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Hospital Readmission Rates Needn't Be Measures of Quality Of Their Care: Study

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An area of national focus and a potential indicator of clinical failure and unnecessary expenditures is the readmission rates of adult patients to the same hospital within 30 days. However, a new UC San Francisco (UCSF) study shows that hospital readmissions rates for children are not necessarily meaningful measures of the quality of their care. In the first multi-state study of children's and non-children's hospitals, assessing pediatric readmission ...

Key Protein In Diabetes Doubly Stops Insulin Processing and Commands Self-Destruction of Cells

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A new study finds that the same protein tells beta cells in the pancreas to stop making insulin and then to self-destruct as diabetes worsens. The study was conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and published online today in the journal iNature Medicine./i Specifically, the research revealed that a protein called TXNIP controls the ability of beta cells to make insulin, the hormone that regulates blood-sugar levels. "We spent ...

Michigan Uni Researchers Claim They've Solved How Mercury Gets Into Open-ocean Fish

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The long-standing mystery of how mercury gets into open-ocean fish has been solved, claims University of Michigan researchers and their University of Hawaii colleagues. Their findings suggest that levels of the toxin in Pacific Ocean fish will likely rise in coming decades. Using isotopic measurement techniques developed at U-M, the researchers determined that up to 80 percent of the toxic form of mercury, called methylmercury, found in the tissues of deep-feeding ...

10,000 Urban Foxes Dwell in London Suburbs

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London's 10,000 foxes are a nuisance to some who perceive them to be dangerous. On the other hand some people believe they are a delightful reminder that this concrete wilderness is teeming with wildlife to others. The ruddy brown creatures seem out of place on the streets of the British capital -- but they are now so common that 70 percent of Londoners will have seen one slinking around in the last week, according to a recent survey. For some city-dwellers, ...

TB Test Gets An Upgrade With The Use Of Microneedle Patches Instead of Standard Skin Test

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A patch with tiny, biodegradable needles that are able to penetrate the skin and precisely deliver a TB test was developed by researchers. Senior author Marco Rolandi, a University of Washington assistant professor of materials science and engineering, said that with a microneedle test there's little room for user error, because the depth of delivery is determined by the microneedle length rather than the needle-insertion angle. He said that this ...

High Level Brain Circuits Can be Rewired By Cocaine: Research

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New research discovers that cocaine can speedily rewire high-level brain circuits that support learning, memory and decision-making. The study was led by the University of California, Berkeley, and UCSF. The findings shed new light on the frontal brain's role in drug-seeking behavior and may be key to tackling addiction. Looking into the frontal lobes of live mice at a cellular level, researchers found that, after just one dose of cocaine, the rodents showed fast ...

Causes Behind Schizophrenia Cracked By New Study

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The number of different places in the human genome that are involved in schizophrenia was estimated by a genome-wide association study. In particular, the study identifies 22 locations, including 13 that are newly discovered, that are believed to play a role in causing schizophrenia. "If finding the causes of schizophrenia is like solving a jigsaw puzzle, then these new results give us the corners and some of the pieces on the edges," said study ...

Susceptibility Of Brain Cancer Patients To Drugs To Be Explored Using New Techniques

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How susceptible patients with aggressive brain cancer are to the drugs they receive was revealed by a new scanning technique developed by Danish and US researchers. The research behind the ground-breaking technique has just been published in iNature Medicine/i. Each year sees 260 new cases of the most aggressive type of brain cancer in Denmark. Some patients survive only a few months, while others survive for 18 months. Only very few, 3.5%, are alive five years ...

After Being Married For 65 Years, Ohio Couple Die 11 Hours Apart

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They were married for the past 65 years and made Ohio their home, until one of them passed away. It only took 11 hours before she joined her partner in heaven. 20-year-old Jeff Simon of Russia, Ohio, told FoxNews.com that his grandparents, Ruthie Schmitz, 89, and Harold 'Doc' Knapke, 91, met when they were in the 3rd grade and continued their love affair till August 11, when they died just days before their 65th wedding anniversary in the room that they shared ...

Shopping in High Heels Helps Curb Overspending

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Wearing high heels can change the way you shop, states study. A Brigham Young University study finds that consumers experiencing a heightened sense of balance are more likely to weigh the options and go with a product that falls in the middle of the high-end, low-end scale. "If you're someone who tends to overspend, or you're kind of an extreme person, then maybe you ought to consider shopping in high heels," study author Jeffrey Larson, a BYU ...

