Culture

Boston, MA – A new poll by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) shows the shortage of H1N1 vaccine for children is easing. As of late last week, three-quarters of parents who tried to get the vaccine for their children were able to do so. Overall, six in 10 parents have gotten or expect to get their children vaccinated, but more than a third do not. More than half (60%) of those parents who do not expect to get the vaccine cite their concerns about the safety of the vaccine as the major reason.

With would-be goblins and ghosts set to drape those huge fake spider webs over doorways and trees for Halloween, scientists in Wyoming are reporting on a long-standing mystery about real spider webs: It is the secret of spider web glue. The findings are an advance toward a new generation of biobased adhesives and glues — "green" glues that replace existing petroleum-based products for a range of uses. A report on the study was published in ACS' Biomacromolecules, a monthly journal.

CHICAGO (December 22, 2009) – A new study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that a volunteer program providing low-risk outpatient surgical procedures can deliver safe and effective health care to patients in need. However, the study authors do caution that the program is not a long-term solution for dealing with the medically uninsured.

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 22 – Teens who frequently listen to music that contains references to marijuana are more likely to use the drug than their counterparts with less exposure to such lyrics, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study online now in the journal Addiction.

A new study looks in depth at the social relationships between male and female teenagers, relational violence, and psycho-social adjustment factors such as loneliness, self-esteem and satisfaction with life. The results show that young people who want to be better appreciated and respected within their group are the most likely to be violent.

The issues are raised in a new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) publication - What is policing for? Examining the impact and implications of contemporary policing intervention. The publication which highlights the views of experts presented during a Public Policy Seminar series organised by the ESRC in collaboration with the Scottish Institute for Policing Research, The Police Foundation, and the Universities' Police Science Institute.

AMES, Iowa -- The use and control of fire are behavioral characteristics that distinguish humans from other animals. Now, a new study by Iowa State University anthropologist Jill Pruetz reports that savanna chimpanzees in Senegal have a near human understanding of wildfires and change their behavior in anticipation of the fire's movement.

Hamilton, ON (Dec. 16, 2009) – The causes of obesity are complex and individual, but it is clear that chronic overeating plays a fundamental role. But when this behaviour becomes compulsive and out of control, it is often classified as "food addiction" – a label that has generated considerable controversy, according to a McMaster University psychiatrist and obesity researcher.

White and Hispanic individuals are being diagnosed with melanoma more frequently in recent years, whereas Hispanic and black patients continue to have advanced skin cancer at diagnosis, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Team training based on protocols originally developed for aviation crews may change safety-related behaviors and contribute to perceptions of empowerment among nurses and other surgical staff, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

The role of a medical expert witness needs to be strictly defined and carefully controlled during legal proceedings and physicians need to be aware of their role, states an analysis of the Goudge Inquiry into pediatric forensic pathology published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2009 — Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the world's largest scientific society, today published a major analysis of the divisive issues at the heart of the debate over global warming and climate change. The article appears at the conclusion of the much-publicized United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which sought to seal a comprehensive international agreement on dealing with global warming. An embargoed text is available to journalists upon request.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University engineers have created a new generation of lens that could greatly improve the capabilities of telecommunications or radar systems to provide a wide field of view and greater detail.

• Alcohol research has clearly demonstrated a connection between alcohol outlets and alcohol-related problems.
• A new study focuses on the effects of alcohol outlets on underage youth and young adults.
• Findings show that alcohol-related injuries among underage youth and young adults are shaped by the density and types of alcohol outlets in neighborhoods.

A new study led by a team of researchers at New York Medical College suggests that that medical liability concerns may be playing a role in the increase of MRSA in healthcare settings by encouraging clinicians to prescribe antibiotics more often and more broadly than clinical circumstances and evidence-based guidelines warrant. The study appeared in the September-October issue of the American Journal of Therapeutics.