Other posts
- March 26, 2013
- 06:15 AM
- 120 views
Crazy in Love or Just Crazy?
by Carian Thus in United Academics
Insomnia, euphoria, anxiety and obsession; modern science shows us that these symptoms are just as likely to be found in someone who is deeply in love as someone who is having mental problems. Should these people be once again diagnosed as having “lovesickness”, as they would have been in the past? Or do we now have a better way to approach the connection between these conditions?... Read more »
Brand, S., Luethi, M., von Planta, A., Hatzinger, M., & Holsboer-Trachsler, E. (2007) Romantic Love, Hypomania, and Sleep Pattern in Adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(1), 69-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.01.012
MARAZZITI, D., AKISKAL, H., ROSSI, A., & CASSANO, G. (1999) Alteration of the platelet serotonin transporter in romantic love. Psychological Medicine, 29(3), 741-745. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291798007946
Reynaud, M., Karila, L., Blecha, L., & Benyamina, A. (2010) Is Love Passion an Addictive Disorder?. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 261-267. DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2010.495183
- March 25, 2013
- 01:11 PM
- 142 views
How Eating Monkey Meat Leads to Less Fruit
by Katja Keuchenius in United Academics
In Africa people eat monkey meat for the protein it contains. You can guess this is bad news for the monkey population, but it actually has far bigger consequences for the whole forrest and eventually for humans themselves. It could lead to less fruits and nuts, typically those that men also eat, like mango’s.... Read more »
Effiom EO, Nuñez-Iturri G, Smith HG, Ottosson U, & Olsson O. (2013) Bushmeat hunting changes regeneration of African rainforests. Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society, 280(1759), 20130246. PMID: 23516245
- March 25, 2013
- 12:26 PM
- 118 views
Fiddler Crabs’ Large Claw Is Attractive and Effective
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
Male fiddler crabs face two major challenges to their dominance; attracting females, and fending off other males competing for those females. The crabs rely on an extra-large claw to achieve both these goals. However, most scientists studying these crabs have assumed that as the male crab evolved, it was forced to make a tradeoff between an attractive, long claw, and a shorter one that’s more effective in combat.... Read more »
Dennenmoser, S., & Christy, J. (2012) THE DESIGN OF A BEAUTIFUL WEAPON: COMPENSATION FOR OPPOSING SEXUAL SELECTION ON A TRAIT WITH TWO FUNCTIONS. Evolution. DOI: 10.1111/evo.12018
- March 25, 2013
- 06:33 AM
- 131 views
Study of Great Tits: Prettier Birds Have Healthier Babies
by Carian Thus in United Academics
Researchers have discovered that the look of a female great tits (Parus major) signals reproductive success. ... Read more »
Remeš, V., & Matysioková, B. (2013) More ornamented females produce higher-quality offspring in a socially monogamous bird: an experimental study in the great tit (Parus major). Frontiers in Zoology, 10(14). info:/
- March 22, 2013
- 12:09 PM
- 136 views
Getting Science Right: Recognizing Emotions in Dogs
by Carian Thus in United Academics
Bad science reporting happens on a daily basis and is perpetuated by both the media as well as the scientists themselves. UA Magazine checks whether science related media are doing justice to the research papers they mention. ... Read more »
Bloom, T., & Friedman, H. (2013) Classifying dogs’ (Canis familiaris) facial expressions from photographs. Behavioural Processes. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.02.010
- March 22, 2013
- 10:23 AM
- 218 views
Is One Lung Enough for the Pope?
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
One of the many revelations about the new Pope Francis I is that he has one lung, surgically removed when he was a teenager. At age 76, clearly he has been able to function, but his condition begs two questions: can you thrive with just one lung? And, why do we have two, anyway?... Read more »
Bolliger, C., Jordan, P., Solèr, M., Stulz, P., Tamm, M., Wyser, C., Gonon, M., & Perruchoud, A. (1996) Pulmonary function and exercise capacity after lung resection. European Respiratory Journal, 9(3), 415-421. DOI: 10.1183/09031936.96.09030415
- March 21, 2013
- 10:43 AM
- 76 views
Defining Who or What “Pimp” is: Research
by Mark Fonseca Rendeiro in United Academics
Sociological research into the world of prostitution and sex work has always been accompanied by references to the role and impact of the infamous pimp. This name, which carries with it many associations and assumptions, has actually been the source of changing and controversial meaning. A meaning that researchers like Holly Davis at the University of Edinburgh, see as badly needing explicit definition. By using data from in-depth interviews with pimps, Davis seeks “to draw attention to........ Read more »
Davis, H. (2013) Defining 'Pimp': Working Towards a Definition in Social Research. Sociological Research Online, 18(1). DOI: 10.5153/sro.2826
- March 21, 2013
- 08:09 AM
- 70 views
Roadkill Sparks Evolutionary Trend
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
It’s pretty rare that we can watch evolution actually happen, especially in more complex animals and plants. But a study on Nebraska cliff swallows, done over 30 years, shows that the birds have changed their wingspan in order to avoid being hit by cars and trucks.... Read more »
Brown, C., & Bomberger Brown, M. (2013) Where has all the road kill gone?. Current Biology, 23(6). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.023
- March 19, 2013
- 12:42 PM
- 96 views
Why Does a Rooster Crow in the Morning?
