ScienceDaily: Science & Society News

Experts call for a tobacco-free world by 2040 Posted: 12 Mar 2015 05:22 PM PDT Leading public health researchers today call for the sale of tobacco to be phased out by 2040, showing that with sufficient political support and stronger evidence-based action against the tobacco industry, a tobacco-free world -- where less than 5 percent of adults use tobacco -- could be possible in less than three decades.

Political liberals display greater happiness, study shows Posted: 12 Mar 2015 11:29 AM PDT What does it mean to be happy? Is it how happy you say you are, or is it how happy you act? Previous research has found that political conservatives report being happier than political liberals. But psychologists have discovered that those on the left exhibit happier speech patterns and facial expressions.

Age-related discrimination can add to healthcare woes Posted: 12 Mar 2015 10:08 AM PDT Discrimination by doctors or hospitals can make older patients even sicker, researchers report. A national survey shows that one in every three older Americans who are on the receiving end of age-related discrimination in the healthcare setting will likely develop new or worsened functional ailments in due course.

The ACA may reduce ER visits (slightly) but doesn't affect hospitalizations Posted: 12 Mar 2015 08:23 AM PDT Two patient groups created by the Affordable Care Act -- Medicare patients enrolled in federally designated patient-centered medical homes and people under age 26 who are allowed to remain on their parents' health insurance -- had slightly fewer emergency department visits than they had before health care reform. However, there was no change in the rate of the most expensive types of emergency visits: those that lead to hospitalization, research shows.

Social status has impact on overall health of mammals Posted: 12 Mar 2015 08:23 AM PDT High social status has its privileges -- when it comes to aging -- even in wild animals. In a first-of-its-kind study involving a wild species, researchers have shown that social and ecological factors affect animal health. The results focused on spotted hyenas in Kenya.

Geography matters: Imaging overuse seen for breast, prostate cancer in certain regions across the U.S. Posted: 12 Mar 2015 08:21 AM PDT Patients with low-risk prostate or breast cancer were more likely to receive inappropriate imaging during treatment, based on the region of the country in which they received medical care, a report has shown.

Government corruption in South Africa contributes to overfishing, study finds Posted: 12 Mar 2015 07:07 AM PDT Bribery among government officials who inspect fishing along the coast of South Africa contributes to overfishing, according to new study. A researcher examined how corruption has hampered the implementation of the regulations that are meant to keep fishing at sustainable levels.

Metaphor usage highlights social bonds and increases understanding of others' emotions Posted: 12 Mar 2015 06:22 AM PDT Observe whether two people use metaphors in conversation with each other if you want to guess how close they are as friends. Or sharpen your ability to tune into other people’s emotional or mental states by observing the metaphors they use. Why is this? Because metaphors can in fact help one to ‘mind read,’ according to experts.

Actresses must be picky about with whom they work to survive in movie industry Posted: 12 Mar 2015 06:21 AM PDT Actresses need to be pickier than men about with whom they work if they want to survive in the movie industry, suggests a new study.

More older adults from US doing volunteer work in other countries Posted: 10 Mar 2015 01:02 PM PDT Studies find that 290,000 older adults from the US volunteer abroad each year. New work explores the motivations of older adults and the obstacles to international volunteer work among this population.

Young African American men deserve better from health care, expert says Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:50 AM PDT Healthcare spending is at an all-time high in the US, yet young African-American men see little benefit, according to a new article. The researchers note that black men have a life expectancy nearly five years less than white men. While heart disease and cancer contribute to this decreased life expectancy, homicide also plays a large role.

Canadians' preferences for receiving incidental findings from genetic testing Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:47 AM PDT Although many people value receiving information about incidental findings identified from genomic sequencing, not everyone wants to know about genetic conditions regardless of potential health implications, found a study of Canadian preferences.