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Sexist Jokes Favor The Mental Mechanisms That Justify Violence Against Women
Sexist jokes (and all the variants of this kind of humour) favour the mental mechanisms which urge to violence and battering against women in individuals with macho attitudes. Those are the conclusions of a study carried out at the University of Granada, released in the framework of the world most renowned international symposium about humour and its scientific applications ("International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter: Theory, Research and Applications") that will be held in Granada.

National Health Service Leaflets On Sex Among Teenagers, Elderly Spark Controversy In U.K.
Two leaflets from Britain"s National Health Service have provoked controversy over government messages on sexuality among teenagers and the elderly, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, the leaflet for teens, titled "Pleasure," says that daily sex "keeps the doctor away." It also states, "Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and [vegetables] a day and 30 minutes physical activity three times a week." It suggests that some form of sexual activity "twice a week" could have health benefits as well. The leaflet was issued by NHS in Sheffield, England, and is available to parents, youth workers and teachers nationwide. The leaflet for the elderly says that it is "never too late to experiment" sexually and offers information on dating services and contraception. The leaflet is available online, and 2,000 copies have been distributed to doctors" offices, health centers and libraries.Britain has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Western Europe, and the government has prioritized prevention-related policy measures by spending millions of dollars on awareness and contraception campaigns, the Post reports. The country also plans to make sex education mandatory in all public schools starting in 2010.After the teen leaflet appeared, "dismayed parents lit up message boards," and some educators argued that it "encouraged promiscuity," the Post reports. However, others said the leaflets are a welcome departure from traditional forms of sex education that focus on biology and disease prevention, rather than personal relationships. Hilary Pannack, CEO of the teen pregnancy not-for-profit Straight Talking, said that talking with teens about sexual pleasure "should be done with extreme caution" but that, in general, the leaflet is a "big turnaround for Britain." She added, "British people are very, very embarrassed talking to kids about sex."Steve Slack, the director of NHS" Center for HIV and Sexual Health in Sheffield and a co-author of the leaflet, said one of the objectives was to encourage teens to delay intercourse until they are ready and feel that they will enjoy it. He added that some of the leaflet"s ideas were inspired by the Netherlands, a country that is frequently referenced in British sex education debates because of its liberal attitudes toward discussing sex and its low teen pregnancy rates (Adam, Washington Post, 7/23).
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Fighting Human Trafficking By Genetic Identification
DNA-Prokids (http://www.dna-prokids.org), an international project on human trafficking prevention and fight using genetic identification of victims and their relatives, was officially presented, at the University of Granada (UGR) headquarters, in Spain.
Health Insurance

Teenagers Show The Government How To Help Tackle Diabetes And Cancer, UK

A group of 15-16 year old students have been reporting directly to the UK government, (Tuesday 30th June), on their proposals for how nanotechnology could be used to help meet the future needs of the healthcare sector. During a two week placement period at the Science and Technology Facilities Council"s (STFC"s) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory the A-level and GCSE students have been working on the "Nanotechnology in Healthcare" project which involves researching the key areas in the health sector that need addressing, the technologies currently available to do this and how the UK can play a role. It"s being sponsored by STFC"s Futures Programme, which was set up in response to the government"s Grand Challenges, which are a set of key priorities set up to respond to the future demands of society. The students are gathering information from across Europe to see what"s currently happening in nanotechnology, with the ultimate aim of forming an international collaboration to move towards a common goal. Countries would work together with the joint aim of meeting future health sector needs, with a particular focus on the treatment of diabetes, cancer and cardiology. The students are leading the project themselves, with each group having a Team leader and an Executive Officer nominated by fellow students. They have the support of STFC research and technical staff, but are very much encouraged to work on their own initiative. The same project was run last year, but with a focus on space instead of healthcare. On Tuesday 30th June the students presented their current findings, to members of the government"s "think tank" on science and technology; "Foresight", which uses the best evidence from science and other areas to provide guidance for future policies. "I"m a little bit proud that we"ve managed to take in so much new information and that we get to talk to some quite important people to show them what we"ve spent our time doing. The whole project"s given us a real taste of working in an adult environment and taught us to work in a team", said 16 year old Caroline Mace` from St Helen and St Katharine school in Abingdon. Gareth Derbyshire, from STFC"s Futures Programme said; "These students are capable of having a real influence over the way science is developed in the future to meet the ever changing demands of the health service. It is their future in their own hands. We hope the successful completion of these projects will give the students the confidence and inspiration to go on to become scientists who can really make a difference". The students will present the final results of their projects to parents and lecturers in a special assembly at the STFC"s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire on Friday (4th July). Notes The "Nanotechnology in Healthcare" project is being sponsored by STFC"s Futures programme, an initiative set up in response to the Treasury"s Grand Challenges, which are designed to respond to the future demands of society. The four key priority areas being focused on by Futures are energy, security, healthcare and environment. The students are all aged 15 and 16 doing either A-levels or GCSEs. They come from St Helen and St Katharine, Aylesbury Grammar, The European school in Culham, Oundle school in Peterborough, King Edward VI Grammar in Chelmsford, Nonsuch highschool in Cheam and Sherfield school in Sherfield. The presentations at RAL will take place at 4pm on Friday 4th July. RAL offers one or two week work placements to over 60 students each year, many from local schools and mostly for year 10 students. RAL also has many activities for students and teachers including visits, lectures, events and teacher development courses. For further information please contact Caroline Callard on 01235 445789. Foresight The aim of the government"s Foresight programme is to provide visions of the future using robust science to be used by policymakers to inform government policy and strategy, and to improve how science and technology are used within Government and by society. http://www.foresight.gov.uk/About/index.asp Science and Technology Facilities Council The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange partnerships. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron s and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories: - The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire - The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire - The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory. The Council is a partner in the UK space programme, coordinated by the British National Space Centre. Science and Technology Facilities Council


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