Washington, Mar 13 : Researchers at the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, have shed light on the roots of dyslexia, a learning disability that affects four to ten percent of the population.
The findings support the notion that the reading and spelling deficit, characterized by an inability to break words down into the separate sounds that comprise them, stems in part from a failure to properly integrate letters with their speech sounds.
Washington, Mar 13 : Although recession has bitten people's pockets worldwide, it will most likely do nothing to reduce tobacco use, says a new report.
The third edition of The Tobacco Atlas, co-authored by Michael Eriksen, director of Georgia State University Institute of Public Health was launched here at the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health this week.
The atlas lays out a comprehensive picture of global tobacco use, regulations, financial costs and health tolls.
In an economic downturn, products seen as giving comfort in the midst of stress tend to sell very well. Tobacco is no exception.
Washington, Mar 13 : Lack of vitamin D is not only bad for the bones, it may also lead to fatter adolescents, according to a new study.
The study of more than 650 teens age 14-19 has found that those who reported higher vitamin D intakes had lower overall body fat and lower amounts of the fat in the abdomen, a type of fat known as visceral fat, which has been associated with health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension.
Washington, Mar 13 : Hollywood actress Keira Knightley has decided to quit the `Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise, which made her a household name, as she has refused to reprise her role as aristocrat-turned-swashbuckler Elizabeth Swann in the series' 4th flick.
"It was a completely fantastic experience, and it was an amazingly large portion of my life, but I don''''t think I need to go there again. I think that it''''s done," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
Knightley, however, insisted that she was a big fan of the flick and its lead actor Johnny Depp.
She even said that she was eagerly waiting to watch the forthcoming flick.
New York, Mar 13 : Singer Kelly Clarkson, who returned to the `American Idol' stage to belt out her latest single `My Life Would Suck Without You', sparked pregnancy rumours after she was spotted looking more curvilinear than her usual self.
The original American idol winner confidently took to the stage clothed in a form-fitting black mini-dress, knee-high black boots, tights and a shimmery sequined shrug, but she raised eyebrows with her rounded body.
However, she immediately shot down the rumours, saying that she was not pregnant.
"She is not pregnant," the New York Daily News quoted a representative for Kelly as saying.