RICHMOND, Va. (May 10, 2012) – Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a study by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers. These findings, published in the May issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, advance research in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI), enabling researchers to better understand what brain structural ...

Regenerating sensory hair cells, which produce electrical signals in response to vibrations within the inner ear, could form the basis for treating age- or trauma-related hearing loss. One way to do this could be with gene therapy that drives new sensory hair cells to grow. Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have shown that introducing a gene called Atoh1 into the cochleae of young mice can induce the formation of extra sensory hair cells. Their results show the potential of a gene therapy approach, but also demonstrate its current limitations. The extra ...

Leighmans.com, one of the leading providers of corporate gifts and branded merchandise in the UK, has been recognised at this year's "Lions' Lair" business innovation awards. The Lions' Lair judging panel this year awarded first place to the new Leighmans product the 'iPrint', an adhesive strip which is fitted to mobile devices and phones to let people use them in wet weather and when wearing bulky gloves. Leighmans reports that the iPrint has been a huge success with its customers - companies which have mobile workers and staff members who commute have ...

MADISON – Drawing on powerful computational tools and a state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscope, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison and Iowa State University materials science and engineering researchers has discovered a new nanometer-scale atomic structure in solid metallic materials known as metallic glasses. Published May 11 in the journal Physical Review Letters, the findings fill a gap in researchers' understanding of this atomic structure. This understanding ultimately could help manufacturers fine-tune such properties of metallic glasses ...

With spring and summer comes the renewed enjoyment of swimming. Few activities are more attractive to children than swimming and swimming pools. However, parents can never really relax when children are in the water, especially those with young children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that, "drowning is the leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4, and three children die every day as a result of drowning." Simply because your children are no longer toddlers does not mean they are without risk, drowning remains ...

Back in the day, couples would meet at family gatherings, parties, bars or church outings. Today, in an age of electronic connectivity, old-fashioned courtship can seem quaint. Like so much else, dating has gone digital, and more and more people are turning to online dating sites to find love -- often successfully. Of course, the Web contains dangers as well as opportunities. Internet crimes are not an urban myth. But excessive concern about so-called predators should not lead to excessive infringement of the right to free speech and association, either. In one recent ...

Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer where the plasma cells in the bone marrow grow out of control, causing damage to bones as well as predisposing patients to anemia, infection and kidney failure. A medical procedure called autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, commonly known as a stem cell transplant, is frequently an important treatment option for many patients. Unfortunately, multiple myeloma continues to progress even after a transplant. A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine offers promising news about a new long-term therapy, ...

The media have drawn attention to the problem of brain injuries in teens by focusing on the increased likelihood of receiving such injuries from participation in contact sports like football and hockey. After all, males between the ages of 14 and 24 are at the highest risk of sustaining a brain injury. Team sports are not the cause of the majority of those injuries, though; teenagers are far more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury during a motor vehicle collision than a football game. According to information provided by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, ...

Cancer therapies targeting specific molecular subtypes of the disease allow physicians to tailor treatment to a patient's individual molecular profile. But scientists are finding that in many types of cancer the molecular subtypes are more varied than previously thought and contain further genetic alterations that can affect a patient's response to therapy. A UNC-led team of scientists has shown for the first time that lung cancer molecular subtypes correlate with distinct genetic alterations and with patient response to therapy. These findings in pre-clinical models ...

Irvine, Calif., May 11, 2012 – Undocumented Latino youth in the U.S. face futures clouded by fewer rights than their documented peers and the constant fear of deportation. Such status constraints usually aren't fully understood until young adulthood, said UC Irvine anthropologist Leo Chavez, and the awareness often serves as a catalyst for political and civic involvement. "Rites of passage common to American youth – getting a driver's license, traveling, working and applying to college – are either denied, unattainable or dangerous to pursue for undocumented immigrants," ...

Sometimes the most difficult tasks for workers do not involve high-impact activities like handling equipment or moving loads. In America's information-based, desk-dependent economy, many workers have difficulty enduring the work day due to chronic back pain or repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. The aches and sharp pains that accompany certain medical problems involving the spine, shoulders and wrists can make a day spent at the keyboard in an office chair a difficult test of endurance. This pain takes a terrible toll on productivity for afflicted ...

SAN ANTONIO (May 11, 2012) — The naked mole rat, a curiously strange, hairless rodent, lives many years longer than any other mouse or rat. Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio's Barshop Institute of Longevity and Aging Studies continue to explore this mystery. On May 2 a Barshop Institute team reported that the naked mole rat's cellular machines for protein disposal — called proteasome assemblies — differ in composition from those of other short-lived rodents. The study is in the journal PLoS ONE. This is the first report of the molecular ...

Nearly every driver knows the sinking feeling that comes after seeing the railroad crossing arms drop just as you are about to cross over a set of train tracks. Depending on where you are, you could end up waiting for a very long time. The situation can be ever more frustrating when you look down the tracks and see that the train is still blocks away. In this situation, some people are tempted to try and drive around the crossing arm to cross the tracks before the train arrives. This is always a bad idea. Authorities say that this behavior -- called "gate jumping" ...

