Feature Channels: In the Home

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Having fewer children, they will be counting on an extended family and non-traditional networks.

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New data on residential building permits issued in Virginia, compiled by the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, paints a bleak picture of a housing industry hammered by the recession.

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A new book by University of Virginia planning professor William Lucy looks more deeply at the reasons behind the foreclosure crisis and its future impact on cities and suburbs.

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Michigan Tech students are developing a "smart" electric meter. Meanwhile, they say thoughtful scheduling of high-demand electrical appliance use can cut household power costs.

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A recent report by the President's Cancer Panel, which focused on underestimated cancer risks related to environmental contaminants and other harmful exposures, notes that "the cancer risk attributable to residential radon exposure has been clearly demonstrated and must be better addressed."

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K-State researchers have found that the majority of married military couples are satisfied with their relationship, despite challenges like deployments.

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Karen Laughon, an expert in intimate partner violence and risk factors for intimate partner homicide and safety planning, Laughon has focused her practice and research on issues of intimate partner violence and its impact on women and children.

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During the 2007-2008 foreclosure crisis, did banks prey on unwitting consumers, or did households overreach and borrow more than they could afford? A new study by University of Arkansas economists suggests the latter. The researchers found that most households in foreclosure were relatively affluent and highly educated people, with few or no children, living in geographical areas that experienced extremely rapid real-estate appreciation – the housing bubble.

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If gardeners are concerned that this year’s record snowfall will harm their dormant plants, fret not, says botanist Karen Snetselaar, Ph.D., chair and professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa. “Snow cover is actually beneficial for many plants, especially perennial herbs and shrubs, because it provides insulation from freezing temperatures,” notes Snetselaar. “Plants under snow will be exposed to fewer drastic temperature changes, which is often more damaging than continued cold.”

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New scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of “personalized solar energy,” in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities. That's the topic of a report by an international expert on solar energy scheduled for the November 2 issue of ACS’ Inorganic Chemistry...

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Being warm enough at home might lead to better health, according to a new review.

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When authorities discover a “meth house,” they decontaminate it by removing chemicals, getting rid of carpeting, cleaning walls, and airing the place out for a few days. Dr. Glenn Morrison, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, is wondering if the decontamination methods are sufficient to protect future occupants from exposure to methamphetamine and other chemicals.

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Violence between couples is usually the result of a calculated decision-making process and the partner inflicting violence will do so only as long as the price to be paid is not too high. This is the conclusion of a new study by Dr. Eila Perkis at the University of Haifa.

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Younger adults may be doing a better job saving for the future than many experts believe, according to a new study.

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A steep decline in California housing prices is undermining the effectiveness of the state’s property tax system that was created through Proposition 13 three decades ago, according to a study by University of Southern California professor Dowell Myers.

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A team of computer experts and a nursing specialist at UIC and Rush University have won a National Science Foundation grant to program robots to respond to speech, non-verbal gestures and touch by elderly users. The plan is to make robots that assist the elderly with everyday chores so they can remain living at home.

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Single parents are more likely than parents in nuclear families to receive financial help from their grown, live-in children, according to research to be presented at the 104th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

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University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Psychology researchers report that new parents identified less than half of the safety hazards in a simulated home environment, and most perceived that their children were less vulnerable to injuries than other children.

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Much has been written about ways to keep toddlers and young children safe from accidental injuries in the home, but University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) psychologist David Schwebel, Ph.D., director of the UAB Youth Safety Lab, says that teen safety should not be overlooked.

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Roger Staiger, an adjunct professor of real estate at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, is available to help reporters working on stories about foreclosures and mortgage woes, interest rates and refinancing. He can also offer commentary on related government policies.