He's a rock climber? Then he definitely has the clap.

Sex, perceptions of attractiveness, and sensation seeking and ratings of the likelihood of having sexually transmitted diseases.

"Association of attractiveness, sex, and sensation seeking with perceptions of sexually transmitted diseases were examined. Subjects (64 women and 56 men) were given a picture and brief description of a target and asked to rate the accuracy of statements based on information provided. Pictures depicted a man or woman previously rated as attractive or unattractive by volunteers. The hobbies listed skydiving and rock climbing for high sensation seekers and reading and listening to music for low sensation seekers. Analysis indicated a significant three-way interaction with the attractive male targets described as high sensation-seeking and being perceived by men as most likely to have a sexually transmitted disease."

Is there an unconcious conspiracy against informative abstracts?

Is there an unconscious national conspiracy against children in the United States?

"The author's thesis is that there is indeed an unconscious national conspiracy against children in our country. He presents data in relation to seven areas in which children function, to support his thesis. He then proposes an approach to understanding how this state of affairs has come about and makes specific recommendations that he feels will help us move toward a solution to this problem."

Thanks to Nina for today's ROFL!

Perceptions of body hair on white women: effects of labeling.

"This study examined 118 college students' perceptions of a White woman with body hair as a function of two different possible attributions. Participants reacted to a video of a young woman described as being either a feminist or as having a medical condition that hindered shaving. Students rated the woman on a variety of interpersonal traits. Analysis showed a main effect for body hair and for description but no interaction. The woman with body hair, whether for feminist or alternative reasons, was rated as significantly less friendly, moral, and relaxed, as well as more aggressive, unsociable, strong, nonconformist, dominant, assertive, independent, and in better physical condition than the same woman without body hair."

When late-night SciFi becomes reality.

Photosensitive seizures provoked while viewing "pocket monsters," a made-for-television animation program in Japan.

"PURPOSE: To describe the recent epidemic of photosensitive seizure that occurred in relation to an episode of the television animation program "Pocket Monsters," we report four patients who experienced seizures while watching the episode in question. We also report some technical aspects of the program episode... In addition, we reviewed the "Pocket Monsters" episode, focusing our attention on the visual techniques used with reference to the Independent Television Commission (ITC) guidelines... Rapid changes in color are believed to be responsible for the photosensitive seizures because all four patients had seizures at around 18:50, when seconds of deep red and bright blue flashes, alternating at a frequency of 12 Hz, were shown. CONCLUSIONS: Regulations for technical aspects of children's programming, including the use of colors, are urgently needed in Japan to prevent a repeated incident."

Dude. I got pitted. And a lump on my chin.

The treatment dilemma caused by lumps in surfers' chins.

"This is an account of 2 male surfing enthusiasts who recently sought care at our hospital after developing tumorous masses on their chins. Although the lesions appeared grossly benign, establishing a definitive treatment plan was perplexing because of the insidious nature of the protuberances... While the technical aspects of care management were simple, once the histologic structure of the tumor was defined, establishing an accurate clinical diagnosis before surgery was troublesome. The histologic findings for the lesion removed from the first patient... [suggested] that repetitive blunt trauma to the chin area while paddling the surfboard was probably the factor responsible for the pathogenesis of tumor formation. "

And just because...

Should the definition of micropenis vary according to ethnicity?

"OBJECTIVE: We determined whether the existing reference values for the diagnosis of micropenis are appropriate for optimal care of neonates in a multiethnic environment like Vancouver. METHODS: The stretched penile length and width were measured in 105 full-term newborn males of Caucasian (n = 40), Chinese (n = 40) and East-Indian origin (n = 25). RESULTS: Mean length -2.5 SD was used for the definition of micropenis and was 2.6, 2.5 and 2.3 cm for Caucasian, East-Indian and Chinese babies, respectively (p < 0.05). This is close to the widely accepted recommendation that a penile length of 2.4- 2.5 cm be considered as the lowest limit for the definition of micropenis. CONCLUSION: Mean penile length and diameter are slightly but significantly smaller in newborns of Chinese origin compared to newborns of Caucasian and East-Indian origins."

