EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science

Naltrexone is effective for Alaska Natives and other Alaskans living in rural areas

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research) Access to treatment for alcohol dependence in rural and remote areas is limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two pharmacotherapies for AD -- naltrexone alone, and in combination with sertraline -- among Alaska Natives and other Alaskans living in rural settings. Findings indicate that naltrexone is just as effective on its own as it is in combination with sertraline.

Men are more likely than women to crave alcohol when they feel negative emotions

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research) Women and men tend to have different types of stress-related psychological disorders. Women have greater rates of depression and some types of anxiety disorders than men, while men have greater rates of alcohol-use disorders than women. A new study of emotional and alcohol-craving responses to stress has found that when men become upset, they are more likely than women to want alcohol.

Binge drinkers have a disconnect between assessing their driving abilities and reality

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research) While many people believe that alcohol-impaired drivers are usually alcoholics, in fact, 80 percent of AI incidents are caused by binge drinkers. A recent study conducted among college students has found that binge drinkers, even when legally intoxicated, nonetheless believe they having adequate driving abilities.

Human aging gene found in flies

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council have found a fast and effective way to investigate important aspects of human aging. Researchers at the University of Oxford and the Open University have discovered a gene in fruit flies that means flies can now be used to study the effects aging has on DNA. They demonstrate the value of this model in helping us to understand the aging process.

Is divorce bad for the parents?

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Economic & Social Research Council) The elderly are cared for by their adult children regardless of their marital status. In a unique study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, researchers found British adult children help their elderly parents according to current need (i.e. health) rather than past behavior. This contrasts with other countries such as the US, where parents with a history of divorce see less of their children and receive less help from them.

UV lotion lights the way to cleaner facilities

Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(BioMed Central) Hospital cleaners should watch out because the toilet police are patrolling with their new secret weapon: invisible markers

Autism Speaks announces multinational initiative

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Autism Speaks) Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism advocacy organization announces today the formation of an international collaboration with North, South and Central America. This multinational initiative will help to raise awareness and develop research expertise focusing on public health and screening for early diagnosis and enhanced service delivery across the Americas.

Ancient beachcombers may have travelled slowly

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(National Science Foundation) New evidence, more questions. That's the thumbnail of the first new data reported in 10 years from Monte Verde, the earliest known human settlement in the Americas.

Productivity rises when companies are facing closure

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Swedish Research Council) In companies that are slated to be shut down, productivity increases during the phase-out period itself. When management is busy dealing with matters other than daily operations, employees shoulder a greater responsibility for their work -- and efficiency is enhanced. According to business economist Magnus Hansson at Örebro University in Sweden, this shows that it is possible to boost productivity considerably without investing.

University of Leicester to lead audit of adults with autism

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(University of Leicester) The University of Leicester is leading on a national study to calculate the number of adults with autism, it has been announced today.

Springer editor receives prestigious Burnum Award

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Springer) Springer editor and psychologist Dr. John E. Lochman is the recipient of the University of Alabama's 2007 Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award. The Burnum Award is given each year to a faculty member who has demonstrated superior scholarly or artistic achievements and profound dedication to the art of teaching. The award was presented to Lochman on April 2, 2008, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nursing professor leads the way for 'telepsychiatry' by nurses to treat postpartum depression

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(University of Toronto) Women suffering with postpartum depression may in future be able to receive psychotherapy from a specially trained nurse over the phone, eliminating barriers to treatment such as distance, time, or the availability of a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Keck Futures Initiative awards $1M for 15 research projects

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(The National Academies) The National Academies Keck FUTURES INITIATIVE announced today the recipients of its 2007 FUTURES grants, each awarded to support interdisciplinary research on aging and healthspan -- the period of life that is free from serious or chronic illness.

ACP says Medicare cuts will hurt physicians in small practices

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(American College of Physicians) Noting that many physicians across the country who lead small practices are at a business breaking point, David M. Dale, MD, FACP, president of the American College of Physicians testified today before the House Small Business Committee. Dr. Dale emphasized that practices are medicine's small businesses, where much of their revenue is tied directly to Medicare's flawed reimbursement rates and formulas.

Obese patients face increased risks for infection and dislocation following revision hip surgery

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Wiley-Blackwell) Obesity is a leading risk factor for osteoarthritis, a painful and disabling joint disease.

Cane use may reduce risk of knee osteoarthritis progression

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Wiley-Blackwell) A common, incurable joint disease, osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability in elderly people.

Spinal cord research heads new $10M funding in London, Ontario

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(University of Western Ontario) A researcher striving to help patients recover from spinal cord injuries headlines an announcement of more than $10.5 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research at The University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research Institute.

CSHL scientists are part of consortium that sequences platypus genome

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) By any account, the platypus is an odd creature. It's got a broad, rubbery bill that brings to mind a duck...but it swims more like a beaver...yet it lays eggs and can inject poisonous venom, like a reptile. No wonder it was considered an elaborate hoax by scientists who examined the first specimen pelt shipped to England from the colony of New South Wales in 1799.

What's bugging locusts?

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Princeton University) Since ancient times, locust plagues have been viewed as one of the most spectacular events in nature. In seemingly spontaneous fashion, as many as 10 billion critters can suddenly swarm the air and carpet the ground, blazing destructive paths that bring starvation and economic ruin.What makes them do it?In a word, cannibalism.

Federal polar bear research critically flawed, says study in INFORMS journal

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) Research done by the US Department of the Interior to determine if global warming threatens the polar bear population is so flawed that it cannot be used to justify listing the polar bear as an endangered species, according to a study being published later this year in Interfaces, a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.The Interior Department has been ordered to make a determination by May 15.

KAUST announces inaugural Global Research Partnership center grants

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)) Research proposals from four universities selected for global significance and potential economic impact in the areas of applied mathematics, molecular photovoltaics, nanomaterials and computational science. Cornell University, the University of Oxford, Stanford University, and Texas A&M University will be the inaugural KAUST Global Research Partnership centers.

New report: Arthritis is a potential barrier to physical activity for adults with diabetes

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Arthritis Foundation) People with diagnosed diabetes are nearly twice as likely to have arthritis, and the inactivity caused by arthritis hinders the successful management of both diseases, according to a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is one of the first studies of its kind to look at the relationship between arthritis and diabetes and the outcomes associated with physical activity.

Phase III pivotal results presented of VYVANSE to treat ADHD in adults

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(Porter Novelli) Shire today presented the results of a phase III pivotal study in which VYVANSE demonstrated significant improvements in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms in adults and met all safety and efficacy endpoints.

Racial discrimination has different mental health effects on Asians, study shows

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(American Psychological Association) The first national study of Asians living in the United States shows that for some individuals, strong ties to their ethnicity can guard against the negative effects of racism. For others, strong ties to ethnicity can actually make the negative effects of discrimination worse. And the mental health effects of such discrimination may shift over a lifetime as Asian-Americans continue to examine their ethnic ties, say researchers.

Joint ESA/NASA team wins international award

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT

(European Space Agency) The Ulysses mission operations team has won an international award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the success and scientific productivity of the joint ESA/NASA observatory mission, now orbiting the poles of the Sun.