Among study findings are: (1) girls seem to have less tendency to acoustic trauma than boys though the sampling groups was smaller; (2) the significant difference exists between those students who subject their ears to loud noises regularly and those who do not. (Author)

Speculates why animals have not developed wheels in place of inefficient legs. One study cited suggests three reasons why animals are better off without wheels: wheels are efficient only on hard surfaces, limitation of wheeled motion due to vertical obstructions, and the problem of turning in spaces cluttered with obstacles. (JN)

Assessed influence of subsidiary learning activities in a physiology class on attitudes of students (N= approximately 173) toward contraceptives. A significantly larger number of students possessed positive attitudes after engaging in such activities as reading assignments and large/small group discussions during the course of one semester. (JN)

Summarizes recent advances in the knowledge and treatment of sleep disorders and examines the interaction of sleep with social work concerns such as aging, depression, sexual dysfunction, alcoholism, and anxiety. Social workers' awareness of the diagnostic signs for sleep disorders and available interventions will improve client care. (JAC)

This study investigated the relationship between selected physical performance tests and body fatness in 563 boys and girls in grades one through four. Findings indicated that, although inversely related to the ability to move total body weight, body fatness was of minimal importance in explaining sex-based performance differences. (CJ)

The acoustics of speech production allows the prediction of resonances for a given vocal tract configuration. Combining these predictions with aerodynamic theory developed for mechanical whistles makes theories about human whistling more complete. Several experiments involving human whistling are reported which support the theory and indicate new…

Studied the effect of progressive muscle relaxation training on a group of anxious older widows (N=10). Found training decreased the severity of stress-related disorders when compared with controls. Results indicated, with state anxiety, improvement continued during home practice after treatment. (Author/JAC)

Studies demonstrate increasing glucose metabolic rates in human primary (PVC) and association (AVC) visual cortex as complexity of visual scenes increase. AVC increased more rapidly with scene complexity than PVC and increased local metabolic activities above control subject with eyes closed; indicates wide range and metabolic reserve of visual…

Compared progressive relaxation training (PRT), self-induced relaxation training (SRT), and a control condition on measures of tonic physiological arousal and phasic physiological and subjective reactions to fearful stimuli. Concluded that live PRT is the treatment of choice for reducing tonic physiological arousal and attenuating subjective…

Exercise science represents an integrated approach to the study of the physiological, biochemical, and mechanical adaptations of humans to stresses imposed by a variety of physical performances as well as ambient conditions such as temperature and humidity. (MLW)