|
Just say maybe
PHILADELPHIA
—— US youths
who pledge to remain virgins until they marry have the
same STD rates as those who don't. Though the 'virgins'
have fewer partners and marry earlier, they are far
less likely to use condoms, says Dr Peter Bearman. His
research delved into the sex lives of 12,000 adolescents
and was presented in mid-March at the National STD Conference
in Philadelphia. Overall the rates of infection were
a dead heat between those who took the virgin vow and
those who didn't, at 9.5%. There were wide racial variations.
Blacks were the most likely to test positive — about
20% for both groups.
Please
let me sleep
KONSTANZ, GERMANY
— Keeping
head injury patients unconscious could prevent posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study in the
March 9 BMC Psychiatry.
Researchers studied 46 patients with head or spine trauma
and found that 27% of those who retained consciousness
ended up with PTSD, compared to just 3% who were unconscious
for at least 12 hours. They think that being out of
it prevents patients from remembering the ordeal; memory
of trauma is necessary for developing PTSD.
Put
it in your brain's cache
DURHAM, NC —
New studies suggest
that, somewhat like computers, the brain has a cache
or auto pilot it uses to conserve its cogitating resources.
The study in Nature
suggests that, for example, when solving an arithmetic
problem, the brain builds a repertoire of rote responses
to frequently encountered problems — rather than
using the cortex — to save time and effort. The
researchers sought, among other things, to understand
why people become more efficient mentally with repetitious
tasks. The lead researcher was Dr Ian Dobbins of Duke
University.
A
saline solution for junk food culture
LONDON
— Salt with fries is like love and marriage
and horses and carriages for most of us. But McDonald's
UK is set to buck the trend, bowing to pressure from
nutrition lobbies and cutting the salt it uses on its
fries by 23%. The decision comes after prolonged talks
with the junk giant's headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois.
The UK decision is local, and there are no plans for
the rest of its roughly 30,000 restaurants worldwide
to follow suit.
Are
you nuts?
ATLANTA —
Have you ever wondered
about the skills of psychologists? You're not alone.
Dr Scott Lilienfeld, who just resigned from the 15,000
member American Psychological Society has similar doubts.
The author of What's
wrong with the Rorschach cites a survey in the
Scientific Review
of Mental Health Practice that found the vast
majority of practicing psychologists don't read a single
scientific journal a month. Dr Lilienfeld launched the
publication because of concerns he had about the lack
of "objective investigations of controversial and unorthodox
claims in clinical psychiatry, psychology and social
work."
"125,000
coffee drinkers served, Shugah"
CHICAGO
— Though the mechanism remains a mystery, the
conclusions are beyond doubt: coffee substantially reduces
the risk of contracting type II diabetes. A new Finnish
study showed that women who drank three or four cups
a day reduced the risk of the disease by 29%; more than
10 cups and the risk dropped by 80%. Heavy male coffee
drinkers had 55% less risk. The results reflect an earlier
Harvard study, though then men fared better.
Forget
the body, snatch the title
FRANKFURT
— Body Worlds is a hugely popular touring exhibit
which features preserved human bodies and body parts
— more than 14 million people have visited since 1996.
The show's creator, Dr Gunter von Hagens, was cleared
in March of using bodies stolen from China and Kyrgyzstan.
The court said he bought the bodies legally from hospitals
and other institutions. More than 4,500 people have
offered their bodies for use in displays on their death.
In an unrelated case, he was fined $233,000 (€144,000)
for using the title professor, implying it was from
a German University when it actually was awarded in
China.
Clear
lungs, cracked backs
EDMONTON
— The chest x-rays of those over 60 should be
checked for osteo-related vertebral fractures. A review
of 100 randomly selected chest x-rays of older patients
found that 22 had the fractures, 10 of which (45%) weren't
mentioned in the radiology reports. "Osteoporosis is
so much a part of aging that the signs of it are often
ignored," says lead researcher Dr Sumit Majumdar of
University of Alberta. Early treatment could substantially
reduce hip fractures in the elderly, the researchers
suggest.
Trouble
in the middle eye
DAVIS,
CA — Uveitis, an inflammation of the eye's
middle layer, or uvea, is three times more prevalent
than previously thought. A US population-based study
in the March issue of Ophthalmology
estimates that almost 300,000 people have uveitis-related
problems annually, with 30,000 new cases of blindness
every year. New insights into the disease include increased
prevalence among women and older patients.
Getting revenge on Montezuma
LONDON
— A new oral vaccine against traveller's diarrhea
has just finished clinical trials at St George's Hospital
in London and the preliminary results look promising.
One shot of the vaccine reduced incidence of Delhi belly
in 50% of study participants; a second dose brought
the number up to 70%. The vaccine, called spi-VEC, is
made from salmonella bacteria neutralized by removing
some of its genes, and is aimed at infections caused
by the common bacteria enterotoxigenic E coli.
Bring it on, say Kenyan elders
NAIROBI
— International Women's Day celebrations in
Mt Elgon, Kenya turned ugly when elders stormed out
after being told to cease female circumcision or face
prosecution. The elders were defiant, inviting those
"out to destroy their customs" to arrest them. They
contend it makes childbirth easier and marriages better.
Critics charge it's linked to early marriages and school
dropouts, of which 60% are girls. On a happier note,
55 traditional surgeons in Eldoret announced at their
local Women's Day celebrations they were quitting the
practice.
Baker's dozen ... or more
Cambridge,
MA — Research out of the Broad Institute
published in Nature
online March 7 has yielded conclusive evidence that
the baker's yeast model used in genetic research originated
through whole genome duplication — a process that
cancer and other diseases also undergo. This finding
has put to rest the long-standing mystery over the origins
of the baking aid and will help scientists investigate
genome duplication in many human diseases.
|
