Culture

Rugby teams with the tallest backs, heaviest forwards, and greatest amount of collective experience are likely to be the most successful at World Cup level, reveals research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The researchers collected information on the weight, height and age of all players, including starters and substitutes who took part in Rugby World Cup matches between 1987 and 2007.

Young teens who watch a lot of movies featuring alcohol are twice as likely to start drinking compared to peers who watch relatively few such films, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

And these teens are significantly more likely to progress to binge drinking, the study shows.

The findings prompt the researchers to suggest that Hollywood should adopt the same restrictions for alcohol product placement as it does for tobacco.

University of British Columbia researchers have identified conservation "hot spots" around the world where the temptation to profit from overfishing outweighs the appetite for conservation.

Combining economic outlook and fisheries population growth rates for all countries currently reported to fish in the ocean, UBC fisheries researchers William Cheung and Rashid Sumaila developed a conservation risk index to reveal the economic-conservation trade-offs of fishing.

Owners of obese dogs that are successful in losing weight notice significant improvement in their dogs' health-related quality of life, a collaborative team of researchers has shown. The research was conducted by scientists from the University of Liverpool (UK), the Pain and Welfare Group at the University of Glasgow (UK), ROYAL CANIN and the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition - the science centre supporting Mars Petcare brands such as PEDIGREE® and NUTRO®.

Boston, Mass. -- Nearly 1 in 10 children have asthma, according to government statistics, and in low-income parts of Boston, nearly 16 percent of children are affected. A program called the Community Asthma Initiative (CAI), developed and implemented in 2005 by clinicians at Children's Hospital Boston, demonstrates the potential to dramatically reduce hospitalization and emergency department visits for asthma -- improving patient outcomes and saving $1.46 per dollar spent through reduced hospital utilization.

Vancouver, B.C. (Wednesday, February 15, 2012) – The problem of invasive species may seem remote from most people's lives. But in some parts of the United Kingdom, an invasive plant creates a problem that hits home, literally. That's because the presence of invasive knotweed on a property prevents potential buyers from obtaining a mortgage. This destructive plant from Asia, which can tear down walls and rip up roads, is also putting down roots in many parts of Canada.

Before firing up the dilithium crystals in your warp drive, you should know what you are getting into, said Lawrence Krauss, ASU Foundation Professor at Arizona State University. When applied to the known laws of physics, some features of Star Trek – the endearing science fiction franchise that hooked millions of viewers on the possibility of intergalactic space travel – don't always hold up.

The substitution of brand-name antiepileptic drugs with cheaper generic equivalents has been an ongoing point of contention among doctors, federal officials and people with epilepsy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims generic antiepileptic drugs have the same dosage, purity and strength as their brand-name counterparts and the two are interchangeable. But doctors and people with epilepsy remain concerned, citing widespread reports of individuals suffering seizures after switching medication.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – In the pioneering days of the juvenile corrections system, social workers often served as the primary probation officers who rehabilitated young offenders. As the reputation of social workers dropped and their effectiveness increasingly questioned, the field of corrections became dominated by law enforcement officers. A University of Missouri academic says social workers should return to the juvenile corrections system and reclaim their role as rehabilitators.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Science is about facts, but the science of sustainability also involves questions underpinned by values.

With this in mind, a Michigan State University environmental sociologist will ask scientists to consider how art can provoke people to consider their perceptions of sustainability at this year's annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Summary: In 2008, the NHMRC commissioned the Dieticians Association of Australia to undertake systematic literature reviews to support the revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Australians. The primary aim was to undertake a series of systematic reviews of the national and international literature from the year 2002 on the food-diet-health-disease inter-relationship for different population subgroups. One of the 29 sections in the report (pp 613-678) covered the evidence for the risks and benefits of alcohol drinking. This critique is only of the alcohol section.

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London are aiming to improve the health of Londoners by combining a century-old mapping technique with up-to-the-minute technology.

Using type 2 diabetes as their example, the researchers have compiled detailed maps of east London highlighting the geographical 'hotspots' of disease risk.

The maps, which are published today in BMJ Open* reveal startling similarities to the renowned 'poverty maps' created in the late 19th Century by Victorian reformist, Charles Booth.

Highlights

Highlights

The growth of two-income families and increasing levels of job stress are two of the most significant work trends affecting American businesses and families in recent years. Having just one stressed-out spouse can harm couple's work and home lives — but what about when it's both?

A new study conducted by Wayne Hochwarter, the Jim Moran Professor of Business Administration in the Florida State University College of Business, examines the role of support in households where daily stress is common to both spouses.