Be it out of indifference or ignorance, trucking companies may push beyond the legal limits when loading their trucks, creating the possibility for catastrophe on the highway. The risk to motorists from overloaded trucks exists at anytime and anyplace in the U.S. Overloading a truck increases its stopping distance, adversely effects maneuverability and stability. An overloaded truck can also fail structurally leading to disastrous consequences. […]
The Thomas wildfire, which broke out on Dec. 4, consumed over over 281,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara, destroyed an estimated 1,063 structures and took the life of one fire fighter and a civilian. 200,000 residents were forced to evacuate. Tragically, after evacuees returned to their homes, rains deluged the area causing mud and rockslides in the fire-ravaged hills which destroyed more homes, carrying away vehicles, and literally closing the 101 freeway. At the time of this article, at least 20 people were killed while several others are still missing. The loss of trees and other vegetation from the fire left nothing to prevent the [...]
In the years preceding 1995, the entire country averaged only one “mega-fire” per year. The U.S. Fire Service that reported the information applies the term to fires that consume over 100,000 acres. California wildfires alone have met that that annual average over the past ten years. As a whole, the United States is now averaging ten times the pre-1995 amount; a statistic predicted by researchers to double by the middle of this century. Lightning was once the most common cause of wildfires but with more people on the landscape today, most of the fires are started by humans or their equipment. The search for causes of [...]
Drivers of new GM cars will soon be able to order food, find the nearest gas station and even locate a hotel room, thanks to an in-car application named Marketplace. Despite GM claiming it will make driving time ” more productive, enjoyable and safer” the app is being met with protest by the National Safety Council. “There is nothing about this that’s safe,” said National Safety Council President Deborah Hersman. “If this is why they want Wi-Fi in the car we’re going to see fatality numbers go up even higher than they are now. She contends that the app, which allows touchscreen deal browsing and ordering [...]
It may be the need to please the boss or the desire to be constantly available to clients, but 43 percent of drivers admit to distracted driving by being in touch with work while behind the wheel, according to a Harris Poll for Travelers Insurance. The percentage of workers who make or receive calls related to work is also highest for younger people, the survey found. The survey, which was intended to measure the amount of people who used their personal vehicles for work, polled 2,083 people in September. It showed that 75 percent of the respondents, who use their vehicles to drive to and from [...]
For the first time, scientists claim they have evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) found in a living patient. This would be a breakthrough in the research into the slowly progressive brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head. A study of 14 retired NFL players, published in the medical journal Neurosurgery, found that a signature protein of CTE, known as tau, forms around the damaged neural cells. Doctors diagnosed one of the players, unnamed in the study, with CTE. The player was later identified by the lead author of the study, Dr. Bennet Omalu, as Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill, who died of ALS in [...]
As Federal investigators look for the cause of the Amtrak derailment in Washington, that left three dead and dozens hospitalized, the question still remains – with the available technology, why are train derailments still occurring with such frequency? The brand new train traveled its maiden voyage on upgraded tracks 50 miles south of Seattle and suddenly left the tracks careening off an overpass onto I-5. Investigators confirmed that the train was traveling 80 mph while attempting to handle a curve with a 30-mph speed limit. The black box recovered from the rear push engine indicated that there was no attempt at manual braking by the operator, [...]
Concussions, which are actually mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI’s), often go undiagnosed and can lead to lasting neurological impairment, especially if the injuries recur. Researchers at UCLA have identified biomarkers that could aid doctors in the diagnosis of traumatic brain injuries with only a simple blood test. Brain cells called astrocytes, release proteins as biomarkers into the bloodstream when the astrocytes outer membranes rupture from impact or shaking. Doctors currently rely on CT scans or a scoring system to describe the level of a patient’s consciousness after suffering a blow to the head. However, neither method has shown to accurately predict recovery or disability while milder [...]
Researchers at Children’s National Health Center and Drexel University College conducted the first study of a promising treatment to reduce or prevent hypoxia-ischemia, a serious complication of oxygen deprivation resulting in brain injury to newborns. Newborn brain injury resulting from the impaired flow of oxygen can result in adverse effects that can be life altering and range from mild to severe. The affects may be minor, such as learning disabilities, to cataclysmic, including the inability to speak, walk, talk, see or even breathe. The complications can occur from a variety of issues during, before or immediately after birth. Maternal or placental problems such as cord prolapse [...]
Research conducted at Lund University in Sweden revealed beneficial effects of gelatin following traumatic brain injury. The inherent ability of gelatin coatings to reduce adverse immune responses to neurological implants has been recognized for some time, but the explanation of why has been elusive. The researchers discovered that gelatin protected the blood brain barrier (BBB) from potentially damaging foreign molecules and cells, thus aiding recovery. The BBB consists of a collection of vessels that separate the blood circulation of the body from the sensitive brain. […]
