The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (FSA) reduced what many have criticized as disproportionately harsh sentences for crack cocaine offenses. The sentencing ratio remains at approximately 18 to 1 for the amount of powder cocaine versus crack cocaine required to trigger the same penalty, but this is a significant reduction from a former ration of 100 to 1. 2007 Amendments The federal sentencing guidelines were previously amended in 2007 in an effort to reduce the disparity between sentences for crack and powdered cocaine offenses. Although the sentencing guidelines were ...

PASADENA, Calif.—In many ways, life is like a computer. An organism's genome is the software that tells the cellular and molecular machinery—the hardware—what to do. But instead of electronic circuitry, life relies on biochemical circuitry—complex networks of reactions and pathways that enable organisms to function. Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the most complex biochemical circuit ever created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube that are analogous to the electronic transistors on a computer chip. Engineering ...

The sanctioned grounds for divorce in Georgia straddle traditional values and modern trends. Divorce and related family-law matters in the United States have been, and continue to be, governed mostly by state law, and divorce law varies among the states. Historically, for one spouse to divorce another, the husband or wife suing for divorce must have been able to show a type of legally recognized "fault" on the part of the other spouse. The most commonly thought of spousal faults were -- and still are, in some states -- adultery, desertion and cruelty. No-Fault ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – One of the beneficial compounds found in green tea has a powerful ability to increase the number of "regulatory T cells" that play a key role in immune function and suppression of autoimmune disease, according to new research in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. This may be one of the underlying mechanisms for the health benefits of green tea, which has attracted wide interest for its ability to help control inflammation, improve immune function and prevent cancer. Pharmaceutical drugs are available that perform similar roles ...

Fast muscles, such as the thigh muscle in a sprinter, deliver energy quickly but fatigue quickly. Slow muscles, such as the soleus muscle in the lower calf, are less forceful but important for posture and endurance. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Virginia Tech have discovered one gene regulator that maintains the fast muscle type and inhibits the development of a slow muscle type. The research was posted in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' online early edition on June 1 in the article, "Concerted regulation ...

PORTLAND, Ore. — Eating a high-fat diet during pregnancy increases the chance of stillbirth, according to new research at Oregon Health & Science University. The new data show eating a typical American diet, which is high in fat, decreases blood flow from the mother to the placenta, the temporary organ that nourishes the unborn fetus. Prior to this study, exactly how a fatty diet contributes to stillbirth was unclear. The findings are published in the June edition of the journal Endocrinology. The study was conducted at the OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center. ...

Baltimore, MD -- A multicenter clinical trial led by a researcher at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center will evaluate a new approach to treat triple-negative breast cancer, an often-aggressive type of cancer that is more common among African-Americans and young women. The study will help researchers determine if an experimental drug, entinostat, can reprogram tumor cells to express a protein called an estrogen receptor to make them sensitive to hormone therapy. Saranya Chumsri, M.D., an oncologist at the Greenebaum Cancer Center and ...

In Michigan, there are four degrees of criminal sexual misconduct: the first degree is the most serious and covers a range of illegal activities, which is punishable by up to life in prison. The second and third degrees cover lesser activities which are punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment. Finally, the fourth degree covers acts punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $500.00. However, criminal sexual misconduct is not the only crime of its nature involved with the legal system. Acts such as juvenile and adult sex offenses, sexting (using a cell phone ...

Two promising new treatments to aid people with autism have shown effectiveness in pilot studies conducted by an Arizona State University professor and private researchers. Several studies indicate that children with autism often have abnormalities in critical biochemical functions that help maintain health – specifically methylation, glutathione, and mitochondrial functions. Methylation turns proteins in the body on and off – including DNA and RNA – a function that controls gene activity. Glutathione, a primary antioxidant, provides a defense against toxic metals ...

American companies frequently use the bankruptcy process to reorganize and help a business survive through difficult economic times. For similar reasons, Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy make sound financial sense for individuals and married couples who have fallen behind due to mounting debts caused by medical expenses, job loss and other difficulties. One of the most notorious recent corporate bankruptcies in Arizona involves the local National Hockey League franchise, the Phoenix Coyotes. Since moving from Winnipeg in 1996, the club has not had a great ...

To arrange for an interview with a researcher, please contact the Communications and External Relations staff member identified at the end of each tip. For more information on ORNL and its research and development activities, please refer to one of our Media Contacts. If you have a general media-related question or comment, you can send it to news@ornl.gov. TRANSPORTATION -- Screening for safety . . . Unsafe commercial motor vehicles may be off the roads sooner with help from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory-led testing facility in Greene County, Tenn. ORNL researchers ...

Managers of northern Michigan forests may not see the birds for the trees – or at least are in danger of losing sight of songbird neighborhoods when looking out for timber harvests. In a novel look at managing both the future's timber harvest while being mindful of the impact on key songbirds in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Michigan State University researchers use a new forest simulation model for the first time to look at what timber-friendly hardwood regeneration can mean to bird habitat. And it's a long-range look, given that the time lag between forest management ...

Illinois drugged-driving law is very tough to beat if you are charged with a violation. On April 21, 2011, the Supreme Court of Illinois in People v. Martin clarified important aspects of that law. Because the Supreme Court does not often decide DUI-drug cases, Illinois criminal defense attorneys and law enforcement are taking a close look at this major court opinion. Basically, Martin enunciates that four of the six provisions of the law require that to be guilty of alcohol or drugged driving the prosecution must prove that the ingestion of alcohol or drugs caused ...

