PITTSBURGH -- Like the human body, a digital device often suffers a few bruises and scratches within a lifetime. As in medicine, these injuries can be easily detected and repaired (or healed). At other times, however, a digital device may sustain hard-to-pinpoint nanoscale scratches, which can cause the device as a whole to malfunction. In a paper published today, Jan. 10, in Nature Nanotechnology, a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) propose a "repair-and-go" approach to fixing malfunctions caused ...

In Texas, it is possible to be considered a sex offender and forced to register as such without committing a sex offense. Upon parole, parolees who committed offenses that are defined as reportable convictions or adjudications under Texas law can be forced to register as a sex offender and have other restrictive conditions imposed upon them. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, upholding a trial court ruling, however, held that parolees who were not convicted of a sex offense cannot be labeled and forced to register as sex offenders without a hearing. The court stated ...

Older patients with cirrhosis have significant functional disability, require twice the amount of informal caregiving, and contribute added strain on the health care system, according to U-M research published in Hepatology. Given the increase in obesity and aging of those with hepatitis C (HCV), researchers expect the prevalence of cirrhosis to climb among older Americans.. Cirrhosis is a chronic condition that causes the liver to slowly deteriorate, with scar tissue replacing healthy tissue and impairing liver function. Studies have shown that non-alcoholic fatty ...

Amsterdam, NL -- A number of different immunological mechanisms ensure the successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Imbalance in these mechanisms is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In a review published in Advances in Neuroimmune Biology, researchers from the Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine at Swansea University in the UK examine the impact of maternal obesity on the inflammatory responses in tissues of both the mother and the child. "While great progress has been made in elucidating the immunological mechanisms that ensure reproductive ...

They are wolves posing as shepherds. Companies that claim they will lead you out of debt quickly and often just want to take your last dollar -- leaving you more exposed to creditors than ever. If the economy weren't so bad, these companies would be more recognizable for what they really are: predators. But debt and desperation have a way of playing tricks with your vision. What seems like a viable way out from a mountain of debt can turn out to be a counter-productive mirage unless you're careful at avoiding fraud and finding the legitimate services you need. Keep ...

Using observations from NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) satellite and the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio telescope, an international team of astronomers has identified the moment when a black hole in our galaxy launched super-fast knots of gas into space. Racing outward at about one-quarter the speed of light, these "bullets" of ionized gas are thought to arise from a region located just outside the black hole's event horizon, the point beyond which nothing can escape. "Like a referee at a sports game, we essentially ...

In 2007, the New York Legislature unanimously passed sweeping reforms to the state's workers' compensation laws. Included among the reforms was a requirement that insurers deposit the present value of permanent partial disability awards into the New York Workers' Compensation Aggregate Trust Fund. Injured workers will then be paid by the trust fund instead of by the insurance company. The reform is definitely a boon to injured workers. Prior to the change, insurance companies generally decided how and when a workers' compensation settlement would be paid. Further, ...

New York City's workplaces became more hazardous in 2010, according to recently-released preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of workplace fatalities rose to 68 in 2010, up from 63 in 2009. Included in that number are 13 fatal fall from heights injuries, a nearly three-fold increase from the five that occurred in 2009. The largest number of fatalities occurred in the trade, transportation and utilities sector. Those workers saw 21 deaths in 2010. The deaths also disparately affected the Hispanic community, which accounted for approximately ...

Care for Asian-American heart attack patients improved between 2003 and 2008, according to a study published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. The study found Asian-Americans and whites received about the same level of care, and that differences in care between the two groups decreased over time. The study is significant because little is known about the treatment and outcomes of Asian-Americans who've suffered a heart attack. "When it comes to disparities in cardiovascular care, most research has focused ...

Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have uncovered a cluster of galaxies in the initial stages of development. It is the most distant such grouping ever observed in the early universe. In a random sky survey made in near-infrared light, Hubble found five tiny galaxies clustered together 13.1 billion light-years away. They are among the brightest galaxies at that epoch and very young -- existing just 600 million years after the big bang. Galaxy clusters are the largest structures in the universe, comprising hundreds to thousands of galaxies bound together ...

Illinois is among 19 states that imposes life sentences to juveniles 14 and younger, according to the Los Angeles Times. That could soon change. According to the Times report, the U.S. Supreme Court recently decided to consider whether to limit life sentences for juveniles 14 and younger. Currently, 73 people are serving life sentences with no chance of parole for their involvement in homicides committed at the age of 14 or younger. In fact, a research by the University of San Francisco School of Law found that the U.S. is one of two countries worldwide to sentence ...

January 11, 2012 - The prestigious Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) annual Adrian Awards honored TravelShark with a Gold Award for their social-media-fueled viral video advertising campaign, which announced the company's rebranding from "Swiftrank" to "TravelShark." TravelShark's advertising campaign was built on a razor-thin budget and relied on grassroots social media dissemination for success. The online travel startup was honored alongside more traditional campaigns run by some of largest companies in travel, including ...

GALVESTON, January 10, 2012 – Despite popular belief about women's weight concerns, young women commonly fail to recognize recent gain of as many as 11 pounds – putting them at risk for cardiovascular disease and other obesity-related conditions. Self-perception of weight gain also appears to be significantly influenced by race, ethnicity and contraceptive methods. In a study published online and in the March issue of the Journal of Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) researchers found that a significant number of women evaluated at six-month intervals ...

