AURORA, Colo. (Aug. 23, 2011) – A new study of children's hospitals nationwide has found them underequipped to handle a major surge of patients in the event of a pandemic, and urges health care institutions and government agencies to immediately review emergency preparedness plans as flu season approaches. "Every year we get lucky," said the study's lead author, Marion Sills, MD, MPH, and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "But it wouldn't take much of an epidemic to put us over capacity. If that happens where do the children ...

NEW YORK (Aug. 23, 2011) -- For men with erectile dysfunction (ED), 65 percent are unable to have an orgasm and 58 percent have problems with ejaculation, according to new research led by physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The study followed 12,130 men with mild to severe ED and is the largest-ever analysis of orgasmic and ejaculatory dysfunction. Results are published in today's edition of the British Journal of Urology International. Approximately 30 million American men, or half of all men aged 40 to 70, have trouble ...

This press release is available in Spanish. A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist has created a new weapon in the war being waged against the potato cyst nematode-a diagnostic test that identifies the type of nematode infesting a grower's field. Xiaohong Wang, a molecular biologist with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health in Ithaca, N.Y., has filed a patent application on the monitoring tool, developed in part by cloning and sequencing key genes. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research ...

Skewed skulls may have helped early whales find the direction of sounds in water and are not solely, as previously thought, a later adaptation related to echolocation. Scientists affiliated with the University of Michigan and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) report the finding in a paper published online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Asymmetric skulls are a well-known characteristic of the modern whale group known as "odontocetes" or toothed whales. These whales also have highly modified nasal structures with ...

CHESTNUT HILL, MA (August 23, 2011) – Throughout the ages, fine art has been accorded a special significance and recognized as a powerful communication tool. Art has been used to sell everything from products to politics to religion. But art can be stripped of its special status if used carelessly by advertisers, according to a new study by researchers from Boston College and the University of Houston. If the artwork is viewed as a product-relevant illustration, then consumers no longer view it as art. Suddenly, they can take a critical view of its message, according ...

Studies from the University of Toronto's psychology department show that people who use more invasive anti-aging methods such as Botox injections or surgery are viewed more negatively than those who use milder techniques such as sun-avoidance and facial creams and younger adults are more negative about using anti-aging methods than older adults. "These results suggest that despite the rapid growth of the anti-aging cosmetic industry, age concealment has not yet become universally accepted," said lead author and associate professor, Alison Chasteen. "This is important ...

We make decisions all our lives—so you'd think we'd get better and better at it. Yet research has shown that younger adults are better decision makers than older ones. Some Texas psychologists, puzzled by these findings, suspected the experiments were biased toward younger brains. So, rather than testing the ability to make decisions one at a time without regard to past or future, as earlier research did, these psychologists designed a model requiring participants to evaluate each result in order to strategize the next choice, more like decision making in the real world. The ...

Safetyshop, the UK's leading safety equipment manufacturer, has launched an industry news feed on the homepage of its website. Designed to be a useful resource for regular customers and new visitors alike, the latest news section contains stories which relate to all aspects of health and safety, from new legislation and prosecutions brought by the Health and Safety Executive, to road safety initiatives and changes affecting first aid kits in the workplace. The feed is updated on a daily basis to ensure breaking news makes it onto the site as quickly as possible. The ...

Pretty much everybody thinks they're better than average. But in some cultures, people are more self-aggrandizing than in others. Until now, national differences in "self-enhancement" have been chalked up to an East-West individualism-versus-collectivism divide. In the West, where people value independence, personal success, and uniqueness, psychologists have said, self-inflation is more rampant. In the East, where interdependence, harmony, and belonging are valued, modesty prevails. Now an analysis of data gathered from 1,625 people in 15 culturally diverse countries ...

LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, August 23, 2011—Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory have set a new world record for the strongest magnetic field produced by a nondestructive magnet. The scientists achieved a field of 92.5 tesla on Thursday, August 18, taking back a record that had been held by a team of German scientists and then, the following day, surpassed their achievement with a whopping 97.4-tesla field. For perspective, Earth's magnetic field is 0.0004 tesla, while a junk-yard magnet is 1 ...

The carnage on America's roads is so constant that it's easy to become desensitized it. It's important, however, to take a moment and ponder the scale of the pain -- and consider what can be done to lessen the terrible toll. In 2010, an estimated 32,788 people died in car accidents. These numbers represented a slight reduction from the year before, in which more than 33,000 people were killed and over two million more were injured in traffic-related crashes. Even so, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its participation in the United Nations' ...

Graphene, considered the most exciting new material under study in the world of nanotechnology, just got even more interesting, according to a new study by a group of researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder. The new findings -- that graphene has surprisingly powerful adhesion qualities -- are expected to help guide the development of graphene manufacturing and of graphene-based mechanical devices such as resonators and gas separation membranes, according to the CU-Boulder team. The experimentsshowed that the extreme flexibility of graphene allows it to conform ...

