WOONSOCKET, R.I. – July 7, 2011 – As the nation seeks to expand health care coverage to more citizens without adding burdensome costs, researchers from Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark reported that preventative health care may be significantly less costly than previously thought, due to expanded use of cost-effective generic medications for the treatment and prevention of chronic disease. A study released today in the July issue of Health Affairs concludes that preventive health care is considerably less costly than previous industry ...

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a tunable superconducting circuit on a chip that can place a single microwave photon (particle of light) in two frequencies, or colors, at the same time. This curious "superposition," a hallmark of the quantum world, is a chip-scale, microwave version of a common optics experiment in which a device called a beam-splitter sends a photon into either of two possible paths across a table of lasers, lenses and mirrors. The new NIST circuit can be used to create and manipulate different quantum ...

In a typical year, California gets about 30 percent of its water from groundwater wells. Yet when it comes to managing this precious resource, the state of California relies on a mixed bag of more than 2,000 local water agencies with varying degrees of authority. Critics say that this decentralized system leaves the state vulnerable to overdraft, which occurs when water is pumped out faster than replacement water is absorbed. But according to a new report published by Stanford University's Program on Water in the West, a surprising number of local water districts are ...

Using a combination of sophisticated computer modeling and advanced materials analysis techniques at synchrotron laboratories, a research team led by the University at Buffalo (UB) and including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and SEMATECH* has demonstrated how some relatively simple processing flaws can seriously degrade the otherwise near-magical electronic properties of graphene. Their new paper** demonstrates how both wrinkles in the graphene sheet and/or chance contaminants ...

If materials scientists accompanied their research with theme songs, a team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland (UMD) might be tempted to choose the garage punk song "Don't Crowd Me"* as the anthem for the promising, but still experimental nanocomposite fire retardants they are studying. That's because the collaborators have demonstrated that the more widely and uniformly dispersed nanoscale plates of clay are in a polymer, the more fire protection the nanocomposite material provides. Writing in the journal Polymer,** ...

A strategy that has been shown to reduce age-related health problems in several animal studies may also combat a major cause of age-associated infertility and birth defects. Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have shown that restricting the caloric intake of adult female mice prevents a spectrum of abnormalities, such as extra or missing copies of chromosomes, that arise more frequently in egg cells of aging female mammals. Their report appears in this week's online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. "We found ...

Brava breast enhancement is a clinically proven, nonsurgical method for enlarging your breasts. Brava utilizes tissue expansion, a method for enabling your body to grow extra skin tissue. Brava consists of two domes with silicone gel rims that are worn over the breasts and held in place with a sports bra. A battery-powered microcomputer called a SmartBox creates and regulates a light vacuum within the domes. This gentle tension within the domes stimulates tissue cells, causing them to multiply and generate new breast tissue. As new tissue develops, your breast size ...

A team of researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences discovered four new species of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) from South-eastern Asia. This family of beetles is named for their particularly beautiful body and fascinating, shiny colours. "All new species belong to the genus Philanthaxia. Before the publication of this study, 61 species had been known from this genus. Currently, it comprises of 65 species, with a primarily Southeast-Asian distribution, except for two species extending to the Australasian region", said Oto Nakládal, a co-author of the study. The ...

In a world - a mobile world - where the words "cool" and "useful" are the primary ways to describe smartphone apps worth buying, apps provided by law firms have very seldom been described as cool or useful. Will the Accident Toolkit, sponsored by the Miami personal injury lawyers of Ferrer Shane, be any different? It actually might. Many commentators have stated that lawyers' smartphone apps are just another marketing gimmick and will do very little to attract consumer interest, especially when it comes to those apps that are likely to be ...

WACO, Texas (July 7, 2011) – Research universities with an organizational climate that actively supports commercialization and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers are more likely to produce invention disclosures and patent applications, according to a Baylor University study. Published online June 29 in the Journal of Research Policy, the study by Emily Hunter, Ph.D., assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business, showed that a favorable organizational climate had a sizeable and direct ...

Children may face a difficult transition when newly divorced parents first start sharing their children's time with one another.Young children may have a difficult time understanding the new situation. However, by explaining as simply as possible the prospective changes in living arrangements -- before they occur -- and speaking to your child about how both parents will still love and care for him or her no matter what changes take place and no matter where everyone lives, the effect of a difficult transition can be minimized for the child, and undue worry and distress ...

A new technique which targets antibiotic-resistant bacteria and shields patients from the toxic parts of an antibiotic drug has been developed by Cardiff University scientists. Dr Elaine Ferguson from Cardiff University's School of Dentistry has utilised a new technique which attaches tiny nano-sized biodegradable polymers to the antibiotic drug - colistin. Use of the drug colistin to fight infection has been limited as it is known to be toxic to the kidneys and nerves despite the fact that it has been found to be effective against new multi-drug resistant bacteria, ...

Hearing has a key role in the acquisition of speech, but 2 of every 1000 children are born with a hearing impairment. Early diagnosis and treatment can help these children learn to speak. In the latest issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Martin Ptok of Hannover Medical School explores whether screening of newborns reliably detects hearing defects, the benefits of early diagnosis, and the potential risks of newborn hearing screening (Dtsch Arztebl Int; 108(25): 426-31). Professor Ptok concludes that the current scientific evidence favors universal neonatal hearing ...