by Carian Thus in United Academics
New research explains why roosters make sound just before dawn.... Read more »
Shimmura, T., & Yoshimura, T. (2013) Circadian clock determines the timing of rooster crowing. Current Biology, 23(6). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.015
- March 15, 2013
- 09:20 PM
- 167 views
The heat(map) is on... The colours of canine welfare.
by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?
Hey Julie, All those conferences sound completely AMAZING! I love that both dog urine and poo are totally appropriate topics for us to discuss in our conversations. All the other scientists are so jealous right now!I hope you've been well since getting home again. We've just been through the longest heatwave ever recorded in Melbourne over the past fortnight (9 days over 30oC / 90oF in a row) and today it's finally cooled off, hooray! I haven't posted you the TimTams I promised you on Twitt........ Read more »
Fratkin JL, Sinn DL, Patall EA, & Gosling SD. (2013) Personality Consistency in Dogs: A Meta-Analysis. PloS One, 8(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054907
Gosling Samuel D., Augustine Adam A, Vazire Simine, Holtzman Nicholas, & Gaddis Sam. (2011) Manifestations of Personality in Online Social Networks: Self-Reported Facebook-Related Behaviors and Observable Profile Information. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(9), 483-488. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2010.0087
Seligman Martin E. P., Ernst Randal M., Gillham Jane, Reivich Karen, & Linkins Mark. (2009) Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3), 293-311. DOI: 10.1080/03054980902934563
- March 14, 2013
- 07:12 AM
- 199 views
Ejaculating Every Day Keeps the Doctor Away?
by Carian Thus in United Academics
This image, spreading over the Internet, suggests that frequent ejaculation lowers the risk of prostate cancer with one third. But is it also true? We checked the original research paper to find out.
... Read more »
Giles, G., Severi, G., English, D., McCredie, M., Borland, R., Boyle, P., & Hopper, J. (2003) Sexual factors and prostate cancer. BJU International, 92(3), 211-216. DOI: 10.1046/j.1464-410X.2003.04319.x
- March 14, 2013
- 07:03 AM
- 124 views
More Competion Means More Corruption, New Smog-test Study Finds
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
Most economists, business people and even educators and scientists assume the merits of competition; it’s supposed to lead to lower prices and improvements in quality. But, as a study on the automobile smog-testing industry shows, competition can lead to corruption and even public health problems.
A research group led by University of Southern California management professor Victor Bennett found that the structure of the smog-testing industry can lead many firms to cheat on their custom........ Read more »
Bennett, V., Pierce, L., Snyder, J., & Toffel, M. (2012) Customer-Driven Misconduct: How Competition Corrupts Business Practices. SSRN Electronic Journal. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2005779
- March 8, 2013
- 10:01 AM
- 143 views
The Need to Know Science Better
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
A new study underscores a chronic problem in American (and European) society; a lack of scientific literacy. A recent study from the universities of Bristol and Cardiff found that science was one of the most difficult-to-understand topics by the average reader (environmental issues, politics, economics and religion topped out the rest of that list).
