A study to be published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on Tuesday, October 23, examined whether crude oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the dispersant used on it, or a combination of the two might affect the microbes of the human digestive tract. The researchers found that although high concentrations of oil combined with dispersant are detrimental to these helpful microbial communities, the low to undetectable concentrations typically found in Gulf shellfish had no discernable effect. "The oil and the ...

Daejeon, Republic of Korea, October 23, 2012—Fuels including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel are derived from fossil oil thorough the petroleum refinery processes. Increased concerns over environmental problems and limited fossil resources drive scientists and researchers to turn their attention to developing fossil-free, bio-based processes for the production of fuels from renewable non-food biomass. Utilizing systems metabolic engineering, a Korean research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has succeeded in demonstrating an optimized ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It's time to establish a national network for wildlife conservation, bringing together state, federal and private initiatives to coordinate planning and work toward common goals, 11 prominent wildlife biologists and policy experts write in the journal BioScience. Vicky Meretsky of Indiana University and her co-authors say established state wildlife programs provide "strong building blocks" for such a network. But they make a forceful argument that national cooperation and coordination are needed to protect at-risk wildlife species and habitat and ...

Artificial muscles and self-propelled goo may be the stuff of Hollywood fiction, but for UC Santa Barbara scientists Omar Saleh and Deborah Fygenson, the reality of it is not that far away. By blending their areas of expertise, the pair have created a dynamic gel made of DNA that mechanically responds to stimuli in much the same way that cells do. The results of their research were published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This is a whole new kind of responsive gel, or what some might call a 'smart' material," said Saleh, associate professor ...

When people think about their credit, they often think only of the number that corresponds to their credit score. However, a credit score is simply a bare-bone representation of the information contained in another, potentially more important part of a person's credit profile: his or her credit report. Context Matters A credit report can be even more important than a person's credit score because it provides context for the credit score and shows how an individual got to a particular point in their credit history, rather than just a snapshot of where the individual ...

How to Avoid Tax Audits When Running a Small Business Contrary to popular misconception, small businesses are frequently targeted by the Internal Revenue Service for tax audits. As anyone who has ever been through a tax audit knows, the experience can be a major ordeal -- even for those who have done nothing wrong. Therefore, small-business owners should take the time to learn about the steps they can take to help protect themselves from the risk of being audited by the IRS. Keep Business and Personal Accounts Separate For any small business owner, particularly ...

California DUI Crackdown Nets 95 Arrests in Monterey County California Highway Patrol officers made 95 arrests in Monterey County recently as part of a recent crackdown on driving under the influence. The 18-day initiative, which ended Labor Day at midnight, was part of a statewide effort to cut down on intoxicated driving during the late summer weeks. The next statewide DUI enforcement effort is scheduled to run during the 2012 winter holiday season from mid-December through New Year's Eve. As California law enforcement increases its focus on DUI enforcement, it is ...

What Florida Parents Should Know About Child Custody and Parenting Plans In many divorces, one of the most difficult issues to resolve is which parent gets custody of the children and how often the non-custodial parent will get to see the children. Each parent thinks that he or she knows what is best for the children, and the parents do not always agree on what that is. In some cases, the court has to make the final decision when parents cannot reach agreements. Parents in Florida should be aware of how the court makes custody determinations and what goes into a Florida ...

Credit Card Debt-Collection Tactics Might Go too Far Texans who are struggling with credit card debt in these difficult economic times may feel overwhelmed. It is important to know that there are legal protections against harassment by debt collectors and that several options, including filing for bankruptcy, are available to help people get a fresh financial start. Harassing Collection Calls Can Be Stopped First, everyday life for people who are plagued by collection calls can become easier. Under the U.S. Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, attorneys and collection ...

Do-It-Yourself Divorce Can Be Dangerous Economic considerations have prompted more people in Washington and across the U. S. to represent themselves in divorce proceedings. People considering divorce should be aware of the dangers of going through a divorce without a lawyer. Self-Representation Rising The number of people acting pro se, or representing themselves, in divorces has increased across the country. In Washington, court records show that 55 percent of divorces without children had at least one spouse representing him or herself. Other states across the ...

DACA Draws Different Reactions From States Regarding Driver's Licenses A central component of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy is to allow those who qualify to receive employment authorization. Despite the policy's objective of providing legal work status to many young immigrants, some state governors have decided to throw a wrench into the policy by denying those who qualify under DACA to apply for drivers' licenses -- anyone who commutes to work knows that a driver's license is a crucial tool in regularly getting to work. Fortunately for those seeking ...

New Jersey Foreclosures Down: Likely Not a Cause For Celebration Second-quarter results were recently released that detailed how the economic crisis is affecting foreclosure rates in New Jersey. Overall, during the second quarter, one out of 11 New Jersey home sales involved a foreclosed property, compared with one out of four nationwide. In addition, the number of New Jersey foreclosure sales decreased by 40 percent from last year. However, the apparent decrease in foreclosures may be no cause for celebration; it may be owing to how the state processes foreclosures, ...

Legal Challenge to Utah Immigration Law Close to Conclusion Since last November, Utah's immigration law, HB497, has been under legal challenge first by civil rights organizations challenging its constitutionality and later the Department of Justice. In short, HB497 gives local police officers authority to investigate and arrest people for perceived immigration violations. Civil rights advocates and federal attorneys assert the law is unconstitutional because it allows the state of Utah to regulate immigration, which is in the federal government's purview. A ruling on ...

