The press release
archive.

Social Science18 Dec 2012

Dust-plumes power intercontinental microbial migrations

Along with pollutants from Asia, transpacific dust plumes deliver vast quantities of microbes to North America, according to a manuscript published online ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. "We detected thousands of unique microbial species, many of which seem particularly well-suited for atmospheric transport," says first author David J. Smith, a graduate student at the University of Washington, Seattle. "We also detected archaea, a domain of life that has never before been sampled at high altitude. We are just starting to understand ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

RIT scientists decode 3 bacterial strains common to grapevines and sugarcane

Scientists at Rochester Institute of Technology have published the whole genome sequence of bacteria associated with Jamaican sugarcane and Riesling grapevines in the September and November issues of the Journal of Bacteriology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. André Hudson and Michael Savka, professors in RIT's Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences within the College of Science, isolated and identified three bacteria belonging to the genus Enterobacter from Jamaican sugarcane stalk tissue and Methylobacterium and Novosphingobium from grapevines. These ...

Read the release

Technology18 Dec 2012

Notre Dame's Reilly Center highlights emerging ethical dilemmas in science and technology

As a new year approaches, the University of Notre Dame's John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values has announced its first annual list of emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in Science and Technology for 2013. The Reilly Center explores conceptual, ethical and policy issues where science and technology intersect with society from different disciplinary perspectives. Its goal is to promote the advancement of science and technology for the common good. The center generated its first annual list of emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

People with HIV hospitalized less often since combination antiretroviral drug therapy introduced

TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2012—People with HIV are being hospitalized in Ontario significantly less often than they were 15 years ago when combination antiretroviral drug therapy (cART) was introduced, new research has found. However, women with HIV are still hospitalized more than men with HIV as are low-income people with HIV compared with high-income people with HIV, according to a study by Tony Antoniou, a pharmacist and researcher in the Department of Family Medicine at St. Michael's Hospital. Immigrants with HIV who had been in Ontario three years or less had lower rates ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Following Phragmites home

Phragmites australis, an invasive species of plant called common reed, grows rapidly into dense stands of tall plants that pose an extreme threat to Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Early treatment is the key to controlling Phragmites. But how can these invasive reeds be eradicated before they take over their environment if we don't know where they are? Now we do know, thanks to scientists from Michigan Technological University's Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), the US Geological Survey (USGS), Boston College and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). They mapped ...

Read the release

Space18 Dec 2012

NASA sees dangerous category 4 Cyclone Evan lashing Fiji

Cyclone Evan is one of the strongest cyclones to affect Fiji in almost two decades, and NASA satellites are analyzing the storm and providing data on rainfall, cloud height, temperature data and more to forecasters. According to NBC News, over 3,500 people in Fiji went to emergency shelters. Today, Dec. 17, Evan is lashing Fiji, just days after battering Samoa where it killed at least three people and left thousands homeless. On Monday, Dec. 17 many warnings and watches were in effect. A tropical cyclone warning is in effect for Fiji. A Hurricane warning is in effect ...

Read the release

Space18 Dec 2012

A need to look again: TRMM satellite observations of Tropical Cyclone Evan

The radar on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite had observed Tropical Cyclone Evan four times as of Sunday, Dec. 16, and two of those overflights merit a closer examination. On Tuesday, Dec. 11, the TRMM satellite saw Evan about 24 hours before the storm struck American Samoa, and the radar data at first seem incongruous for such a weak system. At the time, Evan was estimated to be less than tropical "cyclone" strength, and had 35 knot (40.2 mph/64.8 kph) surface winds, making it a tropical storm. More specifically, the TRMM radar saw a "complete ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

Univ. of MD School of Medicine to study drug-resistant malaria in Myanmar

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have launched groundbreaking research into the spread of potentially deadly drug-resistant malaria in the developing Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, also known as Burma. The scientists, working as part of a large international team coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), have identified several promising genetic markers that could be used to develop tests to identify and track the spread of the newest type of drug-resistant malaria in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar. The scientists describe these new ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Bullying by childhood peers leaves a trace that can change the expression of a gene linked to mood

This press release is available in French. A recent study by a researcher at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress (CSHS) at the Hôpital Louis-H. Lafontaine and professor at the Université de Montréal suggests that bullying by peers changes the structure surrounding a gene involved in regulating mood, making victims more vulnerable to mental health problems as they age. The study published in the journal Psychological Medicine seeks to better understand the mechanisms that explain how difficult experiences disrupt our response to stressful situations. "Many people ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

Immediate health risk must be weighed against radiation-induced cancer risk

OAK BROOK, Ill. – The lifetime risks of cancer from medical radiation may be overemphasized relative to more immediate health risks, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. Radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT) and other medical sources has drawn considerable media attention in recent years. Stories warning of the dangers often focus on the lifetime risk estimates of radiation-induced cancer from repeat examinations. This approach has limitations, said Pari V. Pandharipande, M.D., M.P.H., abdominal and genitourinary imaging specialist ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

A new breed of stable anti-aromatic compound

AUSTIN, Texas – By synthesizing a stable "antiaromatic" compound, as well as a never before seen intermediate version of that compound, chemists at The University of Texas at Austin have written an important new chapter in the story of modern chemistry. The research was done in collaboration with an international roster of colleagues from Yonsei University in Korea, the University of Hyderbad in India, and Osaka University in Japan. The results were published this week in Nature Chemistry. This particular story began in 1825, when English scientist Michael Faraday ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

Mayo Clinic researchers identify enzyme linked to prostate cancer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida have identified an enzyme specifically linked to aggressive prostate cancer, and have also developed a compound that inhibits the ability of this molecule to promote the metastatic spread of the cancer. Their study, published in the Dec. 18 online edition of Molecular Cancer Research, is the first to link the enzyme PRSS3 to prostate cancer. "This molecule is a protease, which means it digests other molecules. Our data suggests PRSS3 activity changes the environment around prostate cancer cells — perhaps ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Tax evasion in Greece: Billions earned by high-income professionals go untaxed

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY'S HAAS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS –Wide-scale tax evasion in Greece accounts for 28 billion Euros in unreported taxable income –just among the self-employed, according to a new study, "Tax Evasion Across Industries: Soft Credit Evidence from Greece," by Adair Morse, a visiting assistant professor of finance at Berkeley-Haas. At a tax rate of 40 percent, that's a revenue loss responsible for nearly one-third of Greece's deficit in 2009 or almost 50 percent of the deficit in 2008, according to the study co-authored by Margarita Tsoutsoura, ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

New Cell Phone Blocking Technology May Save Lives in Pennsylvania

According to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 416,000 people in the United States were injured and another 3,092 killed in motor vehicle accidents involving a distracted driver in 2010, the last year for which numbers are available. Of all car accidents reported in 2010, approximately 18 percent involved driver distraction. Though driver distraction can take many different forms, texting while driving presents a unique danger because it requires a driver's visual, manual, and cognitive attention. What is worse, the popularity ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Fatal Myrtle Beach Motorcycle Accident Shows Need for Safe Driving

Motorcycling is a big hobby in South Carolina. While the state does not have quite the renown that Sturgis does, South Carolina hosts several motorcycle rallies throughout the year and bikers from across the U.S. attend these events. Unfortunately, South Carolina started the 2012 cycling season with a fatal motorcycle accident in Myrtle Beach, which is a reminder of how necessary it is for motorcyclists and the drivers with whom they share the road to practice safe driving habits. Myrtle Beach Motorcycle Accident Myrtle Beach police reported that a motorcyclist from ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

Medicaid Planning: Plan for Long-Term Care to Save Money for Your Family

Many people have saved for a lifetime in order to leave their home and their savings to their family. However, today it is not enough just to have a will, a health care proxy and a power of attorney in place to protect what you own for your family. Since everyone is living longer, it is important to have a plan in place to shelter what you have so it is not lost to home health care or nursing home costs, but goes to the ones that you love. By making important choices early, there is a road map in place during an emergency. Most people want to stay in their homes as long ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Bankruptcy Requirements in Maryland

Although filing for bankruptcy has previously carried with it a negative stigma, times now are different. With a struggling economy, it only makes sense that individuals would struggle as well and often to no fault of their own. After the decision to file for bankruptcy has been made, certain requirements are imposed by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection act of 2005. Counseling Requirements The first requirement when filing for bankruptcy is to receive pre-bankruptcy counseling. This requirement must actually be completed before bankruptcy has ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Bankruptcy as a Solution for Maryland Residents

Bankruptcy is becoming more and more of an attractive option for many Americans. With today's economy, this is no surprise. Bankruptcy no longer has the negative stigma it once had and is now looked at as an option to create a fresh start for those struggling with debt, often because of hard economic times. Providing Relief When in debt, a person often struggles with phone calls and harassment from debt collectors. At first, these phone calls are from the companies themselves and are typically not too invasive. After a while, however, the companies sell the debt and ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

California Playboy Employee Claims Wrongful Termination

Like most states, California follows "at-will" employment rules for non-contractual employment relationships. What this means is, absent a contract that sets rules to the contrary, either the employer or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, and for nearly any reason. There does not need to be cause to terminate. There are some exceptions to this rule. California employers may not terminate employees for discriminatory reasons or for refusing to participate in illegal activities. Employees who are fired under these circumstances ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Sexual Harassment the Leading Source of Large Discrimination Awards

Many people still think of a lot of workplaces as being "Old Boys Clubs." As such, they think that lewd, harassing or chauvinistic comments are something that has to be tolerated in order to fit in. While sexual harassment in the workplace is unfortunately all too common, no one should ever have to tolerate it. Sexual harassment is not just bad for workplace morale; it is also a serious violation of both California and federal law. Workers who are victimized by discrimination in the workplace have a right to seek financial compensation by bringing discrimination ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Changes to Florida's No-Fault System Limit Benefits for Accident Victims

Recent changes to Florida's auto insurance laws will dramatically reduce the length of time that injured accident victims have to obtain medical care through the state's No-Fault system, as well as reduce the maximum benefit amount in most cases. Under new provisions that will go into effect on January 1, 2013, people seeking Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits in Florida will be required to receive initial medical care and services within 14 days of being injured in a motor vehicle accident. Previously, Florida accident victims had two years to make PIP medical ...

Read the release

Medicine18 Dec 2012

Study: American Women Are Especially Taxed by Medical Bills

Due to the worst economy since the Great Depression, more people than ever either are out of work or are being forced into lower-paying jobs. It is therefore little surprise that more Americans are finding it more difficult to pay their bills. Some of the most common financial obligations that Americans are having difficulties meeting are medical bills and other healthcare costs. One recent study by the Commonwealth Fund says that American women, even if they are insured, are having more trouble paying for medical care than women from other countries. According to the ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Saying: "I do." But not: "What's Mine is Yours"

Prenuptial agreements are becoming more and more common for engaged couples. A prenuptial agreement is a legal contract that is entered between a couple prior to their marriage. The contract inventories each party's assets and debts before entering the marriage and establishes the property rights each spouse has in the event of divorce or if one spouses dies before the other. What's in a prenuptial agreement? A prenuptial agreement sets the couple's expectations and prevents surprises at the time of divorce. Information that may be in the prenuptial agreement includes: ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Massachusetts Couple Balances Divorce and Citizenship Issues

Divorce is never easy, but, as one Massachusetts couple learned, dual citizenship can make matters even more difficult. The wife, a dual citizen of both the United States and Great Britain, decided to split from her husband after moving from London, England to Cambridge, Massachusetts. The couple was not married for very long, did not have children and had no joint property. As a result, their split was relatively easy. Unfortunately, the ease of their split was not common when dual citizenship is involved. Citizenship issues can lead to a myriad of issues during a divorce. Citizenship ...

Read the release

Science18 Dec 2012

Classic Holidays Releases Statistics Supporting Award-Winning Service for Timeshare Owners

Newly released member satisfaction data from Classic Holidays, Australia's largest privately owned timeshare company, has provided confirmation of the company's position as a customer service leader in the Australian timeshare marketplace. Statistics compiled across all of the 14 Classic-managed resorts revealed the following: • 97.3% of guests said their holiday experience met and/or exceeded their expectations • 91.4% said their holiday experience exceeded their expectations • 91% said they would return to their resort in the future • 92.2% would recommend ...

Read the release