Bare Bones Health Plans are Expected to Stay

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Some call it the junk health insurance or skeleton policies, which is why an expert from the American Cancer Society feels health care reform is very essential. Some critics say that the bare bones health plans can leave people who become seriously ill - down by tens of thousands of dollars in medical costs. The Affordable Care Act was supposed to do away with these bare bones policies which excluded hospitalization benefits. For Large employers, ...

Home Remedies for Dandruff

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Is dandruff bothering you? Read on for simple home remedies to get rid of dandruff naturally.

Kiwifruit Wards Off Fatigue, Depression

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Eating kiwifruit can help ward off fatigue and depression, says study. The finding came out of a University of Otago, Christchurch study which involved 54 young male university students who generally eat little fresh fruit and vegetables. They also felt they had more energy, Stuff.co.nz reported. These changes appeared to be related to the optimising of vitamin C intake with the two-kiwifruit dose. Kiwifruit are an exceptional source of vitamin ...

FDA Clears NovoPen Echo Insulin Injection Device With Half-Unit Dosing

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FDA has cleared Novo Nordisk's NovoPen Echo insulin injection device, which is the only one available in the U.S. that is capable of delivering half-unit doses of insulin. This is a boon for diabetic children who need insulin in reduced doses. It also comes with a digital readout that gives the time of the previous injection. This information is valuable to parents as they can ascertain if children are administering insulin as per the need. Diabetes is ...

Treat Hypertension With a Healthy Lifestyle

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Divorce Increases Depression Risk

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For those who already have a history of depression, divorce is associated with a higher risk of future depressive episodes, says study published in iClinical Psychological Science/i. "Stressful life events like divorce are associated with significant risk for prolonged emotional distress, including clinically-significant depression," notes psychological scientist and lead researcher David Sbarra of the University of Arizona. "At the same time, we know ...

Coffee Consumption Halts Prostate Cancer's Recurrence

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Drinking over four cups of coffee per day is linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer recurrence and progression, says new study. Corresponding author Janet L. Stanford, Ph.D., co-director of the Program in Prostate Cancer Research in the Fred Hutch Public Health Sciences Division, conducted the study to find if the bioactive compounds in coffee and tea may prevent prostate cancer recurrence and delay progression of the disease. Stanford and ...

Children Respond Well to Speech Therapy to Overcome Stuttering

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A study of 1600 children that tracked them from infancy till age of four found that one out of 10 children experience stuttering by the time they reach the age of four. Experts are of the opinion that stuttering is quite common among kids. Experts also reassured that children respond very well to treatment and do not suffer any emotional problems or delays in development due to this problem. The children are not shy or anxious. Surprisingly, they found ...

"Life is Short. Have an Affair": Hong Kong Based 'Adultery' Website

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After a controversial launch in Hong Kong, the founder of a dating service promoting adultery is setting his sights on China's cheating hearts. "It is a reality of life, we are an unfaithful society," said Noel Biderman, the founder of the Ashley Madison "married dating" service. With its slogan "Life is short. Have an affair", the website boasts more than 20 million users in more than 15 countries. It has been expanding aggressively, adding ...

Study Reveals That Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Might Adversely Effect Athletes

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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), is a brain disease linked with repeat brain trauma including concussions in athletes. A new study reveals that it may affect them adversely. The disease can affect people in two major ways: initially affecting behaviour or mood or initially affecting memory and thinking abilities. CTE has been found in amateur and professional athletes, members of the military and others who experienced repeated head injuries, ...

Biphasic Electrical Stimulation Might Help Cure Spinal Cord Injuries

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A new technique called Biphasic Electrical stimulation (BES) was discovered by researchers. It is a non-chemical procedure, that they believe can be used for spinal cord injury patients in the future. Transplantation of Stem Cells is a potential clinical therapy for repair and regeneration of injured spinal cord, and brings new hope for patients. However, the survival rate of transplanted cells is relatively low as the cells are particularly vulnerable to apoptosis ...

Australian Suburbs Infested With Deadly Snakes

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Some of the world's deadliest snakes are the nightmare tenants who can live undetected alongside Australian families for years. Australia is home to some of the most venomous species including the lethal eastern brown, which thrive in urban areas where rubbish bins attract prey such as rats and mice. Sydney snake handler Andrew Melrose says some species even spend winter months comfortably curled up inside warm roofs, until they are disturbed, often by ...

Poll: Sleep Affected By Individual's Pay Packet

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A poll has discovered that a healthy pay packet is the most vital factor for a good night's rest. The poll conducted by the Sleep Council of 5,000 adults found that 83 percent people earning 75,000 pounds or above said that they slept fitfully most nights and had never had to resort to any type of sleep remedies, the Independent reported. People who were earning a hefty pay package were likelier to share their bed each night with a partner, but also ...

