ScienceDaily: Science & Society News

Predicting human crowds with statistical physics Posted: 27 Feb 2015 10:10 AM PST A general law of how pedestrians interact in a crowd can be used to create realistic crowds in virtual reality games and to make public spaces safer.

Terrorist attacks have shifted from air to rail, study suggests Posted: 27 Feb 2015 08:25 AM PST Data on terrorist attacks from 1982 to 2011 show a long-term trend away from air attacks and toward railroad and subway attacks, underscoring the need for increased intelligence gathering to intercept those redirected attempts.

Global health experts call into question sub-Saharan cancer data Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:47 AM PST Global health experts believe the current data on cancer prevalence, incidence and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa -- which determines how billions of pounds of international development money is spent -- are weak and could mean vital funds are being deflected from other priorities. These include diarrheal and waterborne diseases, malnutrition, sanitation and the need to strengthen health systems.

Suicide rates rising for older US adults Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:47 AM PST Suicide rates for adults 40-64 years of age in the US have risen about 40 percent since 1999, with a sharp rise since 2007. One possible explanation could be the detrimental effects of the economic downturn of 2007-2009, leading to disproportionate effects on house values, household finances, and retirement savings for that age group. Researchers found that external economic factors were present in 37.5 percent of all completed suicides in 2010, rising from 32.9 percent in 2005.

Experts warn of stem cell underuse as transplants reach one million worldwide Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:46 AM PST Findings of a new reveal striking variations between countries and regions in the use of this lifesaving stem cell transplantation, and high unmet need due to a chronic shortage of resources and donors that is putting lives at risk, experts report.

Teenagers aren't swayed by celebrity culture as a route to success Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:45 AM PST Young people believe that to get on in life they should work hard, a new study concludes. The study also notes that many teenagers admire celebrities who they think have earned their prosperity and behave respectably.

Dying in front of the camera: What are the impacts? Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST Clips of protesters dying in consequence of current conflicts appear more and more frequently on YouTube. What do they trigger? How do they change the media and the way we perceive things? These are the questions investigated by a media scientist using the example of the conflicts in Iran and Syria. She has realized that images of dying people, even those shot from the dying person’s perspective, are nothing new. What has changed is the quality of the images; the encounter with death is more intense, more intimate. What does that do to the viewer? What impact do such videos have on people affected by conflicts?

Women veterans younger, more depressed when referred for heart test Posted: 27 Feb 2015 05:40 AM PST Women veterans face a different home front battle with heart disease. Younger and more depressed when getting attention for chest pain -- heart tests often show a surprising result.

Better insurance access leads to more hip, knee replacements among minorities Posted: 26 Feb 2015 10:21 AM PST The expansion of insurance coverage in Massachusetts increased the number of elective knee and hip replacement procedures by 4.7 percent, with greater increases among black and Hispanic patients, investigators have found.

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals costs EU billions annually Posted: 26 Feb 2015 05:44 AM PST Human exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) likely contributes to a number of diseases and health conditions in the EU, with costs estimated between €150-260 billion per year (1.2-2.0% of Gross Domestic Product), according to a new series of studies.

Psychologists report major concerns about reductions in child and adolescent mental health services in Britain Posted: 24 Feb 2015 08:34 AM PST Senior mental health professionals are reporting major concerns about reductions in service for children with mental health problems.