Culture | Page 1851 | Science Codex

No gender differences in research funding at Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine

Though national data suggest that women researchers are less likely to obtain government research funding than men, Johns Hopkins scholars have found that male and female researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are funded at nearly the same rate.

Johns Hopkins is America's most heavily government-funded school, with hundreds of millions in grants from the NIH alone. In recent years, universities and the government have been under fire for imbalances in taxpayer funding for women and minorities.

Fewer women getting minimally invasive hysterectomies since FDA guidelines

Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautioned against using a minimally invasive method to treat fibroid tumors called power morcellation, there was a nearly quarter increase in hospital readmissions and 27 percent increase in major postoperative complications after hysterectomies in Michigan, a new University of Michigan study says.

After the first FDA safety communication in April 2014, the percent of women receiving minimally invasive hysterectomies in a large Michigan database also went down by an absolute 1.7 percent decrease.

Argument for uniforms: Pressure to be cool, look good is detrimental to many children

The pressure to be cool, look good and own the 'right stuff' is detrimental to many children and teenagers, according to new research by University of Sussex psychologists.

The study shows that, while many young people buy into consumer culture believing it will make them feel better about themselves and help them to make friends, often the reverse happens.

The result is a negative downward spiral, say the researchers, whereby those with low well-being turn to consumerist values, which impacts further still upon their state of mind.

Diet beverage drinkers compensate by eating unhealthy food

Want fries with that diet soda? You aren't alone, and you may not be "saving" as many calories as you think by consuming diet drinks.

A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 22,000 U.S. adults found that diet-beverage consumers may compensate for the absence of calories in their drinks by noshing on extra food that is loaded with sugar, sodium, fat and cholesterol.

American knowledge about science surveyed

Americans lead the world in adult science literacy, just like America leads the world in science output. But there are substantial differences among Americans when it comes to knowledge and understanding of science topics, especially by educational levels as well as by gender, age, race and ethnicity, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

Can black Republicans win black votes? Nope

Are black voters more likely to vote for black candidates, regardless of political party affiliation?

A new study by a University of Cincinnati researcher presents discouraging news for Republican leaders hoping to win over this Democratic stronghold by nominating black Republican candidates for political offices.

"There are some very successful African-American Republicans, but those folks don't attract African-American votes," said the study's author, David Niven, a University of Cincinnati professor of political science. "Party matters so much more than race."

If you are a senior citizen, and you can afford it, Switzerland is the best place to live

Switzerland is the best place in the world for older people to live, closely followed by Norway and Sweden, according to a new report from HelpAge International, working in partnership with the University of Southampton.

Obamacare credited with improvement in chronic disease management

People with health insurance are more likely to have their high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure correctly diagnosed--and to have these chronic conditions under control--than similar uninsured people, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Freebies won't lead to positive reviews

Bloggers may accept compensation and free products for reviews, but freebies do not necessarily lead to positive endorsements, according to a group of researchers.

In a study, most technology bloggers who have accepted compensation, including free products, for reviews actually reported that they feel more empowered in their relationships with companies that pitched them products, rather than feeling indebted to them.

Flu vaccine reduces hospitalizations and deaths among nursing home residents

When the influenza vaccine is well matched to the prevailing strains of flu in a given season, patients in nursing homes are significantly less likely to be hospitalized or to die of pneumonia and other influenza related causes. The finding comes from a study of more than 1 million Medicare fee-for-service long-stay nursing home residents.

Not base runners: Bats and balls cause worst injuries to major league catchers

Contrary to popular belief, the worst injuries baseball catchers face on the field come from errant bats and foul balls, not home-plate collisions with base runners, according to findings of a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The research, done in collaboration with Baltimore Orioles trainers Brian Ebel and Richard Bancells, involved analysis of all catcher injuries during major league baseball games over a 10-year period.

E-cigarettes serve as gateway to smoking for teens and young adults

Young people across the United States who smoke electronic cigarettes are considerably more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes within a year than their peers who do not smoke e-cigarettes, according to an analysis led by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health (CRMTH) and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), was the first to assess this relation in a national U.S. sample of youth, and to include people older than 18 among its participants.

Progression to traditional cigarettes after electronic cigarette use in young people

A new study of U.S. adolescents and young people suggests that using electronic cigarettes was associated with progression to traditional cigarette smoking, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.

Some studies suggest e-cigarettes may help smokers reduce the use of traditional tobacco products. Still, there is concern that e-cigarette marketing could position the product to recruit nonsmokers and the use of e-cigarettes has increased among both adolescents and young adults.

No smoking zones, higher taxes deter youth smoking

Banning smoking in the workplace and increasing taxes on cigarettes have discouraged teens and young adults from taking up smoking, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Merced.

The study, published today (Sept. 8, 2015) in JAMA Pediatrics, used data on the smoking habits of a group of 12- to 18-year-olds living throughout the country in 1997. They were tracked for 11 years as they transitioned to young adults.

Social Scientists Are The Worst Powerpoint Offenders In Academia

Scientists use far too much text in their PowerPoint slides but social scientists are the worst, creating slides with an average number of 55 words, 50% more than the suggested maximum, says Wageningen University scholar Brigitte Hertz.