Culture

American Chemical Society National Meeting hosts special event on science policy

BOSTON, Aug. 23, 2010 — With laws, government regulations, and funding priorities continuing to exert a broad impact on science, a group of graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is holding a special symposium Aug. 23 during the American Chemical Society (ACS) 240th National Meeting and Exhibition here to familiarize future scientists with the unfamiliar realm of public policy.

Reality TV and cosmetic surgery linked

CAMDEN – Teenage years have always been linked with concerns about appearance but now some reality TV shows take full advantage and tout happiness as just a nip/tuck away, says a Rutgers–Camden psychologist who has found that teens fond of these kinds of programs are more likely to join the millions who go under the knife each year. For bodies - and minds - still in development, these drastic decisions could have implications long after prom night.

A plan to promote sustainable US scientific discovery and innovation

New Rochelle, NY, August 20, 2010—The U.S. needs a comprehensive and transformational policy for the 21st century to ensure that it remains competitive in the global science and technology arena, according to a provocative opinion piece in the latest issue of OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology.

Street outreach workers an important tool for violence prevention and intervention

A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy describes how using street outreach workers is an effective strategy to reach and engage youth with the goal of violence prevention and intervention. Street outreach workers are typically members of the community who intervene to prevent conflict and retaliation, and in some programs, also connect individuals with needed services, such as housing and job training.

Workplace wellness plan saves money over the long-term, new study shows

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---A Midwest utility company learned firsthand that it pays to keep healthy employees fit, reaping a net savings of $4.8 million in employee health and lost work time costs over nine years.

A University of Michigan study of workplace wellness programs is one of the only longitudinal studies of its kind, said co-author Louis Yen, associate research scientist in the School of Kinesiology's Health Management Research Center.

Sociologist: Male scientists regret parenthood decisions more than female counterparts

Many scientists in academia bemoan the fact that their lifestyles do not allow them to have as many children as they would like. Surprisingly, male scientists harbor more regrets than female scientists, according to a study by Rice University sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund.

Ancient 'terror bird' used powerful beak to jab like boxer

Ancient 'terror bird' used powerful beak to jab like boxer

The ancient "terror bird" Andalgalornis couldn't fly, but it used its unusually large, rigid skull--coupled with a hawk-like hooked beak--in a fighting strategy reminiscent of boxer Muhammad Ali.

Maslow's pyramid gets torn down, rebuilt

Maslow's pyramid gets torn down, rebuilt

Study shows Italian youths who drink with meals are less often adult problem-drinkers

Italian youths whose parents allowed them to have alcohol with meals while they were growing up are less likely to develop harmful drinking patterns in the future, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher.

Half of hospital trusts in England have no chaperon policy

Only around half of acute hospital trusts in England have a formal chaperone policy, despite the recommendations of a public inquiry, reveals research published online in Postgraduate Medical Journal.

This could have "severe medico-legal repercussions in the future," particularly as the NHS seeks to rein in its budget and might consider monies for a chaperone policy could be better spent elsewhere, warn the study authors.

Andalgalornis steulleti: Ancient 'terror bird' jabbed like a boxer with powerful beak

 Ancient 'terror bird' jabbed like a boxer with powerful beak

Consumers need protection from unrealistic claims of home genetic tests - New England Journal of Medicine

Consumers need protection from unrealistic claims of home genetic tests - New England Journal of Medicine

Early sex in teens and media exposure not linked (yet)

Culturally, some people are inclined to believe the media can impact children in every way except regarding sexual behavior. Fast food, guns, alcohol, cigarettes - check. Hollywood director Rob Reiner even wants censorship of smoking in movies. Impressionable is impressionable, right? Maybe not.

Headaches in teens tied to overweight, smoking and lack of exercise

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Teens who are overweight, get little exercise or who smoke may be more likely to have frequent headaches and migraines than teens with none of these factors, according to a study published in the August 18, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Ancient Chinese medicine may help chemotherapy patients

A centuries‑old traditional Chinese medicine may reduce the intestinal side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients by stimulating gut cell division and reducing inflammation, a new study in mice suggests.

The research will appear in the Wednesday, 18 August issue of Science Translational Medicine, which is published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.