Research Reveals That Washing Chicken Is 'Unhealthy'

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The common belief that washing raw chicken before cooking is safe, or even prevents food-borne illness was broken by a new research. The research was claiming that the rinse can actually be doing more harm than good. Food safety researchers have released four short video stories to promote the "Don't Wash Your Chicken" campaign. In each of the campaign's mini-drama videos, a knowing family member - wife, granddaughter, daughter and mother - explains ...

Men Love Cheating Women, Now It's Official!

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A new study has revealed that men prefer women who want to have an affair. In the study conducted by OkCupid, researchers collected 40 real profile pics - 20 women and 20 men - and then categorized them into 4 groups: the Brazen Cheats, the Married Maybes, the Recently Taken and the Sincerely Singles, Fox News reported. Then two decoy profiles from every group was planted into one of five cities deemed by the infamous cheater's online haven AshleyMadison.com ...

New Laser Machine Promises Painless Removal of Tattoos Without Any Scar

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PicoSure, the new laser machine designed to delete tattoos, promises to almost completely remove a tattoo without leaving any shading or scars. PicoSure, which initially went on sale in the United State, is being tested in the Centre for Laser Medicine at Ruhr University Clinic in Bochum, Germany, News.com.au reported. The US company Cynosure makes the PicoSure range of laser systems and guarantees that the technology is faster than other lasers and ...

New Vaccine for Typhoid Launched

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Bharat Biotech, a leading biotechnology company specializing in vaccines, Monday launched a new vaccine for typhoid that can be given to infants below two years of age and to adults too. Typbar-TCV is said to be the world's first clinically proven typhoid conjugate vaccine which can provide long term protection to adults as well as children six months old and above. Krishna M. Ella, chairman and managing director of Bharat Biotech, told the media that ...

Staying Active Throughout the Day More Beneficial for Pregnant Women: Study

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Staying active throughout the day is more beneficial to limit excess weight gain for pregnant women, claims a new research. Christina Campbell, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University, said that they able to show that pregnant women spend 75 percent of the time they are awake in sedentary behaviors. She said that many of these women met physical activity guidelines. But just because a women met the guidelines, ...

Drinking Apple Juice may Increase the Risk of Weight Gain

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Health experts have warned consumers to decrease the consumption of apple juice, as it has as much sugar as soft drinks and can increase obesity. According to Dietitians Association of Australia, apple juice, which is often selected as the healthier option over soft or energy drinks, is no more than a "sugar syrup," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Australasia's leading media company, Fairfax Media, found that a bottle of Coles' Finest-Australian ...

Physicians Should Counsel Youth Against Tobacco Use

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To prevent initiation of tobacco use in school-aged children and adolescents, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that primary care clinicians provide interventions, including education or brief counseling. This recommendation statement is being jointly published in the peer-reviewed medical journals iAnnals of Internal Medicine/i and iPediatrics/i. This recommendation is an update. In 2003, the Task Force found ...

UK Woman Spends 10k Pounds to Look Like Reality TV Star, Kim Kardashian

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A UK woman is so obsessed with Kim Kardashian that she has spent a whopping 10,000 pounds to look like the reality TV star and has even gone under the knife to boost her boobs to 34DD. Georgina Burton, a hairdresser from Sheffield, said that she will never live in a mansion or have her own reality TV show, but getting to attend glitzy events pretending to be Kim seemed like the next best thing, the Daily Star reported. The mum-of-one said that when she ...

New Screening Strategy may Detect Early Stages of Ovarian Cancer

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For ovarian cancer, a new screening strategy appears to be highly specific for detecting the disease before it becomes lethal. The strategy is described in a study published early online in iCancer/i, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. If verified in an ongoing clinical trial, it could potentially help save the lives of thousands of women each year in the United States alone. There currently are no established screening strategies ...

Physicians Need to Look Out for Fabricated Illness in Children: Researcher

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It's rare for a parent to fabricate an illness in their child, a McMaster University researcher says physicians and health professionals need to be on the alert for this form of child abuse. Dr. Harriet MacMillan, a pediatrician and child psychiatrist of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, said caregiver-fabricated illness in a child often goes unrecognized. "It is probably more common than we realize," said MacMillan, who conducts family violence research, ...

London Celebrates Notting Hill Carnival

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For the first day of the Notting Hill Carnival, hundreds of thousands of revellers flooded the streets of west London on Sunday with police making 93 arrests. The first day of the Europe's biggest street festival is traditionally children's day and thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the decorated floats and their exuberantly dressed occupants. The celebration of Caribbean culture, food, music and dance is now in its 49th year and was ...

