Other posts
- January 15, 2013
- 08:47 AM
- 117 views
Waxing and Trimming Brings The End of Pubic Lice
by Zach Urbina in United Academics
There are few, if any, species of organisms whose extinction we could all agree would be beneficial, however in the case of the pubic louse, we may have found an exception. Commonly known as “crabs,” the notorious pubic louse is disappearing.
Australia’s sexual health clinic in Sydney has not reported a woman with pubic lice since 2008 and male cases are down 80%, from roughly 100 incidences ten years ago.
‘It used to be extremely common; its now rarely seen,’ says Basil Donovan, head of sexual health at the University of New South Wale’s Kirby Institute. ‘Without doubt, it’s better grooming,’ reports Donovan, who also works as a physician at the Sydney Sexual Health Centre.... Read more »
Smolak, L., & Murnen, S. (2011) Gender, Self-Objectification and Pubic Hair Removal. Sex Roles, 65(7-8), 506-517. DOI: 10.1007/s11199-010-9922-z
- January 15, 2013
- 04:13 AM
- 119 views
Data Visualization: Detecting International Election Fraud Using Statistics
by Zach Urbina in United Academics
Even if you cheat, the geeks will always win. This simple but elegant statistical approach proves to be a remarkable method of detecting centrally sanctioned election fraud. Two glaring examples in Uganda and Russia show clusters of outlying votes in the upper right region of the plots. Those questionable areas, circled in red, indicate 100% turnout and 100% of votes for the winner. The Canadian plot show two diverse clusters, indicating differntiation between the Québécois and English-speaking Canada... Read more »
Klimek P,, Yegorov Y,, Hanel R, , & Thurner S. (2012) Statistical Detection of Systematic Election Irregularities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(41), 16469-16473. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1210722109
- January 14, 2013
- 08:32 PM
- 163 views
More Milk drinking in a Nation, More chances of winning Nobel Prizes
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Researchers have found that the nations that drink a lot of milk and consume milk products have more ability to win Nobel prizes.
This research has been published online in the journal Practical Neurology.
In the last quarter of the last year, a research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that the nation’s chocolate consumption has strong relation to the Nobel Prize winning ability. The research proposed that the flavonoid content of the chocolate is responsible for the brain power. That research made authors to think, whether milk has any relation to the Nobel Prize winning ability or not!
Researchers worked on the 2007 data from the Food and Agriculture Organization on per capita milk consumption in 22 countries as well as the information provided by the author of the chocolate theory, and found a significant relation between the milk consumption and Nobel Prize.
Researchers found that Sweden has the most Nobel laureates per 10 million of its population (33) and it consumes most milk per head of the population having about 340 kg per year. (Some might argue that the country hosts Nobel committee but) Than Switzerland, with 300kg of milk per year consumption came on the second position with a good number of Nobel laureates (32).
On the other hand, China comes in the countries with the lowest number of Nobel laureates and the milk consumption in this country is also in the lowest number i.e. about 25kg per year.
Researchers are of the opinion that there could be a ceiling effect as shown by no impact on Finland’s Nobel Prize increase beyond an annual per capita consumption of 350 kg of milk.
Vitamin D in milk is thought to be the brain booster.
"So to improve your chances of winning Nobel prizes you should not only eat more chocolate but perhaps drink milk too: or strive for synergy with hot chocolate," Researchers concluded.
Reference:
Linthwaite, S., & Fuller, G. (2013). Milk, chocolate and Nobel prizes Practical Neurology, 13 (1), 63-63 DOI: 10.1136/practneurol-2012-000471... Read more »
Linthwaite, S., & Fuller, G. (2013) Milk, chocolate and Nobel prizes. Practical Neurology, 13(1), 63-63. DOI: 10.1136/practneurol-2012-000471
- January 14, 2013
- 05:26 AM
- 134 views
Can MOOC’s Really Transform Education?
