Consumption of high-flavanol cocoa improves skin structure and function
Cocoa butter has long been used topically in many skin creams and cosmetics because it is thought to be good for the skin. Now, new research just published in the Journal of Nutrition reveals the potential benefits of consuming flavanol-rich cocoa and how it might actually benefit skin from the inside out.

Researchers found that certain components in cocoa may actually help improve the appearance of women’s

The percentage of adolescents aged 15-17 who are overweight today is about 50 percent higher in families below the poverty line in comparison to those at or above it. That difference was not present in the 1970s and 1980s, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. The scientists based their analyses on U.S. national health surveys spanning 33 years. Adolescents aged 15-17 who were in families with an income below the poverty line were

People who have suffered life’s hard knocks while growing up tend to be more gullible than those who have been more sheltered, startling new findings from the University of Leicester reveal.

A six-month study in the University’s School of Psychology found that rather than ’toughening up’ individuals, adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence meant that these people were vulnerable to being mislead.

The research analysing results from 60 partici

IP 751, a potent synthetic analog of a metabolite of THC–the principal active ingredient of marijuana–effectively suppresses pain in hypersensitive bladder disorders such as interstitial cystitis (IC), according to animal model study results presented today at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.

IP 751 is a potent anti-inflammatory and a powerful analgesic, although the mechanisms by which it works are unknown. However, since the drug is insoluble in water, its a

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that an improved version of the non-invasive fecal DNA (fDNA) test to screen for colon cancer (CRC) demonstrates a higher sensitivity for detecting cancers of the colon. This data will be presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conference on May 21, 2006 in Los Angeles.

Previous studies have shown that a first generation fDNA test (PV1) was effective in the detection of colon cancer but partial degradation of DNA was a limi

The risks of suffering from breast cancer are mostly linked to reproductive habits. This is not goods news for female university students today, as they have the profile of potential ill breast cancer patients. The research coordinator of the Hospital Clinico of Granada, Dr. Nicolás Olea, reasserts this idea with a study he carried out with over 500 women who were admitted to that hospital between 1996 and 1998 to have a breast cancer-related operation. Approximately half of them had a breast tu

Why are chickens so sensitive to dioxins, but terns seem much more resistant, despite their exposure through eating dioxin-tainted fish? The life-or-death difference researchers have found can be partially explained by two amino acids in the chain of 858 amino acids that form one critical protein.

The slight difference apparently changes the three-dimensional shape of the protein, known as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, allowing dioxin to bind more easily to the chicken receptor

An obstetrician well known for his care of and research into multiple-birth pregnancies has found that dietary changes can affect a woman’s chances of having twins, and that her overall chance is determined by a combination of diet and heredity. By comparing the twinning rate of vegan women, who consume no animal products, with that of women who do eat animal products, Gary Steinman, MD, PhD, an attending physician at Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY, found that th

Experts in Learning and Teaching attended the launch of a new government funded Centre of Excellence at the University of Hertfordshire on Thursday 18 May.

The new Blended Learning Unit (BLU) was established last year through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) as a Centre for Excellence in Teaching or Learning. Its remit is to exploit the huge benefits offered by technology to provide new ways of Learning and Teaching.

Professor Peter Bullen, Head of

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) wants an extra 433 million euros per year for top research. The organisation announces this on 22 May with the launch of its strategy for 2007-2010. The money is intended for excellent researchers, consolidating strengths and improving the benefits for society.

If the Netherlands is to contribute to the Lisbon objectives, as agreed within the EU, then a number of bottlenecks in its knowledge system need to be vigorously tackled.

The University of Hertfordshire and Bedford College are flying high with the first Foundation Degree in the country in Aerospace and Defence Systems.

The accessible degree will make successful students ideal candidates for aerospace, defence or satellite-related jobs in the future. It will also provide them with a flight plan which could take them up to a BSc Honours degree at the University of Hertfordshire or a Masters Degree at Cranfield University.

Students who enr

The Internet has become an arena for love and sexuality, but what does this arena look like, how is it used, and by whom? And why is the Internet used for love and sexual purposes? These are some of the questions this dissertation attempts to answer. The study comprises answers from 1850 respondents who participated in a Net-based questionnaire and 26 informants who were interviewed via the Internet. By analyzing the participants’ answers and narratives, the thesis provides insights into this relati

A wider range of social and demographic data to enable planners and policymakers cope with huge changes in people’s living arrangements is called for in an important new booklet published today by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). It will involve re-defining what we mean by ‘family’ and households.

The advice comes against a background of:

– an ageing population;
– a decline in marriage;
– rising cohabitation, divorce and re-partnering;
– more bir

It harms women’s health, say Group Health researchers

Intimate partner violence (IPV), a.k.a. domestic violence, is common and damages women’s physical and mental health significantly, according to a Group Health study reported in two papers in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
In a random sample of more than 3,400 women members of Group Health Cooperative, nearly half–44 percent–reported having experienced IPV during their adult lifeti

Japanese computer chips made at too high quality to be competitive on world market

Japan is falling behind countries like Korea, Taiwan and the U.S.A. in producing low cost Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips for personal computers says a recent report on the Japanese semiconductor industry.

The report was written by Takashi Yunogami from the Institute for Technology, Enterprise and Competitiveness (ITEC) at Doshisha University. Yunogami found that the current pre

Nearly half of the people responding to an online survey about obesity said they would give up a year of their life rather than be fat, according to a study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.

The 4,000 respondents in varying numbers between 15% and 30% also said they would rather walk away from their marriage, give up the possibility of having children, be depressed, or become alcoholic rather than be obese. Five percent and four percent, respectively, said