The state of Indiana is still recovering from the tragic stage collapse that caused the death of five people and seriously injured over 40 others. More than anything people want answers as to how such a terrible accident could occur. The collapse happened at the Indiana State Fair last Saturday before the band Sugarland was set to perform before about 12,000 fans. Unexpected 60-70 mph winds were initially blamed for the fatal concert stage collapse, although investigations have been ongoing. Concerns About Independence Earlier this week questions were raised, however, ...

A fundamental new discovery about how nerve cells in the brain store and release tiny sacs filled with chemicals may radically alter the way scientists think about neurotransmission – the electrical signaling in the brain that enables everything from the way we move, to how we remember and sense the world. According to the scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) who conducted the research, the discovery doesn't change the players involved so much as it reveals that the rules of the game are very different than previously assumed. Better understanding ...

On Sept. 1, 2011, a number of new modifications to the Texas traffic code take effect. Not surprisingly, this means more restrictions for some Texas drivers. However, the thrust of the new laws actually allows for greater freedom on Texas roadways. Young Drivers' Cell Phone Ban Currently, those Texans granted a provisional license are prohibited from using a cellular phone in any capacity (both talking and texting) for the first 12 months. After Sept. 1, the cell phone ban will be strengthened to include every driver under the age of 18. Increased Speed limits Texas ...

Coral Gables, FL (August 23, 2011) – As firms begin the 2011 annual report process, which many do at this time of year, they may want to pay closer attention to the way those reports look. A recent study out of the University of Miami School of Business Administration found that investors, regardless of their experience, place a higher value on firms with attractive annual reports than they do on those that produce less attractive reports. The study found that annual reports that utilize more color are perceived to have at least one percent higher annual revenues than ...

Most of us are familiar with the so-called "black boxes" used in airplanes that often capture information pointing to the cause of a crash. However, not everyone is aware that similar technology is available for automobiles. In fact, if you have purchased a new car within the last few years, it is likely an event data recorder ("EDR") is already keeping track of your driving habits. Now, a new rule proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") could mandate that all vehicles contain EDRs. Benefits of Event Data ...

JUPITER, FL, August 23, 2011 – In a joint research effort with researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and with help from scientists at The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Minnesota, and the National Institutes of Health, investigators from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have defined a specific protein complex that allows cells to rid themselves of damaged mitochondria, which are the energy producing machines of the cell. "This protein complex is already being targeted in cancer therapeutics," said John Cleveland, chair ...

Every year, GMAC Insurance, one of the largest auto insurers in the United States, conducts a study that examines drivers' knowledge of the rules of the road. The GMAC Insurance National Driver's Test has become a widely-respected litmus test of the general state of safe conduct on the nation's highways. This year's results, although a marginal improvement over 2010, still reveal a sorely-lacking emphasis on care behind the wheel for a large segment of American motorists. Nearly One Fifth of Drivers Would Be Unable to Pass Written Test In 2011, 5,130 licensed drivers ...

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently approved the use of certain forms to be used in uncontested divorces throughout the state. Where litigants do not own real property or have minor children, they will be able to use plain-language forms to facilitate simple divorces. The Court incorporated a new rule making the forms acceptable in all Tennessee family courts beginning September 1, 2011. The forms will help parties in filing an "agreed divorce," which is also known as an uncontested divorce. The instructions that will accompany the forms will cover a range ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition. The aberrant immune response found in IBD is prompted by different cytokines – small signaling proteins secreted by various cells, including immune cells – that activate the immune system, causing chronic inflammation. Now researchers led ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Assembling chemicals can be like putting together a puzzle. University of Illinois chemists have developed a way of fitting the pieces together to more efficiently build complex molecules, beginning with a powerful and promising antioxidant. Led by chemistry professor Martin Burke, the team published its research on the cover of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie. Burke's group is known for developing a synthesis technique called iterative cross-coupling (ICC) that uses simple, stable chemical "building blocks" sequentially joined in a repetitive ...

The approach of autumn means one thing for Wisconsin farmers -- harvest season. For most farmers this means picking corn or soy beans, for others it means harvesting marijuana. Following two busts of large-scale marijuana grow operations in the last two years, it appears that Wisconsin law enforcement officers are keeping a close watch on possible marijuana grow operations. Both busts involved the seizure of tens-of-thousands of marijuana plants -- with street values in the millions of dollars -- grown in remote corners of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Northern ...

Sunbathers have long known that melanin in their skin cells provides protection from the damage caused by visible and ultraviolet light. More recent studies have shown that melanin, which is produced by multitudes of the planet's life forms, also gives some species protection from ionizing radiation. In certain microbes, in particular some organisms from near the former nuclear reactor facilities in Chernobyl, melanin has even been linked to increased growth in the presence of ionizing radiation. Research at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new physics-based theory could give researchers a deeper understanding of the unusual, slow dynamics of liquids composed of large polymers. This advance provides a better picture of how polymer molecules respond under fast-flow, high-stress processing conditions for plastics and other polymeric materials. Kenneth S. Schweizer, the G. Ronald and Margaret H. Professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois, and graduate student Daniel Sussman published their findings in the journal Physical Review Letters. "This is the first ...