"[We conducted] a content analysis of presidential Thanksgiving proclamations."

Generosity or genocide? Identity implications of silence in American Thanksgiving commemorations.

"This paper investigates the identity implications of silence about genocide in commemorations of American Thanksgiving. In Study 1 we assessed the co-occurrence of national glorification themes with different forms of silence in commemoration products by conducting a content analysis of presidential Thanksgiving proclamations. In Study 2 we examined the extent to which different commemoration products are infused with particular beliefs and desires by measuring participants' reactions to different Thanksgiving commemorations-a literal-silence condition that did not mention Indigenous Peoples, an interpretive-silence condition that mentioned Indigenous Peoples but did not explicitly mention genocidal conquest, and an anti-silence condition that did mention genocidal conquest-as a function of national glorification. In Study 3 we manipulated exposure to different Thanksgiving commemorations (with associated forms of silence) and assessed the impact on national glorification and identity-relevant action. Results provide evidence for the hypothesised, bi-directional relationship between national glorification and silence about genocide in commemorations of American Thanksgiving."

Ready...set...GO (to the bathroom).

Comparison of straining during defecation in three positions: results and implications for human health.

"The aim of the study was to compare the straining forces applied when sitting or squatting during defecation. Twenty-eight apparently healthy volunteers (ages 17-66 years) with normal bowel function were asked to use a digital timer to record the net time needed for sensation of satisfactory emptying while defecating in three alternative positions: sitting on a standard-sized toilet seat (41-42 cm high), sitting on a lower toilet seat (31-32 cm high), and squatting. They were also asked to note their subjective impression of the intensity of the defecation effort. Six consecutive bowel movements were recorded in each position. Both the time needed for sensation of satisfactory bowel emptying and the degree of subjectively assessed straining in the squatting position were reduced sharply in all volunteers compared with both sitting positions."

Thanks to Eugene for today's ROFL!

Impact of wet underwear on thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort in the cold.

"The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of wet underwear and to compare any influence of fibre-type material and textile construction of underwear on thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort of humans during rest in the cold. Long-legged/long-sleeved underwear manufactured from 100% polypropylene in a 1-by-1 rib knit structure was tested dry and wet as part of a two-layer clothing system. In addition cotton (1-by-1 rib knit), wool (1-by-1 rib knit), polypropylene (fishnet), and a double-layer material manufactured from 47% wool and 53% polypropylene (interlock knit) was tested wet in the clothing system. In the wet condition 175 g of water was distributed in the underwear prior to the experiment. The test was done on eight men (T(a) = 10 degrees C, RH = 85%, V(a) < 0.1 m/s), and comprised a 60 min resting period. Skin temperature, rectal temperature, and weight loss were recorded during the test. ... ...The tests demonstrated the significant cooling effect of wet underwear on thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort... ...The thickness of the underwear has more of an influence on the thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort, than the types of fibres tested."

Pigs learn what a mirror image represents and use it to obtain information

"Mirror usage has been taken to indicate some degree of awareness in animals. Can pigs, Sus scrofa, obtain information from a mirror? When put in a pen with a mirror in it, young pigs made movements while apparently looking at their image. After 5 h spent with a mirror, the pigs were shown a familiar food bowl, visible in the mirror but hidden behind a solid barrier. Seven out of eight pigs found the food bowl in a mean of 23 s by going away from the mirror and around the barrier. Naïve pigs shown the same looked behind the mirror. The pigs were not locating the food bowl by odour, did not have a preference for the area where the food bowl was and did not go to that area when the food bowl was visible elsewhere. To use information from a mirror and find a food bowl, each pig must have observed features of its surroundings, remembered these and its own actions, deduced relationships among observed and remembered features and acted accordingly. This ability indicates assessment awareness in pigs. The results may have some effects on the design of housing conditions for pigs and may lead to better pig welfare."
Thanks to Kathleen for today's ROFL!

Why you should always put bull semen in your carry-on (but don't worry about the embryos).

Effects of airport screening X-irradiation on bovine sperm chromatin integrity and embryo development.

