Sharks in danger
There are 370 species of shark, each with their own particular habitats and behaviours. Most sharks are slow to reproduce and do not have large numbers of young. They are therefore particularly sensitive to predation or large losses. Caught as accidental by-catch (estimated at 3000 per day), sharks are also fished for their fins (for food),... view more... (2002-06-07)
Feeling empathy for a loved-one: empathy for pain activates pain-sensitive regions of the brain, says UCL study
Knowing our partner is in pain automatically triggers affective pain processing regions of our brains, according to new research by University College London (UCL) scientists. The study, published in the 20th February edition of the journal Science, asked whether empathizing with the pain of others involves the re-activation of the entire pain... view more... (2004-02-19)
Survey shows gender differences are factor when surgeons in training choose a subspecialty
A gender difference exists among surgeons who choose a surgical subspecialty, particularly when they evaluate the factors that may influence their career choice, according to results of a new survey published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. view more (2007-11-12)
Researchers to determine if aeration reduces compaction, runoff on no-till fields
Much of Texas' wheat may be grazed as a part of a dual-use crop. But many fields are still prepared using conventional tillage, which may not efficiently capture rainfall - a key to economic success in a semi-arid environment, said a Texas AgriLife Research scientist. view more (2009-04-02)
Adolescent condom use with 'casual' versus 'main' partners
This week, a new study from researchers at the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center and Brown Medical School, finds that teen attitudes toward condom use with whom they perceive as casual sexual partners versus main partners is crucial in developing effective HIV intervention programs. view more (2006-08-23)
'Word-vision' brain area confirmed
Humans have an uncanny ability to skim through text, instantly recognizing words by their shape-even though writing developed only about 6000 years ago-long after humans evolved. view more (2006-04-20)
Prostate disease and fear of GPs
Men delay seeking help about symptoms of prostate disease because they believe GPs have negative attitudes toward them. Men also feel the available health information about prostate disease is `negative`. This is the finding of a study reported today, Friday 6 September 2002, at The British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology... view more... (2002-09-02)
Chilean authors, publishing in Science, discover drug-craving brain region in rats
Chilean researchers have identified a region of the brain - the insular cortex - that plays a role in drug craving in amphetamine-addicted rats, according to a report published in the 26 October issue of the journal Science, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the nonprofit science society. view more (2007-10-26)
Time and the Germans
The stereotype of Germans being rigid about time and punctuality is wide of the mark on the contrary, the Germans have more relaxed attitudes to time and punctuality than both the British and the French. view more (1999-12-16)
Mayo Clinic study suggests those who have chronic pain may need to assess vitamin D status
Mayo Clinic research shows a correlation between inadequate vitamin D levels and the amount of narcotic medication taken by patients who have chronic pain. view more (2009-03-23)
Are New Functional Medical Disorders A Manifestation Of Environmental Toxicity?
In recent years there has been the emergence of a number of new illnesses that are attributed to environmental factors: multiple chemical sensitivity, syndrome related to dental amalgam and silicone breats implant, electrical hypersensitivity, sick-building syndrome, toner-related illness, and so on. Peter Henningsen (University of Heidelberg)... view more... (2003-09-01)
UC San Diego computer scientist turns his face into a remote control
A computer science Ph.D. student can turn his face into a remote control that speeds and slows video playback. The proof-of-concept demonstration is part of a larger project to use automated facial expression recognition to make robots more effective teachers. view more (2008-06-25)
Cervical screening is working well, but is labour intensive
The NHS cervical screening programme is working well and preventing deaths, but is labour and resource intensive - around 1,000 women need to be screened for 35 years to prevent one death, say researchers in this week's BMJ. Dr Angela Raffle and colleagues analysed the screening records of 350,000 women over 20 years and modelled cases of cervical... view more... (2003-04-23)
Are you phonagnosic?
The first known case of someone born without the ability to recognise voices has been reported in a paper by UCL (University College London) researchers, in a study of a rare condition known as phonagnosia. The UCL team are calling for other people to come forward if they think they have also grown up with the condition. view more (2008-10-28)
People Power Over Nuclear Issues
Warren, from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK, says, "Nowhere in this process [developing nuclear facilities] is account taken of what shapes the public's perception of the whole process." The nuclear industry is too keen to blind people with science in presenting its plans, she thinks, adding to the inherent secrecy of the... view more... (1999-02-01)
Sooner is better with cochlear implants, Stanford scientist shows
Cochlear implants allow the deaf to hear. Their brains learn to understand the artificial electrical stimulation that the implants provide to the cochlea as sound. view more (2005-12-06)
Video game shown to cut cortisol
A video game designed by McGill University researchers to help train people to change their perception of social threats and boost their self-confidence has now been shown to reduce the production of the stress-related hormone cortisol. The new findings appear in the October issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Personality... view more... (2007-10-24)
Emphysema linked to smoking cannabis
The study reports four cases of the early stages of the disease in four young men aged 27, 35, 44 and 46 who smoked cannabis regularly. Examination showed that large areas of both lungs in each of the men had simply disappeared and been replaced with cysts. This is a form of emphysema, a disease that gradually diminishes the surface area of the... view more... (2000-03-17)
People in the US and the UK show strong similarities in their attitudes toward nanotechnologies
The results of a new U.S.-U.K. study published in this week's journal Nature Nanotechnology show that ordinary people in both countries hold very positive views of nanotechnologies and what the future of these technologies might bring. view more (2008-12-10)
Even Babies Can Have Optical Illusions
At the tender age of five months babies can be fooled by complex information about distances in drawings involving perspective, psychologists from the University of Bonn have shown. They fixed two rubber figures onto a picture on which a chessboard pattern appeared to be receding away from the babies. The babies then tried to grab the toy which... view more... (2005-04-06)
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