Brazil and India pay a high price for rapid economic growth, according to experts speaking at a major international meeting in London, Planet Under Pressure. Between 1990 and 2008, the wealth of these two countries as measured by GDP per capita rose 34% and 120% respectively. But a myopic focus on economic capital is flawed, scientists and economists at the conference argue. Natural capital, the sum of a country's assets, from forests to fossil fuels and minerals, declined 46% in Brazil and 31% in India, according to a new "Inclusive Wealth Indicator" designed to augment ...

Similar to Englishmen in the 17th century, most New Yorkers probably consider their home to be their castle -- a refuge from the world. It is human nature to want to protect our "castles" from intruders. Perhaps rather unsurprisingly, this concept has a legal name called the Castle Doctrine. It is not a defined law, but a set of principles that has been adopted as some form of law in most states, including New York. Castle Doctrine laws allow people to use force, including deadly force if necessary, to protect themselves from intruders into their home, vehicles ...

The Law Offices of Scott Warmuth believes in serving the community through dedicated and professional legal services in the areas of personal injury, immigration, and elder abuse. Representing Southern Californians with easily accessible offices in East and West San Gabriel Valley, the multicultural law firm provides flexibility to its clients by offering services in Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Taiwanese Chinese, English, and Spanish. Over the years, the firm has secured favorable settlements in hundreds of cases and have successfully filed hundreds of visa petitions. ...

The pregnant ichthyosaur female from Holzmaden (Germany) that perished 182 million years ago puzzled researchers for quite some time: The skeleton of the extinct marine reptile is almost immaculately preserved and the fossilized bones of the mother animal lie largely in their anatomical position. The bones of the ichthyosaur embryos, however, are a different story: For the most part, they lie scattered outside the body of the mother. Such peculiar bone arrangements are repeatedly found in ichthyosaur skeletons. According to the broadly accepted scientific doctrine, this ...

Every year, an estimated 250,000 Americans undergo a procedure to replace a damaged hip joint. The new, man-made joints implanted are meant to last problem-free for 15 years or more; yet, in one of the most endemic medical device fiascos in recent memory, one entire category of hip implants is failing at an incredible rate, causing widespread and devastating health consequences. An Overview of Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements An artificial hip implant consists of two components: a socket, and a ball attached to the top of the femur bone that fits inside the socket. ...

Like people bustling around busy cities, the thousands of molecules inside our cells are constantly interacting with each other: turning each other on or off, working together, splitting up and networking. Understanding the countless ways in which they do so is a major challenge in biology, but it is fundamental to understanding life. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and colleagues in the International Molecular Exchange (IMEx) consortium are rising to the challenge by offering researchers a freely available ...

Some Florida homeowners insured through the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (CPIC) may receive some surprising offers from private insurance companies in the coming months. The Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is the insurer of last resort in the state of Florida. It is trying to depopulate its list of insured homeowners by encouraging private insurance companies, known as takeout companies, to take over their policies. The private insurance companies that qualify as takeout companies must be licensed and approved for Florida operation by the Office ...

ABC transporters are membrane proteins that actively pump a wealth of molecules across the membrane. Over 40 different ABC transporters perform vital functions in humans. Genetic defects in ABC transporters can trigger metabolic diseases such as gout, neonatal diabetes or cystic fibrosis, and certain ABC transporters also cause resistance to a wide range of drugs. In tumor cells, increased amounts of ABC transporters that pump chemotherapeutic substances out of the cell are often produced, thus rendering anticancer drugs ineffective. Analogous mechanisms play a key role ...

This press release is available in German. New guidelines on how to save some of Europe's most threatened butterfly species have been published by a team of scientists co-ordinated by Butterfly Conservation Europe. The report covers 29 threatened species listed on the EU Habitats Directive. Each Member State has a responsibility to conserve these species. The new report will provide crucial information on how to achieve this goal and meet their international biodiversity targets. The report entitled "Dos and don'ts for butterflies of the Habitats Directive of the ...

Under the common law, there was no cause of action for wrongful death. This meant that when someone died by the act or omission of another person, no claim could be made. For instance, a wife could not sue someone whose action led to the death of her husband, even though. He would have been able to sue if he had lived. This paradox existed until the legislature took action. Statutory Remedy Wrongful death actions were created by state legislatures to fix this legal loophole and to promote fairness. The problem under the common law was a tortfeasor (one who commits ...

This press release is available in German. Quantum theory describes the world of atoms very precisely. Still, it defies our macroscopic conception of everyday's world due to its many anti-intuitive predictions. The wave-particle dualism probably is the best known example and means that matter may spread and interfere like waves. Now, an international team of researchers has recorded the interference process of individual molecules. The recordings were published by the journal Nature Nanotechnology online. "Seeing how the interference pattern develops with every ...

The complexity of truck accident liability is based on many factors. Federal truck driver regulations, multiple potentially liable parties and serious medical issues can all come into play, all of which make working closely with an experienced personal injury lawyer an important consideration. While many personal injury and wrongful death claims settle before trial, sometimes the case becomes challenging because of the nature of trial practice and the necessity of multiple appeals. A recent Connecticut Supreme Court opinion, Saleh v. Ribeiro Trucking reveals the extent ...

A New Jersey Assembly Bill recently introduced an amendment to add "possession" of child pornography to the ever-growing list of offenses in which a conviction requires registration as a sex offender under New Jersey's Megan's Law. New Jersey Megan's Law and Child Pornography Megan's Law in New Jersey requires individuals convicted of certain sex-related offenses to register with the state as sex offenders. Those required to register must keep law enforcement officials informed of various aspects of their life, including their address and where they work ...

In their efforts to render cars and trains more economical, manufacturers are trying to find lighter materials to replace those currently used. But there is a problem: Lighter materials tend not to be as tough as steel or aluminum, so they cannot simply be used in place of these metals. Rather, it is a question of manufacturers deciding which components can really afford to have weight shaved off and how to integrate them into the overall systems. Working together with Bombardier GmbH, KraussMaffei Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Bayer MaterialScience AG, DECS GmbH, the DLR's ...

Every day we hear about dangerous drugs and medical devices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) routinely reports on investigations, warnings, injuries and recalls. Unfortunately much of the press surrounding these drugs and devices fails to highlight the fact that a growing number of these products are injuring one specific group, women. Drugs like bisphosphonates, birth control medications as well as devices like transvaginal mesh and metal-on-metal hip implants are created for and/or marketed toward women. All of these products have had ongoing reports of ...

Anglers are required to use circle hooks in some fishing tournaments because they are less likely to cause lethal injuries in billfish, such as marlin. However, research from North Carolina State University shows that broadening circle hook requirements could adversely impact charter and recreational fishing, since they make it more difficult to catch non-billfish. "We wanted to know whether circle hooks are effective as conventional J hooks when angling for non-billfish – such as yellowfin tuna – in North Carolina waters," says Paul Rudershausen, a research assistant ...

A federal district court judge recently indicated that her court is preparing to schedule for trial almost one hundred cases involving the diabetes drug Avandia. The lawsuits revolve around allegations that the use of Avandia - manufactured by drug-maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) - can lead to an increased risk of heart attacks. Problems Associated with Avandia Use Avandia, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, gained FDA approval in 1999. The active ingredient in Avandia makes the body more sensitive to insulin, resulting in reduced blood sugar levels. However, as early ...

New Rochelle, NY -- A novel method for printing human cells onto surfaces in defined patterns can help advance research on tissue engineering and regeneration, as described in an article in Tissue Engineering, Part C, Methods, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc (http://www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online at the Tissue Engineering website (http://www.liebertpub.com/ten). "Cell printing is one of the breakthrough technologies that will make the application of stem cells for tissue engineering feasible," says John Jansen, DDS, PhD, ...

In an effort to rein in the growing costs of health care, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are backing a bill known as the HEALTH Act. The legislation seeks to bring down health care costs by capping "non-economic" damages -- these are damages awarded for injuries that are not easily quantifiable, such as pain and suffering -- to $250,000 in medical malpractice cases. This type of measure is commonly referred to as "tort reform." The theory is that large awards in medical malpractice cases are driving up the cost of health care. And, ...

Acetaminophen, more commonly known as Tylenol, is a powerful analgesic often taken to lessen the effects of headaches, fevers, sore throats and other painful conditions. In addition to Tylenol, acetaminophen can be found in prescription pain relievers such as Vicodin and Percocet and over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as Nyquil. Though acetaminophen can ease the symptoms of chronic pain or illness, it has also been proven to be an extremely dangerous drug. Many people tend to take more painkiller than is recommended by doctors, pharmacists or medicine labels. For ...

Almost as a rite of spring, bicyclists will soon begin emerging on the streets of Chicago to signal the end of another long winter in the Windy City. Bicyclists are regularly seen on city streets, as many commute to work or enjoy what the city has to offer. However, they are sometimes seen as being out of place. Some motorists view bicyclists as pedestrians on two wheels since they are not powerful enough to be motorcycles, but in fact, bicyclists generally have to follow the same rules that cars do. This confusion has led to a number of bicycle accidents in Chicago - often ...

New Rochelle, NY -- Online romance scams, a new form of cybercrime, is under-reported and increasing, and has victimized an estimated 230,000 people in England, costing them nearly $60 billion a year, according to an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online at the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website at www.liebertpub.com/cyber. "This crime is very serious and unfortunately often overlooked. The costs to the victim are both hidden (emotional) ...

Atlanta limousine service Topper Worldwide reminds wedding parties to book their Atlanta wedding limo early to ensure that you are able to get the car and service you need for your wedding party. "Wedding season is a busy time for limo services in Atlanta," notes Danny Bacher, CEO of Atlanta limo service Topper Worldwide. "If a wedding party waits until the last minute, they may find their Atlanta wedding transportation options limited. To ensure that you have the best car from the best company, you need to book the limo for your wedding as soon as date ...

More than one billion stars in the Milky Way can be seen together in detail for the first time in an image captured by astronomers. Scientists created the colour picture by combining infra-red light images from telescopes in the northern and southern hemispheres. Large structures of the Milky Way galaxy, such as gas and dust clouds where stars have formed and died, can be seen in the image. The picture represents part of a 10-year project involving scientists from the UK, Europe and Chile, who gathered data from the two telescopes. The information has been processed ...

PHILADELPHIA — Treatments for childhood cancers are increasingly successful with cure rates approaching 80%, but success often comes with a downside for the surviving men: the cancer treatments they received as boys can leave them sterile as adults. Now, a research team led by Ralph Brinster of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has completed a 14-year experiment that gives hope for a technique that could restore their fertility. Brinster is the Richard King Mellon Professor of Reproductive Physiology at Penn Vet and was recently awarded the ...