RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to Arkansas residents, businesses of all sizes and nonprofit organizations that are recovering from back-to-back severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that swept across the state March 14-15 and April 2-22. 

Residents and businesses in Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties may now apply if they had damage in the March storms. Similarly, residents and businesses affected by the April storms, tornadoes and flooding in Clark, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Desha, Fulton, Hot Spring, Jackson, Miller, Ouachita, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Sharp, St. Francis and White counties may also apply.

FEMA partners with other agencies to help meet the needs of disaster survivors. Disaster loans are the largest source of federal recovery funds for storm survivors. They help private property owners pay for disaster losses not covered by insurance, local or state programs. SBA loans also cover deductibles and increased cost of compliance after a disaster. Survivors should not wait for an insurance settlement before submitting an SBA loan application.

Interest rates on disaster loans can be as low as 2.75% for homeowners and renters, 3.62% for private nonprofit organizations and 4% for businesses, with terms up to 30 years for physical damage to real estate, inventory, supplies, machinery and equipment. Loan amounts and terms are set by

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RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The state of Arkansas, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have added four new sites that offer face-to-face help for residents affected by the March 14-15 and April 2-22 severe storms, tornadoes and flooding. Hours are also extended at some sites.

Homeowners and renters in the impacted counties may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance for losses not covered by insurance. Specialists are available to help you apply for FEMA assistance, review your existing application and submit documents needed to move your application forward.

The new locations and extended hours include:

CRITTENDEN COUNTY

Roberta Jackson Neighborhood Center

1300 Polk Avenue, West Memphis, AR 72301

Regular Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 30 and June 2 to June 4; closed Saturday and Sunday

West Memphis City Hall

205 South Redding, West Memphis, AR 72301

Regular Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 31 only 

Earle City Hall                                                                                       

1005 2nd Street, Earle, AR 72331 

Regular Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 2 to June 4

CRAIGHEAD COUNTY

Lake City – City Hall

406 Court Street; Lake City, AR 72437 

Regular Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 2 to June 4

DESHA COUNTY

McGhee Municipal Complex

901 Holly Street, McGhee, AR 71654

Regular Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 30 to May 31 and June 2 to June 4

SHARP COUNTY

Hardy Fire Station

203 Church Street, Hardy, AR 72542

Days: May 30 to May 31 and June 2 to June 7 

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6

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RSS feed source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

Each year, preeclampsia—a life-threatening pregnancy complication—affects nearly 1 in 25 expectant mothers in the United States. Emerging suddenly after 20 weeks of pregnancy, it can lead to dangerously high blood pressure, premature birth, and long-term health issues for both mother and baby. Despite its severity, the root causes of preeclampsia remain poorly understood, and treatment options are limited.

Currently, the only effective treatment for preeclampsia is early delivery of the placenta, which often leads to premature birth and associated health risks for the baby. While researchers know the placenta plays a central role in the disease, the exact causes of its dysfunction remain unclear. This lack of understanding makes preeclampsia difficult to predict, prevent, or treat effectively.

Researchers at UC San Diego are tackling these challenges with help from NSF-supported computational resources. The team leveraged advanced computing systems like the San Diego Supercomputer Center’s Expanse to conduct large-scale RNA sequencing analysis to compare placental tissue from healthy and preeclamptic pregnancies—processing terabytes of next-generation sequencing data to identify genes that behave differently in the disease.

Expanse also enabled the team to develop a model system of preeclampsia using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which allows scientists to recreate the disease in the lab and observe how stress conditions like low oxygen affect placental development. By replicating these abnormal conditions, the team identified biological pathways—like inflammation and

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