Hispanics in America who self-identify as Black are suffering higher rates of hypertension than their Hispanic counterparts who identify as White, according to research conducted at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. However, the study found that on the whole, U.S. Hispanics have lower rates of high blood pressure (16.8 percent) than non-Hispanics (24.7 percent).
The study suggests this apparent health advantage could be an artifact of the U.S. Census groupin
Researchers studying supplies of copper, zinc and other metals have determined that these finite resources, even if recycled, may not meet the needs of the global population forever, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to the study, even the full extraction of metals from the Earth’s crust and extensive recycling programs may not meet future demand if all nations begin to use the same services enjoyed in developed n
A newer antibiotic medication proved more effective at knocking out community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in patients 65 and older than the antibiotic that has been the front-line CAP treatment the last decade, according to a national study coordinated at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
CAP is the fifth-leading cause of death in the elderly, is diagnosed in 5.6 million adults annually in the U.S., and is 60 percent more likely to occur in the elderly th
Long-term, low-quality marriages have significant effects on overall well-being, according to a recent study by Penn State researchers.
Daniel Hawkins, graduate student, and Alan Booth, distinguished professor of sociology, human development and family studies, and demography, said that people who remain unhappily married suffer from lower levels of self-esteem, overall health, overall happiness, and life satisfaction along with elevated levels of psychological distress, in cont
A fascinating new study from the forthcoming issue of The American Naturalist attempts to explain the mysterious persistence of two forms of females in many diving beetle populations. Their findings have important implications for theories of sexual conflict, which arises when the costs and benefits of multiple matings differ for males and females.
“The male versus female arms race (involving physical structures, behaviors, chemicals, etc.) for control over mating may take place over ev
In the continuing battle against antibiotic resistance, two new studies shed light on the complex defense mechanisms pathogenic bacteria use to evade antibiotic attack, an understanding of which could lead to new, more effective antibiotics to help save lives and combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. The studies, both of which target chemical components in the protective membrane surrounding bacterial cells, will appear in the February 17 inaugural print issue of ACS Chemical Biolog
Study also finds human evolution slower than apes
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found genetic evidence that seems to support a controversial hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees may be more closely related to each other than chimps are to the other two species of great apes – gorillas and orangutans. They also found that humans evolved at a slower rate than apes.
Appearing in the January 23, 2006 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Study explores views of Arab Americans, Hispanics, blacks and whites
Many Arab Americans would prefer not to go to a nursing home as they near the end of their lives, while many African Americans are comfortable with nursing homes and hospitals. Many Hispanic people are strongly concerned about dying with dignity. And many white people don’t want their families to take care of them, but they – like members of other racial and ethnic groups – want their families nearby as th
Bad Weather Increases Risk Eight-Fold
Post-crash fires, darkness or bad weather greatly decrease the likelihood of surviving an emergency medical service (EMS) helicopter crash, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Injury Research and Policy and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Improving crashworthiness of helicopters and reducing trips during hazardous conditions can decrease EMS helicopter fatality rates. The st
Building spacecraft is a tough job. They are precision pieces of engineering that have to survive in the airless environment of space, where temperatures can swing from hundreds of degrees Celsius to hundreds of degree below zero in moments. Once a spacecraft is in orbit, engineers have virtually no chance of repairing anything that breaks. But what if a spacecraft could fix itself?
Thanks to a new study funded by ESA’s General Studies Programme, and carried out by the D
Mobile phones are not associated with an increased risk of the most common type of brain tumour, according to the findings of the first UK study of the relationship between mobile phone use and risk of glioma.
A four-year study by the Universities of Nottingham, Leeds and Manchester, and the Institute of Cancer Research, London, found those who had regularly used a mobile phone were not at a greater overall risk of developing this type of tumour. The research is published onli
An ounce of prevention may actually be worth a pound of cure, especially if the actions taken are to reduce losses from natural hazards, such as tornados, hurricanes or flooding, according to a Penn State researcher.
“Our analysis found that for each dollar spent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for grants to mitigate the effects of natural hazards, approximately $4 was saved from what would have eventually been spent on correcting damages,” says Dr. Adam Rose, pro
For the first time, scientists have identified a significant increase in the incidence rate of melanoma–an invasive form of an already deadly skin cancer–among California Hispanics. A new study published in the March 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, finds in contrast to non-Hispanic Caucasians, increases in melanoma in Hispanics have been confined to thicker lesions, which have a poorer prognosis.
While melanoma accounts for a minor
The University of Hertfordshire has taken the robot out of the laboratory and has it living in a house nearby as part of a study of human-robot interaction.
The study, which will be broadcast on the BBC Three Counties’ John Pilgrim Show, on Wednesday 25 January as part of a two-hour feature on the University, aims to research how humans can comfortably interact with robots.
Mick Walters, a researcher in the University’s School of Computer Science will describe the Schoo
A transportation engineer at The University of Texas at Austin has performed one of the most comprehensive surveys of physical activity in children and found that about as many kids stay active by pedaling their bikes to a friend’s house or walking around a neighborhood as do others by participating in organized athletics.
“This is a compelling reminder that parents really don’t need to think of staying fit as a huge and scheduled time sink,” said Dr. Chandra Bhat.
Anticipating our own touch – for example in tickling oneself – reduces its impact, says Queen’s psychologist Dr. Randy Flanagan, a member of the university’s Centre for Neuroscience Studies. This is evidence of an important human adaptation that helps us interact with objects in our environment.
An expert in eye/hand movement, Dr. Flanagan is part of an international team exploring sensory attenuation – the way that we filter out or “cancel” unnecessary information from
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