Unfortunately, these are issues somewhat vital to functioning in complex society. So, what’s the problem? Why is science in particular, so ........ Read more »
Flaounas, I., Ali, O., Lansdall-Welfare, T., De Bie, T., Mosdell, N., Lewis, J., & Cristianini, N. (2013) RESEARCH METHODS IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL JOURNALISM. Digital Journalism, 1(1), 102-116. DOI: 10.1080/21670811.2012.714928
- March 8, 2013
- 07:29 AM
- 139 views
Debunking the Political Myth of “Legitimate Rape”
by Katja Keuchenius in United Academics
When he was running for the U.S. Senate last summer, Rep. Todd Akin, a Republican from Missouri, made a huge gaffe; he claimed that female rape victims’ bodies “just shut down,” preventing pregnancy from occurring. Therefore, according to that logic, any rape that resulted in pregnancy was, instead, consensual. His statement was in support of proposed policies that would restrict the availability of abortion even in the case of rape or incest.... Read more »
Gottschall, J., & Gottschall, T. (2003) Are per-incident rape-pregnancy rates higher than per-incident consensual pregnancy rates?. Human Nature, 14(1), 1-20. DOI: 10.1007/s12110-003-1014-0
Tarín, J., Hamatani, T., & Cano, A. (2010) Acute stress may induce ovulation in women. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 8(1), 53. DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-8-53
Wilcox AJ, Dunson DB, Weinberg CR, Trussell J, & Baird DD. (2001) Likelihood of conception with a single act of intercourse: providing benchmark rates for assessment of post-coital contraceptives. Contraception, 63(4), 211-5. PMID: 11376648
- March 7, 2013
- 07:23 AM
- 152 views
Sex Can Relieve Severe Headaches
by Carian Thus in United Academics
Maybe you’re not really into it when you have a splitting headache, but new research proves that sexual activity can acutally sooth or even stop your pain.... Read more »
Hambach, A., Evers, S., Summ, O., Husstedt, I., & Frese, A. (2013) The impact of sexual activity on idiopathic headaches: An observational study. Cephalalgia. DOI: 10.1177/0333102413476374
- March 5, 2013
- 03:38 PM
- 191 views
New stem cell approach for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
by beredim in Stem Cells Freak
In a new study, researchers from the University of Minnesota's Lillehei Heart Institute (UMLHI) used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and a novel genetic repair method to create skeletal stem cells, which in turn were used to partially restore muscle function in a Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) mouse model.Full Story... Read more »
Filareto, A., Parker, S., Darabi, R., Borges, L., Iacovino, M., Schaaf, T., Mayerhofer, T., Chamberlain, J., Ervasti, J., McIvor, R.... (2013) An ex vivo gene therapy approach to treat muscular dystrophy using inducible pluripotent stem cells. Nature Communications, 1549. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2550
- March 5, 2013
- 08:10 AM
- 165 views
Lesbian Beetle Sex—It’s the Man’s Faul
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
Why does gay and lesbian sex exist? If the purpose of sex is reproduction, it makes no evolutionary sense. But recent work by a group at Uppsala University in Sweden has turned that notion on its head.
While beetles are hardly the species to investigate if you’re looking for the origins of same-sex love, recent work on their copulation system shows an evolutionary advantage to same-sex mating behaviors.... Read more »
Burgevin, L., Friberg, U., & Maklakov, A. (2013) Intersexual correlation for same-sex sexual behaviour in an insect. Animal Behaviour. DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.01.017
- March 5, 2013
- 07:47 AM
- 200 views
Following the Nerd Herd – The Stereotype Revisited
by Anouk Vleugels in United Academics
“I was such a nerd in high school.” Most people who’ve been on a few first dates will recognize this line. Having nerd qualities, apparently, is nothing to be ashamed of anymore; it shows you’re quirky, unique and intelligent.. Nerds are fun now. So whatever happened to getting stuffed into the trash can for being different? And what exactly did the nerd evolve into?... Read more »
Eglash, R. (2002) Race, Sex, and Nerds: FROM BLACK GEEKS TO ASIAN AMERICAN HIPSTERS. Social Text, 20(2 71), 49-64. DOI: 10.1215/01642472-20-2_71-49
Bucholtz, M. (2001) The Whiteness of Nerds: Superstandard English and Racial Markedness. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 11(1), 84-100. DOI: 10.1525/jlin.2001.11.1.84
Quail, C. (2011) Nerds, Geeks, and the Hip/Square Dialectic in Contemporary Television. Television , 12(5), 460-482. DOI: 10.1177/1527476410385476
- March 5, 2013
- 04:16 AM
- 155 views
Why Think of Jumping From Great Heights
by Mark Fonseca Rendeiro in United Academics
I grew up going back and forth between New Jersey and New York City, which often meant going over a bridge. And that is probably my earliest memory of sitting in the car wondering, what if we drive off this bridge? Years later I would find my way to the top of sky scrapers and spires overlooking cities around the world, naturally to marvel at the view, but each time with that strange familiar thought, what if I jump or fall off this building?
Suicidal thoughts? I don’t think so. But w........ Read more »
Hames, J., Ribeiro, J., Smith, A., & Joiner, T. (2012) An urge to jump affirms the urge to live: An empirical examination of the high place phenomenon. Journal of Affective Disorders, 136(3), 1114-1120. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.10.035
- March 3, 2013
- 09:17 PM
- 167 views
“It Wasn’t My Idea to Come Here”: Young Women Lack Ownership of the Idea to Immigrate
by Mark Rubin in Mark Rubin's Social Psychology Research Blog
Together with getting married and buying a house, the decision to immigrate is one of the most important decisions that a person can make. So, it’s important that immigrants feel that they have satisfactory input into the process of deciding whether or not to migrate. In some recent research, I looked at a very early stage of this decision-making process: ownership of the idea to immigrate.... Read more »
Rubin, M. (2013) “It wasn’t my idea to come here!”: Ownership of the idea to immigrate as a function of gender, age, and culture. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2013.02.001
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