Head and neck injury risks in heavy metal: head bangers stuck between rock and a hard bass

BMJ. 2008; 337: a2825
Published online Dec 17, 2008
doi:  10.1136/bmj.a2825

Declan Patton, research assistant
Andrew McIntosh, associate professor

School of Risk and Safety Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia 2052

Objective To investigate the risks of mild traumatic brain injury and neck injury associated with head banging, a popular dance form accompanying heavy metal music.

Design

Observational studies, focus group, and biomechanical analysis.

Participants

Head bangers.

Main outcome measures

Head Injury Criterion and Neck Injury Criterion were derived for head banging styles and both popular heavy metal songs and easy listening music controls.

Results

An average head banging song has a tempo of about 146 beats per minute, which is predicted to cause mild head injury when the range of motion is greater than 75°. At higher tempos and greater ranges of motion there is a risk of neck injury.

Conclusion

To minimise the risk of head and neck injury, head bangers should decrease their range of head and neck motion, head bang to slower tempo songs by replacing heavy metal with adult oriented rock, only head bang to every second beat, or use personal protective equipment.

http://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2825?view=long&pmid=19091761

Why Do Dolphins Carry Sponges?

PLoS ONE 3(12): e3868
Published: December 10, 2008
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003868

Janet Mann [1,2], Brooke L. Sargeant [1,3], Jana J. Watson-Capps [1,4], Quincy A. Gibson [1], Michael R. Heithaus [5], Richard C. Connor [6], Eric Patterson [1]

[1] Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington D. C., United States of America
[2] Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington D. C., United States of America
[3] Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
[4] Department of Biology, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
[5] Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Sciences Program, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, United States of America
[6] Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States of America

Abstract

Tool use is rare in wild animals, but of widespread interest because of its relationship to animal cognition, social learning and culture. Despite such attention, quantifying the costs and benefits of tool use has been difficult, largely because if tool use occurs, all population members typically exhibit the behavior. In Shark Bay, Australia, only a subset of the bottlenose dolphin population uses marine sponges as tools, providing an opportunity to assess both proximate and ultimate costs and benefits and document patterns of transmission. We compared sponge-carrying (sponger) females to non-sponge-carrying (non-sponger) females and show that spongers were more solitary, spent more time in deep water channel habitats, dived for longer durations, and devoted more time to foraging than non-spongers; and, even with these potential proximate costs, calving success of sponger females was not significantly different from non-spongers. We also show a clear female-bias in the ontogeny of sponging. With a solitary lifestyle, specialization, and high foraging demands, spongers used tools more than any non-human animal. We suggest that the ecological, social, and developmental mechanisms involved likely (1) help explain the high intrapopulation variation in female behaviour, (2) indicate tradeoffs (e.g., time allocation) between ecological and social factors and, (3) constrain the spread of this innovation to primarily vertical transmission.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0003868

Infants of mothers with persistent nipple pain exert strong sucking vacuums

Acta Paediatrica
Volume 97, Issue 9, pages 1205–1209, September 2008

Holly L McClellan [1], DT Geddes [1], JC Kent [1], CP Garbin [1], LR Mitoulas [2] and PE Hartmann [1]

[1]  School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, M310, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
[2] Medela AG, Medical Technology, Lättichstrasse 4b, Baar, Switzerland

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine whether infants of mothers experiencing persistent nipple pain exerted very strong intraoral vacuums during a breastfeed.

Methods: Thirty mothers experiencing persistent pain during breastfeeding (Pain group; infants aged 49.4 ± 35.5 days) were compared to 30 successfully breastfeeding mothers (Control group; infants aged 55.0 ± 22.7 days). Infant intraoral vacuums were measured via a small milk-filled tube taped alongside the nipple and connected to a pressure transducer. Milk intake was measured using the test weigh method.

Results: Infants in the Pain group applied significantly stronger baseline (−90.8 ± 54.5 vs. −56.4 ± 31.4 mmHg, p = 0.004), peak (−214.3 ± 60.5 vs. 163.2 ± 62.4 mmHg, p = 0.002) and pause vacuums (−104.8 ± 67.9 vs. −45.8 ± 30.3 mmHg, p < 0.001). Despite similar active sucking times (377.5 ± 175.2 vs. 349.4 ± 184.0 sec, p = 0.554) the mean milk intake was significantly lower for infants of mothers with nipple pain (41.6 ± 31.3 vs. 70.7 ± 30.7 g, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: Infants of breastfeeding mothers experiencing persistent nipple pain applied significantly higher vacuum to the breast during breastfeeding despite assistance with positioning and attachment from a lactation consultant. Further investigation into the cause of the abnormally high vacuums is essential to develop successful interventions for these mother–infant dyads.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00882.x/abstract

A woman's history of vaginal orgasm is discernible from her walk

The Journal of Sexual Medicine
Volume 5, Issue 9, pages 2119–2124, September 2008
DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.00942.x

Aurelie Nicholas MA [1], Stuart Brody PhD [2], Pascal De Sutter PhD [1] and François De Carufel PhD [3]

[1] Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut d'études de la famille et de la sexualité, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
[2] Division of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK;
[3] Unité de sexologie fonctionnelle, Hôpital Braine l'Alleud-Waterloo, Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium

The goddess was discovered by her gait.
(Virgil)

Introduction

Research has demonstrated the association between vaginal orgasm and better mental health. Some theories of psychotherapy assert a link between muscle blocks and disturbances of both character and sexual function. In Functional–Sexological therapy, one focus of treatment is amelioration of voluntary movement. The present study examines the association of general everyday body movement with history of vaginal orgasm.

Aim

The objective was to determine if appropriately trained sexologists could infer women's history of vaginal orgasm from observing only their gait.

Methods

Women with known histories of either vaginal orgasm or vaginal anorgasmia were videotaped walking on the street, and their orgasmic status was judged by sexologists blind to their history.

Main Outcome Measure

The concordance between having had orgasms triggered by penile–vaginal intercourse (not orgasm from direct clitoral stimulation) and raters' inferences of vaginal orgasm history based on observation of the woman's walk was the main outcome measure.

Results

In the sample of healthy young Belgian women (half of whom were vaginally orgasmic), history of vaginal orgasm (triggered solely by penile–vaginal intercourse) was diagnosable at far better than chance level (81.25% correct, Fisher's Exact Test P < 0.05) by appropriately trained sexologists. Clitoral orgasm history was unrelated to both ratings and to vaginal orgasm history. Exploratory analyses suggest that greater pelvic and vertebral rotation and stride length might be characteristic of the gait of women who have experienced vaginal orgasm (r = 0.51, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The discerning observer may infer women's experience of vaginal orgasm from a gait that comprises fluidity, energy, sensuality, freedom, and absence of both flaccid and locked muscles. Results are discussed with regard to previous research on gait, the effect of the musculature on sexual function, the special nature of vaginal orgasm, and implications for sexual therapy.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.00942.x/full