ScienceDaily: Living Well News

Why debunked autism treatment fads persist Posted: 26 Feb 2015 12:46 PM PST The communication struggles of children with autism spectrum disorder can drive parents and educators to try anything to understand their thoughts, needs and wants. Authors describe a litany of treatments for autism that have been attempted with little or no success over the years, including gluten- and casein-free diets, antifungal interventions, chelation therapy, magnetic shoe inserts, hyperbaric oxygen sessions, weighted vests, bleach enemas, sheep-stem-cell injections and many more.

Teacher prejudices put girls off math, science, study suggests Posted: 26 Feb 2015 08:04 AM PST Although higher education has already opened the door to equal opportunities for women and minorities in the US in the math and science professions, a new study suggests that elementary school teachers' unconscious biases significantly influence female students' academic choices later on.

Thinking of God makes people bigger risk-takers, study suggests Posted: 26 Feb 2015 08:04 AM PST Reminders of God can make people more likely to seek out and take risks, according to research. The findings suggest that people are willing to take these risks because they view God as providing security against potential negative outcomes.

Suspended soils maintain rainforest ecosystems, says researcher Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:48 AM PST The bird’s nest fern, a plant commonly found in many of our homes, has a critical place in maintaining the biodiversity and the ecosystems of the world’s rainforests, researchers say.

Bariatric surgery affects risk of pregnancy complications Posted: 25 Feb 2015 05:59 PM PST Bariatric surgery has both a positive and negative influence on the risk of complications during subsequent pregnancy and delivery, concludes a new study. The results indicate that maternal health services should regard such cases as risk pregnancies.