AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University's Malika Jeffries-EL says she's studying doing structure-property studies so she can teach old polymers new tricks. Those tricks improve the properties of certain organic polymers that mimic the properties of traditional inorganic semiconductors and could make the polymers very useful in organic solar cells, light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistors. Conductive polymers date back to the late 1970s when researchers Alan Heeger, Alan MacDiarmid and Hideki Shirakawa discovered that plastics, with certain arrangements of atoms, can ...

Stripping a Second Mortgage in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy One of current problems in the real estate market is the number of "underwater" mortgages, where the value of the properly has declined below the outstanding value of the mortgage. Banks have been extraordinarily resistant to the concept of loan modifications, where that modification would lower the principal value of the loan and bring it in line with the market value. Most people are trapped in these houses, as they cannot sell them for a high enough price to allow them to pay off the mortgage. The ...

Researchers eavesdropping on complex signals from a remote Wisconsin lake have detected what they say is an unmistakable warning--a death knell--of the impending collapse of the lake's aquatic ecosystem. The finding, reported today in the journal Science by a team of researchers led by Stephen Carpenter, an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), is the first experimental evidence that radical change in an ecosystem can be detected in advance, possibly in time to prevent ecological catastrophe. "For a long time, ecologists thought these changes ...

According to prehistoric records, elk roamed the northwestern part of Missouri until 1865. Now, the Missouri Department of Conservation is planning to reintroduce elk, but this time in the southeast part of the state. While a University of Missouri anthropologist believes the reintroduction is good for elk, tourism and the economy, he said the effort may have unintended negative consequences that are difficult to predict. R. Lee Lyman, the chair of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Science, has studied the history of mammals, conservation biology and wildlife management ...

Teenage Texting: A Roadway Danger Distracted driving takes a heavy toll on our nation's highways: according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, over 5,000 motorists are killed every year in crashes that involve driver distraction. Texting while driving is an especially dangerous form of distraction, as it involves taking your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road and your mind off of driving. Teens are not only more likely to text, they are also more inexperienced behind the wheel: drivers under the age of 21 are involved in three times as many ...

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite again flew over severe thunderstorms that were spawning tornadoes over the eastern United States on April 28 and detected massive thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall. TRMM, a satellite managed by both NASA and the Japanese Space Agency, captured the rainfall rates occurring in the line of thunderstorms associated with a powerful cold front moving through the eastern U.S. on April 28. TRMM flew over the strong cold front and captured data at 0652 UTC (2:52 AM EDT) on April 28, 2011. Most of the rainfall was occurring ...

Rent Regulation Bill Advances Through New York State Assembly Rent regulation law or rent law, a staple in the real estate landscape of New York City, has been eroding in recent years. Established after World War II, rent laws cap the amount of rent a landlord can collect for a particular rental unit. More than 300,000 affordable apartments have been reclassified as landlords exploit loopholes to charge more for rent under the old regulations. Legislative Activity Amidst concerns that the city is becoming increasingly unaffordable, lawmakers in the state Assembly ...

Thanks in part to studies that follow subjects for a long time, psychologists are learning more about differences between people. In a new article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, the author describes how psychologists can use their data to learn about the different ways that people's minds work. Most psychology research is done by asking a big group of people the same questions at the same time. "So we might get a bunch of Psych 101 undergrads, administer a survey, ask about how much they ...

California Is One of the Deadliest States for Pedestrians Motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrians can happen in an instant: when a pedestrian steps off the curb, drivers inattentive to the crossing have only moments to react. Although pedestrian fatalities have actually been on the decline over the last decade, the number is still disturbingly high. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures, 4,092 people died in 2009 in pedestrian accidents. Nonfatal pedestrian injuries are even more common: approximately 59,000 were recorded in 2009 ...

Late last year, astronomers noticed an asteroid named Scheila had unexpectedly brightened, and it was sporting short-lived plumes. Data from NASA's Swift satellite and Hubble Space Telescope showed these changes likely occurred after Scheila was struck by a much smaller asteroid. "Collisions between asteroids create rock fragments, from fine dust to huge boulders, that impact planets and their moons," said Dennis Bodewits, an astronomer at the University of Maryland in College Park and lead author of the Swift study. "Yet this is the first time we've been able to catch ...

Wearing the Right Gear Can Save a Motorcyclist's Hide For a motorcyclist, protective clothing is not a luxury, but a necessity. Studies have found that motorcyclists who wear proper attire sustain fewer injuries in motorcycle crashes than those who do not. And while it is true that protective clothing will do little to shield riders involved in high-speed crashes, most motorcycle accidents occur at low speeds. In these types of accidents, motorcyclists are most likely to suffer injuries to the arms, legs and head. Wearing a helmet and the right type of clothing can ...

A team of scientists has produced an innovative new study of the environmental impact of major urban ecosystems, published in the April issue of the journal Ecological Applications. The team includes Joseph P. McFadden and Jennifer Y. King, both of UC Santa Barbara's Department of Geography. They analyzed environmental data gleaned from the "Twin Cities Household Ecosystem Project," a study of 3,100 households in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., and surrounding areas. The article is the first major paper to come out of the project. The data analysis yielded ...

