Selective hearing in men and women does exist, according to a study published in the Hearing Journal.Researchers compiled pairs of words thought to be more socially relevant to men (such as beer and football) and women (including chocolate and shopping) and combined them in a single list.The list was then read out to 40 men and 40 women. On average, men correctly recalled more male than female words and women correctly recalled more female words.'For a long time patients remark that their spouses have selective hearing, so it’s been fun explaining that there is some truth in what they say,’ says one of the researchers, John Phillips, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust.Shoulder massage to boost fertilityResearchers are investigating whether giving a man a neck and shoulder massage could increase his fertility. They believe giving a traditional Swedish massage 15 minutes before a man provides semen for intrauterine insemination - a form of assisted conception - may improve the chances of it working. The theory is deep relaxation will reduce levels of stress and the stress hormone cortisol, and increase the volume of semen (and, with it, the total amount of healthy sperm available).The trial, at Carolinas Medical Center in the U.S., follows Italian research that found emotional stress affects fertility. The number of healthy sperm was reduced in stressed men, but then rose after the stress was treated.Neck and shoulder massage has been shown to lower levels of anxiety.Irritable bowel eased by baked potatoesPotatoes may be a good way to tackle constipation linked to irritable bowel syndrome, according to new research. In the study at the University of Trondheim, Norway, researchers tracked the experience of 400 people with IBS. They found that eating potatoes almost halved the severity of symptoms in patients with constipation.Just how potatoes could have such an effect is not clear, but fibre and starches may be implicated. However, the study also found that potatoes increased diarrhoea in others. Fibre is thought to exacerbate IBS in around half of those affected. Potato skins are one of the best sources of fibre, according to another study from Ohio State University.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az