Psychology in the News
Boning Up on Osteoporosis News May Help You Live Longer Says Expert Osteoporosis, a bone condition affecting, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, over seventy five million people in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, has been dominating headlines.
  • Concept: Defense against Disease
  • Reference: Chapter 28
French Report on DEET Research is Misleading A French study examining the effects of DEET on the nervous system of insects has little relevance for the repellent ingredient's effects on humans, according to independent scientific experts. "The experiments that were conducted were mainly done on insects or on individual cells in test tubes, and generally not under conditions that accurately reflect how DEET is used as an insect repellent in the real world,"¯ said Daniel Sudakin, M.D., M.P.H., with the U.S. National Pesticide Information Center, in a BBC News story.
  • Concept: Interactions among Organisms
  • Reference: Chapter 35
Cannibalistic Cells May Help Prevent Infections Infectious disease specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have demonstrated that a cannibalistic process in cells plays a key role in limiting Salmonella infection.
  • Concept: Cell Structure and Compartments
  • Reference: Chapter 5
Researchers Find First Potential Pathogenic Mutation for Restless Legs Syndrome An international team of researchers led by scientists at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have found what they believe is the first mutated gene linked to restless legs syndrome, a common neurologic disorder.
  • Concept: Nerves
  • Reference: Chapter 25
MTV Survey Cranks Up The Volume on Loud Music’s Impact on Hearing Children and adults at risk of permanent hearing loss due to repeated exposure to loud music would turn down the sound or use ear protection if told to do so by a health care professional, a new Vanderbilt study performed in conjunction with MTV.com shows.
  • Concept: The Senses
  • Reference: Chapter 26
Pilates: A Low-Impact Way to Build Core Strength, Endurance and Flexibility The June issue of Mayo Clinic Womens HealthSource addresses this increasingly popular low-impact fitness technique. Pilates emphasizes mind-body connection and breath control to build strength, endurance and flexibility, particularly in the trunk muscles.
  • Concept: Muscles and Movement
  • Reference: Chapter 27
Peer Behavior, Not Communication Overload, Determines Mobile Device Use in Meetings Organizational norms and social cues, not communication overload, are the strongest predictors of whether individuals use their laptops or smart phones to electronically multitask during a meeting, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.
  • Concept: Behavior
  • Reference: Chapter 30
Wildlife Faces Cancer Threat While cancer touches the lives of many humans, it is also a major threat to wild animal populations as well, according to a recent study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
  • Concept: Plant Structure, Nutrition and Transport
  • Reference: Chapter 31
Rising Acidity Levels Could Trigger Shellfish Revenue Declines, Job Losses Changes in ocean chemistry — a consequence of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human industrial activity — could cause U.S. shellfish revenues to drop significantly in the next 50 years, according to a new study by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
  • Concept: Ecosystems
  • Reference: Chapter 37
Laptops Linked to Male Infertility While fatherhood might be far from the minds of most young men, behavior patterns they establish early on may impact their ability to become a dad later in life. Excessive laptop use tops this list of liabilities, according to one reproductive specialist at Loyola University Health System (LUHS).
  • Concept: Reproduction and Development
  • Reference: Chapter 29
The Green, Green Technology of Home The Cliffs Cottage at Furman University has all the latest technological innovations in sustainable living. Geothermal heating and cooling, two solar technologies, bamboo floors, furniture made from reclaimed wood, even cisterns that collect rainwater from the roof. The home has 3,400 square feet, but is so energy efficient that it can be heated and cooled for less than $75 a month.
  • Concept: Global Change
  • Reference: Chapter 38
Study Compares NFL Players Health to That of Other Healthy Young Men Despite being larger in size and heavier in weight, an analysis of the cardiovascular disease risk factors of about 500 National Football League players finds that overall, they have a similar cardiovascular risk profile compared to the general population. The NFL population was found to have a lower incidence of impaired fasting glucose and similar prevalence of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels as compared to a sample of healthy young adult men, but have an increased prevalence of high blood pressure, according to a study in the May 27 issue of JAMA.
  • Concept: Defense Against Disease
  • Reference: Chapter 28
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