Cancer + Marraige = "Women More Loyal When Cancer Strikes"

A recent study showed that marriages affected by cancer and multiple sclerosis show a divorce rate of about 12%, which is the same as the normal population.

However there was a discrepancy between the genders-women patients had a rate of 21% whereas men were 3%.

The study was done on 515 patients (about evenly split between the sexes) that were grouped by diagnosis-214 malignant primary brain tumor, 193 solid tumor unrelated to the central nervous system and 108 with multiple sclerosis. In all 3 types of disease, women consistently showed a higher divorce rate.

Researchers suggest women are more adaptable and committed to the role of caregiver than men.

"Part of it is a sense of self-preservation, and in men that seems to operate very highly and they don't feel this codependence, this requirement to nurture their significant other who has this life-threatening illness," said study researcher Dr. Marc Chamberlain, director of the neuro-oncology program at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), "but rather decide what's best for me is to find an alternative mate and abandon my fatally flawed spouse."

However, it seems that divorce is counterintuitive to what is best for the patient. Patients either divorced or separated had a higher rate of hospitalization, were less likely to look for alternative treatments, participate in clinical trials, complete treatment and more likely to die at home.

I Can Grow You A Penis-"Artificial Penis Tissue Proves Promising in Lab Tests"

Recent studies have shown that it may be possible to grow artificial penis tissue that one day could "enhance their normal penises, rather than repairing any damage."

However, scientists want the technology to help people with penile cancer, abnormalities, and traumatic injury.

The problem of reconstructing a penis, is that for something that seems to have an on/off switch, is that it is an incredibly complex organ. The tissue and skin cannot simply be replace, the intricate intracellular reactions must be restored for full penile glory.

Researches took smooth muscle and epithelial cells from erectile tissue of rabbit penises and allowed them to grow. Afterwards, the cells were injected onto a scaffold made from rabbit penises that had their cells removed. These scaffolds were then implanted onto 12 rabbits with tissue development with blood vessels forming a month later. Tests show that full function was restored with proper blood pressure, flow and drainage in the new organ. In future human applications, researches may not use decellularized penises, but instead materials such as collagen as a scaffold instead.

Rabbits were shown to have a healthy appetite to...act like rabbits when introduced to females and successfully impregnated a few.

"Men's brains are wired for attraction to sexually dimorphic faces" "

Sexual dimorphism isn't as dirty as you think it sounds. It refers to the differences the sexes of the same species. For example, male peacocks are much more colorful than their female counterparts.

In humans, sexually dimorphic male faces have broad jaws and forehead and more pronounced brow ridge. Female faces have a tapered chin, larger lips and narrower forehead.

In a Harvard study, participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of faces that were altered to be more masculine or feminine. This study also included lesbian and gay participants.

The results showed:

• Gay men prefer highly masculine males faces rather than feminine males faces
• Type of male faces found attractive by gay men did not agree with the types of male faces straight women thought were attractive
• Gay men and straight men also did not agree on which male faces were attractive
• Straight women like more masculine male faces than lesbians
• Lesbian preferred more slightly masculine female faces than straight men and women

Previous research has shown women prefer more masculine males faces during ovulation, suggesting an evolutionary connection to human sexual dimorphism. Also, women's attractions are much more complicated then men as it depends on contraception use, self-perceptions, ovulation and sex drive.

The conclusion from this study is that men, regardless of orientation, prefer sexually dimorphic faces synoynmous with the gender they attracted to--gay men like masculine male faces and straight men like feminine female faces.