by Jason Carr in Wired Cosmos
Traditional colleges often struggle with limited space availability in popular (or even core curriculum) courses. Higher education costs in the U.S. have sky-rocketed in recent years. A recent USA Today article reported that costs to attend a 4-year public university rose a staggering 15% between 2008 and 2010. To make matters worse, many graduates that [...]... Read more »
Dalal D, Brancati FL, & Sisson SD. (2012) Factors affecting learner satisfaction with an internet-based curriculum. Southern medical journal, 105(8), 387-91. PMID: 22864092
Mark Hochberg, J. (2006) Online Distance Education Pedagogy: Emulating the practice of global business. Distance Education, 27(1), 129-133. DOI: 10.1080/01587910600654841
Forster, A. (2012) , edited by E. Burge, C. Campbell Gibson , and T. Gibson . Distance Education, 33(3), 429-436. DOI: 10.1080/01587919.2012.723169
- January 13, 2013
- 06:41 AM
- 298 views
Panoramic Virtual Tour
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History
Virtual Tour... Read more »
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. (2013) Panoramic Virtual Tour. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. info:/
- January 10, 2013
- 01:09 PM
- 154 views
Q&A: The increasing arrogance of American students
by katja keuchenius in United Academics
An analysis of freshman surveys that were held in the United States every year since 1996 shows that the modern youth is alarmingly happy with itself. Students nowadays rate their own abilities much higher than their peers did in the past. What does that say about this new generation? ... Read more »
Twenge, J., Campbell, W., & Gentile, B. (2012) Generational Increases in Agentic Self-evaluations among American College Students, 1966–2009. Self and Identity, 11(4), 409-427. DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2011.576820
- January 10, 2013
- 11:13 AM
- 105 views
Q&A: The Increasing Arrogance of American Students
by Katja Keuchenius in United Academics
An analysis of freshman surveys that were held in the United States every year since 1996 shows that the modern youth is alarmingly happy with itself. Students nowadays rate their own abilities much higher than their peers did in the past. What does that say about this new generation? Researcher Keith Campbell, co-author of the publication in Self and Identity, explains:... Read more »
Twenge, J., Campbell, W., & Gentile, B. (2012) Generational Increases in Agentic Self-evaluations among American College Students, 1966–2009. Self and Identity, 11(4), 409-427. DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2011.576820
- January 10, 2013
- 10:47 AM
- 137 views
5 Personality Traits, Not So Universal after All
by Carian Thus in United Academics
For decades, 5 personality traits were considered universal to all humans. But a new study of an isolated indigenous group in Bolivia, the Tsimane, raises doubt.
Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. These five broad dimensions of personality are referred to as the “Big Five”. Anthropologists translated a questionnaire into the Tsimane language that assesses the Big Five personality traits, and interviewed 632 adults from 28 villages. In a second study, the researchers tested the reliability of the self-report interviews by instead focusing on reports by peers.... Read more »
Gurven, M., von Rueden, C., Massenkoff, M., Kaplan, H., & Lero Vie, M. (2012) How Universal Is the Big Five? Testing the Five-Factor Model of Personality Variation Among Forager–Farmers in the Bolivian Amazon. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. DOI: 10.1037/a0030841
- January 10, 2013
- 04:50 AM
- 117 views
Ancient Egyptians Paid a Monthly Fee to Become Voluntary Temple Slaves
by Zach Urbina in United Academics
Anything for a quiet life? Egyptologist Kim Ryholt, from the University of Copenhagen recently published a paper that identified translated slave contracts from 2,200 years ago indicating that some Egyptians voluntarily elected to become slaves, in exchange for a monthly fee.... Read more »
Ryholt, K. (2012) A Self-Dedication Addressed to Anubis - Divine Protection against Malevolent Forces or Forced Labor?. Lotus and Laurel - Studies on Egyptian Language and Religion. info:other/
- January 9, 2013
- 10:10 AM
- 131 views
Sexual Desire in Penicillin-Producing Fungus Using Darkness and Oxygen Deprivation
by Zach Urbina in United Academics
Even fungus molds need sex once in a while, provided that scientists set the right mood. Since the initial research into Penicillium chrysogenum, a century ago, it was long believed that the penicillin-producing fungus mold reproduced only by spores. Spores spread by getting caught in the wind, moving through water, or attaching to the fur of an animal.
