonist uncovers truths about herself and her taste in men. But will ...

This summer, Poggi Bonsi, a woman-owned independent retailer specializing in imported ceramics and gourmet kitchenware, was selected by the Italian Trade Commission, Artex, and Promozione Toscana as one of 15 stores from across the country to participate in "Tuscan Home." This promotion was developed to enable small artisan manufacturers in Tuscany to connect with independent retail store owners in the United States. The "Tuscan Home" event featuring newly arrived Tuscan ceramics, hand selected during the promotion this summer, will run December 9-13, ...

For a firm that prides itself on recognizing leading entrepreneurs in the real estate market, welcoming Bostonian realtor John Yu has been Realty Direct's most recent gratifying achievement. And think twice before disagreeing with them - Yu is a former competitor turned ally. "John has sold over 20 million dollars worth of homes; I've seen his marketing everywhere and competed with John for years," said Tom Truong, Realty Direct President. "I'm glad that we're now on the same team." John's fascination with realty began at an early age with numerous ...

Comedy Hypnotist Don Barnhart's New Documentary Reefer Rendum Explores America's Prohibition On Marijuana "The movie was inspired while I was performing my hypnosis shows in Colorado and they passed Amendment 64 legalizing the recreational use of marijuana", states Barnhart. "My hypnosis CDs are already featured in many of the medical marijuana clinics as another alternative source of both physical and mental health". Barnhart's comedic background takes a humorous approach to the controversial subject with interviews by celebrities, law enforcement, ...

Star Kids Products today announced the launch of Play-n-Go, an affordable and portable educational entertainment center for children 6 - 24 months to be used on the road or in the air. The invention of the Play-n-Go (MSRP $24.99) was originally the result of a mother's desire to create a form of entertainment for infants and toddlers during air travel. Recruiting the help of her sister, the two women drew on their 20+ years of experience in child-rearing and education to create a portable, entertainment play center designed especially for toddlers and young children ...

As announced earlier this year, LearnCamtasia.com held a contest for interested videographers. The aim of the contest was to show off their screencasting skills and creativity using TechSmith software. Entries were judged on creativity, quality, entertainment value and usefulness to target market. The top 3 winning videos were: * 1st place - "Aerobic Interval Training Exercise For Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Vascular Dementia" by Usuff Omar, Australia * 2nd place - "Top Five-ish Screencasting Tips" by Ron Hogue, United States * 3rd place ...

Rancho Santa Fe Estate and Fine Jewelry located at 6024 Paseo Delicias in Rancho Santa Fe will be donating 10% of all sales proceeds through December 31, 2012 to the non-profit organization, Friends of San Pasqual Academy. Friends of San Pasqual Academy assists foster teens of San Diego County in their endeavor to become confident, productive, educated, successful adults. Rancho Santa Fe Estate and Fine Jewelry specializes in a variety of services including expert cleaning, re-sizing, jewelry and watch repair, custom jewelry design, pearl re-stringing, appraisal, and acquisition ...

Ms. Donna L. Quesinberry, CEO | President of DonnaInk Publications, announced successful negotiation in signing author Edwin Hung and his title, "God and the Vending Machine." Donna states, "Author Edwin Hung asks provocative questions concerning the Trinity, God and Systems of Belief. At DonnaInk Publications, while we may not agree with every author's opine - we do maintain a rational affinity toward discourse and discussion on topics of relevancy to intellectual thinking. We believe Mr. Hung presents a solid composition for inquisitive minds throughout ...

The scene unfolds as a Phoenix based dog-lover steps onboard the deluxe motorcoach with his dog Murphy. The tour operator's four-legged "Ambassadog" greets them with a welcome gift and friendly sniff as their plush seats await ready to transport them in comfort to a Fido-friendly destination. Murphy enjoys the onboard dog-centric entertainment, the views of the passing countryside and his human companion seated next to him for the duration of the trip. After a relaxing journey, the coach arrives and dog-lover and pup are ready to sniff out some new fun-filled ...

Don McCauley of the Free Publicity Focus Group and Danielle Hampson of eBroadcastMedia.com, founders of Book Marketing, announced today The Authors Show radio and TV weekly broadcast schedule. Book Marketing, branded as 'The Authors Marketing Powerhouse', allows authors and publishers the opportunity to upload photos, bios, book covers, video and book videos. The site also offers discussion forums, segmented special interest groups and allows for event listings. Each author can develop a personalized page. In addition the site allows for integration with Facebook and ...

Clean Control Corporation is proud to announce that five of their Earth Choice products meet the criteria of GS-37, the Green Seal standard for institutional and industrial cleaners. Green Seal is the premier independent ecolabel in the United States. Products that earn the Green Seal Mark are among the greenest cleaning products available on the market. The certification licenses Clean Control Corporation to use the Green Seal Mark on 5 of the 11 Earth Choice products, all of which are available online at HDSupplySolutions: 1. Earth Choice Bathroom Cleaner Concentrate 2. Earth ...

Metalogix, the leader in providing high-performance content infrastructure software that transforms the way organizations manage terabytes of business content on Microsoft SharePoint, Exchange and Cloud platforms, today announced the availability of Content Matrix 6.0, the most powerful way to upgrade, migrate and continuously organize SharePoint content. Going beyond basic Microsoft upgrade and site organization tools, this solution delivers unprecedented power and speed as well as the flexibility to upgrade to SharePoint 2013 from any previous version of SharePoint (2003, ...

The number of small and mid-sized California businesses sold last month increased by 6.7% over the deal count during the same month last year, it was announced by the BizBen Index. The company said 1,395 small firms changed hands in the state, compared to 1,307 deals completed during October 2011. "It's the second month in a row that we've experienced an increase compared to the same month last year," said Peter Siegel, MBA, Founder and President of BizBen.com, a California business for sale website that is the parent of the BizBen Index. "But we still ...

"No one likes to go to court except the lawyers," says attorney Steven Taitz of the Long Island law firm Roe Taroff Taitz & Portman, LLP. It takes time from a busy executive's day and it puts them in a spot where they have little or no control of events. It can be unnerving for the uninitiated. And no one likes the kind of spotlight a courtroom can shine. To help business owners, executives and individuals better prepare for those unwanted court appearances Taitz has shared Seven Courtroom Secrets Every Executive Should Know. "As an attorney who has ...

Visix, Inc. has added a new 10-inch option to their MeetingMinder interactive room signs line. The 1000i interactive display has a sleek white and brushed aluminum design for a modern approach to meeting room management. "This model provides a smaller, widescreen option for our many room sign customers in the convention and higher education markets," says Sean Matthews, President of Visix. "The contemporary design and PoE option are direct results of client feedback, and we'll continue to incorporate client requests in our product development plans." MeetingMinder ...

PosePrints.com, the online shop specializing in look-alike caricature stationery, has announced the addition of a new line of holiday card designs. The new, festive designs complement an already impressive selection of over sixty different card options. At PosePrints.com, visitors use a custom scrolling mechanism to create their own look-alike caricatures for custom holiday cards, party invitations, personalized gifts and other stationery products. The easy-to-use website allows visitors to put together a look-alike caricature (or "pose") of themselves and ...