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OppNet Request for Applications: Basic Sociobehavioral Research on Stigma
OppNet's 2nd FY2013 RFA: Basic Sociobehavioral Research on Mechanisms of Stigma Application due: August 2, 2013, by 5:00 p.m. local time of applicant organization Letter of intent due: July 2, 2013 Although not required or binding, an intent letter allows NIH review staff to estimate the number and themes associated with planning this RFA’s peer review process. The purpose of this NIH Opportunity Network (OppNet) request for applications is to support projects that elucidate mechanisms underlying stigma that are relevant across health conditions or stigmatized statuses.
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Research Explores Links Between Physical and Emotional Pain Relief
Though we all desire relief -- from stress, work, or pain -- little is known about the specific emotions underlying relief. New research from the Association for Psychological Science explores the psychological mechanisms associated with relief that occurs after the removal of pain, also known as pain offset relief. This new research shows that healthy individuals and individuals with a history of self-harm display similar levels of relief when pain is removed, which suggests that pain offset relief may be a natural mechanism that helps us to regulate our emotions.
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A Laser Light Show in the Brain
The New Yorker: In 1992, Martin Chalfie made a spectacularly useful discovery, which I like to think of as perhaps the greatest use of cut-and-paste. Chalfie began with the fact that every gene has two parts: an encoding sequence that, using RNA as an intermediate, specifies a set of amino acids from which a cell can synthesize a protein, and a regulatory sequence that specifies, indirectly, when and where that protein should be built. ... The impact of this on understanding neuroscience is immense.
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Thinking of Science Strengthens Moral Fiber
Pacific Standard: Want to be a better person? Spend more time thinking about science. That’s the implication of newly published research, which finds people who study science—or even are momentarily exposed to the idea of scientific research—are more likely to condemn unethical behavior, and more inclined to help others. “Thinking about science leads individuals to endorse more stringent moral norms,” report psychologists Christine Ma-Kellams of Harvard University and Jim Blascovich of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Their research is published in the online journal PLOS One.
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Why We’re So Irrational When It Comes to Tax Refunds
TIME: Think about it: A tax refund is just that — a refund of your own hard-earned money. It’s not a gift or a stroke of good fortune. The problem is that most people don’t look at tax refunds this way. Most Americans—a full 75%—receive refunds after filing their taxes. In other words, most Americans have too much money withheld from their paychecks. More than half of Americans—58%, to be exact—say they intentionally plan to receive a refund each year. Understandably, people do so to avoid an unexpected tax payment come April 15, with the idea that it’s better to withhold a bit more to be on the safe side.
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Scientists provide fresh insights into post-sleep paralysis distress
Toronto Telegraph: Canadian scientists have identified the factors that cause distress after sleep paralysis, a psychological phenomenon of which little was previously known, according to a study. Sleep paralysis is a distressing phenomenon often accompanied by vivid sensory or perceptual experiences, which can include complex and disturbing hallucinations and intense fear, which is often experienced by people immediately before sleeping or waking up. For some people, sleep paralysis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience; for others, it can be a frequent, even nightly, phenomenon, Science Daily reported.
