Taking calcium supplements may lead to increased chances for heart attacks, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal by Dartmouth Medical School professor John Baron. The study which was completed in collaboration with several other researchers at the University of Auckland and the University of Aberdeen began in 2007 and analyzed data from several decades of studies on calcium supplement trials. Even though the findings of this study imply that calcium supplements may increase health risks, patients should not stop taking the supplements which are often used as treatment for osteoporosis without consulting their doctor first, Baron said in an article on CNN.com. "As calcium supplements are widely used these modest increases in risk of cardiovascular disease might translate into a large burden of disease in the population," the study said. "A reassessment of the role of calcium supplements in the management of osteoporosis is warranted."
A report issued by the American Sociological Association Friday shows a 35 percent decline in the number of academic career opportunities listed in the association's job bank between 2008 and 2009, according to Inside Higher Ed. The ASA calls this "the most challenging job market in memory," citing an additional 23 percent decrease in job postings between 2006 and 2008. The report suggests that the sociology job market will possibly bounce back in 2010 and 2011, predicting that faculty members who have delayed their retirements for financial reasons will retire within the next few years, opening up slots in academia. The ASA also suggests that job seekers should expand their search to include research positions and other disciplines within the sociology field, Inside Higher Ed reported. The job market has also seen declines in economics, art history, literature and languages, among other fields, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Recent surveys indicate that most professors on college campuses experience some form of bullying by students, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported. Claudia Lapman, professor of psychology at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, began conducting surveys at her university when she had a negative experience with a student. She found that 30 percent of the 399 faculty members at Alaska experienced verbal abuse from students, while 25 percent experienced abuse by students outside of class via e-mail, phone messages or letters. In a national survey of 525 professors, one-third of women respondents and 21 percent of men said they were "physically afraid" during confrontations with students, according to the Chronicle.
