Culture | Page 2769 | Science Codex

Elder self-neglect and abuse associated with increased risk of death

Elderly individuals who have a report of self-neglect or abuse submitted to a social service agency have an associated increased risk of death, according to a study in JAMA.

Elder self-neglect and abuse are serious, common, and unrecognized public health issues in the U.S., and a 2000 survey from social service agencies suggests that these cases are increasing, according to background information in the article. But the association of either elder self-neglect or abuse with an increased risk of death has been unclear.

Screening for intimate partner violence may provide only marginal benefits

New research suggests that universal intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in health care settings does not result in significant changes in subsequent reports of IPV or quality of life, according to a study in JAMA.

Huge numbers of Cambodian survivors may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder

The so-called "Khmer Rouge trials," now underway, are likely to have an impact on the mental health of many Cambodians, according to a new study published in JAMA.

Scientists examine surprising genetic diversity of African village dogs

African village dogs are not a mixture of modern breeds, but have directly descended from an ancestral pool of indigenous dogs, according to a Cornell-led genetic analysis of hundreds of semi-feral African village dogs.

That means that village dogs from most African regions are genetically distinct from non-native breeds and mixed-breed dogs. They also are more genetically diverse because they have not been subjected to strict breeding, which artificially selects genes and narrows breeds' gene pools.

Debate continues over social isolation in America

A 2006 report by sociologists Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin and Matthew E. Brashears found a near tripling in reports of Americans' social isolation between 1985 and 2004. The percentage who said they did not discuss important matters with any one qualified as "socially isolated".

OTC body-building supplements tainted with anabolic steroids

Three cases of patients suffering from the adverse affects of steroid-enriched dietary supplements have been reported by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital. The cases, which include patients with liver injury and renal failure, are discussed in the The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week issued a warning regarding the use of over-the-counter body-building supplements that are illegally enriched with anabolic steroids.

The power of belief: your tools are as good as you think they are

Your office or firm might not own –– or be able to afford –– the latest software or computers. But that may not impair the productivity of your workers, concludes a new Tel Aviv University study.

Synthetic biology: a new field presents challenges and opportunities

The new research field of synthetic biology will, in the medium term, open up a great deal of potential for combining novel genetic methods with engineering principles. This will facilitate the development, not only of new vaccines and medicines, but also of fuels and new materials. Early-stage dialogue with the public on the natural science, legal, economic and ethical issues is crucial for the success and acceptance of this new technology.

Contrary to popular belief, engineering majors not college dropouts

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Research findings suggest that, contrary to popular belief, engineering does not have a higher dropout rate than other majors and women do just as well as men, information that could lead to a strategy for boosting the number of U.S. engineering graduates.

Do promises matter to employees? No, but delivering on them does

Toronto -- Years of research suggest that the promises organizations make to employees matter in establishing and maintaining a "psychological contract" between the two parties. However, new research by Samantha Montes and co-author David Zweig, professors at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and the University of Toronto Scarborough, suggests that what an organization promises to employees (e.g., training opportunities, benefits, compensation) don't matter nearly as much as what the organization actually delivers.

"Global ban" on lead-based paint essential to protect public health

CINCINNATI—Although lead content in paint has been restricted in the United States since 1978, University of Cincinnati (UC) environmental health researchers say in major countries from three continents there is still widespread failure to acknowledge its danger and companies continue to sell consumer paints that contain dangerous levels of lead.

Historical trade-off: children gaining autonomy at home, but losing it in public

An analysis of back issues of the popular US magazine, Parents, maps how the portrayal of parental authority and children's autonomy has changed over the last century. The findings are published online in journal Qualitative Sociology and say that kids only have more autonomy inside the home but are more restricted outside.

Sustainable agriculture comes from perennial planting

Advances in ecology increasingly reveal that conventional agricultural practices have detrimental effects on the landscape ecology, creating problems for long-term sustainability of crops. In a series of sessions at the Ecological Society of America's Annual Meeting, ecologists will present their ideas on how our agricultural practices can take lessons from natural environments.

Computers unlock more secrets of the mysterious Indus Valley script

The team led by a University of Washington researcher has used computers to extract patterns in ancient Indus symbols. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows distinct patterns in the symbols' placement in sequences and creates a statistical model for the unknown language.

Heart disease patients with previous blockages receive worse care than new patients

Heart disease patients with previous atherosclerosis (fat deposits in the walls of the arteries) are more likely to die in the hospital and less likely to be treated with recommended therapies, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.