However, recent findings by an international research team at Ruhr-Universitat determined that P. chrysogenum has a sexual cycle, as in, two genders and is able to reproduce sexually.... Read more »
Böhm J, Hoff B, O’Gorman CM, Wolfers S, Klix V, Binger D, Zadra I, Kürnsteiner H, Pöggeler S, Dyer PS, . (2013) Sexual Reproduction and Mating-Type – Mediated Strain Development in the Penicillin-Producing Fungus Penicillium Chrysogenum. PNAS. info:/10.1073/pnas.1217943110
- January 9, 2013
- 05:15 AM
- 153 views
The power of color
by Katja Keuchenius in United Academics
The color of a cup can not only make your hot chocolate look more appealing, it also makes the chocolate taste better, new research reveals. This video shows you more about the power of colours.... Read more »
Piqueras-Fiszman, B., & Spence, C. (2012) The Influence of the Color of the Cup on Consumers' Perception of a Hot Beverage. Journal of Sensory Studies, 27(5), 324-331. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-459X.2012.00397.x
- January 8, 2013
- 11:10 AM
- 205 views
4 Easy Ways to Feel More Attractive
by Carian Thus in United Academics
Having a bad hair day, a huge pimple or did you gain some weight during the holidays? Don’t feel ugly, use these tips:... Read more »
Bègue, L., Bushman, B., Zerhouni, O., Subra, B., & Ourabah, M. (2012) ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder’: People who think they are drunk also think they are attractive. British Journal of Psychology. DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2012.02114.x
Ashikali, E., & Dittmar, H. (2012) The effect of priming materialism on women's responses to thin-ideal media. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4), 514-533. DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02020.x
- January 7, 2013
- 04:16 AM
- 320 views
How Being a Macho Man or a Girly Girl Can Be Good for Your Love Life
by Annemarie van Oosten in United Academics
Are you a macho man? Or a girly girl? Well, this may be a good thing if you want to have a long and exciting relationship with your partner. Researchers from the University of North Carolina have shown that coupling and sexual behavior are related to our gendered behavior.... Read more »
Udry, J., & Chantala, K. (2004) Masculinity-Femininity Guides Sexual Union Formation in Adolescents. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(1), 44-55. DOI: 10.1177/0146167203258840
- January 5, 2013
- 07:00 PM
- 158 views
Getting the Lead Out of Urban Crime
by Patrick Meyer in United Academics
Police and prisons aren’t the only way to fight crime; economist Rick Nevins found a direct causality between atmospheric lead (created primarily by leaded gasoline emissions and lead paint) and criminality as well as other deleterious psychological, physical, and behavioral effects. The causality is so blatant that Tulane University researchers Howard Mielke and Sammy Zahran found that in New Orleans, when maps of lead contamination and crime statistics are overlapped, they are nearly identical.... Read more »
Nevin, R. (2000) How Lead Exposure Relates to Temporal Changes in IQ, Violent Crime, and Unwed Pregnancy. Environmental Research, 83(1), 1-22. DOI: 10.1006/enrs.1999.4045
Reyes, J. (2007) Environmental Policy as Social Policy? The Impact of Childhood Lead Exposure on Crime. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis , 7(1). DOI: 10.2202/1935-1682.1796
- January 4, 2013
- 09:20 AM
- 147 views
Electric Stimulation of Brain Releases Powerful, Opiate-Like Painkiller
by Zach Urbina in United Academics
Certain regions of the brain pack a mighty punch, releasing a substance similar to pharmaceutical-grade opiates when provided with a tiny jolt of electricity. Researchers from the University of Michigan published findings that uncovered one of the human body’s most powerful painkillers, while treating the brain of a patient with severe, recurring facial pain.... Read more »
Dos Santos, M, Love, T, Martikainen, I, Nascimento, T, Fregni, F, Cummiford, C, Deboer, M, Zubieta, J, & DaSilva, A. (2012) Immediate Effects of tDCS on the μ-Opioid System of a Chronic Pain Patient. Frontiers in Psychiatry. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2012.00093
- January 4, 2013
- 05:04 AM
- 141 views
Is it possible to classify animal mental health disorders?
by Stuart Farrimond in Guru: Science Blog
Is there an equivalent in the animal kingdom to the DSM IV that’s used to diagnose mental health problems in humans? Is there animal psychiatry, or is it just classed as behavioural? Asked by Nicky Sewell via Facebook Psychologist, psychiatrist, and “just plain old doctor” – a veterinary behaviorist has to be all three in [...]... Read more »
Sheppard G, & Mills DS. (2003) Construct models in veterinary behavioural medicine: lessons from the human experience. Veterinary research communications, 27(3), 175-91. PMID: 12777092
Overall, K. (2004) BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine. D. Horwitz, D. Mills, Heath, S. Quedgeley (Eds.) Glos., British Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2002. 288pp. £66 (soft) ISBN 0905214595. The Veterinary Journal, 168(1), 107-108. DOI: 10.1016/S1090-0233(03)00072-8
- January 3, 2013
- 05:04 PM
- 174 views
Thinking laterality: steps, jumps and wonder-whorls
by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?
