There are few things as eye-opening as being charged with a crime. Just knowing that you could be facing prison time can be a scary thought to someone who has no experience with the criminal justice system. Not knowing what to do next or where to turn can leave a person completely unprepared to protect their rights. But not all crimes are created equal, as certain charges by their very nature carry serious potential consequences. Most sex crimes fit into this category, as the Colorado legislature has created very specific sentences that must be imposed if someone is ...

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — People with lower socioeconomic status are much more likely to develop heart disease than those who are wealthier or better educated, according to a recent UC Davis study. Published online in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, the outcomes also show that this risk persists even with long-term progress in addressing traditional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. "Being poor or having less than a high school education can be regarded as an extra risk when assessing a patient's chances of developing cardiovascular ...

Miami — August 26, 2011 — Remember frozen iguanas falling from trees during Florida's 2010 record-breaking cold snap? Well, a new study led by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science shows that Florida's corals also dropped in numbers due to the cold conditions. "It was a major setback," said Diego Lirman, associate professor at the UM Rosenstiel School and lead author of the study. "Centuries-old coral colonies were lost in a matter of days." The chilly January temperatures caused the most catastrophic loss of corals ...

The problems experienced by the Nassau County crime lab have been well-publicized. Evidence tested by the lab has been found to be unreliable due to a lapse in protocol. Now, many cases are starting to go through the courts in an effort to determine if some individuals have been wrongly convicted. Many of these cases concern drug crimes or DWI matters that went to trial. Technicians at the lab were found to have not followed basic crime lab procedures, meaning that either samples or equipment may have been contaminated in drug cases. For those who were convicted of driving ...

Case is Complicated by Biological Father, Who Also Now Wants Custody of Young Girl Child custody issues are possibly some of the most contentious cases in family law. As couples dissolve relationships, conflict over influence and contact with their adopted, step and biological children can become a new battleground. A prime example is the case of little Miranda Wilkerson, where the battle is between Miranda's grandmother and her legal father, who is a registered sex offender, and her biological father, who was not married to Miranda's mother at the time of birth. In ...

While a great number of people are preparing to evacuate in the face of Hurricane Irene, Andrew Kennedy, a researcher in the University of Notre Dame Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, rushed to the outer banks of North Carolina yesterday in anticipation of its arrival. Kennedy, a member of Notre Dame's Hydraulic Computation Research Group, is on a helicopter rapidly deploying wave and surge gauges for data collection in conjunction with Irene. "Irene looks likely to have large impacts in North Carolina and I am at the outer banks to deploy wave/surge ...

Embattled Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman formally resigned her post today in a contract settlement negotiated by the legal team at MyPhillyLawyer. Behind the scenes over the last month, the lawyers of MyPhillyLawyer represented Ackerman throughout the process, ensuring that the terms of her employment contract and compensation were fully met and that the school system would be able to move on with new leadership in an orderly transition. Under the agreement, Ackerman will receive a $905,000 settlement to end her employment contract with the school ...

A new University of Alberta study says when it comes to goal setting, your unconscious mind can be a great motivator. Alberta School of Business researcher Sarah Moore and colleagues from Duke and Cornell universities say that unconscious feelings about objects in the environment influence the pursuit of long-term goals. Their study explores how the unconscious mind responds to objects in relation to an individual's goals—and how the unconscious continues to influence feelings about these objects once the goals are reached—whether or not the outcome has been successful. ...

The same trait that makes a rare immune cell invaluable in fighting some infections also can be exploited by other diseases to cause harm, two new studies show. In papers published online in Immunity, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveal that the cells, known as CD8 alpha+ dendritic cells (CD8a+ DCs), can help the body beat back infection by a common parasite, but the same cells can be hijacked by a bacterium to decimate the body's defenses. The trait that makes the cells both an asset and a liability is the way they alert other ...

In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly five percent of drivers admitted that they had nodded off at the wheel at least once during the past month. The actual number may be even higher than that. In a 2005 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, more than a third of all adult drivers acknowledged falling asleep at the wheel in the past year. Another 13 percent reported having done so regularly -- at least once a month. One result of all this dozing while driving is car accidents caused by fatigued driving. The ...

Names like Bernie Madoff, Lee Farkas, Jeffrey Skilling and Raj Rajaratnam have gained household recognition in the United States, held up as examples of financial excess and criminal culpability. The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation have affirmed their priorities in pursuing alleged perpetrators of securities fraud, health care fraud and bank fraud in response to recent economic struggles nationwide. On the other end of those prosecutions, federal judges are imposing harsh sentences for white collar crimes. A strong sense that the public ...

August 26, 2011 -- The rising prevalence of obesity around the globe places an increasing burden on the health of populations, on healthcare systems and on overall economies. A major challenge for researchers is to quantify the effect of these burdens to inform public policies. Using a simulation model to project the probable health and economic consequences from rising obesity rates in the United States and the United Kingdom, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Oxford University forecast 65 million more obese adults in the U. S. and ...

Europcar, the leader in car hire services in Europe for both leisure and business users, is reinforcing its commitment to the environment by being the first UK rental provider to add the new Peugeot iON to its fleet. This follows the announcement of Europcar's global partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroen last October and responds to increasing demand for access to electric vehicles to rent. Providing travellers arriving at several of London's airports and heading into the Capital with a congestion-charge-free option, Peugeot iONs will be available for customers at Europcar's ...