"Biological samples, including cryopreserved sperm, are routinely X-rayed during air shipment. The goal was to investigate the impact of X-irradiation used for checked and carry-on luggage on bovine sperm chromatin integrity and postfertilization in vitro embryonic development. Frozen domestic bull sperm (Bos taurus) (n=9 bulls) stored in a dry shipper (-160 degrees C) was screened by X-irradiation 0, 1, 2, and 3 times as either carry-on or checked luggage. Duplicate straws were thawed, and sperm were assessed for chromatin damage using the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and by postfertilization in vitro developmental competence of mature oocytes... ...There were lower proportions of oocytes cleaved... and that developed to blastocysts... when fertilization was performed with sperm X-rayed 3 times using checked luggage irradiation; developmental competence (percentage cleaved embryos becoming blastocysts) was unaffected. There were no deleterious effects of other X-irradiation treatments on embryo development."

Opera makes me want to kill myself.

Opera subculture and suicide for honor.

"The influence of music-based subcultures on suicidality has been the subject of much debate but little scholarly research. While previous work has documented that suicide is a remarkably frequent cause of death in opera, it has not explored the related consequences on opera's audience... ...Suicide in the case of life without honor, the "Madame Butterfly Effect," is a theme in opera. Persons who are drawn into and/or influenced by the opera subculture of honor are hypothesized to be more accepting of suicide in the case of dishonor to one's family... ...A multivariate logistic regression analysis finds that opera fans are 2.37 times more accepting of suicide because of dishonor than nonfans. Only two variables, religiosity and education, are more closely related to suicide acceptability than opera fanship. These are the first empirical results on the subject of opera and suicide acceptability."

Thanks to Anders for today's ROFL!

Cooperation and individuality among man-eating lions.

"Cooperation is the cornerstone of lion social behavior. In a notorious case, a coalition of two adult male lions from Tsavo, southern Kenya, cooperatively killed dozens of railway workers in 1898. The "man-eaters of Tsavo" have since become the subject of numerous popular accounts, including three Hollywood films. Yet the full extent of the lions' man-eating behavior is unknown; estimates range widely from 28 to 135 victims. Here we use stable isotope ratios to quantify increasing dietary specialization on novel prey during a time of food limitation. For one lion, the delta(13)C and delta(15)N values of bone collagen and hair keratin (which reflect dietary inputs over years and months, respectively) reveal isotopic changes that are consistent with a progressive dietary specialization on humans."

Thanks to Catherine for today's ROFL!

Kiss my cytomegalovirus!

Kissing as an evolutionary adaptation to protect against Human Cytomegalovirus-like teratogenesis.

"Mouth to mouth sexual kissing is seen in more than 90% of human cultures. Various theories have been put forward to account for this but none offer a full explanation within an evolutionary framework. As mouth to mouth sexual kissing exposes each participant to the diseases of the other, it must confer significant benefit. Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous infection that carries a severe teratogenic risk if primary infection is acquired during certain critical periods. As HCMV is present in salivary gland epithelial cells and sheds from periodontitis induced lesions, female inoculation with a specific male's HCMV is most efficiently achieved through mouth to mouth contact and saliva exchange, particularly where the flow of saliva is from the male to the typically shorter female. The current hypothesis proposes that mouth to mouth sexual kissing enables females to control when they become infected with a particular male's HCMV and so protect their offspring from the threat of teratogenesis from primary infection during vulnerable times in their development. Females only gain this benefit if they also avoid becoming infected by other males. Hence HCMV induced teratogenesis is a strong viral pressure towards the development of monogamy as well as kissing as a behavioural strategy to protect against it."

Pink Floyd hallucinations: not just for druggies.

De Novo Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation: Pink Floyd's Song "Brick in the Wall" as a Warning Sign.

"A 50-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Before the onset of his seizure, he experienced a vivid auditory hallucination of his favorite song by the band Pink Floyd, "A Brick in the Wall." He had been diagnosed with epilepsy 25 years previously... ...Conclusion: AVMs may arise de novo and then spontaneously become symptomatic. Cerebral de novo AVM should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with complex auditory musical hallucinations or any new neuropsychiatric symptoms."

Thanks to Flip for today's ROFL!