After more than three years in space, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is extending its view of the high-energy sky into a largely unexplored electromagnetic range. Today, the Fermi team announced its first census of energy sources in this new realm. Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT) scans the entire sky every three hours, continually deepening its portrait of the sky in gamma rays, the most energetic form of light. While the energy of visible light falls between about 2 and 3 electron volts, the LAT detects gamma rays with energies ranging from 20 million to more ...

Corcentric, a leading provider of Accounts Payable automation solutions, today announced a new live Webinar: AP Automation 101. This one-hour Webinar will take place on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST/11:00 AM PST. Justin Kline, National Account Manager for Corcentric, will cover the fundamentals of Accounts Payable automation so that AP professionals can choose the right automation solution for their company. This Webinar will cover the following topics: - Which AP automation options generate the largest ROI - The pros and cons of a SaaS solution ...

In a statement issued today, Gary Miller-Cheevers, CEO of payday loan company www.speed-e-loans.com, has pledged his support for various calls from the government to put a cap on the cost of payday loans borrowing. MP Stella Creasy has been leading a high profile campaign to stop the "legal loan sharks" by pushing for a cap on interest rates charged on products such as payday loans. MEP Alyn Smith from the Scottish National Party (SNP) was reported last week* as saying: "Cameron and his cronies must get their act together and regulate these companies ...

As if 2011 wasn't successful enough, in December, Annapolis, MD-based neo-soul band, Sweet Leda, was nominated for MD/DC Band/Artist of The Year in the 1st Annual Tri State Indie Music Awards. Hosted by Tri State Indie, an organization that serves as a network for indie musicians by providing fans with music news, show announcements, show coverage, and a social media community, the awards program seeks to recognize the best in regional talent. Sweet Leda earned its nomination by continuing to tear up the Mid-Atlantic music scene throughout 2011. Not only did the band ...

Collectively the four cruises will visit 148 ports of call and highlights include overnight stays in Buenos Aires, New Orleans, Sydney and Cape Town and scenic cruising in the Amazon, Cape Horn, Beagle Channel and the Amalia Glacier. All four ships will be flying the 175th Anniversary flag as P&O Cruises kicks off a full year of celebrations to mark the 175th anniversary of when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company was formed. World cruises offer unrivalled value for money with prices for the 2012 itineraries starting at GBP82 per person per night, including ...

NEW YORK — An article released today in PLoS ONE entitled, Zoonotic Viruses Associated with Illegally Imported Wildlife Products, from a collaborative study led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identified evidence of retroviruses and herpesviruses in illegally imported wildlife products confiscated at several U.S. international airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental-Houston and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International. The pilot program was initiated to establish surveillance and testing methods ...

Of all the habitable parts of our planet, one ecosystem still remains largely unexplored and unknown to science: the igneous ocean crust. This rocky realm of hard volcanic lava exists beneath ocean sediments that lie at the bottom of much of the world's oceans. While scientists have estimated that microbes living in deep ocean sediments may represent as much as one-third of Earth's total biomass, the habitable portion of the rocky ocean crust may be 10 times as great. Yet biologists know very little about this ecosystem. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) ...

The re-fit saw the addition of 27 new cabins and the introduction of an Ocean Grill restaurant by Marco Pierre White, now proving very popular on P&O Cruises Adonia. The multimillion pound overhaul to the ship named by HM The Queen in 1995, also includes the addition of Sorrento, the new Italian restaurant concept also launched on Adonia, but this time with an outdoor dining area; a newly designed aft deck with bar; refreshed decoration in the public areas and Oasis Spa, which also now features thermal loungers and a dedicated aerobics floor; and a new look to the ...

To celebrate, P&O Cruises is offering a special 175th anniversary discount of up to 10% on its cruise holidays during the peak "wave" period of December, January and February. Prices will start from GBP599 for a seven night cruise, such as Ventura's March 25 cruise to Spain and France, and GBP949 for a 14 night cruise such as Azura's November 5 cruise to Gibraltar, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. World cruises are also included in the anniversary sale with on board credit of up to GBP1100 available on bookings. P&O Cruises managing director, ...

Losing weight and saving money are among the top five resolutions made each New Year's Day, but they are also among the top vows broken. This year, Bruegger's winter menu has options to make it easier for guests to keep their resolve. Starting today, the bagel bakery chain will roll out its diet-friendly Skinny Zesty Egg White Sandwich. The sandwich features egg whites, turkey sausage, Swiss cheese and sun-dried tomato spread served on Bruegger's new Five Grain Everything skinny bagel. (Introduced in 2011, the skinny bagel, available in any of Bruegger's 15-plus varieties, ...

That's it.TM announced today that its all-natural That's it.TM fruit bars are now available for sale at Whole Foods Markets nationwide and will be available on all Virgin America flights starting in mid-January 2012. That's it.TM fruit bars, a revolutionary new line of snack bars that contain only 2 ingredients: fruit and fruit, are made without preservatives, concentrates, purees, juices, added sugars, corn syrup, artificial coloring, or flavoring. That's it.TM fruit bars are now available for purchase in the Whole Body deparTMent of Whole Foods Markets throughout ...

"Dark Girls" Directors/Producers D. Channsin Berry and Bill Duke (Dark Girls, LLC) have announced new January 2012 dates for nationwide tour of the film in. Record ticket sales in Oakland and Atlanta in November 2011 have fueled the demand for additional dates. Berry and Duke will make an appearance for 'Question and Answer' session at the conclusion of each screening. About "Dark Girls": Documentary Directors/Producers Bill Duke (Duke Media) and D. Channsin Berry (Urban Winter Entertainment) have focused their cameras on an American cultural bias ...