Smoking :: Quitting smoking makes you happier
New survey results from Cancer Research UK should allay the fears of smokers who think giving up will make their lives a misery.
Professor
Psychology :: Anti-gay hate crimes widespread
Nearly four in 10 gay men and about one in eight lesbians and bisexuals in the United States have been the target of violence or a property crime because of their sexual orientation, according to a new study by University of California, Davis psychology professor Gregory Herek.
Infant :: First baby is born after oocytes were matured in the lab and frozen
The first baby to be created from an egg that had been matured in the laboratory, frozen, thawed and then fertilized, has been born in Canada. Three other women are pregnant by the same process. The research was presented to the 23rd annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Monday, July 2.
Cancer :: Biomedical engineers use electric pulses to destroy cancer cells
A team of biomedical engineers at Virginia Tech and the University of California at Berkeley has developed a new minimally invasive method of treating cancer, and they anticipate clinical trials on individuals with prostate cancer will begin soon.
Psychology :: Why we learn from our mistakes
Psychologists from the University of Exeter have identified an “early warning signal” in the brain that helps us avoid repeating previous mistakes. Published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, their research identifies, for the first time, a mechanism in the brain that reacts in just 0.1 seconds to things that have resulted in us making errors in the past.
Obesity :: How we can stop stress from making us obese
New findings on the mechanisms that trigger stress-induced obesity, published today in Nature Medicineonline, could offer hope to millions.
Cosmetic Surgery :: Scientists discover key to manipulating fat
In what they call a “stunning research advance,” investigators at Georgetown University Medical Center have been able to use simple, nontoxic chemical injections to add and remove fat in targeted areas on the bodies of laboratory animals. They say the discovery, published online in Nature Medicine on July 1, could revolutionize human cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery and treatment of diseases associated with human obesity.
DNA :: New method for reading DNA sheds light on basis of cell identity
By using a new kind of genomic technology, a new study unveils a special code — not within DNA, but within the so-called “chromatin” proteins surrounding it — that could unlock the mysterious developmental choices made by mammalian cells, allowing them to assume roles as diverse as liver cells and neurons.
Dinner :: Dinner in 20 minutes
Working parents and their children can sit down to a nutritious dinner 20 minutes after arriving home by following three simple steps: Plan, Prepare and Participate. Marjorie Fitch-Hilgenberg, associate professor of dietetics at the University of Arkansas, offers practical advice to make meal preparation easier and more satisfying, including instructions for her proven-popular spinach quesadillas.
Autism :: Social skills programs for children with autism are largely ineffective
A meta-analysis of 55 published research studies reveals programs designed to teach social skills to children with autism are failing to meet their goals. The study, conducted at Indiana University, found that outcomes for social skills training were poor overall, but programs held in normal classroom settings were more likely to result in positive changes than programs held in other environments.