Optimism about studies that show a drop in the black percentage of crime may be dampened by demographic trends and statistical aberrations, according to a group of criminologists. The rise in the U.S. Hispanic population and the sharp jump in black violent crime during the late 1980s and early 1990s may skew statistics from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports and the National Crime Victimization Survey that appear to show a recent drop in black violence, said Darrell Steffensmeier, professor, sociology, and crime, law and justice, Penn State. The researchers, who released ...

During a large-scale study of the socioeconomic costs of this neurodegenerative disease, Danish researchers, some from the University of Copenhagen, discovered that very early symptoms of Parkinson's disease may be revealed in dream or REM sleep. Parkinson's disease is a brain disease best known for the trembling it causes. It is an incurable, chronic disease and gradually affects the muscles and mental capacity, seriously afflicting the lives if the patient and his or her immediate relatives. "In the study we saw that eight years before diagnosis, Parkinson's sufferers ...

In a market with numerous home foreclosures and real estate-owned (REO) homes, opportunities for purchasing inexpensive properties abound. To determine the value of such properties in Southern California, Appraisal Evaluations, Inc., a Los Angeles Property Appraiser, has begun focusing on assisting their clients' Loss Mitigation departments with REO Appraisals. Foreclosure REO homes have gone through foreclosure, repossession and offered unsuccessfully for sale at auction. The mortgage holder typically tries to sell the home for the balance of the original mortgage. ...

How would you like to store all the films ever made on a device the size of an I-phone? Magnets made of just a few metallic atoms could make it possible to build radically smaller storage devices and have also recently been proposed as components for spintronics devices. There's just one obstacle on the way. Nano-sized magnets have only been seen to work at temperatures a few hairs above absolute zero. Now a chemistry student at the University of Copenhagen has demonstrated that molecular magnets using the metals ruthenium and osmium retain their magnetic properties ...

Acclaro (http://www.acclaro.com), a premier localization and translation firm, announces a live, one-hour webinar "Take Your Mobile App Global", which will review mobile app strategy, mobile app trends, and mobile app translation and globalization. Webinar: "Take Your Mobile App Global" Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 Time: 9 a.m. PT / Noon ET Pre-registration at: http://www.acclaro.com/webinars/mobile-app-software-translation-ws Cost: Complimentary Presenters: Lydia Clarke and Jon Ritzdorf of Acclaro This live, one-hour webinar looks at how to prepare a mobile ...

The addition of extremely small crystals to solid electrolyte material has the potential to considerably raise the efficiency of fuel cells. Researchers at TU Delft in the Netherlands were the first to document this accurately. Their second article on the subject in a very short time was published in the scientific journal, Advanced Functional Materials. Electrolyte The researchers at the Faculty of Applied Sciences at TU Delft were concentrating their efforts on improving electrolyte materials. This is the material between two electrodes, for example in a fuel cell ...

Pembrokeshire's Torch Theatre is preparing to stage Flowers from Tunisia, a play by Welsh dramatist Laurence Allan. Running from Thursday May 5th to Saturday May 14th, the production will be the first run of shows overseen by the Milford Haven venue's new associate director Simon Harris. Described by the theatre as "a delightful, touching and thoroughly absorbing play with flowing dialogue", Flowers from Tunisia was praised by critics when first performed in 2005. It tells the story of Reah, a woman experiencing the early stages of dementia who shocks her ex-serviceman ...

University of Cincinnati research is investigating why a highly sophisticated civilization decided to build large, bustling cities next to what is essentially swampland. The research by UC Geography Professor Nicholas Dunning, a three-year, interdisciplinary project including David Lentz, professor of biological sciences, and Vern Scarborough, professor of anthropology, will be presented April 1 at the annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Sacramento, Calif. This annual meeting draws more than 3,000 researchers from around the world to present research ...

LEXINGTON, Ky., (March 28, 2011) – University of Kentucky plant pathologists recently discovered a metabolite that plays a critical role early on in the ability of plants, animals, humans and one-celled microorganisms to fend off a wide range of pathogens at the cellular level, which is known as systemic immunity. This mode of resistance has been known for more than 100 years, but the key events that stimulate that resistance have remained a mystery. The findings of the UK College of Agriculture researchers, led by Pradeep Kachroo and Aardra Kachroo, were published online ...

Trumpeter and composer Matthew Halsall will bring his acclaimed jazz repertoire to the Norwich Arts Centre on Wednesday April 20th. The Manchester-based musician won plaudits for his debut album Sending My Love, which received the approval of influential DJ Gilles Peterson following its release in October 2008. Since then, Halsall has continued to build his reputation by working with the likes of saxophonist Nat Birchall and multi-instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney, as well as recording several acclaimed sessions at the BBC's Maida Vale studios. He released his second ...

This release is available in Spanish. The performance took place on March 15 at the María Guerrero Theatre in Madrid, where the play "Woyzeck," by Georg Büchner could be enjoyed in the version by Juan Mayorga, under the direction of Gerardo Vera. This accessible staging has been promoted with the collaboration of the CESyA and the CDN, which for the first time ever in their theatres programmed a subtitled function for hearing impaired individuals, thanks to technological support from UC3M though a subtitling system, UC3MTitling.. This system carries out subtitling ...

Fans of Paul Rodgers can see the rock veteran perform at the Bournemouth International Centre next month. The former Free and Bad Company vocalist is due to play the south coast venue as part of his latest solo UK tour on Sunday April 24th. Rodgers, now more than four decades into his music career, has recorded over 30 albums and shared a stage with some of the biggest names in rock music. Dubbed The Voice by his fans, the Middlesbrough-born singer remains one of the genre's most captivating showmen and continues to perform his hits to audiences around the world. Having ...