Mizoram Witnesses Rise in Tuberculosis Cases

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Tuberculosis cases are on the rise in the northeastern state of Mizoram with around 600 cases being detected during the first six months this year against only 80 cases in the entire year last year, officials said here Monday. "There were 592 fresh tuberculosis cases reported in Mizoram during January to June this year and 43 people have died of the disease in the state during the same period," an official of the state health department told reporters. The ...

Some Strange Relationship Behaviors That Seem Odd Initially

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There are some relationship behaviors which appear quite strange at first but later on turn out to be quite normal, according to a recent insight. Don't feel like talking to your partner after a huge bust up and doubting if your relationship will ever work this way? Well then, hold your horses people, Huffington Post has gathered some key relationship behaviors that seem weird at first, but are actually quite normal. First of all, there will ...

Additional 105 Genetic Errors Pinpointed That Cause Cystic Fibrosis

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More than 1,900 errors has been already reported in the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF), it is unclear how many of them actually contribute to the inherited disease. Now a team of researchers reports significant headway in figuring out which mutations are benign and which are deleterious. In so doing, they have increased the number of known CF-causing mutations from 22 to 127, accounting for 95 percent of the variations found in patients with CF. In ...

The Saga of Ocean Acidification

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By the end of this century, ocean acidification could change the ecosystems of our seas. Biologists at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), have therefore assessed the extent of this ominous change for the first time. In a new study they compiled and analysed all available data on the reaction of marine animals to ocean acidification. The scientists found that whilst the majority of animal species investigated are ...

New Software Tool Enhances the Study of Genetic Mutations

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Mutations are commonplace, concealed within the vastness of the human genome (comprised of some 3 billion base pairs). While the majority of these appear to have neutral effect on human health, many others are associated with diseases and disease susceptibility. Reed Cartwright, a researcher at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, along with colleagues at ASU, Washington University and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK, ...

Essential Brain Circuit in Visual Development Discovered

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An elegant circuit within the developing visual system that helps dictate how the eyes connect to the brain has been discovered by scientists. Amblyopia is the most common cause of visual impairment in childhood, and can occur whenever there is a misalignment between what the two eyes see-for example, if one eye is clouded by a cataract or if the eyes are positioned at different angles. The brain at first has a slight preference for the more functional eye, ...

New Female Contraceptive to Help Reduce Abortions

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New contraceptives for women developed by scientists help cut down on abortion rates by paralyzing sperm and give protection from STD's. Professor John Aitken, from the University of Newcastle, said that the compound, which may eventually take the form of a sponge or vaginal ring to be inserted 2-3 days prior to the sexual intercourse, is unique because it is activated only on contact with semen, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Aitken asserted ...

Pirate-Themed CT Scanner Makes Scanning Less Scary for Children at NY Hospital

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Getting children to undergo a CT scan may seem a 'horrible and scary chore' but a New York children's hospital may have found a perfect solution after purchasing a pirate themed CT scanner. The New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital installed the scanner early this month after getting it from GE, who had presented the staff with two theme options - fishes or pirates. The hospital's chief of pediatric radiology, Dr Carrie Ruzal-Shapiro said ...

Researchers to Test Health Benefits of Two Favorite Scottish Dishes

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Researchers at Glasgow's Western Infirmary hospital will be testing out the health effects of two of Scotland's most popular snacks, a bowl of porridge and deep fried Mars bar. While it has long been considered 'the symbol of a bad diet', no study has so far identified how exactly is eating a deep fried Mars bar bad for our health. Now researchers led by Professor Matthew Walters, along with students at University of Glasgow, will test how such a snack affects the ...

Raspberries may Boost Male Fertility

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Eating fresh raspberries could provide a boost to male fertility, increasing the chances of a man fathering a child, a new study reveals. The study was conducted by researchers at US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who found that the high levels of vitamin C in raspberries could boost male fertility while magnesium levels improves the production of testosterone. The berries could also play a key role in protecting the sperm from oxidative ...

Probiotics Reduce Risk of Allergies in Babies

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Babies born to mothers who had taken probiotics during their pregnancies and who had been given 'good bacteria' supplements in the early period of their lives have a lower risk of all allergies, except asthma, a new study published in the journal Pediatrics reveals. Researchers led by Dr Erick Forno analyzed results of 25 independent study trials that looked into the effect of mothers taking probiotics during the pregnancy or during the first year of their babies' ...

