Health & WellnessS


Eye 1

Seeing may be believing -- but is it the same as looking?

If you see something, it's because you're looking at it, right? A recently published study examined this question and established that while people do tend to notice objects within their gaze, it is the assumptions they make about their environment that affects their perceptions. This study gives insight into how the brain and the eye work together to interpret everyday observations.

The study "If I saw it, it probably wasn't far from where I was looking," reflects the work of a group of researchers led by E.M. Brenner, PhD of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The article recently appeared in the Journal of Vision, published by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Bulb

Too much information? Study shows how ignorance can be influential

In the current issue of The RAND Journal of Economics, USC researchers provide a challenge to the classic economic model of information manipulation, in which knowing more than anybody else is the key to influence.

Instead, economists Isabelle Brocas and Juan D. Carrillo present a situation - commonly observed in real life - in which all parties have access to the same information, but one party still manages to control public opinion.

For example, a pharmaceutical company such as Merck may be obliged to make public the findings of all studies related to a new drug. Preliminary trials may indicate no short-term side effects, and the company may elect not to perform follow-up trials before releasing the drug on the market.

Bulb

A link between antidepressants and type 2 diabetes

While analyzing data from Saskatchewan health databases, Lauren Brown, researcher with the U of A's School of Public Health, found people with a history of depression had a 30 per cent increased risk of type 2 Diabetes.

Brown then studied the medical history of 2,400 people who were diagnosed with depression and were taking antidepressants to determine whether there was a clear correlation between that disease and type 2 Diabetes.

People

Running Words Together: The science behind cross-linguistic psychology

While communication may be recognized as a universal phenomenon, differences between languages -- ranging from word-order to semantics -- undoubtedly remain as they help to define culture and develop language. Yet, little is understood about similarities and differences in languages around the world and how they affect communication. Recently, however, two studies have emerged that aid in our understanding of cross-linguistic distinctions in language usage.

No Entry

Fear that freezes the blood in your veins

"The blood froze in my veins" or "My blood curdled" - these common figures of speech can be taken literally, according to the latest studies. Indeed, more literally than some of us would like. For it turns out that intense fear and panic attacks can really make our blood clot and increase the risk of thrombosis or heart attack.

Earlier studies showed that stress and anxiety can influence coagulation. However, they were based almost entirely on questionnaire surveys of healthy subjects. In contrast, the Bonn-based research team around Franziska Geiser (from the Clinic and Policlinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy) and Ursula Harbrecht (from the Institute of Experimental Haematology and Transfusion Medicine) have been the first to conduct a very careful examination of coagulation in patients with anxiety disorders.

Roses

Why a lack of sleep makes women grumpier than men

If your wife or a woman colleague snarls at you this morning, lack of sleep may be to blame.

Females need far more sleep than men and suffer more mentally and physically if forced to go without it, research suggests.

Lack of sleep can also put them at higher risk of heart disease, depression and psychological problems.

Magnify

Protein map of human spit created

Chicago - U.S. researchers have identified all 1,116 unique proteins found in human saliva glands, a discovery they said on Tuesday could usher in a wave of convenient, spit-based diagnostic tests that could be done without the need for a single drop of blood.

Health

Anger problems 'left untreated'

People who cannot control their anger have nowhere to turn leading to family breakdown, sickness and mental health problems, a charity has warned. The Mental Health Foundation says anger is often dealt with only after someone has committed an aggressive crime.

Magic Wand

Miss Bimbo website promotes extreme diets and surgery to 9-year-olds

A website that encourages girls as young as 9 to embrace plastic surgery and extreme dieting in the search for the perfect figure was condemned as lethal by parents' groups and healthcare experts yesterday.

The Miss Bimbo internet game has attracted prepubescent girls who are told to buy their virtual characters breast enlargement surgery and to keep them "waif thin" with diet pills.

Pills

Sedatives and Sex Hormones in Our Water Supply

An AP journalist who helped lead an frightening investigative report considers the dangers posed to the country's drinking water.