Culture | Page 2496 | Science Codex

Novel cytokine protects mice from colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition.

The aberrant immune response found in IBD is prompted by different cytokines – small signaling proteins secreted by various cells, including immune cells – that activate the immune system, causing chronic inflammation.

Fine art in advertising can backfire

Throughout the ages, because fine art has been accorded a special significance and a cultural tool, it has been used to sell everything from products to politics to religion.

But when used carelessly by advertisers it can backfire, according to a new study inPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

If the artwork is viewed as a product-relevant illustration, then consumers no longer view it as art. Suddenly, they can take a critical view of its message, according to the new work.

Botox and surgery: Anti-aging techniques not yet viewed as acceptable

Studies from the University of Toronto's psychology department show that people who use more invasive anti-aging methods such as Botox injections or surgery are viewed more negatively than those who use milder techniques such as sun-avoidance and facial creams and younger adults are more negative about using anti-aging methods than older adults.

Ga ga for goo goo: Research explores the scientific basis for baby fever

MANHATTAN, KAN. -- We see it in the movies and on television when a character realizes they desperately want to have a child. Often it is connected with a ticking biological clock. Or we may experience it ourselves when we see baby toys and clothes in the store. "It" can be summarized in two words: Baby fever.

Maintaining exercise when the cardiac rehab is complete

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Researchers from The Miriam Hospital have found that patients who have completed cardiac rehabilitation and who receive telephone counseling that supports exercise are more likely to adhere to an exercise program. Results of the study, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, are published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Living on the edge of poverty and national parks

If so many poor people live around national parks in developing countries, does that mean that these parks are contributing to their poverty?

Yes, according to the conventional wisdom, but no, according to a 10-year study of people living around Kibale National Park in Uganda that was published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Filling without drilling

Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a pain-free way of tackling dental decay that reverses the damage of acid attack and re-builds teeth as new.

The pioneering treatment promises to transform the approach to filling teeth forever.

Tooth decay begins when acid produced by bacteria in plaque dissolves the mineral in the teeth, causing microscopic holes or 'pores' to form. As the decay process progresses these micro-pores increase in size and number. Eventually the damaged tooth may have to be drilled and filled to prevent toothache, or even removed.

Bullying victims often suffer academically, particularly high-achieving blacks and Latinos

LAS VEGAS — Victims of bullying often suffer academically, and this is particularly true for high achieving black and Latino students, according to new research to be presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Sexist men and the babes who dig that

Some men have a preference for one-night stands and have sexist attitudes towards women - and some women like that. It's like "Mad Men", except in real life.

The importance of the team composition in ICUs

A higher proportion of female nurses among intensive care teams may decrease individuals' risk of professional burnout, according to Swiss researchers who studied the factors related to burnout in the high-stress setting of the intensive care unit (ICU).

The research was published online in the articles-in-press section of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Study finds shifting domestic roles for men who lost jobs in current recession

LAS VEGAS — The acute economic downturn that began in 2008 sometimes is called the "mancession" to reflect its harsher impact on men than women. As recently as last November, 10.4 percent of adult men were unemployed as compared to 8 percent of adult women.

But how do unemployed men cope with their shifting domestic roles, especially when they become financially dependent on a wife or female partner?

One University of Kansas researcher has investigated the impact of joblessness on masculinity and the "breadwinner ideology" within the context of traditional families.

Bullying victims often suffer academically, particularly high achieving blacks and Latinos

LAS VEGAS — Victims of bullying often suffer academically, and this is particularly true for high achieving black and Latino students, according to new research to be presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Most heart attack patients needing angioplasty treated within recommended time

Nearly all heart attack patients who require emergency artery-opening procedures are treated within the recommended 90 minutes from hospital arrival, compared with less than half the patients five years prior, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Heart attack patients winning the race to angioplasty treatment

Almost all heart attack patients who need the emergency artery-opening procedure known as angioplasty are receiving it within 90 minutes of being admitted to the hospital, a marked improvement from five years ago when most patients waited longer for the life-saving procedure, according to a report by Yale School of Medicine researchers and their colleagues.

You knew this: Men believe discussing problems is a waste of time

A new study finds that boys feel that discussing problems is a waste of time.

A group recently conducted four different studies that included surveys and observations of nearly 2,000 children and adolescents. The researchers found that girls had positive expectations for how talking about problems would make them feel, such as expecting to feel cared for, understood and less alone.