A number of large federal health care programs have been vulnerable to fraud for years. Although there is no way to accurately measure the exact financial impact of undetected fraud, officials estimate that abuses of health care initiatives cost billions of dollars every year. In the current climate of slow economic growth and tight government budgets, officials are making concentrated efforts to trim waste. For the Obama administration, this means taking a hard line on healthcare fraud. New enforcement measures have resulted in a significant number of fines, penalties ...

In one image, NASA's Aqua satellite captured two tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific today, Tropical Storm Merbok and the large Typhoon Muifa. NASA Satellite imagery shows that Muifa is almost twice as big as Merbok. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured Typhoon Muifa near Okinawa, Japan and Tropical Storm Merbok, farther east in the western Pacific at 4:35 UTC (12:35 a.m. EDT) on August 5, 2011. By having the storms side-by-side in one image, it is much easier to see how Merbok is a lot less ...

On February 23, 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc. The Court considered whether federal regulations governing vehicle safety standards preempt state product liability claims for failure to install three-point, lap-and-shoulder style seat belts in the back seats of vehicles. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that such state claims were not barred, allowing litigation against Mazda to continue. Background The claims in Williamson arose from a 2004 car crash involving a 1993 Mazda MPV mini-van. Thanh Williamson ...

Elder abuse is a real danger for many in their golden years. Growing awareness of the issue nationally has brought to light some horrific acts perpetrated by caregivers at long-term care facilities. As more baby boomers retire and need extended care, it will become a central issue affecting senior citizens in the United States. The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) reports that more than one million Americans over the age of 65 have experienced some type of abuse, neglect or exploitation by caregivers. Most victims of elder abuse suffer in silence. For every one case ...

Warmer cloud top temperatures mean that cloud heights in a tropical cyclone are dropping and the storm doesn't have as much power to push them higher in the atmosphere. That's what NASA infrared satellite imagery has revealed about Tropical Storm Eugene this morning. During the very early morning hours (Eastern Daylight Time) on August 5, Eugene was still hurricane strength. Then the storm ran into cooler waters and a more stable atmosphere, weakening into a tropical storm. That weakening was confirmed in satellite imagery from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) ...

For a divorcing parent, especially the non-custodial parent, there may be nothing more important than ensuring that the relationships with his or her children are maintained. By devising a visitation schedule that best reflects the needs of all involved, those relationships can be maintained and grown. Standard Visitation Schedule A standard visitation schedule -- also called a possession schedule -- is offered in the Texas Family Code. For parents who live within 100 miles of each other, the standard schedule for a child age three or older provides for visitation ...

In a recent press release, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett proclaimed the month of May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Across the state, the warm spring weather changes our climate; motorcycle riders are again taking to the road after a long winter. As the riding season continues in earnest, the governor is asking riders and drivers to share the road and maintain safe operating practices. Vigilance by riders and drivers is important now more than ever. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reports that the number of registered motorcycles increased ...

Diamond has released the results of a new study that reveals one in four British children suffer from travel sickness. The research also suggests the affliction could run in the family. The study of 2,000 parents by the women's car insurance specialist has shown even those whose children aren't regularly travel sick prepare for the worst with two fifths taking the precaution of keeping sick bags in the car just in case. And for the parents of children who do get car sick, three quarters have to stop and pull over for their child to be ill, travelling an average of ...

Kuoni has announced the launch of its brand new environmentally responsible travel offering, ananea. These holidays are for those who want to book ethical travel and it underpins the company's long-term credentials as a responsible and sustainable travel company. The holidays available under the ananea brand - a word that derives from the ancient Greek word for renewal - are available only via an e-brochure. The new style, page turning e-brochure features video streaming and stunning slide shows. The trips within the brochure provide respectful, authentic and responsible ...

Today Avantium announced that Dr. Jeffrey J. Kolstad has joined Avantium as Chief Scientist. Jeff Kolstad will strengthen Avantium's team in developing a next generation of bioplastics on the basis of its YXY technology. Previously Chief Scientist at NatureWorks (formerly Cargill-Dow) he was one of the founding team members for developing and commercializing PLA (polylactic-acid), a biobased polymer. The team developed the process and polymer technology, moving it from laboratory scale, to pilot plant, into a fully commercial 140,000 MT/yr manufacturing facility in Blair, ...

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The website of The Columbus Dispatch -- dispatch.com, which earlier this year was named the state's best website by the Associated Press Society of Ohio -- has re-launched with a fresh, new look and a wealth of improvements and features. "We understand that people have a lot of options when looking for information online," said Dispatch Editor Ben Marrison. "The changes we've implemented on dispatch.com will make it easier for people to find the information they seek as well as discover information that they didn't realize existed. The new tools and design ...

Bairbre has worked with the Irish Independent for a number of years and will be using her extensive fashion expertise to pick the best dressed lady on the day. Bairbre hopes the Tramore ladies will turn out in force this year and tells us what she is looking out for on the day, "I look for individuality and personality in an outfit. I love someone who puts their own personal stamp on a trend. I'm looking for colour, and an outfit that is appropriate for the races. Most importantly, less is more, you don't need a hat, large earring's, a statement bag and lots of rings." Geoff ...

Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are associated with fertility problems and negative attitudes to pregnancy, according to a UK study. The research also revealed high rates of unplanned pregnancies in women with a history of anorexia, suggesting they may be underestimating their chances of conceiving. The study is to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Eating disorders are known to cause disruption to a woman's menstrual cycle, with substantial weight loss leading to hormonal changes that might prevent ovulation, but ...

FRAX® is a computer-based algorithm developed by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases to help predict the 10-year risk of fragility fracture. Now with 34 specific country models, FRAX is being used increasingly by physicians around the world to help assess their patients' fracture risk in the course of a clinical assessment. In a newly published review paper, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) detail the findings of a joint Task Force that met in November ...

This release is available in German. The car moves slowly towards the car park exit, the barriers open automatically – without the driver having to wind down the window and insert a ticket. This is thanks to a small RFID chip on the inside of the windshield. Devices on the ceiling above the car park entrance and exit read the adhesive foil transponder measuring just 1.5 x 10 centimeters and register the parking time. The fees are charged by a direct debit from an online account. VIATAG is the name of the RFID system which the research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute ...

AUGUSTA, Ga. –Prolonged estrogen deprivation in aging rats dramatically reduces the number of brain receptors for the hormone as well as its ability to prevent strokes, researchers report. However the damage is forestalled if estrogen replacement begins shortly after hormone levels drop, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This is further evidence of a critical window for estrogen therapy, either right before or right after menopause," said Dr. Darrell W. Brann, Chief of GHSU's Developmental Neurobiology Program ...

This release is available in German. Just imagine the following scenario: four people are comfortably ensconced in a room. Each one of them can watch a film from the Internet on his or her laptop, in HD quality. This is made possible thanks to optical WLAN. Light from the LEDs in the overhead lights serves as the transfer medium. For a long time, this was just a vision for the future. However, since scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI in Berlin, Germany, have developed a new transfer technology for video data ...

When parents fight, infants are likely to lose sleep, researchers report. "We know that marital problems have an impact on child functioning, and we know that sleep is a big problem for parents," said Jenae M. Neiderhiser, professor of psychology, Penn State. New parents often report sleep as being the most problematic of their child's behavior. Neiderhiser and colleagues found that poor sleep patterns in children from ages 9 to 18 months are likely influenced by conflict in their parents' marriage, the researchers report in the current issue of Child Development. Past ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — For all the ills that result from bad parenting, new evidence from an epidemiological study of thousands of people suggests coronary heart disease (CHD) might be added to that list. "We often think about how the early family psychosocial environment influences the mental health of kids," said Eric Loucks, assistant professor of epidemiology in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. "The fact that it may be important for chronic diseases, like heart disease, hasn't been thought of as much." Loucks' newly published ...

VIB researchers have developed a mouse model for Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) neuropathy, a hereditary disease of the peripheral nervous system. They also found a potential therapy for this incurable disease. The treatment not only halted the damage to the nerves and the atrophy of the muscles, it even succeeded in reversing the symptoms. The research was conducted under supervision of Wim Robberecht en Ludo Van Den Bosch from VIB-K.U.Leuven, in collaboration with the team of Vincent Timmerman at VIB-University of Antwerp. The study was published in Nature Medicine. CMT: ...

Upper aero-digestive tract cancers (UADT), especially those of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, are often referred to as alcohol-related cancers as it has been shown repeatedly that heavy drinkers, in particular, are at increased risk. The combination of heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking is the key factor in increasing the risk of these cancers. A distinguished group of scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC).evaluated the role of alcohol and tobacco consumption, based on 2,252 upper aerodigestive squamous-cell carcinoma cases ...

When it comes to satisfaction with body function and body appearance, older men and women have different opinions, although physical activity does improve satisfaction in both sexes, according to new study by a Baylor University researcher. Researchers found that as men and women age, there is a shift in body satisfaction away from appearance and towards body functionality, a finding that was documented more consistently in women. Additionally, when comparing concerns across genders, satisfaction with body functionality was more important for men than women. Another ...

CLEMSON, S.C. — Two Clemson University researchers seek to make diners mindful of mindless eating. Psychology professor Eric Muth and electrical and computer engineering professor Adam Hoover have created the Bite Counter, a measurement device that will make it easier for people to monitor how much they eat. Worn like a watch, the Bite Counter device tracks a pattern of wrist-roll motion to identify when the wearer has taken a bite of food. Think of it as a pedometer for eating. "At the societal level, current weight-loss and maintenance programs are failing to make ...

WASHINGTON – A new report from the National Research Council presents a framework for incorporating sustainability into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's principles and decision making. The framework, which was requested by EPA, is intended to help the agency better assess the social, environmental, and economic impacts of various options as it makes decisions. The committee that developed the framework used the definition of sustainability based on a declaration of federal policy in the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act and included in a 2009 Executive ...