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1、Scientists Say Anger Disorder 'Much More Common' Than Believed

The study suggests that the condition affects up to sixteen million Americans. It generally appears around the age of fourteen, and is more common in men than in women.

Doctors say it usually begins with incidents of extreme anger directed at family members. They say the problem is made worse for some by stress from bad drivers, long travel times, crowded roads and busy lives. They say a small traffic problem can cause the person to become uncontrollably angry.

Mental health specialists say the study is important because not many people know about intermittent explosive disorder. They say the anger can be controlled with medication and therapy. The findings are published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

More than eighty percent of the people with the disorder also had depression, anxiety or problems with drugs or alcohol. But the researchers say less than thirty percent were ever treated for their anger. They suggest that early treatment of anger might prevent some of the other disorders.

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2. New Study Disputes Idea of a Boy Crisis in U.S. Schools

As we discussed last week, there have been a lot of reports that boys are in trouble in American education. Some people say efforts to improve education for girls, especially in math and science, have resulted in a crisis for boys.

That belief has led to what a new report calls a growth industry of experts advising how to make schools more "boy friendly." Yet that report, released this week, suggests that the truth is far different from what people might think.

It says American boys in most cases are doing better than ever. "But girls have just improved their performance on some measures even faster," it says. As a result, girls have narrowed or closed differences with boys in some areas and moved farther ahead of them in others.

The report is by Sara Mead at Education Sector, an independent research group launched in January in Washington. She bases her arguments on tests used since the early nineteen seventies for a national measure of educational progress.

The report does agree that some groups of boys are in trouble. It says this is true especially of Hispanics and blacks and those from poor families. But it says closing racial and economic differences would help them more than reducing differences between boys and girls.

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3. New Study Disputes Idea of a Boy Crisis in U.S. Schools

Another concern is the large number of boys being identified with learning and emotional disabilities. Also, the report says policymakers now recognize the need to reform public high schools. Such changes should help boys as well as girls.

But the report questions what it calls "simplistic" proposals to fix problems for boys in American schools. One example given is expanding single-sex schooling.

In nineteen ninety-eight, only a few public schools offered any kind of single-sex learning environment. Today, there are more than two hundred. The majority normally teach boys and girls together but offer some single-sex classes. Findings on the success of the idea have differed.

The Education Sector report calls for more study into the differences between boys and girls and into the culture of schools. It says the research will help teachers and parents better understand why gains for boys are not rising as fast as for girls. But the report also advises the public not to worry too much, and to be careful not to harm the gains that girls have made.

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The decision by investor Warren Buffett to give away most of his wealth has raised the hopes of public health officials especially. The biggest gift will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. More than sixty percent of its giving last year went to projects related to health.

The Gates Foundation is known, among other things, for supporting the development of drugs for AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases. But there is also demand for more money for projects that aim to save lives now instead of in the future.

The foundation will receive yearly gifts of stock. The first gift next month will be worth about one and one-half thousand million dollars. The charity organization gave away almost as much last year.

Mister Buffett's gift is expected to double the size of the foundation, already the largest in the world. It is currently valued at thirty thousand million dollars.

Bill and Melinda Gates say they will use the gift announced last week to strengthen their work in world health and education. Mister Gates said: "There is no reason we can't cure the top twenty diseases."
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The foundation began in nineteen ninety-four as the William H. Gates Foundation. At first, its efforts were mostly within the United States. Today, in developing countries, it works to improve health, reduce poverty and increase the use of technology in public libraries.

The foundation has spent six thousand million dollars to fight diseases in developing countries. Melinda Gates says there is work now to bring a new drug to India and Bangladesh to fight what is known as black fever.

The foundation also supports efforts in the United States to improve education and expand technology in libraries.

Mister Gates recently announced that he will withdraw from his daily responsibilities at Microsoft by July of two thousand eight. He will remain chairman of the computer software company, but wants to spend more time on his foundation.

Warren Buffett is the world's second wealthiest person after his friend Bill Gates. Mister Buffett's gift is larger than the economies of many small nations. Some of his money will go to foundations led by his three children.

These groups support efforts including family planning programs and campaigns against nuclear weapons. Other issues include the environment, education and human rights.

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