When it comes to bankruptcy, not all debts are equal; meaning that bankruptcy will treat different types of debt differently. Generally, two types of debt are considered during the bankruptcy proceeding: secured and unsecured debt. Secured debt is any debt that uses a tangible piece of real or personal property as collateral for the loan (the property is tied to the debt). Examples of secured debt include mortgages, mechanics liens and car loans. Because this type of debt is "secured" by the object the loan is for, if you default on payments the lender can, ...

The state of New York is showing a bit of flexibility with Long Island Rail Road retirees who may have filed false disability claims, allegedly in order to increase their pension payouts. The U.S. Attorney representing the Southern District of New York has given retirees until July 6, 2012, to admit wrongdoing in order to receive amnesty from potential prosecution. Meanwhile, LIRR management has stated that anyone not opting for the deal and found to have made false disability claims may be disqualified from receiving any part of their pension. An investigation began ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– In the not-too-distant future, scientists may be able to use DNA to grow their own specialized materials, thanks to the concept of directed evolution. UC Santa Barbara scientists have, for the first time, used genetic engineering and molecular evolution to develop the enzymatic synthesis of a semiconductor. "In the realm of human technologies it would be a new method, but it's an ancient approach in nature," said Lukmaan Bawazer, first author of the paper, "Evolutionary selection of enzymatically synthesized semiconductors from biomimetic mineralization ...

One motorcyclist was killed and nine others were injured after a crash occurred on Highway 151 north of Fond du Lac. A car apparently crossed the centerline and hit 10 motorcycles around 3 p.m. on May 31st between Gladstone Beach Road and Welling Beach Road in the Town of Taycheedah. Of the riders, all from Michigan, three were critically injured, including a rider who went into cardiac arrest while being airlifted to a local hospital. After investigating the crash, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office charged the driver of the car with homicide by negligent use of ...

In an effort to make it easier for coal miners and their families to receive black lung benefits, the U.S. Department of Labor is considering proposed changes to the rules that govern the distribution of these disability benefits. What Is Black Lung Disease? Black lung disease, also known as coal worker's pneumoconiosis, occurs when coal workers breathe in dust from graphite, man-made carbon or coal for long periods of time. There is no specific treatment for the disease and it can lead to several complications, such as respiratory failure and chronic bronchitis. Since ...

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 — The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series describes the world's first "electrified snail," which now joins the menagerie of cockroaches, rats, rabbits and other animals previously implanted with biofuel cells that generate electricity — perhaps for future spy cameras, eavesdropping microphones and other electronics — from natural sugar in their bodies. Based on a report by Evgeny Katz, Ph.D., and colleagues in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, ...

New York personal injury lawyer David Perecman commends the recommendation by a federal panel to add 14 broad categories of cancer, including 50 specific types, to the list of ailments covered by the Zadroga Act. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health accepted the panel's recommendation, reported the New York Daily News (6/8/2012). http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/zadroga-act-cover-50-cancers-landmark-ruling-article-1.1092366#ixzz1xGWmCcI8 The original 2011 act earmarked $4.3 billion in funding for medical treatment programs for first responders ...

Montreal, June 13, 2012 – A recent international study led by researchers from McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) examines the complex and controversial interplay of conflicts of interest between physician experts, medicine and the pharmaceutical or medical device industry. The results of the analysis, which are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, aim to advance the management of conflicts of interest in medical guidelines. "Over the last decade governments, medical specialty societies and academia have increasingly confronted ...

A New York woman died during a kidney transplant operation she was undergoing. She had wanted to donate the organ to her younger brother, Roberto Medina, the New York Post reported (6/8/2012). http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/kidney_hope_is_dashed_again_tGenmeWqNyPzTWtry2ywzO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Bronx Yolanda Medina died after her aorta was cut during surgery at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, according to the New York Post. Roberto Medina suffers from renal failure and has been on kidney dialysis since February. He never received his sister's ...

Normally, male California mice are surprisingly doting fathers, but new research published in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology suggests that high anxiety can turn these good dads bad. Unlike most rodents, male and female California mice pair up for life with males providing extensive parental care, helping deliver the pups, lick them clean, and keep them warm during their first few weeks of life. Experienced fathers are so paternal that they'll even take care of pups that aren't theirs. "If we place a male California mouse in a test cage and present ...

For the first time a consortium of researchers organized by the National Institutes of Health, including a University of Colorado Boulder professor, has mapped the normal microbial makeup of healthy humans. The team made up of 200 researchers from the Human Microbiome Project Consortium, or HMP, and based at 80 research institutions, reports that while nearly everyone carries pathogens -- which are microorganisms that cause illness -- pathogens cause no disease in healthy individuals. Instead, they co-exist with their host and the rest of the human microbiome, which is ...

Healthcare fraud has been an investigative priority since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act established a National Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Control Program to coordinate Federal, State, and Local law enforcement regarding healthcare fraud and abuse in 1996. Since that time, the federal government has recovered over $18 billion for healthcare fraud and abuse. States have also ramped up their enforcement efforts, with Texas recovering $418 million in 2010. If you are a provider currently under audit or investigation, you should retain an attorney ...

