TEMPE, Ariz. — A new analysis of complex interactions between humans and the environment preceding the 9th century collapse and abandonment of the Central Maya Lowlands in the Yucatán Peninsula points to a series of events — some natural, like climate change; some human-made, including large-scale landscape alterations and shifts in trade routes — that have lessons for contemporary decision-makers and sustainability scientists. In their revised model of the collapse of the ancient Maya, social scientists B.L. "Billie" Turner and Jeremy "Jerry" A. Sabloff provide an up-to-date, ...

Though the seconds may tick by on the clock at a regular pace, our experience of the 'fourth dimension' is anything but uniform. When we're waiting in line or sitting in a boring meeting, time seems to slow down to a trickle. And when we get caught up in something completely engrossing – a gripping thriller, for example – we may lose sense of time altogether. But what about the idea that time flies when we're having fun? New research from psychological science suggests that the familiar adage may really be true, with a caveat: time flies when we're have goal-motivated ...

Researchers have developed a self-charging power cell that directly converts mechanical energy to chemical energy, storing the power until it is released as electrical current. By eliminating the need to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy for charging a battery, the new hybrid generator-storage cell utilizes mechanical energy more efficiently than systems using separate generators and batteries. At the heart of the self-charging power cell is a piezoelectric membrane that drives lithium ions from one side of the cell to the other when the membrane is deformed ...

There's double trouble in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in the form of Typhoon Tembin and Tropical Storm Bolaven. NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites teamed up to provide a look at both storms in one view. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument flies onboard NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites and the MODIS instrument on each captured a storm when both satellites flew over them on August 21 after midnight (Eastern Daylight Time). The two MODIS images which featured Bolaven and Tembin over the Philippine Sea were combined by NASA's MODIS Rapid ...

A University of Rochester Medical Center study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, challenges treatment guidelines for early stage follicular lymphoma, concluding that six different therapies can bring a remission, particularly if the patient is carefully examined and staged at diagnosis. The research underlines the fact that when cancer strikes, modern patients and their oncologists across the United States are taking many diverse treatment paths when there is scant data to support one method over another. This study suggests that the old standard approach ...

Chimpanzees from African sanctuaries carry drug-resistant, human-associated strains of the bacteria Staphlyococcus aureus, a pathogen that the infected chimpanzees could spread to endangered wild ape populations if they were reintroduced to their natural habitat, a new study shows. The study by veterinarians, microbiologists and ecologists was the first to apply the same modern sequencing technology of bacterial genomes used in hospitals to track the transmission of staph from humans to African wildlife. The results were published Aug. 21 by the American Journal of Primatology. Drug-resistant ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — Research by Nosang Myung, a professor at the University of California, Riverside, Bourns College of Engineering, has enabled a Riverside company to develop an "electronic nose" prototype that can detect small quantities of harmful airborne substances. Nano Engineered Applications, Inc., an Innovation Economy Corporation company, has completed the prototype which is based on intellectual property exclusively licensed from the University of California. The device has potential applications in agriculture (detecting pesticide levels), industrial ...

Investigators at Nationwide Children's Hospital may have discovered a biological explanation for why low levels of oxygen advance spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) symptoms and why breathing treatments help SMA patients live longer. The findings appear in Human Molecular Genetics.* SMA is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle damage and weakness leading to death. Respiratory support is one of the most common treatment options for severe SMA patients since respiratory deficiencies increase as the disease progresses. Clinicians have found that successful ...

MADISON – Acinetobacter baumanni, a pathogenic bacterium that is a poster child of deadly hospital acquired infections, is one tough customer. It resists most antibiotics, is seemingly immune to disinfectants, and can survive desiccation with ease. Indeed, the prevalence with which it infects soldiers wounded in Iraq earned it the nickname "Iraqibacter." In the United States, it is the bane of hospitals, opportunistically infecting patients through open wounds, catheters and breathing tubes. Some estimates suggest it kills tens of thousands of people annually. But ...

Fueling nuclear reactors with uranium harvested from the ocean could become more feasible because of a material developed by a team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The combination of ORNL's high-capacity reusable adsorbents and a Florida company's high-surface-area polyethylene fibers creates a material that can rapidly, selectively and economically extract valuable and precious dissolved metals from water. The material, HiCap, vastly outperforms today's best adsorbents, which perform surface retention of solid or gas molecules, atoms ...

On Aug. 24, NASA will launch two identical satellites from Cape Canaveral, Fla., to begin its Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission to study the extremes of space weather and help scientists improve space weather forecasts. Why should you care? Because, says a University of Iowa space physics researcher, if you've ever used a cell phone, traveled by plane, or stayed up late to catch a glimpse of the northern lights, then you have been affected by space weather without even knowing about it. Scientists want to better understand how the Van Allen radiation belts—named ...

The menopause evolved, in part, to prevent competition between a mother and her new daughter-in-law, according to research published today (23 August 2012) in the journal Ecology Letters. The study – by researchers from the University of Turku (Finland), University of Exeter (UK), University of Sheffield (UK) and Stanford University (US) – explains for the first time why the relationship women had with their daughter-in-laws could have played a key role. The data showed that a grandmother having a baby later in life, and at the same time as her daughter-in-law, resulted ...

An internationally recognized melanoma researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of Kiel in Germany, including Axel Hauschild, M.D. and Katharina C. Kähler, M.D., have published an article in the current issue of The Journal of Clinical Oncology that describes immune-related adverse events for patients receiving either tremelimumab or ipilimumab, the latter a drug approved last year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating metastatic melanoma and other cancers. Both drugs are anti-CTLA-antibodies with similar mechanisms of action, ...

Circular Energy has completed the installation of over 426kW of solar energy systems, spanning five apartment complexes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. All of the complexes are managed by Centaurus Property Management, who commissioned the projects. The properties are located in Dallas, Farmers Branch, Irving and Fort Worth. JC Shore, CEO of Circular Energy, notes, "This was a tough set of projects for us to execute in such a short time frame. I'm thrilled with our teams' leadership and the hard work of our installation crews. It's neat to be able to deliver the ...

The World Human Resources Development (HRD) Congress presented Pinnacle Performance Company with its 2012 Best Training Provider and Innovation in Learning Awards for Excellence in Learning and Development. The World HRD awards identify and honor individuals, teams and organizations that have used learning and development to significantly advance workforce productivity and performance. "We created Pinnacle Performance Company to deliver a unique training experience that could improve anyone's communication skills in a short amount of time and provide tools for ...

Northwire, Inc. (NWI), today announced their inclusion to Inc. magazine's 2012 list of 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America. To support their rapid expansion, Northwire-NWI Lab 360 recently opened a professional sales engineering center to serve exponential growth in the Western U.S.. Northwire-NWI Lab 360 is the premier partner for the design, manufacture and contract services of custom wire and cable technical products for diverse markets. NWI Lab 360 leverages professional certifications in Six Sigma, Lean, Project Management and the American ...

The on-line shop of weloveglassblown is now launched for any shoppers who love to collect Miniature Hand Blown Glass Animal Figurines. We present the good quality products handmade from Thailand. They could be souvenirs, gifts, or collectibles. For the special occasions we could also give them to our friends. We started from collecting Glass Animal Figurines and sharing with friends. And we gradually set up the e-store for lovers who are interested in them. We propose Thai handicraft glass figurines that are beautiful and elegant. They are made of clear and/or colored ...

Celebrated Author Delvon Johnson is best known for the compelling and explosive novel "Love Yourself First" the novel that shows how the decisions people make, affects their lives and the consequences that they must live with. The novel instantly made Delvon Johnson a household name among the entertainment world, landing him at high profile events with the likes of Vivica Fox, Dwight Eubanks, Nigel Barker, Kim Coles, Lil Kim, Whoopi Goldberg and more. After the success of the first novel "Love Yourself First", Delvon Johnson decided he needed to ...

Joseph Spinella, international tenor sensation, performs a special music and magic show at La Grotta-II in Yonkers on Sunday, September 30th. Returning from his recording sessions with the Macedonian Radio Symphony Orchestra in August, Spinella performs classic Neapolitan songs such as 'O Sole Mio' and 'Santa Lucia,' as well as operatic arias such as the favorite 'Nessun Dorma.' Just for fun, he also performs a little magic on the side. A native of Sarasota, Florida, Spinella was awarded a scholarship to Manhattan School of Music in New York City. A few years ago, he ...

Stuart Swanepoel, President & CEO of Brixiom, announced that Pinnacle Imports, a family owned and operated fine wine and craft beer distributor, signed a multi-year contract with Brixiom. Pinnacle services more than 400 retail and restaurant customers throughout Alabama and the Florida Panhandle and represents more than 70 of the world's top wineries, breweries and importers. Brixiom's fully-customizable back office technology platform will help Pinnacle streamline their sales and operational processes and access real-time inventory and sales data. "Brixiom's ...

Adults and children both receive meaningful and comforting afterlife contacts and signs from physically departed loved ones. During this special chat event on August 21, Christine Duminiak, will teach about these distinct experiences. Throughout her career Christine has been committed to spreading the message that our loved ones survive death, are still a part of our lives, and through God's mercy they do communicate with us in many different ways. Christine began her bereavement support work in 1998 soon after her deceased in-laws started visiting her. In order ...

ACT Today! (Autism Care and Treatment Today!), a national non-profit organization whose mission is to provide care and treatment to children with autism, announces Hollywood celebrities will play in its 6th Annual Charity Golf Classic on Monday, August 27, 2012 at the North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, California. Confirmed celebrities include actors DB Sweeney ("The Closer"), Jason Gedrick ("Dexter"), Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules"), and Geoff Pierson ("Boardwalk Empire"). The tournament is presented by Center for Autism and ...

Caring Senior Service, a national homecare provider for seniors, announced today the Mansfield, MA office is under the new ownership of Dean Chin. Chin will be moving the office to Westwood, MA, offering services to clients in a broader area. Chin is dedicated to the Caring Senior Service mission of providing services, education and safety care products that help seniors remain Healthy, Happy and Home. The office will continue to offer services such as personal care, meal preparation, transportation, medication reminder, light housekeeping and more. "Caring ...

Singer/Songwriter/Multi-instrumentalist/Producer Tina Malia debuts today her highly anticipated pop/electronic album "The Lost Frontier." Malia delivers a rawness and authenticity through her extraordinary voice and musical compositions as well as in her lyrics and prose. Each song on "The Lost Frontier" is powerful on its own, kicking off with the sensuous second single "Serendipity" and the global electronic introspection of the title track to the building dance beat of "Undercover" and the inspirational groove of "Spark." ...

K.A.W.S. Marketing Group, Inc. was recognized on Friday, August 17, 2012, as a finalist for The Best Place to Work Contest in Atlanta for 2012. This recognition has come about as a result of their unwavering dedication to their employees' happiness and needs including personal and professional development and growth. The Best Places to Work contest was created to celebrate companies who understand the value of each and every individual in the company no matter their position or tenure. Each employee was surveyed anonymously to determine the quality of the workplace environment ...