Northern Rock has launched three new competitive instant access savings accounts, adding further options to its flexible savings range. To make it easier to navigate to the relevant product pages on its award-winning website, Quick Response (QR) codes have also been introduced on selected new product adverts. For those who are looking for a straightforward, instant-access savings account which can be operated in branch, by post or by phone, Everyday Access offers the interest rate of 2.05% gross* pa/AER** variable on balances over GBP1, with no bonus rate attached. (Balances ...

Europcar, the leader in car hire services in Europe, is keeping businesses on the move with an innovative new service that tackles the issues that company fleets face when waiting for new vehicle delivery. 6 Advantage offers vehicle hire for a fixed period of six months, but with all the benefits of short-term business car hire, reflecting Europcar's sustained commitment to bring corporate customers services that reflect the changing needs of the marketplace, delivering flexible and cost effective car hire solutions. "Currently there is a real gap in the solutions ...

Business Monitor International (BMI) has published its latest China Mining Report, which forecasts annual average industry growth of 9.1% in real terms from 2011 to 2015, with production of bauxite, copper, tin and gold set to rise fastest. By the end of this period, the value of China's mining industry will reach US$606bn. Industry-wide energy efficiency and consolidation measures introduced by the government as part of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) will be the key drivers of growth. BMI expects the industry to see further consolidation as government involvement ...

Boots Treat Street is pleased welcome Banana Republic as one of its newest brands to join the online shopping portal. Fashion-loving Boots customers can now collect even more Advantage Card points through Treat Street when shopping with Banana Republic. Banana Republic joins other leading fashion brands such as BHS, Burton, Clarks, Coast, Dorothy Perkins, Figleaves, French Connection, Gap, Laura Ashley, Marisota, Miss Selfridge, Monsoon, Mothercare, New Look, Office Shoes, Simply Be, Sweaty Betty, Topman and Wallis but to mention a few. Dave Robinson, Head of Partnership ...

Debenhams has announced that hundreds of goodwill messages written on boards covering windows smashed during rioting in Clapham Junction are set to become a national treasure. High street store Debenhams has decided that they should be preserved to show how British people rallied around after the unprecedented street disturbances. It believes the words on the boards make them a valuable piece of history, reminding everyone how local people felt, and that the violence and destruction was the product of a tiny minority. Said Debenhams Battersea store manager, Neil ...

To prepare for Hurricane Irene, many East Coast homeowners will try to board up their homes with heavy and hard-to-install plywood. In 2004, Orlando entrepreneur John D. Smith invented a Plywood Alternative called Storm Stoppers. Storm Stoppers are made of a special 3/8" thick, translucent corrugated plastic and fasten to a home's window frames with a unique matable fastener from 3M for easy on and off. No screws or nails are needed. They can be cut with a carpet knife and straight edge and can be re-installed in about a minute per window. The website is http://www.plywoodalternative.com ...

The Dispatch Printing Company, publisher of The Columbus Dispatch, niche publications and associated entities, announced a partnership today with the satirical newspaper The Onion and its entertainment-focused sister publication The A.V. Club. Under this agreement, The Onion maintains exclusive rights over all creative content, while The Dispatch Media Group assumes business management responsibilities, including advertising sales, printing and distribution. Launching October 6th, this partnership will bring print editions of The Onion to over 562 locations, with particular ...

The Kristen Forbes EVE Foundation, Marion County Public Health Department and the Indiana Fever WNBA basketball team have joined forces to fight HPV and cervical cancer. At a recent Indiana Fever basketball game, the Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) which sponsored the evening made a special announcement. The MCPHD has chosen the HPV vaccine to focus on this year to fight cervical cancer. The initiative is punctuated by the story of 23-year-old Kristen Forbes who lost her life to HPV-caused cervical cancer. At the arena entrance fans were welcomed by a ...

The emphasis is on the people who make the fashion trends, news and beautiful things for body and home at BlackTopShopping.com. Just as important as the clothes that we all love to wear are the fashion jewelry accessories that can make or break the total effect of any wardrobe selection. To give visitors an expanded choice of quality, unique ways to accent their fashion statement, today Uma Sumeros, the marketing director of Black Top Shopping.com announced that the BTS Jewelry Boutique will open for business on September 3rd with a Grand Opening Labor Day Weekend Sale ...

AQUA+ announced today that pre-production has begun on its new creative competition series "Sound vs. Sound." The announcement was made today by Scott Chadwick, Series Creator and Executive Producer for Sound vs. Sound. "With singing competition programming at the top of the ratings," said Chadwick, "it is easy to overlook that the great songs are created by composers, mixed and structured by producers and engineers, and interpreted by arrangers." Sound vs. Sound is a competition series that focuses on testing the musical flexibility ...

123Decal a leader in the production of Custom and Static Cling Decals has announced the release of their Full Line 2011 Online Catalog. As part of a campaign to make it easier, 123Decal has made pricing and full selection of our products online. The product lines listed in this catalog range from Custom Decals to Banners, Yard Signs, Double Sided Decals and more. "We very proud to offer this our customers" said 123Decal president Tyler Hurst. He continued "This is another way that 123Decal is making it easier for those looking to purchase decals and other ...

As the demand ethical, socially responsible investments continues to increase, GreenWorld BVI has responded by bringing a carbon credits investment offering to the retail market. GreenWorld BVIÕs carbon credit investment focuses on a 50,000 hectare project in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, and is directly connected to the Gola rainforest (http://www.golarainforest.org), an internationally recognized area of bio-diversity and the largest lowland closed canopy rainforest remaining in Sierra Leone. The minimum investment in the project is GBP1,250 (or about ...