Culture

Who said the following regarding vaccines and autism in the 2008 election campaign?

"We've seen just a skyrocketing autism rate. Some people are suspicious that it's connected to the vaccines. This person included. The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it."

Cervical cancer screening intervals could be extended to five years for women aged 30 and over if the primary screening method was human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, say scientists at Queen Mary, University of London.

The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer today (28 April), found HPV tests are very accurate in identifying early signs of cervical cancer, detecting more serious abnormalities compared to current cytology screening in women aged 30 and over.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Patients can decrease the frequency of Botox© Cosmetic injections after approximately two years and still receive most of the same wrinkle-smoothing cosmetic benefits, according to new research at Oregon Health & Science University.

Cancer cells need all three of their cytoskeletons—actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments—to metastasize, according to a study published online on April 26 in the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org).

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — University investment decisions can deepen job losses and other financial cuts when market collapses carve into budget-supporting endowment funds, a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found.

Researchers say the findings show that universities need to re-evaluate investment portfolios and policies to cushion the blow when market downturns wither endowments, a growing economic engine for colleges over the last two decades.

DURHAM, N.C. – There were no evening gowns, swimsuits, or artistic talents on display, but a corporate beauty contest staged by Duke University researchers nevertheless revealed strong ties between appearance and success in the business world.

If you're running for office – and want to shore up support from young voters – you want Hollywood's support, right? Wrong. Two new studies from North Carolina State University show that young voters are not swayed by celebrity endorsements of political candidates – and sometimes voters like the candidate less as a result of receiving a celebrity's endorsement.

Middle-school children whose parents restrict access to R-rated movies are substantially less likely to start drinking than their peers who are allowed to see such films, a new study suggests.

In a study of nearly 3,600 New England middle school students, researchers found that among kids who said their parents never allowed them to watch R movies, few took up drinking over the next couple years.

COLUMBIA, Mo. ¬— The popularity of social networking websites has grown dramatically in recent years. One of the most popular sites, Facebook.com, now boasts more than 350 million users worldwide. With so many people interacting with each other online daily, an MU researcher is interested in the cognitive and emotional implications of social browsing versus social searching.

Eyjafjallajökull and its massive cloud of volcanic ash clearly have had an enormous impact on Europe and its airports, disrupting the mobility of millions and costing airlines more than a billion euros. But what about the volcano's effect globally?

University of Guam assistant professor Amy Owen and her students recently completed a research project on the perception of local residents regarding the U.S. Military Buildup in Guam and related immigration issues.

"The goal of the study was to objectively gather an accurate representation of local views regarding the Buildup," said Owen. "Out of 403 participants, and a 95% confidence level, our results show that 71% of residents perceive the Buildup as good for the economy while 74% perceive the buildup as bad for the culture."

Concerns about the economy are changing Houstonians' attitudes toward jobs, immigration and the role of government, according to the 2010 Houston Area Survey, conducted by the Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

As the official unemployment rate in Harris County hit 8.5 percent in March, the number of respondents who said their personal situations were getting worse in the past few years grew from 27 percent in 2009 to 32 percent in 2010.

Disabled children in the UK are more likely to likely to live with low-income, deprivation, debt and poor housing. University of Warwick researchers writing in the journal BMC Pediatrics found that families with disabled children experience higher levels of poverty and personal and social disadvantage than other children.

In case you are one of the 5 people worldwide who does not yet know smoking is bad for you, multi-billion dollar publicly-funded antismoking campaigns now have new ammunition in their culture war:A new study links nicotine poisoning with weight gain and believes that active smokers, not just who stop, put on more weight than non-smokers.

After four years of analysis in the University of Navarra, those who put on least weight were those who had never smoked.