Last month, Arizona law enforcement officers stopped a motorist who was allegedly driving aggressively and erratically. According to the police, the driver smelled of alcohol and could not walk without stumbling. Further, there were two young children in the car. The case reflects circumstances of arrests made over the past several months: alleged drunken driving with passengers under the age of 15. Arizona is known for having harsh drunk driving laws. Penalties for all offenders may include ignition interlock devices (IID), fines, jail time, loss of driver's license ...

Researchers at Rutgers University have uncovered a new way to stimulate activity of immune cell opiate receptors, leading to efficient tumor cell clearance. Dipak Sarkar, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and his research team have been able to take a new pharmacological approach to activate the immune cells to prevent cancer growth through stimulation of the opiate receptors found on immune cells. This work, featured on the cover of the May 11 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, describes ...

In Pennsylvania, workers' compensation helps compensate injured workers hurt through on-the-job accidents. It is essentially a no-fault measure for resolving workplace injury claims, as injured workers are paid for their lost wages and medical expenses in exchange for giving up their right to sue their employer for damages. The main purpose is to help employers and employees alike by making sure that injured workers have a way to maintain a certain standard of living while they recover from their injuries, and to provide a reintegration process after recovery. Most people ...

Florida Senate Bill 1810 proposed sweeping changes to Florida's laws governing driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There were some obvious changes that would have had an immediate affect; for example, the new law would have categorized the offense as "driving while impaired" instead of "driving under the influence." This may seem like a mere semantic argument since most people assume DUI and DWI are interchangeable terms, -- and that might even be true in some jurisdictions -- but in legal parlance, the new law and old one were as different ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Having natural habitat in farming areas that supports ladybugs could help increase their abundance in crops where they control pests and help farmers reduce their costs, says a Michigan State University study. Ladybugs and other predatory insects eat crop pests, saving farmers an estimated $4.6 billion a year on insecticides. Non-crop plants provide these predatory insects with food and shelter, helping them to survive and thrive in areas where they are needed. In an attempt to increase benefits from predatory insects, researchers have often planted ...

Almost 30 Percent of Fashion Models Report On-the-Job Sexual Harassment Just because the people are pretty, it doesn't mean that their behavior always is; nearly 30 percent of models report that they have been the victims of job-related sexual harassment. A recent survey conducted by the Model Alliance -- a modeling industry labor organization -- finds that approximately one-third of models report that they have been touched inappropriately while on shoots. Nearly the same number report that they have been pressured to have sex with someone on the job. Tragically, many ...

In May 2010, the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull reached the Iberian Peninsula and brought airports to a halt all over Europe. At the time, scientists followed its paths using satellites, laser detectors, sun photometers and other instruments. Two years later they have now presented the results and models that will help to prevent the consequences of such natural phenomena. The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull in the south of Iceland began on the 20 March, 2010. On the 14 April it began to emit a cloud of ash that moved towards Northern and Central ...

Corporate espionage may be more difficult to prosecute criminally after a recent appeals court ruling. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned the conviction of former Goldman Sachs programmer Sergey Aleynikov who was accused of stealing trade secrets and essentially committing espionage against his former employer. Aleynikov allegedly uploaded Goldman's source code to its high-frequency trading system to a remote server in Germany before downloading it to his personal computer and flash drive in Chicago, all before leaving to take a new position with ...

If you are injured while working, you may be able to bring a workers' compensation claim. Workers' compensation replaces your wages and pays for medical expenses related to the workplace accident. The following are some common questions that clients ask Minnesota workers' compensation attorneys. This is general information that should not be construed as legal advice. What should I do when I am injured at work? First, seek medical attention. Then, report your injury to your employer. Give your employer as much information as possible about your injuries, and where ...

Largely because of its geography, Florida has long been a favored location of international drug trafficking organizations. The state gained significant national attention in the 1980s after it became an outpost for cocaine distribution rings based in Central and South America. When those groups waned, Mexican cartels stepped into the forefront. In recent years, the cartels have set up drug trafficking networks throughout the state. Earlier this year, state and federal investigators captured members a Mexican marijuana distribution organization that was operating ...

Many debtors understand that a bankruptcy can discharge unsecured debt such as credit cards and medical bills. However, another common form of unsecured debt, educational loans are generally non-dischargeable when they file bankruptcy. Economists have begun to recognize a growing problem with the amount of student loan debt that Americans have undertaken, and a recent study (released as part of the Federal Reserve Bank's Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit) provides some surprising insights into the extent of these burdens. The study, based on data from Equifax ...

The Department of Transportation has taken many steps to limit the distractions commercial drivers face while behind the wheel in an effort to increase the safety of the nation's roadways. As such, drivers of these vehicles, which would include 18-wheelers, are banned from both texting and using hand-held cell phones while driving. If a commercial truck driver is found to be texting or otherwise using a hand-held cell phone in violation of these regulations, new penalties will apply. Each offense could result in a $2,750 fine and drivers found in violation of the regulation ...