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have developed a technique that enables metallic nanocrystals to self-assemble into larger, complex materials for next-generation antennas and lenses. The metal nanocrystals are cube-shaped and, like bricks or Tetris blocks, spontaneously organize themselves into larger-scale structures with precise orientations relative to one another. Their findings were published online June 10 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. This research is in the new field of nanoplasmonics, where researchers ...

Once again the workers of New York are under attack. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Center for Urban Real Estate at Columbia University has issued a report challenging the minimum salary set by law for construction workers on public projects. The prevailing wage law under attack requires that trade workers on public projects be paid the same wages that union workers receive. New York is one of the most expensive states in the country to live and work and raise a family. Construction workers, painters and allied tradesman and women, recycling and general industrial ...

A divorce becomes final either through a settlement agreement or a court decision. Yet, even the symbolic conclusiveness of a divorce decree does not mean your divorce terms can never be revisited. Under Massachusetts law, you may modify your divorce agreement to better reflect the changing circumstances of your life. Obtaining a divorce modification is not always easy, but with the help of the right attorney, you could be well on your way toward fairer child support, child custody, visitation and alimony terms. Material and Substantial Change in Circumstances Key ...

LONDON, ON – A team of researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have identified a novel way that a common virus, called adenovirus, causes disease. In doing so, they have discovered important information on one of the body's key immune responses. Their findings, published today in Cell Host & Microbe, may have implications for infectious diseases and cancer. Adenovirus infections most often cause mild illnesses of the respiratory system, resulting in runny noses, coughs and sore throats. However, researchers have been interested in adenoviruses ...

SEATTLE: June 13, 2012 — Asthma is the most common chronic illness in adolescents and children, affecting an estimated seven million children up to the age of 17 in the United States. The burden of asthma on children is substantial: kids with asthma have a three-fold greater risk of school absence than children without asthma, and asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15. Some parents of children with asthma have a tough time complying with treatment guidelines. Numerous surveys report between 40 to 60 percent of kids ...

If you've been burned by your Atlanta outdoor lighting company, NightVision Outdoor Lighting is here to help. The company is happy to take over any competitor's outdoor lighting system if you are dissatisfied by the competitor's performance. Many Atlanta homeowners find themselves in the tough position of being unhappy with their Atlanta landscape lighting company but feeling like they can't leave. NightVision Outdoor Lighting wishes to put to bed the idea that only one lighting company can maintain your lighting system. A significant portion of NightVision's clientele ...

VIDEO: This video displays heavy electrons at different energies and shows their standing wave patterns (like water in a pond) around individual atomic defects placed intentionally in a compound. The patterns... Click here for more information. A Princeton University-led team of scientists has shown how electrons moving in certain solids can behave as though they are a thousand times more massive than free electrons, yet at the same time act as speedy superconductors. The ...

Summertime is ant season in Georgia, and Atlanta pest control company North Fulton Pest Solutions knows how difficult it can be for homeowners to eradicate ants from the home and yard once they've set up a colony. Georgia has many different varieties of ants and each of them presents its own dangers and challenges. Fire ants are, obviously, the worst of the bunch. Overly aggressive and intensely protective of their nests, fire ants operate as a group to attack and destroy anything that could pose a threat to their colony. If you, your child, or even your pet should ...

Atlanta relocation specialists AC White Relocations are pleased to announce that they offer United Van Lines' CityPointe program to their moving clients. CityPointe is a program available through United Van Lines agents like AC White Relocations. It provides moving clients with relocation solutions which minimize some of the challenges of relocating. One of the relocation solutions CityPointe provides is real estate services. CityPointe finds local real estate agents who are the best of their field and then connects them with program members to help with their real ...

Rockville, Md. – Viewing Facebook and Flickr photos on a smart phone are becoming common practice. But according to a recently published Journal of Vision study, pictures on the small screen often appear distorted. Vision scientists found that perceptual distortions occur because picture takers do not take their viewing distance into account. The researchers propose the use of longer focal lengths — 100mm — to create content that is viewed on the small screens of mobile devices. Shorter lengths — 50 mm — should be used for photo images used on larger devices, such as ...

LA JOLLA, CA – June 13, 2012 – Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have used a powerful new chemical-screening method to find compounds that inhibit the activity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. Unlike existing anti-HIV drugs, the compounds bind to a protein called "nucelocapsid," which is unlikely to mutate into drug-resistant forms. "Most of the nucleocapsid-inhibiting compounds that have been identified to date are very toxic, but our screening method identified inhibitors that are less toxic and thus more likely to lead ...

Georgia health insurance broker McCart Insurance wishes to inform the public about the different people who should have individual health insurance. There are many different career paths that can lead a person to end up without employer provided health insurance. Self-employed individuals, temporary or contract employees, job seekers, students, and even ineligible workers can all find themselves without the health insurance they need if they do not seek out individual healthcare options. This can be costly Georgia individual health insurance is one of the most important ...

HealthyLife Sciences, makers of the all natural weight loss supplement Healthe Trim, remind those trying to lose weight that it is important to maintain a healthy sleep schedule to have the best weight loss success. Scientists have discovered that sleep schedules are a major part of weight loss management. This is because a healthy sleep schedule lowers hormones that trigger hunger, whereas sleep deprivation increases these hormones and causes people to eat more. By maintaining a healthy sleep schedule of around 7.5 hours each night, test subjects found they were able ...