Hampton Inn Spartanburg - North I-85, a premier Spartanburg SC hotel, offers nearby accommodations to attendees of the Creative Taste of Spartanburg. The event will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from 5-10pm in downtown Spartanburg. Vendors will set up west of Morgan Square and the Clock Tower on Ezell Street, King Street, W. Main Street, and Daniel Morgan Avenue. Admission to the event is free. Attendees of the Creative Taste of Spartanburg will be able to purchase food and beverages from some of Spartanburg's most popular restaurants. Wine tastings will be offered ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Using a high-resolution single-molecule study technique, University of Illinois researchers have seen the very subtle differences between two branches of an important family of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels. Professor Claudio Grosman and research scientist Gisela Cymes published their work in the journal Nature. Nicotinic-type receptors are proteins embedded in the membranes of nerve and muscle cells that regulate activity. A neurotransmitter, such as acetylcholine, triggers a small conformation change in the protein that opens a channel and ...

A University of California, San Diego faculty-student team is about to demonstrate a first-of-its kind, phase-change memory solid state storage device that provides performance thousands of times faster than a conventional hard drive and up to seven times faster than current state-of-the-art solid-state drives (SSDs). The device was developed in the Computer Science and Engineering department at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and will be on exhibit June 7-8 at DAC 2011, the world's leading technical conference and trade show on electronic design automation, ...

Northern Rock has announced the launch of the latest issue of its easy access savings account for customers wishing to manage their funds exclusively online. E-Saver (Issue 6) is available now and pays 2.75% gross* pa/AER**. The new Northern Rock savings account can be opened with an initial investment of GBP1 and E-Saver (Issue 6) allows subsequent deposits from as little as GBP1. The account allows a balance of up to GBP100,000 and account holders can choose to have their interest paid either annually on 11 March or monthly (on 10th of the month. Monthly gross* is ...

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Newberry SC Hotel offers convenient lodging to guests attending Taste of Newberry at Memorial Square in downtown Newberry. The event will take place from 5:00 - 7:30pm on Friday, June 17, 2011. It will include Newberry's finest cuisine from local restaurants, wine tastings and live music. Selections will features tastes of barbecue, shrimp, beef Wellington, prime rib and sides of fried pickles and pasta salad, and more from many participating restaurants including Steven W's Bistro, Delamaters, The Grille on Main, Ronnie's Restaurant, ...

Most of us never considered eating the mud pies we made as kids, but for many people all over the world, dining on dirt is nothing out of the ordinary. Now an extensive meta-analysis forthcoming in the June issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology helps explain why. According to the research, the most probable explanation for human geophagy—the eating of earth—is that it protects the stomach against toxins, parasites, and pathogens. The first written account of human geophagy comes from Hippocrates more than 2,000 years ago, says Sera Young, a researcher at Cornell ...

Physicians will have a better guide for more effectively managing treatment of children experiencing seizures related to autism with the results of a study by researchers at Arizona State University and the University of Texas-Houston. From 25 to 35 percent of people with autism will eventually experience full-scale seizures. Many others will have seizure-like brain activity, in which there is no obvious effect on muscles but potential effects on brain functioning, such as temporary loss of attention. Little has been known about which traditional treatments for epileptic ...

Metastatic prostate cancer patients who received an investigational vaccine made from their own frozen immune cells lived 10 months longer than those not treated with it, according to data being presented by researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago on Saturday, June 4. (ABSTRACT #4534) In an exploratory, multi-institutional analysis, researchers administered the vaccine APC8015F to a group of patients from the control arm of three randomized, Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating sipuleucel-T, ...

Survival rates of wealthier patients and those younger than 70 with glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor, have improved since 2000, whereas rates for those living in poorer areas and older than 70 have remained stagnant, according to an abstract being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital researchers on Saturday, June 4. (ABSTRACT #6089). The addition of concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide, a chemotherapy drug also referred to as TMZ, to post-operative radiation ...

We all have our ups and downs—a fight with a friend, a divorce, the loss of a parent. But most of us get over it. Only some go on to develop major depression. Now, a new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests part of the reason may be that people with depression get stuck on bad thoughts because they're unable to turn their attention away. People who don't recover from negative events seem to keep going over their troubles. "They basically get stuck in a mindset where ...

Patterns of radiation usage in breast conserving therapy for women 70 years and older with stage I breast cancer are changing: more women are opting for radioactive implants and those with estrogen positive tumors are opting out of radiation therapy, according to an abstract being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital researchers on Saturday, June 4. The abstract (#6094) received an ASCO Merit Award. In another abstract (#1037), the researchers report that women with estrogen negative tumors ...

New Rochelle, NY, June 2, 2011—Biotech scientists are working on novel protein kinase inhibitors that are targeting a host of conditions ranging from atherosclerosis to neurodegenerative diseases, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN). Recent developments in the protein kinase inhibitor field include innovative paradigms for drug development, improved inhibitor profiling and selectivity strategies, and the expansion of disease targets (e.g., Alzheimer disease and traumatic brain injury), according to the June 1 issue of GEN (http://www.genengnews.com/gen-articles/kinase-inhibitor-obstacles-falling/3674/). "Protein ...