Going against the flow is always a challenge, but some waterfall-climbing fish have adapted to their extreme lifestyle by using the same set of muscles for both climbing and eating, according to research published January 4 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Richard Blob and colleagues from Clemson University. The Nopili rock-climbing goby is known to inch its way up waterfalls as tall as 100 meters by using a combination of two suckers; one of these is an oral sucker also used for feeding on algae. In this study, the researchers filmed jaw muscle movement in these ...

A person's style of speech — not just the pitch of his or her voice — may help determine whether the listener perceives the speaker to be male or female, according to a University of Colorado Boulder researcher who studied transgender people transitioning from female to male. The way people pronounce their "s" sounds and the amount of resonance they use when speaking contributes to the perception of gender, according to Lal Zimman, whose findings are based on research he completed while earning his doctoral degree from CU-Boulder's linguistics department. Zimman, who ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– While legions of medical researchers have been looking to understand the genetic basis of disease and how mutations may affect human health, a group of biomedical researchers at UC Santa Barbara is studying the metabolism of cells and their surrounding tissue, to ferret out ways in which certain diseases begin. This approach, which includes computer modeling, can be applied to Type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. Scientists at UCSB have published groundbreaking results of a study of Type 2 diabetes ...

The most comprehensive retrospective study ever conducted comparing how the major types of prostate cancer treatments stack up to each other in terms of saving lives and cost effectiveness is reported this week by a team of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Appearing in the British Journal of Urology International, the work analyzed 232 papers published in the last decade that report results from clinical studies following patients with low-, intermediate- and high-risk forms of prostate cancer who were treated with one or more of the ...

LA JOLLA, Calif., January 4, 2013 – In many cases, obesity is caused by more than just overeating and a lack of exercise. Something in the body goes haywire, causing it to store more fat and burn less energy. But what is it? Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have a new theory—a protein called p62. According to a study the team published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, when p62 is missing in fat tissue, the body's metabolic balance shifts—inhibiting "good" brown fat, while favoring "bad" white fat. These findings indicate that p62 might ...

CYBER SECURITY -- Thwarting threats . . . Many of the nation's foremost authorities on cyber security will gather in Oak Ridge Jan. 8-12 for the inaugural Cyber Sciences Laboratory workshop. The event will feature 10 plenary keynotes, including Richard Clarke, author of "CYBER WAR: The Next Threat to National Security and What to do About it." Also on the agenda are four plenary panels, 44 research talks and 20 research posters. Researchers from nine Department of Energy laboratories will focus on emerging strategies for cost-effective deterrents to cyber attacks. "The ...

What does pulling a radar-equipped sled across the Arctic tundra have to do with improving our understanding of climate change? It's part of a new way to explore the little-known world of permafrost soils, which store almost as much carbon as the rest of the world's soils and about twice as much as is in the atmosphere. The new approach combines several remote-sensing tools to study the Arctic landscape—above and below ground—in high resolution and over large spatial scales. It was developed by a group of researchers that includes scientists from the U.S. Department of ...

Cyclone Dumile is on a solo journey in a southeasterly direction over the open waters of the Southern Indian Ocean over the weekend of Jan. 5 and 6. NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning visible image of Dumile as it left La Reunion and Mauritius behind. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning visible image of Tropical Cyclone Dumile on Jan. 4, 2013 at 1020 UTC (5:20 a.m. EST) as it moved away from La Reunion Island and Mauritius. The MODIS image showed a tight swirl of clouds around Dumile's ...

Sonamu has left the Philippines and Palawan behind and NASA satellite imagery showed the storm intensified into a tropical storm while moving through the easternmost South China Sea. At Jan. 4, 2013 at 0535 UTC (12:35 a.m. EST), a visible image of Tropical Storm Sonamu was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that some animated infrared satellite imagery shows central convection persisting over the low level circulation center and some fragmented ...

NEW YORK (Jan. 4, 2013) -- A cocktail of three specific genes can reprogram cells in the scars caused by heart attacks into functioning muscle cells, and the addition of a gene that stimulates the growth of blood vessels enhances that effect, said researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College, Baylor College of Medicine and Stony Brook University Medical Center in a report that appears online in the Journal of the American Heart Association. "The idea of reprogramming scar tissue in the heart into functioning heart muscle was exciting," said Dr. Todd K. Rosengart, chair ...

TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 4, 2013) – Researchers from the University of South Florida and colleagues at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital studying the long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) using rat models, have found that, overtime, TBI results in progressive brain deterioration characterized by elevated inflammation and suppressed cell regeneration. However, therapeutic intervention, even in the chronic stage of TBI, may still help prevent cell death. Their study is published in the current issue of the journal PLOS ONE. "In the U.S., an estimated 1.7 ...

Pennsylvania Court Denies Disability Benefits in Misconduct Case A Pennsylvania court ruled recently that a worker who had been injured on the job was not entitled to receive total disability benefits after she was later terminated for alcohol-related misconduct. The court's decision in BJ Wholesale Club v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board could affect the ability of other injured Pennsylvania workers to receive workers' compensation benefits when they are terminated for misconduct unrelated to an injury that would otherwise entitle them to benefits. Workers' Compensation ...

The Importance of Parenting Plans When a couple is splitting up, emotions run high and it is easy to get wrapped up in the heat of the moment. But when it comes to what is best for a child, cooler heads should always prevail. In order to ensure that their children's needs always take precedence over parents' emotions, many divorced parents create parenting plans that outline their child custody rights and responsibilities. What Should Be Included in a Parenting Plan? -Custody issues: One of the most important aspects of a parenting plan is outlining who will get ...

Creation of Postnuptial Agreements on the Rise While prenuptial agreements are fairly common, many people are not aware that they may be able to create a postnuptial agreement, which can include a lot of the same information that you would find in a prenuptial agreement, but it is done after the couple has gotten married. In fact, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, from 2002 to 2007, attorneys reported a dramatic increase in the number of postnuptial agreements drafted for their clients. In many cases, couples will have a postnuptial agreement ...

Rebuilding Credit: Getting a Mortgage after Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a way for struggling borrowers to get a fresh start. Qualifying borrowers can have debt forgiven (discharged), reduced or consolidated into affordable payments. Despite the negative impact a bankruptcy can have on a credit score, there are things that can be done to assist with purchasing a home and getting a mortgage after a bankruptcy. Most borrowers find that they may be eligible to apply for a mortgage within one to four years depending on the type of bankruptcy that is filed. FHA or VA loans ...

California beginning to bounce back from housing crisis For those facing foreclosure in California there is hope. According to RealtyTrac, California has some of the highest rates of foreclosure in the country, but cities in the state are seeing substantial declines in the number of foreclosures. The California legislature changed the laws in July and provided more protections for struggling homeowners. California hit hard by housing crisis California was hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and the state is still struggling with very high rates even though the rates ...

How Social Security Disability's compassionate allowances work Over the last few years, the Social Security Administration has taken steps to fast-track the application process for Social Security Disability Insurance for individuals whose conditions are obviously disabling. The decision to fast-track an application is known as a compassionate allowance and can provide disability benefits more quickly to those who are clearly in need. Compassionate allowances provided for those with certain conditions To be eligible for a compassionate allowance, applicants must ...

Social Security benefits may improve life after disability Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, can provide additional income to those permanently disabled and no longer able to work and who are receiving workers' compensation, private insurance or other disability benefits. In fact, SSDI benefits have numerous advantages over other disability benefits and can be a good addition to a disabled worker's financial support. SSDI may extend health care coverage One of the most important benefits SSDI may provide is an extension of COBRA health care insurance ...

New Bill in Utah May Change How Alimony Is Calculated Divorce is a complicated legal process that deals with a wide range of issues. Depending on the couple, a divorce proceeding may need to address child custody, whether alimony should be distributed and how to divide property. Each of these issues is fairly complex on its own, and the laws surrounding them are often changing. In fact, another change may be on the horizon. Currently, legislators in Utah are taking a second look at how the state handles the issue of alimony determinations in divorce. Sen. Lyle ...

Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities on the Rise Walking and biking are excellent transportation methods. Traveling as a pedestrian is healthy, inexpensive and uses up fewer global resources than driving. Perhaps that is why pedestrian travel has risen in public awareness in recent years, and why communities across the U.S. are attempting to increase the accessibility of bike and walking areas for the public. With the increasing number of pedestrians on the road comes an increasing need for pedestrian safety. Overall traffic deaths are down from previous years, with the ...

Majority of Drunk Drivers in Fatal Accidents Have a High BAC The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes that 7,000 lives could be saved annually in the U.S. if no one drove with a blood-alcohol content higher than 0.08. But because many do, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there is one alcohol-related death every 51 minutes in the United States. The vast majority of alcohol-related traffic deaths -- over 70 percent -- are caused by drivers with a BAC of 0.15 or higher, approximately twice the level at which all states presume ...

New York lawmakers push for ignition interlocks on school buses Recently two school bus drivers were accused of driving a bus while intoxicated. One driver crashed a bus with five children on board into a house after he passed out behind the wheel. None of the children suffered injuries. Another driver was arrested for driving a school bus while drunk. A half-empty bottle of vodka was found in the school bus upon his arrest, and his blood alcohol content was .23. Although school bus drivers are rarely arrested for driving while intoxicated, some New York politicians ...

New York toughens domestic violence laws New York residents feel that domestic violence is a serious issue and recently enacted legislation attempts to strengthen domestic violence laws in New York. Details of the new domestic violence laws State lawmakers say the new legislation fills gaps within the current laws and provides additional protection to domestic violence victims. The new law focuses on the ability of offenders to repeatedly abuse their victims without serious consequences, one of the primary issues with domestic violence. Under the new law, domestic ...

Who Needs an Estate Plan? Some people believe that only the very wealthy need to bother with estate planning. However, estate planning is more than just an effort to minimize the taxes that heirs pay on large inheritances. Everyone needs an estate plan, and Massachusetts residents should understand the basic elements an estate plan should include. Why Does Everyone Need an Estate Plan? Estate plans do more than just distribute assets, which is why all adults need estate plans. Once a person turns 18 years old, he or she should create a basic estate plan. As a person ...

Since the days of hard rock on music television, Wales based band Tigertailz have been at the forefront of UK issued hard rock music. With a dozen official band releases, countless spins on FM radio and more concert performences than a fan can count, Tigertailz has earned their legendary rock and roll status. Now on board with the Los Angeles, California based All Hard Rock Music Promotion Company, every Tigertailz purchase made through http://www.allhardrock.com gives something more. It offers hope and care. In 2007, co-founder and bass player for Tigertailz, Pepsi ...