This release is available in German. Whether calculating routes, finding your vehicle, tracking products or simply knowing where you are at the moment, drivers and sailors currently use satellite navigation as a matter of course and rescue personnel and logistics providers have also already discovered the potential it affords them. Up to now, the applications have mainly been based on the direction signals of the military's publicly available Global Positioning Systems (GPS). When the first four of a total of 30 satellites of the European Global Navigation Satellite ...

SciFi Sydney offers science fiction fans the chance to meet recreations of some of their favourite film characters while raising money for charity. Visitors will have the chance to get their pictures taken with the likes of Darth Vader, R2D2, a Dalek and K9. All models and outfits have been created by the Sydney Robot Workshop and Novus Ordo Star Wars Costuming groups. People can also get behind the wheel of a Star Wars Droid or climb inside a Dalek and drive it around the hall. The event takes place on April 9th 2011 at the Dougherty Community Centre in Chatswood, ...

Some of Australia's most talented and creative musicians will play at the 2011 Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival (MJFF) next month. The line-up consists of 80 performers who will take the stage at venues across the city over ten days and nights. Melbourne's Recital Centre Salon hosts the event's opening night concert on April 29th, featuring a recital of Place by the Andrea Keller Quartet with Strings. The 60-minute piece was commissioned by the Four Winds Festival and is inspired by the area surrounding Bermagui in New South Wales. Tickets are priced at AU$30 and ...

VERNON – Texas Agrilife Research fire and brush control studies in the Rolling Plains on a working ranch-scale showed the benefits and limitations of managed fires for reducing mesquite encroachment while sustaining livestock production. The head fire is set in a paddock as a part of a managed fire during the Waggoner Ranch study. (Texas AgriLife Research photo by Dr. Richard Teague) Dr. Richard Teague, AgriLife Research rangeland ecology and management scientist, along with colleagues Dr. Jim Ansley, brush ecologist, and Dr. Bill Pinchak, animal nutritionist, spent ...

Recent findings on the differences in heart disease among women and men and among blacks and whites show that characteristics such as gender and ethnicity matter when it comes to health research. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Understanding, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, recommends steps to ensure that clinical researchers identify and address the needs of LGBT populations. The report was written in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for guidance on researching ...

A new study on hunger entitled "Map the Meal Gap" is the first study to identify the county-level distribution of over 50 million food-insecure Americans. "Until now, we could only compare the data by state," said Craig Gundersen, University of Illinois associate professor of agricultural and consumer economics and executive director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory who led the data analysis on the project. "Having this data by county has the potential to redefine the way service providers and policy makers address areas of need." Gundersen explained that ...

From the opening gala to the closing ceremony, the action will be over-the-top and elaborate, with audiences guaranteed a unique night out. One of the anticipated highlights of the occasion takes place on April 28th, when Twisted Cabaret hits the stage and showcases the darker side of the art form. The Legends of the Stage Tribute & International Golden Gala also looks set to be a memorable evening, as top stars pay homage to the heritage of burlesque. "With a packed schedule of high-profile events, celebrity following and a loyal and rapidly expanding fan base, ...

As fiber optic technology continues to advance, it faces challenges from both its physical properties and its use of infrastructure. One emerging high-speed solution being developed at Stevens Institute of Technology uses lasers to transmit data through readily available open space, with the potential of expanding past the limitation of fibers into a system known as optical free space communications. Dr. Rainer Martini has overcome a number of free space challenges to develop a high-speed communications technology that is not limited by a physical conductor. With an optical ...

A study of thousands of people with bipolar disorder suggests that genetic risk factors may influence the decision to attempt suicide. Johns Hopkins scientists, reporting in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, have identified a small region on chromosome 2 that is associated with increased risk for attempted suicide. This small region contains four genes, including the ACP1 gene, and the researchers found more than normal levels of the ACP1 protein in the brains of people who had committed suicide. This protein is thought to influence the same biological pathway as lithium, ...

The National Society of Cosmetic Physicians announces the addition of Dr Paul Fondacaro to the faculty of the Society. Dr Fondacaro will be offering both CME (Continuing Medical Education) accredited, and non-CME accredited, workshops in Laser Liposuction at his Franklin Lakes, NJ; and Brick, NJ facilities. www.drparkave.com Dr Fondacaro joins a Society faculty of over 25 physicians, offering CME accredited workshops across the US and Canada. The National Society of Cosmetic Physicians has a membership of over 1,800; and is the largest organization offering CME ...

A new study on the use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based prostate cancer screening in the United States found that many elderly men may be undergoing unnecessary prostate cancer screenings. Using data from surveys conducted in 2000 and 2005, researchers report that nearly half of men in their seventies underwent PSA screening in the past year – almost double the screening rate of men in their early fifties, who are more likely to benefit from early prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. Further, men aged 85 and older were screened just as often as men in their ...

State laws and policies governing the storage and use of surplus blood samples taken from newborns as part of the routine health screening process range from explicit to non-existent, leaving many parents ill-informed about how their babies' left over blood might be used, according to a team led by a member of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Utah. A report on their analysis of the subject is published March 28 in the journal Pediatrics. The study is believed to be one of the first to provide in-depth ...

PHILADELPHIA – By combining sophisticated mathematical techniques more commonly used by spies instead of scientists with the power and versatility of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a Penn neurologist has developed a new approach for studying the inner workings of the brain. A hidden pattern is encoded in the seemingly random order of things presented to a human subject, which the brain reveals when observed with fMRI. The research is published in the journal NeuroImage. Geoffrey K. Aguirre, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania ...