The next time you feel your willpower slipping as you pass that mouth-watering dessert case, tighten your muscles. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says firming muscles can shore up self-control. Authors Iris W. Hung (National University of Singapore) and Aparna A. Labroo (University of Chicago) put study participants through a range of self-control dilemmas that involved accepting immediate pain for long-term gain. In one study, participants submerged their hands in an ice bucket to demonstrate pain resistance. In another, participants consumed a healthy ...

Argonne, ILL—For the first time scientists have been able to watch nanoparticles grow from the earliest stages of their formation. Nanoparticles are the foundation of nanotechnology and their performance depends on their structure, composition, and size. Researchers will now be able to develop ways to control conditions under which they are grown. The breakthrough will affect a wide range of applications including solar-cell technology and chemical and biological sensors. The research is published in NANOLetters. As coauthor Wenge Yang of the Carnegie Institution's ...

A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that ads featuring beauty products actually lower female consumers' self-esteem. "One of the signature strengths of the advertising industry lies in its ability to transform seemingly mundane objects into highly desirable products," write authors Debra Trampe (University of Groningen, the Netherlands), Diederik A. Stapel (Tilburg University), and Frans W. Siero (University of Groningen). In an advertisement, a lipstick situated next to a stiletto heel represents glamour and a teddy bear in an ad for fabric softener ...

PHILADELPHIA - Taking a cue from the world of business-performance experts and baseball talent scouts, Penn Medicine translational medicine researchers are among the first to find a way to measure the productivity of collaborations in a young, emerging institute. They published their findings the most recent issue of Science Translational Medicine. While metrics exist to measure the contributions of individual scientists, judging the effectiveness of team science has been more challenging. Reasoning that team science produces papers and grants, first author postdoctoral ...

People are willing to pay more for products that elicit their envy—but that's only when they are motivated by a positive, benign form of envy, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "Our studies showed that people who had been made envious of someone who owned an iPhone were willing to pay 80 Euros more on average," write authors Niels van de Ven, Marcel Zeelenberg, and Rik Pieters (Tilburg University). The researchers made some important discoveries about the motivations that result from different kinds of envy. "Note that two types of envy exist: ...

The findings, published Oct. 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, showed the peer partner program resulted in lower glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels after six months among men with uncontrolled diabetes. The research was based on a peer partnership program established by the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Health System and the University of Michigan Medical School. Each peer pair received initial brief training in peer communication skills and was expected to communicate by telephone at least once a week about their mutual efforts to improve diabetes control. Program ...

VIDEO: The lamprey's body is gray, and the areas where muscle is active are shown with black lines. Note that the active muscle moves backwards slightly faster than the fish... Click here for more information. Scientists at the University of Maryland and Tulane University have developed a computational model of a swimming fish that is the first to address the interaction of both internal and external forces on locomotion. The interdisciplinary research team simulated how ...

How do people decide how much to spend on purchases for themselves versus others? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says it all depends on how powerful we feel at the moment of choice. "We ask whether the powerful and powerless differentially value the self versus others, and whether this, in turn, translates into observable differences in their spending behavior," write authors Derek D. Rucker, David Dubois, and Adam D. Galinsky (Kellogg School at Northwestern University). The authors conducted five experiments where they manipulated participants' states ...

If sleeping on a bed of ice or eating bacon-flavored ice cream doesn't sound too appealing, consider the tale you'll have to tell about it later. According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, some people can't resist a chance to collect experiences. "Recent marketing trends suggest that many consumers are attracted to unusual and novel consumption experiences and choose vacations, leisure activities, and celebrations that are predicted to be less pleasurable and enjoyable," write authors Anat Keinan (Harvard Business School) and Ran Kivetz (Columbia Business ...

People are more likely to buy unhealthy foods when they pay using credit or debit cards, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "Two factors contribute to this intriguing effect," write authors Manoj Thomas (Cornell University), Kalpesh Kaushik Desai (State University of New York, Binghamton), and Satheeshkumar Seenivasan (State University of New York, Buffalo). "First, there is a correlation between unhealthiness and impulsiveness of food items: Unhealthy food items also tend to elicit impulsive responses. Second, cash payments are psychologically ...

The structure of the university in the 21st century is changing rapidly after its evolution into a multiversity in the 20th century. But as universities are being restructured to best serve the society of tomorrow, are their curricula reflecting these changes and the development of new and possibly even unformulated new disciplines and areas of inquiry? "No," says a consortium of educators that range from Arizona State University to University of New Delhi, India, and Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin , Germany, who have launched a website (www.curriculumreform.org), hoping ...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 – Can skin cancer be treated with light? Scientists at the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine), believe so. They're exploring new ways to image cancerous lesions using LEDs that might advance a technique for treating cancer called photodynamic therapy (PDT) -- work that they will describe at the Optical Society's (OSA) 94th annual meeting, Frontiers in Optics (FiO) 2010 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y., from Oct. 24-28. In PDT, photosensitizing chemicals that absorb light are injected into a tumor, which is ...

Stem cell therapies hold increasing promise as a cure for multiple diseases. But the massive potential of a healthy stem cell has a flip side, as faulty regulation of stem cells leads to a huge range of human diseases. Even before birth, mistakes made by the stem cells of the foetus are a major cause of congenital defects, and cancer is also caused by the body losing control of stem cell function. Guiding stem cells along the correct pathways and, where necessary, reversing their mistakes is the goal of everyone in this field. Now, Michael Levin (http://www.drmichaellevin.org/) ...

MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass.--Biologists at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences have discovered that a change in membrane voltage in newly identified "instructor cells" can cause stem cells' descendants to trigger melanoma-like growth in pigment cells. The Tufts team also found that this metastatic transformation is due to changes in serotonin transport. The discovery could aid in the prevention and treatment of diseases like cancer and vitiligo as well as birth defects. The research is reported in the October 19, 2010, issue of Disease Models and Mechanisms. ...

More South Australian homeowners are going greener and adding tangible value to their homes by adopting the latest home energy technology. Chief Executive Officer of ZEN Home Energy Systems, Mr Richard Turner, said he has been inundated with requests for home energy systems, as home owners play their part for the environment, lower their energy bills and also boost the value of their homes. The ZEN Home Energy System is the first of its kind to offer consumers a complete branded, fully integrated solar grid connect home energy system. "ZEN has turned ...

Does your management team have M&A experience? What preparation work must be completed and what resources will be required? For many mid-sized companies, preparing for an M&A transaction places a significant burden on staff and resources. The management team, largely focused on the day-to-day operations of the company, must now find time to lead the company through the preparation process and be available to respond to arising issues and unexpected challenges as a potential deal unfolds. The best practice is to conduct a "readiness" assessment to determine the steps ...

Families with Faith Ministries is celebrating the premiere of Family and Marriage Radio by hosting the first Families with Faith Great Book Giveaway. All those interested should create an Our Faith Community account today at http://www.FamilieswithFaith.com and then join the Great Book Giveaway group to win a free book from one of these great authors: Dr. Rob Rienow author of Visionary Parenting, Amy Rienow author of Shine , Dr. Ron Clark author of Am I Sleeping with the Enemy, Rev. Angel White author of A Woman of Worth, Gary and Mona Clark authors of ...

Team Fitness America announced their October Personal Trainer Of The Month. From Margate, Florida, Brian Bowen has demonstrated what it takes to be chosen as a top personal trainer of Team Fitness America from a nationwide team of personal trainers. Bowen's unique approach to clients and having been overweight at one point in his life has led him to assist many other clients with their weight loss goals. For that Bowen was chosen for the Team Fitness America Personal Trainer Of The Month Award. Bowen, who is also running for personal trainer of the year, is an excellent ...

HotelsCombined.com, the world's leading hotel price comparison search engine, announced that the prices of hotels in Mecca (Makkah), Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, were up 31% for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan 2010 YOY. Sites statistics indicate the average night rate for Ramadan was USD $568 this year, up from $433 in 2009. Spokesperson, Hichame Assi, Head of Strategy and Online Marketing for HotelsCombined.com, said, "Whilst the average night rate for Ramadan increased, it did not cause pilgrims to cut their travels short, rather pilgrims extended their ...

Ofmansports.com, which exclusively offers customized team uniform for schools and club teams at affordable prices, has officially launched its new custom sports team uniforms website at http://www.ofmansports.com). "With most companies offering only stock uniforms, so limiting what they have to offer, it's not so at Ofmansports.com, and since we do custom, we can create a uniform of just about any style and color so the look is endless," said James Estrella, a former athlete and founder of the online athletic apparel company. Ofman Apparel sells uniforms and related ...

Most authors agree that the day when you finally hold your book in your hands is one of the happiest days for a writer. After so many months -if not years- of writing, revising, editing, submitting and finally publishing you can see and touch your baby. This occasion calls for a big celebration, but how do you celebrate with ALL of your readers? Lori Calabrese, award-winning children's author, has responded with the announcement of a virtual book launch party for her new picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade. Calabrese will host her week-long virtual ...

Every Tuesday evening at 7:03 PM eastern time, you can listen to Wellness, Wholeness & Wisdom radio with host Psychologist Parthenia Izzard, CNHP. The program is archived within minutes of the live broadcast on the internet and rebroadcast Saturday mornings at 9:03 AM eastern time. On your computer go to http://www.amtherapies.com and click on the Radio link to listen to the show live online or on your phone! Program topics range from authors like Bishop Jordan, James Redfield, Immaculee Ilibagiza, and William Tiller to owners of products like Rishi Teas, and Dr. Kracker. ...

With a growing client base in Orange County, Bolt Public Relations, LLC, an award-winning public relations and social media management agency originally based in Carlsbad, Calif., has opened the doors to a new beachside office in Dana Point, located at 34052 La Plaza Drive. The expansion comes on the heels of new client wins in the Orange County region. In addition to an expanding market presence, Bolt PR is also pleased to announce the addition of Dennis Olson as its newest Account Executive. Prior to joining Bolt PR, Olson served as the lead reporter and writer for ...

The nine-year Afghanistan and Iraq war is now being dubbed as America's longest war. During a recent CNN segment, Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the alarming suicide and hospitalization rates among U.S. troops. There were more soldiers hospitalized in 2009 for mental health issues (17,538) than physical injury (11,156). It was also reported that if a soldier is redeployed, their susceptibility to PTSD increases at a rate of 2.5. Some soldiers reported up to 12 re-deployments during the course of this war. Soldiers are not the only ones at risk of suffering from PTSD. Children ...

Basingstoke based Virtual Technology Group will deliver LiveEnsure secure authentication to their customers. Virtual Technology Group effectively evaluates their customers business needs and match those needs to a range of technology and solutions that encompass the most cost effective solutions. They work directly with new technologies ensuring maximum value for their customer creating effective solutions, delivering next generation networks today. They are one of the few companies actually delivering VDI, 10GE networks and consolidations of over 500 servers they support ...