Molton Brown has announced the launch of two new products to its bath, body and fragrance collection. The two products, Vitalising vitamin AB+C body hydrating gel and Vitalising vitamin AB+C eau fraiche are a welcome addition to the brands original AB+C bath foam and shower gel. Vitalising vitamin AB+C is a highly successful bath and shower product for Molton Brown. To further capitalise on its much loved fragrance and engage the existing dedicated AB+C ambassadors, Molton Brown has chosen to complete the product family, which is anticipated to become a unisex favourite. ...

Debenhams, the department store, has revealed that women are choosing flesh-coloured lingerie over extravagant sets when it comes to updating their lingerie wardrobe this spring with sales of nude shape wear up 99% in the past four weeks according to Debenhams research.   Debenhams has seen a consistent rise in sales of flesh coloured lingerie available to match any skin tone, from fair to dark, since the onset of spring.   Detailed, patterned lingerie is being saved for special occasions such as Valentine's Day and Christmas, as women are opting to buy nude everyday ...

LOS ANGELES (April 28, 2011) – Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have discovered how a molecular receptor on the surface of white blood cells identifies when invading fungi have established direct contact with the cell surface and pose an infectious threat. The receptor called Dectin-1, studied in the laboratory of David Underhill, PhD, an associate professor in Cedars-Sinai's Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute, detects fungi and instructs white blood cells whether to expend the energy needed to devour the invading pathogens. The findings ...

JUPITER, FL, April 28, 2011 – Working with a group of national and international researchers, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have developed a new genetic model of premature aging disorders that could shed light on these rare conditions in humans and provide a novel platform for large-scale screening of compounds to combat these and other age-related diseases. In the new study, which was published this month in the open-access publication PLoS ONE, the scientists found a way to use zebrafish (Danio rerio) to model two rare human genetic ...

3D models, produced by combining a patient's CT scans and 3D printing technology are proving useful in neurosurgical planning. 3D printing technology is a fast and affordable way to build 3D models for neurosurgical planning. Radiologists are able to transform ultra high-resolution CT patient images into 3D solid models using a 3D color printer commonly used in architecture, engineering and construction. An advantage of 3-D models is that they identify defects that 2-D images do not, which helps radiologists view a clearer impression of the image. With increasing ...

Prudential has announced that two in five people are planning their retirement for 2011, even though many have received no advice or have relied solely on non-professional advice. Two in every five people planning to retire in 2011 will do so having relied on non-professional advice as their main financial information source in the run up to retirement. Prudential's Class of 2011 research studied the financial plans of this year's retirees and found that 43 per cent have received no professional advice or relied on the internet or the media for most of their pension ...

[EMBARGOED FOR APRIL 29, 2011] The U.S. measles vaccination program has been successful in eliminating endemic measles in the United States; yet this success has provided challenges that require ongoing vigilance for the rapid identification and response to measles cases in health care settings. In 2008, the largest reported health care-associated measles outbreak in the United States since 1989 occurred in Tucson, Arizona, costing approximately $800,000 in response and containment efforts. In a report published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and available online, ...

Proton radiography imaging used prior to and during proton treatments for pediatric cancer patients provides for more accurate treatment delivery and a lower dose of radiation compared to standard diagnostic X-rays and cone beam CT, according to a study presented today at the Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium in Atlanta. The symposium is co-sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The amount of radiation a pediatric cancer patient receives is a top concern for physicians, as children's ...

Injecting a tissue spacer in the prostate-rectal inter-space is an effective way to reduce the rectal dose for prostate cancer patients receiving radiation therapy, according to research presented April 30, 2011, at the Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium in Atlanta. This symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Even though prostate cancer is cured in over 90 percent of patients, reducing side effects from treatment complications remains a top concern. Damaging the rectum ...

Topman is proud to announce it is producing four exclusive designs of sunglasses to help raise much needed funds and increase awareness for the Teenage Caner Trust and the charity's Rock Your Shades day on Friday 6th May. Simon Davies, CEO at Teenage Cancer Trust said: "At Teenage Cancer Trust we are thrilled to be working with Topman to raise awareness and vital funds for young people with cancer. Topman have come on board as supporters for the next three years, the difference they can make will be huge." Each style has been designed with the input of ...

A pelvic MRI scan with IV contrast and rectal balloon is highly effective in identifying local recurrence even at low PSA values in prostate cancer patients with a rising or persistently elevated PSA after prostatectomy, according to a study presented April 29, 2011, at the Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium in Atlanta. The symposium is co-sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston evaluated 389 postprostatectomy patients treated between ...

An annual mammogram is sufficient follow-up after breast conserving therapy (BCT) for breast cancer patients, according to a study presented today, at the Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium in Atlanta. This symposium is co-sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). In this study, researchers wanted to determine the clinical relevance and utility of an interval mammogram (IM) after BCT. BCT is when a patient is treated with a lumpectomy and radiation rather than a mastectomy for early-stage ...

Molton Brown is pleased to announce the launch of a limited edition hand wash and hand lotion. New for spring 2011, Molton Brown's limited edition pettigree dew hand duo has been inspired by the walled secret gardens of London, offering the ultimate escapism through its fragrance. The latest addition to Molton Brown's collection, pettigree dew hand wash and hand lotion contains calming and nourishing qualities designed to rescue dry and overworked hands. This very British floral fragrance is infused with lentisque oil to give a burst of freshness, and English pettigree, ...