Big sisters don't like being overshadowed by their younger brothers and that's what has happened in the eastern Pacific Ocean with Tropical Storm Fernanda and now Hurricane Greg. Despite the difference in strength, NASA satellite imagery shows some strong convection happening in both tropical cyclones and that they're now matched in size. Greg grew into a hurricane today is it continues moving near the western coast of Mexico, while Fernanda has maintained tropical storm strength. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-11 caught an image of ...

A common deformity that cases a depression in the chest wall inhibits lung function as the cavity grows deeper, a national study of 327 patients published in the Journal of Pediatrics found. "These results confirm what we have observed anecdotally, that children with more severe pectus excavatum report more incidents of shortness of breath and a higher degree of exercise intolerance," said one of the study's lead authors, Dr. Robert Kelly, a pediatric surgeon at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. Pectus excavatum, a condition sometimes ...

Basic biology textbooks may need a bit of revising now that biologists at UC San Diego have discovered a never-before-noticed component of our basic genetic material. According to the textbooks, chromatin, the natural state of DNA in the cell, is made up of nucleosomes. And nucleosomes are the basic repeating unit of chromatin. When viewed by a high powered microscope, nucleosomes look like beads on a string (photo at right). But in the August 19th issue of the journal Molecular Cell, UC San Diego biologists report their discovery of a novel chromatin particle halfway ...

After recovering from the flu or another acute infection, your immune system is ready to react quickly if you run into the same virus again. White blood cells called memory T cells develop during the infection and help the immune system remember the virus and attack it if it comes back. But chronic infections such as those caused by viruses like HIV and hepatitis C are different. If the immune system can't clear the infection out of the body fast enough, the memory T cells that initially developed against the virus upon first encounter are lost. This poses a challenge ...

As they grow, children learn a lot about the world from what other people tell them. Along the way, they have to figure out who is a reliable source of information. A new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that when children reach around 4 years, they start noticing whether someone is actually knowledgeable or if they're just getting the answers from someone else. Earlier studies have found that children as young as age three pay attention to whether someone is an ...

The following highlights summarize research papers that have been recently published in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface (JGR-F), Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences (JGR-G), and Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans (JGR-C). 1. Slowly but steadily, a stormier Europe One anticipated consequence of global warming is a rise in the strength and frequency of wind storms striking Europe, bringing about associated increases in property damage, choppy seas, and coastal flooding. Previous research, mostly based ...

If you've ever spilled a drop of coffee on a surface, you might have noticed the curious way the color concentrates at the edges when the coffee dries. This is known as the "coffee ring effect," and recently, researchers have determined that the shape of the particles in the liquid is an important factor in creating this pattern. The research results could eventually translate into new techniques or formulations for product coatings, or better inks and paints. This work, published in the August 18 issue of the journal Nature was performed by Arjun Yodh and colleagues ...

A recent study demonstrated increased rates of celiac disease in women who present with unexplained infertility. Published in the May-June 2011 issue of The Journal of Reproductive Medicine, the study evaluated 191 female patients presenting with infertility. Each participant underwent serologic screening for celiac disease as well as routine infertility testing. The 4 patients who had positive serum test results were advised to seek evaluation with a gastroenterologist. All 4 patients were confirmed to have celiac disease. They then underwent nutritional counseling ...

Bacteria from fecal material -- in particular, dog fecal material -- may constitute the dominant source of airborne bacteria in Cleveland's and Detroit's wintertime air, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study. The CU-Boulder study showed that of the four Midwestern cities in the experiment, two cities had significant quantities of fecal bacteria in the atmosphere -- with dog feces being the most likely source. "We found unexpectedly high bacterial diversity in all of our samples, but to our surprise the airborne bacterial communities of Detroit and Cleveland ...

An examination of post-emancipation executions in the South is revealing how race played a significant and under-examined role in executions. Annulla Linders, a University of Cincinnati associate professor of sociology, will present the research on Aug. 21, at the 106th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Las Vegas. Linders combed through newspaper archives in the Library of Congress to examine the meanings and understandings about race and justice that were produced in newspaper accounts of legal, public executions of African-American convicts ...

Generations of American women have turned to door-to-door sales when a male-dominated workforce and lack of education prevented them from entering the workforce. They were known as the Tupperware Lady or the Avon Lady as they showed off their newest products to the "Lady of the House." New research out of the University of Cincinnati finds it's a strategy that is now bringing success to some women in third world countries facing discrimination in the formal job market. Erynn Masi de Casanova, a UC assistant professor of sociology, will present her research on Aug. 21 ...

For better or for worse, in sickness and in health – there's a long line of research that associates marriage with reducing unhealthy habits such as smoking, and promoting better health habits such as regular checkups. However, new research is emerging that suggests married straight couples and cohabiting gay and lesbian couples in long-term intimate relationships may pick up each other's unhealthy habits as well. University of Cincinnati research into how those behaviors evolve will be presented Aug. 23 at the 106th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association ...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced the award of $74 million to create four new Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) that will advance interdisciplinary research and education in partnership with industry. During the next five years, the ERCs will share the goal of creating knowledge and innovations that address significant societal issues such as health and sustainability challenges while advancing the competitiveness of U.S. industry. The centers will support research and innovation in solar energy, water infrastructure, neural engineering and energy ...

