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Undocumented, Young Immigrants Face Obstacles, Uncertain Futures

By Guest PostMay 12, 2012Politicsamerican youth, citizenship, dream act, ford foundation, immigration status, irvine, latino youth, leo chavez, nightmare, orange county, roberto gonzales, undocumented, united states, university of california, university of chicago, young adults

Undocumented Latino youth who migrate to the United States face futures clouded by limited rights and the constant fear of deportation, according to a new report from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Irvine.

Many don’t fully realize the constraints of their status until they become older teenagers and young adults, the report finds.

“Rites of passage common to American youth — getting a driver’s license, traveling, working and applying to college — are either denied, unattainable or dangerous to pursue for undocumented immigrants,” said Leo Chavez, professor of anthropology at University of California, Irvine. “It’s at this point that many undocumented Latino youth realize society sees them as discardable, as easily castaway. Yet, rather than merely give up, many become involved in campaigns to change the law.” (more…)

Scientists Discover New Site of Potential Instability in West Antarctic Ice Sheet

By Guest PostMay 12, 2012Environmentaircraft, Antarctica, austin, basin, british antarctic survey, computer model, don blankenship, duncan young, filchner ronne ice shelf, ice penetrating radar, ice sheet change, martin siegert, new jersey, pine island glacier, sea level, sub glacial basin, thwaites glacier, university of edinburgh, university of texas, wais, warmer ocean, weddell sea, west antarctic ice sheet

AUSTIN, Texas — Using ice-penetrating radar instruments flown on aircraft, a team of scientists from the U.S. and U.K. have uncovered a previously unknown sub-glacial basin nearly the size of New Jersey beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) near the Weddell Sea. The location, shape and texture of the mile-deep basin suggest that this region of the ice sheet is at a greater risk of collapse than previously thought.

Team members at The University of Texas at Austin compared data about the newly discovered basin to data they previously collected from other parts of the WAIS that also appear highly vulnerable, including Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier. Although the amount of ice stored in the new basin is less than the ice stored in previously studied areas, it might be closer to a tipping point. (more…)

The Success of Homo sapiens May Be Due to Spatial Abilities

By Guest PostMay 12, 2012Scienceaesthetic stone, africa, altai mountains, anthropology, ariane burke, climate stress, cold climate, daniel baril, environmental condition, environmental stress, eurasia, Europe, glacial, homo ergaster, homo sapiens, iberian peninsula, middle east, middle paleolithic period, mystery, neanderthals, necklaces, northern plains, nuts, paleoanthropologist, plants, population stress, postglacial period, sexually differentiated, shellfish, social behaviour, spatial abilities, stress, success, symbolic objects, upper paleolithic period, weapon decorations

While the disappearance of Neanderthals remains a mystery, paleoanthropologists have an increasing understanding of what allowed their younger cousins, Homo sapiens, to conquer the planet. According to Ariane Burke, Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the Université de Montréal, the rapid dispersal of anatomically modern humans was not so much due to superior intelligence or improved hunting or gathering techniques, but rather to the creation of symbolic objects that allowed them to extend their social relations across vast territories.

Symbolism and social exchanges

Homo sapiens arrived in Europe some 45,000 years ago, from Africa. In less than 15,000 years, they managed to occupy the whole of Europe and Eurasia—an extremely rapid expansion. Neanderthals, on the other hand, were born of Europe, appearing on the continent more than 250,000 years ago, after their ancestors, Homo ergaster, had established there 600,000 years earlier. Though physiologically well adapted to the cold climate of the glacial and postglacial periods, why were Neanderthals not as successful as their newly landed rivals in colonizing the continent? (more…)

Portable Diagnostics Designed To Be Shaken, Not Stirred

By Guest PostMay 12, 2012Scienceashutosh shastry, asymmetrical surface, audio speaker, blood, energy, hannah hickey, karl bohringer, lotus effect, lotus leaf, medical researcher, menlo park, Nanotechnology, portable diagnostics, rough surface, saliva, smartphone, todd duncombe, university of washington, vibration, vibration frequency, water sample, yegan erdem

As medical researchers and engineers try to shrink diagnostics to fit in a person’s pocket, one question is how to easily move and mix small samples of liquid.

University of Washington researchers have built and patented a surface that, when shaken, moves drops along certain paths to conduct medical or environmental tests.

“This allows us to move drops as far as we want, and in any kind of layout that we want,” said Karl Böhringer, a UW professor of electrical engineering and bioengineering. The low-cost system, published in a recent issue of the journal Advanced Materials, would require very little energy and avoids possible contamination by diluting or electrifying the samples in order to move them. (more…)

You’re Beautiful, Vesta

By Guest PostMay 11, 2012Sciencedawn mission, meteorites from vesta, mineral data, protoplanet, protoplanet vesta, vesta

NASA’s UCLA-led Dawn mission shows protoplanet’s surprising surface

When UCLA’s Christopher T. Russell looks at the images of the protoplanet Vesta produced by NASA’s Dawn mission, he talks about beauty as much as he talks about science. (more…)

Peak Risk About 16 Years Old for Teens Misusing Prescription Drugs

By Guest PostMay 11, 2012Healthacceleration, adolescents, college age years, data, james c anthony, jonathan troost, michigan state university, misusing, prescriber, prescription drugs, public health, teens

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The peak risk for misusing prescription pain relievers occurs in mid-adolescence, specifically about 16 years old and earlier than many experts thought, according to a new study by Michigan State University researchers.

The results, based on recent nationwide surveys of nearly 120,000 U.S. adolescents, suggest prevention programs may need to be introduced earlier, in childhood and early adolescence, said James C. Anthony of MSU’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. (more…)

Many U.S. Families Are Underwater with Debts

By Guest PostMay 11, 2012Economydebt deflation theory, great recession, home mortgages, liquid assets, mortgage payments

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— As the country emerges from the Great Recession, a substantial number of U.S. families are underwater—and not just with their mortgages. (more…)

UA Project CENTRL a ‘Life-Changing Experience’

By Guest PostMay 11, 2012Politicsleadership program, mayor of cottonwood, project centrl

A leadership program sponsored by UA Cooperative Extension has created a network of public officials throughout rural Arizona.

Diane Joens has piled up an impressive list of accomplishments over the last decade: mayor of Cottonwood, Ariz., co-founder of Stewards of Public Lands, editor and publisher of The Verde River Almanac and champion of water rights, reclamation and downtown development. (more…)

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