Dividing Debt in a California Divorce Dissolving a marriage can be a contentious event. Spouses can have difficulties in deciding how to apportion the possessions they have acquired during the course of the marriage. What can be almost as difficult as dividing assets is dividing the debts the couple has. California is a community property state and that impacts who is responsible for paying debts. People in California considering divorce should be aware of the complexities that can arise in dividing marital debt and some things to be aware of regarding joint credit and ...

Tennessee "No Refusal" DUI Law Now In Effect Tennessee officials passed a new law recently that prevents drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol from refusing to undergo a blood alcohol test. Under the new "No Refusal" law, Tennessee drivers suspected of DUI can be required to submit to a BAC test against their will. Previously, under Tennessee's implied consent law, drivers stopped on suspicion of DUI in Tennessee could have their driver's licenses suspended if they refused to take a BAC test. This is because state law provides ...

Fluid Hose & Coupling, Inc., a major Canadian industrial hose distributor, has introduced Coreblast transfer hose to the North American market. Coreblast is an industrial waste and raw material transfer hose that is highly corrosion and abrasion resistant, allowing extended usage and thereby avoiding constant replacement. Coreblast is used primarily for sandblasting and shot blasting operations as well as blowing coke (iron residue) and mending material into blast furnaces. Also, it is suitable for suction and delivery of a variety of extremely abrasive products. "This ...

Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP), one of Westchester County, New York's largest and longest standing networking organization for business professionals, has just released their new brochure which features information on how WNFP can help businesses and entrepreneurs gain exposure, new customers and getting the word out about company products and services. For the past few months Westchester Networking for Professionals has been continuing the process rebranding their organization, as a part of their extension to rebranding the organization, WNFP has issued ...

The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ, Inc. (HBCSF), a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization based in Teaneck, New Jersey, awarded $40,000 in scholarships and stipends for course-required materials to 19 current college and college-bound Hispanic students. The 2012 scholarship recipients and stipend awardees were drawn throughout the state. From 1993 to the present, the foundation has awarded $365,500 to 139 students throughout the state. The HBCSF has a mission to advance the educational aspirations of Hispanic students so that they may become professionals, ...

"The history of Native Americans is rife with interesting details. For example, there are only a few Native American Tribes that are truly extinct. The Timucua Tribe of North and Central Florida is one of them," said Nicholas W Fuller. Nicholas is the author of Leader of The Tribe, a new Historical Fiction Novel for Middle Grade and Young Adult readers that features Timucua Native Americans as the main characters. Nicholas chose to write about these people in his book to inspire his readers to learn more about them. "I wanted to write about interesting ...

What is better than listening to a 50 piece professional concert band playing adventurous, stimulating and entertaining music? Going on a scavenger hunt through downtown galleries looking for the artwork that "matches" each musical selection! The Sarasota Concert Band opens its 2012 - 2013 season series (The Magic of Music and the Arts) with "The Magic of Music and ART" at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center on November 17th. Each musical selection has been paired with a piece of artwork in one of five downtown art galleries: Art Uptown Gallery (1367 ...

- Cosmetology students at ITS Academy of Beauty, 200 Southwest C Ave. in Lawton are helping folks save money before the holidays without sacrificing beauty in the process. The fall specials at the award-winning cosmetology school include: $5 haircuts, $8 basic nail pedicure, $10 acrylic nails and 20% off all Madrid and Peter Hantz retails products. The special is good through Nov. 11. In addition, the schools offer daily specials on various products and services. "Our fall special is wonderful because folks can look great before the holidays and save money in ...

In 2008, Lee Industries was looking to relocate from Minneapolis, MN to Little Falls, MN. The welding and fabrication shop of 23 employees needed a change. While it is never easy to move an established company, Carol Anderson of Community Development proved to be a positive force in overcoming the challenges of moving from Minneapolis to Little Falls, MN. Additionally, Lee Industries has proven that successful companies are can find growth and stability in greater Minnesota. According to a spokesperson for Lee Industries, the first step was to notify Carol Anderson ...

To celebrate the first year anniversary, Grassroot Diplomat will present the Grassroot Diplomat Initiative Awards to six outstanding diplomats and politicians in the UK. Government nominees are shortlisted for their dedication, commitment and selfless efforts in representing civilian matters at the highest level. Talyn Rahman-Figueroa, Director of Grassroot Diplomat said, "Grassroot diplomacy empowers the voiceless, defines a path for the hopeless, and restores faith to influencers. The Initiative Award seeks to build trust again between the 'us and them' and bring ...

The online web presence of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle has successfully passed two major new milestones. Visitor numbers at Ayrshire Scotland Business News, the Circle's rolling local business news blog, have now passed a quarter of a million. And the Circle's collection of images on Flickr, the photo and video hosting site, has now welcomed more than 100,000 visitors. Frazer Coogans Solicitors senior director and Elite Ayrshire Business Circle executive chairman Norman Geddes commented: "Our Flickr photo collection is a unique archive of some 1,600 ...

Check printing software developer Halfpricesoft.com is pleased to announce the new free promotion of MICR check printing software ezCheckPersonal. Users that need a special check with black cat or witch props for the coming Halloween can get this cheque software for free through TrialPay offer. The new ezCheckPersonal check printing software makes it easy to customize the check layout with logo, different fonts and extra fields. The new blank stock printing feature also enables users to print their new checks on blank stock from their home printer easily and quickly. Designed ...