Happy New Year Julie! Thank you for all that great info about canine noise sensitivity and what can be done. I'm very happy to report my two dogs got through the fireworks without any obvious anxiety this year. I'm so pleased you raised the topic of laterality in dogs. Left paw preference - right paw preference - welcome to laterality! (source)Dr Lisa TomkinsYou mentioned the work of Dr Nick Branson, who I have been fortunate to work with in our Australian working dog welfare research, along with Professor Paul McGreevy, who we have both mentioned before. One of Paul's postgraduate students -- Dr Lisa Tomkins -- recently received her PhD after progressing this field of study significantly. Lisa and I met a few years back when we were studying different Guide Dog populations. I thought I'd tell you briefly about her research and how it connects laterality and working dogs. I also thank Lisa for sending me through some of her images to help in illustrating her work. It's no mean feat to try and summarise many years of dedicated PhD research without selling it short, but I'll do my best! Lisa looked at a range of physiological, physical and behavioural traits relating to Guide Dog success during the course of her PhD. As part of this, her research uncovered some new and particularly fascinating results regarding the expression of motor, sensory and structural laterality.First-stepping (Motor)One of the problems with the Kong™ test (see picture above), that has been used as a benchmark test of laterality, is that hunger and/or motivation to feed can be confounding factor. It can also take up to four hours to collect the requisite 50 observations per dog.All set to step (source) Lisa's research demonstrated that a novel and innovative first-stepping test (that recorded the first foot moving forward after standing still with both forelegs level) overcame the issues of food involvement and proved much quicker, with 50 observations collected in under 20 minutes. Her results showed a stronger bias demonstration that the previously used Kong™ test and the majority of dogs tested showed a preference to the right (46%), rather than the left (30%) or ... Read more »
Tomkins Lisa M., Thomson Peter C., & McGreevy Paul D. (2012) Associations between motor, sensory and structural lateralisation and guide dog success. The Veterinary Journal, 192(3), 359-367. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.09.010
- January 3, 2013
- 08:00 AM
- 138 views
Tortured Confessions – The Science of Waterboarding, Torture, and “Intense Stress”
The new movie “Zero Dark Thirty” has been met with a lot of criticism about the role waterboarding played in getting information that contributed to the assassination of Osama bin Laden.
This article looks at the question of waterboarding not in ethical terms, but in efficacy terms. Is waterboarding effective at what it's supposed to do? Science provides the answer.... Read more »
O'Mara S. (2009) Torturing the brain: On the folk psychology and folk neurobiology motivating 'enhanced and coercive interrogation techniques'. Trends in cognitive sciences, 13(12), 497-500. PMID: 19781978
Kassin, S., & Sukel, H. (1997) Coerced confessions and the jury: An experimental test of the "harmless error" rule. Law and Human Behavior, 21(1), 27-46. DOI: 10.1023/A:1024814009769
O’Mara, S. (2011) On the Imposition of Torture, an Extreme Stressor State, to Extract Information From Memory. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 219(3), 159-166. DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000063
- January 3, 2013
- 07:36 AM
- 165 views
Natural Gas May Harm Environment More
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
Natural gas wells, seen as a “greener” alternative to coal and oil and more immediately accessible than solar or wind power, may actually be leaking more harmful gases than expected. The reports of this leakage are casting more doubts on the true effectiveness and environmental benefit of natural gas production.
... Read more »
Pétron, G., Frost, G., Miller, B., Hirsch, A., Montzka, S., Karion, A., Trainer, M., Sweeney, C., Andrews, A., Miller, L.... (2012) Hydrocarbon emissions characterization in the Colorado Front Range: A pilot study. Journal of Geophysical Research, 117(D4). DOI: 10.1029/2011JD016360
- January 2, 2013
- 09:13 AM
- 182 views
Embarrassing Conditions: Bed-Wetting during Sex
by Carian Thus in United Academics
The world is full of of embarrassing conditions you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. Every week, Carian discusses one. This week: Urination during sex.... Read more »
Hines, T. (2001) The G-spot: A modern gynecologic myth. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 185(2), 359-362. DOI: 10.1067/mob.2001.115995
HILTON, P. (1988) Urinary incontinence during sexual intercourse: a common, but rarely volunteered, symptom. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 95(4), 377-381. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1988.tb06609.x
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