PHILADELPHIA — It is helpful — even life-saving — to have a warning sign before a structural system fails, but, when the system is only a few nanometers in size, having a sign that's easy to read is a challenge. Now, thanks to a clever bit of molecular design by University of Pennsylvania and Duke University bioengineers and chemists, such warning can come in the form of a simple color change. The study was conducted by professor Daniel Hammer and graduate students Neha Kamat and Laurel Moses of the Department of Bioengineering in Penn's School of Engineering and ...

Britain's leading online parcel delivery specialist has called on small businesses to take advantage of the boom in sales through smartphones. Recent research has shown that more and more consumers are prepared to buy products through their mobile phones and are enjoying the freedom that mobile shopping offers. Bolton-based Parcel2Go helps businesses of all sizes organise shipping to countries across the world and suggests that small firms should take a proactive approach when it comes to building an online presence. People are now using their mobile phones to do ...

Headlines screamed in the days following Hurricane Katrina: Police Quitting, Overwhelmed by Chaos. Pundits squawked about the flight of the "notoriously corrupt" New Orleans police force. City and emergency planners outside the devastated areas envisioned disasters happening in their own cities and widespread desertion by their first responders. But that's not a very realistic fear, according to UD's Joe Trainor, who recently conducted research on the subject. "Fire companies and police stations and hospitals should stop being concerned about whether individuals will ...

English language ads have a greater impact in mobilizing Latino voters than Spanish language ads, according to a study recently published in American Political Research, a SAGE journal. This study examined the effects of direct mail pieces on Latino voters. The direct mail piece, which was written in either English or Spanish, was sent to two separate groups while a third who received no mailing was used as a control group. The experiment was conducted in New York City Council District 21 prior to the February 2009 special election to fill a vacancy on the New York ...

Metabolic syndrome comprises a group of medical disorders that increase people's risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature death when they occur together. A patient is diagnosed with the syndrome when he or she exhibits three or more of the following characteristics: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat in the waist/abdomen, low good cholesterol, and higher levels of fatty acids (the building blocks of fat). People with metabolic abnormalities are at increased risk of developing kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming ...

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Washington, DC (August 19, 2011) — Antibiotics can help ward off serious bacterial infections in kidney disease patients who use tubes called catheters for their dialysis treatments. But if antibiotics are used too often, "super bugs" may crop up that are resistant to the drugs. A new randomized controlled clinical trial has shown that using an antibiotic that is not usually used to treat other serious infections may be a safe way to prevent bacterial infections in dialysis patients. The study, which included approximately 200 dialysis patients,was conducted by Rodrigo ...

Fairness, integrity and trust should be the foundation of all client-lawyer relationships. When you turn to an attorney to represent you in a sensitive matter, it's important to know that your interests will be protected by a person of integrity whom you trust to treat you fairly. This is particularly true in personal injury cases, such as car accidents. If you've been injured, getting your life back on track depends to a great degree on the success your attorney has on your behalf. An attorney who empathizes with your injuries and pursues compensation for you with passion ...

The Supreme Court of South Carolina recently upheld a state law that sets a two-tiered cap on damages in personal injury lawsuits against state entities. The scheme permits lawsuits of up to $1.2 million against state-employed physicians, surgeons and dentists, while capping lawsuits against all other state entities at $300,000 per person and $600,000 per occurrence. Larry and Jeannie Boiter challenged the validity of the law under the South Carolina state constitution after they were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident that occurred because of a burned-out traffic ...

Although the New York legislature decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in 1977, marijuana possession is still the top reason for arrests in New York City and one of the foremost reasons for arrest statewide. According to statistics released by the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, New York City police officers have arrested 20 percent more people in the first quarter of 2011 than the same period in 2010 for marijuana possession. Across the state, police made 14,000 arrests for possession of marijuana, 13,000 of which were in New York ...

As the University of Colorado prepares for another academic year, Boulder transportation officials are considering several changes to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. Specifically, three proposals that build upon existing laws are under review. Officials first proposed a speed limit for bicyclists entering a crosswalk. Bicyclists would be required to slow down as they approach and travel through an intersection. Testing groups found that speeds of 8 miles per hour would give drivers a chance to see bicyclists and yield in a safe manner. Currently, the city code requires ...

The Age of Minnesota Juveniles Must Be Considered When Deciding Whether to Give Miranda Warning Last month, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling to bring the due process rights of children into balance with the rights of adults. Traditionally, the criminal justice system has treated juveniles and adults differently. The distinctions between the court process and penalties administered to children and adults arise from the differences in their maturities and their abilities to understand their actions. In her opinion, Justice Sotomayor said police ought ...