New App to Provide Pollution Alert on Popular Beaches in England and Wales

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A British environment charity organization has come out with a new app that will provide real time warnings of pollution on some of the popular beaches in England and Wales to surfers and bathers. The app has been released by Cornwall based Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) charity and can provide real time alerts or text messages at almost 250 beaches in the country. Data from water companies on combined sewer overflows will be accessed by the app, which has been funded ...

Traditional Cattle Rearing is a Thing of Past in Burundi

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Before civil war decimated the prized stocks, men in Burundi once recited poems to their long-horned cows as they led them to pasture. Now the country is rebuilding its herds, but at the cost of forsaking tradition. Burundi's whole civilisation was built around cattle. So noble were cows considered that under the monarchy the same word was used for the stomach of the king and the stomach of a cow -- quite distinct from the word used for the belly of ...

Tango World Championship in Argentina Welcomes Same-Sex Couples

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The birth place of tango, Argentina, will be hosting the first world championship that will see same-sex couples compete for the first time. The crowds in this traditionally conservative bastion of machismo culture, surprisingly, seem to embrace the change. Enthusiastic cheers and massive applause rang out in a Buenos Aires exhibition hall for Juan Pablo Ramirez and Daniel Arroyo, as they danced to a 1940s classic. "It takes two to tango," ...

Research Finds Cocaine Use in Mice Resulted in Growth of New Brain Structures Linked With Memory

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Researchers from Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco have found that giving cocaine to a group of mice resulted in rapid growth in new brain structures that are linked with learning and memory. The findings suggest a way in which drug use may lead to drug-seeking behavior that fosters continued drug use, according to the scientists. The researchers used a microscope that allowed them to peer directly into nerve cells within the ...

Researchers Shed New Light on How a Part of the Brain Works During Critical Periods of Learning

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Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Irvine have shed light on how a component of the brain's circuitry, inhibitory neurons, acts during critical periods of learning, a new study published in the journal Nature reveals. The brain is made up of two types of cells - inhibitory and excitatory neurons. Networks of these two kinds of neurons are responsible for processing sensory information ...

Venezuela: Women Count the Painful Cost of a Nice Derriere

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Mercedes dreamed of having a shapely rear end, so much so that she said yes to a risky, potentially deadly, silicone injection technique. Now she rues that day. "It hurts so much I cannot sit down for even five minutes," said the 45-year-old, her voice quivering. She is so embarrassed she won't give her last name. Thus goes body worship in Venezuela, where undergoing plastic surgery is as common as going to the dentist and beauty pageants are like a ...

Revealed: How to Tell If You are Dating a Sociopath

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The Huffington Post has come up with a list of tell-tale signs that you can use to identify whether the person you are dating is a sociopath or not. Sociopath's have an oversized ego, lie on a regular basis, while exhibiting manipulative behavior. Another red flag for your relationship could be that your partner shows a lack of empathy, remorse or shame and stays eerily calm in scary or dangerous situations. Behaving irresponsibly or with ...

Evolution of Human Reproduction Detailed in New Book

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University's of Chicago's Committee on Evolutionary Biology member Robert Martin has come out with a new book titled 'How We Do It: The Evolution and Future of Human Reproduction', which explores the evolution of human reproduction. Readers will also learn that all mammal eggs are the same size-from those of a tiny mouse to those of a huge elephant. And the same is true for mammal sperms. They will learn that relative size of human testes indicates ...

Here's the Mantra for Retaining Romance in Relationships

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People need to realize that much more efforts are required to sustain a relationship than just romantic dates and mid-night kisses. First of all you should start by paying more attention to your tone when you talk to your partner on in general, as people respond well to a soft tone and immediately get hostile or defensive towards a harsh one, News.com.au reported. It is also important to communicate your own needs, hopes and expectations in your relationship, ...

Being Nice Not Good for Women at Workplace

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While parents often teach their young girls that being nice, kind and hard working are great qualities to have, a new study suggests that they could be limiting their potential to get ahead at the workplace. According to Dr Lois Frankel, American best-selling author and executive coach, boys are often taught to be fearless, competitive and tough - ready to hide their feelings and put themselves first. While girls are told to behave themselves, be good, be nice ...

Hindu Encyclopedia That Took 25 Years to Complete to be Unveiled in US Next Week

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South Carolina will play host to the unveiling of an encyclopedia next week that will chronicle the major aspects of Hinduism. The 11-volume work covers Hindu spiritual beliefs, practices and philosophy and is the culmination of a 25-year academic effort. According to the Washington Times, the encyclopedia is written in English and includes about 7,000 articles on Hinduism and its practices. It also deals with Indian history, languages, ...