Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today show that, after increasing since 2008, the poverty rate for the U.S. remained stable at 15 percent between 2010 and 2011. Poverty is greatest among children (21.9 percent), compared with seniors (8.7 percent) and working-age adults (13.7 percent). While poverty remained unchanged, the median annual household income declined for the second year in a row, to $50,054, down 1.5 percent from 2010. In Washington state, the estimated poverty rate increased from 11.5 percent (774,000 residents) to 12.5 percent (854,000 residents) ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Around the world, more than 850 million people use Facebook regularly to communicate. More and more employers also are using Facebook as a way to examine potential employees before making hires. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that comments left by users on Facebook profile pictures strongly affect the level of perceived attractiveness of the profile owner physically, socially, and professionally. Facebook profile photos are the first photos visible on a user's profile. Other Facebook users are able to post comments about each ...

Baltimore, MD – September 12, 2012 – In the largest study of its kind, living donors who had a kidney removed through a single port in the navel report higher satisfaction in several key categories, compared to donors who underwent traditional multiple-port laparoscopic removal. The new technique has been described as virtually scarless, because nearly the entire incision, once healed, is hidden within the belly button. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore found the belly button group had significantly improved satisfaction with the ...

With homeland security on high alert, screening systems to search for concealed weapons are crucial pieces of equipment. But these systems are often prohibitively expensive, putting them out of reach for public spaces such as train and bus stations, stadiums, or malls, where they could be beneficial. Now Dr. Eran Socher of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Engineering is reconfiguring existing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips designed for computers and turning them into high frequency circuits. The ultimate goal is to produce chips with radiation capabilities, ...

EVANSTON, Ill. --- When mercury is dumped into rivers and lakes, the toxic heavy metal can end up in the fish we eat and the water we drink. To help protect consumers from the diseases and conditions associated with mercury, researchers at Northwestern University in collaboration with colleagues at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, have developed a nanoparticle system that is sensitive enough to detect even the smallest levels of heavy metals in our water and fish. The research was published September 9 in the journal Nature Materials. "The ...

Most older adults prefer to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes as they age, and robotic technology can help make this a reality. Robots can assist with a variety of everyday living tasks, but limited research exists on seniors' attitudes toward and acceptance of robots as caregivers and aides. Human factors/ergonomics researchers investigated older adults' willingness to receive robot assistance that allows them to age in place, and will present their findings at the upcoming HFES 56th Annual Meeting in Boston. Changes that occur with aging can ...

It is commonly assumed that you can "work up an appetite" with a vigorous workout. Turns out that theory may not be completely accurate – at least immediately following exercise. New research out of BYU shows that 45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise in the morning actually reduces a person's motivation for food. Professors James LeCheminant and Michael Larson measured the neural activity of 35 women while they viewed food images, both following a morning of exercise and a morning without exercise. They found their attentional response to the food pictures decreased ...

A paper recently published in the Journal of Animal Science helps researchers further understand how microbials and probiotics affect poultry health. Researchers at the North Carolina State University and Chung Jen College of Nursing, Health Sciences and Management (Taiwan) conducted a study to investigate the effects of direct fed microbials on energy metabolism in different tissues of broiler chickens. The researchers wanted to learn how consuming microbials and probiotics could change energy use and immune function. Typically, direct fed microbials and probiotics are ...

A new Johns Hopkins study has unraveled the changes in a key cardiac protein that can lead to heart muscle malfunction and precipitate heart failure. Troponin I, found exclusively in heart muscle, is already used as the gold-standard marker in blood tests to diagnose heart attacks, but the new findings reveal why and how the same protein is also altered in heart failure. Scientists have known for a while that several heart proteins — troponin I is one of them — get "out of tune" in patients with heart failure, but up until now, the precise origin of the "bad notes" remained ...

Abstinence from smoking seems to affect teens differently than adults in a couple ways, but a new study provides evidence that most of the psychological difficulties of quitting are as strong for relatively new, young smokers as they are for adults who have been smoking much longer. "Adolescents are showing — even relatively early in the dependence process — significant, strong, negative effects just after acute abstinence from smoking," said L. Cinnamon Bidwell, assistant professor (research) in psychiatry and human behavior and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. ...

Tropical Depression 14 strengthened into Tropical Storm Nadine while NASA's Hurricane Severe Storm Sentinel Mission, or HS3 mission, was in full-swing and NASA's Global Hawk aircraft captured the event. While the Global Hawk was gathering data over the storm, NASA satellites were also analyzing Nadine from space. NASA's Global Hawk landed back at Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., after spending a full day gathering data from the 14th Atlantic Tropical Depression that strengthened into Tropical Storm Nadine during the morning hours of Sept. 12. The Global ...

One of NASA's infrared "eyes" is an instrument that flies aboard the Aqua satellite, and it provided data that helped forecasters determine that low pressure "System 90E" strengthened into the eastern Pacific Ocean's eleventh tropical depression. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument onboard Aqua captured an infrared image of System 90E on Sept. 11 at 1947 UTC (3:47 p.m. EDT). That infrared image took the temperatures of the cloud tops and found some strong, high thunderstorms wrapped around the western side of the low pressure area's circulation, from north ...

Chevy Chase, MD—Gestational exposure to ambient urban air pollution, especially during late pregnancy, may contribute to lower vitamin D levels in offspring, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM). According to study authors, this could affect the child's risk of developing diseases later in life. Recent data have demonstrated that maternal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may have an influence on the development of asthma and allergic diseases in offspring. A number ...

Chevy Chase, MD—Slow-wave sleep, or 'deep sleep', is intimately involved in the complex control of the onset of puberty, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM). The many changes that occur in boys and girls during puberty are triggered by changes in the brain. Previous studies have shown that the parts of the brain that control puberty first become active during sleep, but the present study shows that it is deep sleep, rather than sleep in general, that is associated with ...

Chevy Chase, MD—There is no evidence to link mildly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels to an increase in mortality among the elderly, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The findings suggest that reflexively treating mild elevations of TSH in those of advanced age is unnecessary. TSH is a sensitive, commonly measured test to check thyroid function. TSH levels are inversely related to thyroid hormone levels – thyroid hormone levels below a set-point trigger ...

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have discovered that changes in the physical characteristics of the effector memory regulatory T cell can predict the progression risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to acute myeloid leukemia. The finding could improve prognostication for patients with MDS and better inform therapeutic decision making. The study published in the August issue of The Journal of Immunology. Awareness of the condition increased earlier this year when ABC's "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts announced that she is battling ...

Half of mobile phone users in North America today have smartphones, and that number is quickly growing. Canadian tech startup, qwica interactive, is capitalizing on the rapidly emerging trend of seamless information gathering utilizing smartphones and scannable barcodes called QR codes. The qwica system simplifies the creation and management of mobile-optimized web pages for customers and provides complete solutions for long-term and outdoor applications. qwica allows users to quickly access information and interactive content—even in multiple languages—by scanning a qwica ...

The Kings' Council takes place in the fictional land of Faerie, where a council consisting of the Fire King, Water King, Earth King, and Wind King rules over the fey. Each king has the power to control his given element and those divinely gifted powers have been passed from king to firstborn prince for thousands of years... until Queen Erlea of the Fire Kingdom gave birth to twins: Mikel and Alazne. Alazne Katarin Lorea Viteri, the princess of the fire fey, had miraculously inherited the legendary hair and hands of fire just as her brother had, and for that reason she ...

Import Export Center in collaboration with SBC((Small & Medium Business Corporation), South Korean government agency, is proud to announce the launch of a new series of consumer electronics showcases, giving U.S. entrepreneurs, professionals, and investors the opportunity to connect with top Korean consumer electronics companies to explore partnership opportunities and promote international trade. The first event in the Consumer Electronics Showcase Series will take place September 17-18 in New York City and will feature the new product Portable DJ from JD Sound. The ...

Cactus Technologies Limited has increased the operational Shock and Vibration rating of their Industrial Grade USB Flash Drive to 3000G and 20G respectively. Steve Larrivee, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, said, "Leveraging years of Industrial Grade Flash Storage Development Knowledge, the Cactus Technologies 100 Series Industrial Grade USB Flash Drive's increased 3000G Shock and 20G Vibration allow OEMs in rugged environments to have confidence they will not lose their valuable data." In addition to the 3000G Shock and 20G Vibration rating, the ...

Graphite Design, maker of some of the most widely played premium golf shafts on the PGA TOUR, announced today that the winner of the LPGA Kingsmill Championship played Graphite Design Tour AD shafts. The runner-up also played Graphite Design Tour AD shafts. This win marks the 20th professional tour victory in 2012 by players who have used Graphite Design shafts. "The winner and the runner-up battled for nine holes to determine the champion," said Tak Yamada, President, Graphite Design. "It takes a great amount of concentration and skill to keep a play-off ...

The University of Houston (UH) will host award-winning author Attica Locke as the keynote speaker for, "Revolution on Cullen. The Personal Challenges of Integrating UH in the 1960s," at 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 1 at the Rockwell Pavilion, M.D. Anderson Library. The event is free and open to the public. According to Paula Woods in a Los Angeles Times book review, "'Black Water Rising,' was inspired by an actual incident involving young Attica and her father, a former radical turned attorney. But what she makes of it has put her in the company of master thriller ...

Teen Drivers at Greater Risk When Driving With Friends Texas residents, especially those with teenagers, may be interested in a recent study about teen drivers and car crashes. The study concluded that a teen driver is more likely to be in a car accidentwhen other teenagers are in the car. According to a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study, per mile driven, a 16- or 17-year-old's risk of being in a car crash increases by 44 percent when driving with a passenger under 21 years old. The risk doubles when the teen is carrying two passengers under 21 and quadruples ...

Transportation Secretary Wants Ban on All Cell Phone Use by Drivers At a distracted-driving summit in Texas, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently advocated for a national ban on using a cell phone while driving. According to LaHood, talking and texting on a cell phone while driving is a "national epidemic," and federal legislation is the only way to deal with the growing danger of car accidents caused by distracted drivers. LaHood was speaking at the summit along with other government officials, transportation safety advocates and victims of ...

Key Estate Planning Considerations for Entrepreneurs People who own their own businesses often must struggle and make sacrifices to make their businesses thrive. They pour tremendous amounts of energy and effort into creating something that will provide for themselves and their families. However, many business owners get so caught up with the day-to-day demands of operating a business that they forget to make plans for what will happen when they are no longer around to do so. Entrepreneurs should be aware of the unique issues they face when creating estate plans and ...