It's always fun science when we can say researchers from Brown have discovered that men have more red in their skin and women more green - but Michael J. Tarr and graduate student Adrian Nestor say they have discovered this color difference in an analysis of dozens of faces and it's a key issue in cognitive science research and face perception. This information may also have a number industry or consumer applications in areas such as facial recognition technology, advertising, and studies of how and why women apply makeup.

Cells are filled with membrane-bound organelles like the nucleus, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticula. Over the years, scientists have made much progress in understanding the biomolecular details of how these organelles function within cells, but understanding the actual physical forces that maintain the structures of these organelles' membranes continues to be a challenge. 

Now, UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science researcher William Klug and colleagues from the California Institute of Technology and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Massachusetts have devised a mathematical procedure for accurately predicting the three-dimensional forces involved in creating and maintaining certain organelle membranes. 

Eating saturated fats from butter, cream and meat, as well as trans fats found in hydrogenated oils can boost our risk of cardiovascular disease, while consuming mono-unsaturated fat can be good for our heart.

Yet what's the effect of all these fats on our weight? Are some better than others?

"Research on animals and some clinical trials show that not all fats have the same effect on weight," says Nadiah Moussavi, a Master's student from the Université de Montréal Department of Nutrition. "Few epidemiological studies exist on the subject and the results of those are contradictory."

New data from The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University demonstrate that many women think condoms undermine sexual pleasure, but those who use both hormonal contraception and condoms report higher overall sexual satisfaction.

The study authors suggest that this inconsistency reflects how women think about their contraceptive method when asked questions about two different aspects of sexuality -- sexual enjoyment and overall sexual satisfaction.

When considering overall sexual satisfaction, which goes beyond the immediate sexual moment and includes factors such as sexual self-esteem and relationship satisfaction, women who used both condoms and hormonal methods reported the highest levels of sexual satisfaction.

Having kids believe there's a jolly man in a red suit who visits on Christmas Eve doesn't turn out to be very detrimental, according to a new analysis by Serge Larivée, although some parents can feel they're outright lying to their children and a small percentage of kids feel that way toward their parents. 

"When they learn the truth, children accept the rules of the game and even go along with their parents in having younger children believe in Santa," says Larivée, a psycho-education professor at the Université de Montréal. "It becomes a rite of passage in that they know they are no longer babies."

LONDON, December 8 /PRNewswire/ --

- Leading Technology, Distribution and Solution Providers Join Brightcove Alliance

Brightcove Inc. today announced the formation of the Brightcove Alliance, a global ecosystem of leading technology and distribution partners who have integrated with the Brightcove online video platform, as well as solution providers building customer websites and video applications using Brightcove. Through the Brightcove Alliance, organizations worldwide have access to a broad range of expert partners, pre-integrated technologies and services to support online video initiatives of any size and scope in every market.

LONDON, December 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Unite, UK's largest union, with the largest number of occupational groups in higher education, has urged universities to end the two-tier system of pay and benefits between academic and support staff. The union is also calling on UK universities to open their books fully in the light of the recent higher education finance and pay review completed by Baroness Fritchie, the conclusions of which are out today (Monday).

TOKYO, MUNICH, Germany and EDISON, New Jersey, December 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- ENGAGE-AF TIMI 48 Trial to Study 16,500 Patients in More Than 1,400 Centers Globally

DAIICHI SANKYO Company, Limited (TSE: 4568), announced today that it has initiated its pivotal Phase III trials for DU-176b, an investigational oral Factor Xa inhibitor, in patients with atrial fibrillation. DU-176b is being developed solely by DAIICHI SANKYO.

The Phase III global study, Effective Anticoagulation with Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation (ENGAGE-AF TIMI 48), will compare DU-176b with warfarin in preventing stroke and systemic embolic events (SEE) in patients with atrial fibrillation. The primary safety assessment will be the incidence of bleeding.

SAN FRANCISCO, December 7 /PRNewswire/ --

- Once-Daily Dosing of DU-176b Shows Similar Bleeding Rates to Warfarin

Patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation receiving either 60 mg or 30 mg once per day of DU-176b, an investigational oral factor Xa inhibitor, experienced comparable safety and tolerability compared to those taking warfarin, according to new Phase II data presented today at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Francisco. These findings are the first results from a clinical study evaluating an oral Factor Xa inhibitor in atrial fibrillation patients. DU-176b is being developed solely by DAIICHI SANKYO Company, Limited (TSE: 4568), and Phase III trials have begun.

Every living thing is composed of cells and, via receptor proteins on their outer surface, cells communicate with each other and with the outside world. Receptors are found on skin cells (pain and pressure receptors, for example) as well as on the cells of other tissues and organs.