OTTAWA, July 7, 2011 – Family doctors are reluctant to disclose identifiable patient information, even in the context of an influenza pandemic, mostly in an effort to protect patient privacy. A recently published study by Dr. Khaled El Emam the Canada Research Chair in Electronic Health Information at the University of Ottawa and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute recently found that during the peak of the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, there was still reluctance to report detailed patient information for public health purposes. These results are important ...

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is offering those with undisclosed offshore bank accounts an opportunity to get current on their tax returns. The 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) seeks to bring taxpayers with undisclosed foreign bank accounts - whether in the Cayman Islands, Europe, South America or Asia - into compliance with United States tax laws. Taxpayers who have undisclosed offshore accounts are eligible to apply to the 2011 OVDI. The program requires disclosing unreported income from 2003 through 2010 and filing amended tax ...

Scientists at the University of Southampton have developed smart nanomaterials, which can disrupt the blood supply to cancerous tumours. The team of researchers, led by Physics lecturer Dr Antonios Kanaras, showed that a small dose of gold nanoparticles can activate or inhibit genes that are involved in angiogenesis - a complex process responsible for the supply of oxygen and nutrients to most types of cancer. "The peptide-functionalised gold nanoparticles that we synthesised are very effective in the deliberate activation or inhibition of angiogenic genes," said Dr ...

Researchers have discovered a way to capture and harness energy transmitted by such sources as radio and television transmitters, cell phone networks and satellite communications systems. By scavenging this ambient energy from the air around us, the technique could provide a new way to power networks of wireless sensors, microprocessors and communications chips. "There is a large amount of electromagnetic energy all around us, but nobody has been able to tap into it," said Manos Tentzeris, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering ...

The landscape of audits and health care compliance has been impacted significantly by the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Under PPACA, the Medicare hospice benefit underwent changes related to both documentation and billing requirements. It is important fo rproviders to recognize these changes and adjust their procedures accordingly. Failure to comply with these new requirements may leave providers vulnerable to claim denials and overpayment recoupment in a future RAC or other Medicare audit. Hospice Certification In order for ...

As the RACs continue to focus on medical necessity issues in inpatient hospital admissions, hospitals are left with few good options to effectively address these issues. The Medicare definitions regarding the terms "inpatient" and "outpatient" are circuitous and do not give hospitals much guidance, if any, as to when patients should be kept in outpatient observation as opposed to being admitted as an inpatient. If these admissions are subsequently audited, a RAC's decision that the services were medically necessary but should have been performed in a ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. –Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to be in abusive intimate relationships and experience psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A University of Missouri researcher has found that certain protective factors foster resilience and increase the likelihood that the cycle of violence will end for women who, as children, were exposed to their mothers' battering. Kim Anderson, associate professor in the MU School of Social Work, found that ...

Virginia's many bays, estuaries and rivers are a magnet for the quarter of a million registered watercraft in the state, especially during the summer months. Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac and other waterways provide many great destinations for a day of fishing or pleasure boating. But these waters can quickly turn dangerous when power boats or jet skis are piloted by drunk or otherwise negligent operators. Recently released statistics reveal that 2010 was a less deadly year for Virginia boaters. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) recently released national statistics on boating ...

New Rochelle, NY, July 7, 2011—Companies that try to increase sales of their products by adopting the color pink and pink ribbons to imply that they support breast cancer research—a practice called pinkwashing—but at the same time permit the use of chemicals shown to cause cancer are committing a form of social injustice against women, according to a thought-provoking article in Environmental Justice, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com) The entire issue is available online at www.liebertpub.com/env Amy Lubitow, Portland State ...

As the spring legislation session ends, many are wondering about the cluster of anti drunk driving bills that failed to garner support. The session began with lawmakers vowing to pass tougher laws that would keep more offenders off the road. Ultimately, lawmakers only agreed to send one proposal to the governor's office. One proposal called for deferred adjudication for first time offenders, but it was defeated. It would have allowed for them to be acquitted if they completed court ordered treatment and supervision. Proponents believed it would help offenders get the ...

LA JOLLA, CA – July 7, 2011 – Annually changing flu vaccines with their hit-and-miss effectiveness may soon give way to a single, near-universal flu vaccine, according to a new report from scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell. They describe an antibody that, in animal tests, can prevent or cure infections with a broad variety of influenza viruses, including seasonal and potentially pandemic strains. The finding, published in the journal Science Express on July 7, 2011, shows the influenza subtypes neutralized with ...

The state of Idaho has an unusually high rate of bicyclist injuries and fatalities, according to statistics from 2009. Children and young adults who do not wear helmets when they ride are the most common victims of injury-causing bicycle accidents. However, Idaho does not currently have a bicycle helmet statute, so bicyclists who choose not to wear helmets are not violating any laws. While it is difficult to know how much a universal bicycle helmet law would reduce bicyclist injuries and deaths, such a law is a good place for Idaho to start. Bicycle Crashes According ...