simple sneeze may be a tell-tale sign of sexual arousal for a select few, research suggests.
Two British doctors investigated the phenomenon after reading of a middle-aged patient who had uncontrollable sneezing fits when he thought of sex.
They unearthed evidence, via internet chat rooms, of 17 others - of both sexes - with the same problem.
The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine study suggests it may be down to a mix-up in brain circuitry.
The researchers, Dr Mahmood Bhutta and Dr Harold Maxwell, also uncovered three people who claimed to sneeze after orgasm.
Dr Bhutta, a specialist in ear, nose and throat medicine at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, said the phenomenon could be more widespread than thought and might even be inherited.
He said: “It certainly seems odd, but I think this reflex demonstrates evolutionary relics in the wiring of a part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system.
“This is the part beyond our control, and which controls things like our heart rate and the amount of light let in by our pupils.
“Sometimes the signals in this system get crossed, and I think this may be why some people sneeze when they think about sex.”
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Mice may be responsible for a blaze that killed nearly 100 cats at an animal shelter near the Canadian city of Toronto, officials say.
The fire at the humane society shelter in Oshawa also killed three dogs and some rats that were up for adoption.
An initial report from the fire marshal says mice or rats chewing through electrical wires in the ceiling are likely to have sparked the blaze.
Offers of help have been pouring in from animal lovers across Canada.
“It’s unfortunate and ironic that mice caused the fire that killed the cats,” Toronto Humane Society spokesman Ian McConachie told the BBC News website.
“Unfortunately, the mice probably perished in the fire as well,” he added.
The $250,000 (£137,000) fire is still under investigation by the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office.
Mr McConachie said it would be some days before a final report would be released.
In all, only nine dogs, two cats and one rat were rescued in Wednesday’s early morning blaze.
They are being housed in a nearby municipal shelter, while volunteers rebuild the burnt-down shelter for the Humane Society of Durham Region.
Mice suspected in deadly cat fire 
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A Florida pizza delivery man who was challenged by armed robbers in the city of Miramar got in first with his own weapon - a large pepperoni pizza.
Eric Lopez Devictoria, 40, flung the piping hot pizza at the gunman, then turned on his heels and ran.
He made a safe getaway, according to the Florida Sun-Sentinel, despite one shot being fired as he fled.
Police later arrested three teenage suspects, who have been charged with armed robbery.
US man uses pizza in self-defence
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In Peking Opera, finger movements express different emotions and characters. For actresses, this is called “orchid fingers”, because it looks like flowers.
Mei Lanfang, one of the most famous Peking Opera artists, developed and created many beautiful finger patterns as well as colorful make-up. International opera fans used to say that his hands had a kind of “intoxicating beauty”.
Peking Opera performers make expressive movements with their hands, such as smoothing a beard, adjusting a hat, jerking a sleeve while raising a foot. These all convey particular emotions.
A trembling body indicates extreme anger while the flicking of a sleeve expresses disgust. If an actor throws his hand above his head and flicks his sleeves back, he is astonished or surprised and an actress demonstrates embarrassment by covering her face with one sleeve.
Some of the movements are less easily understood. For instance, if an actor quickly grasps his sleeves and then promptly puts his hands behind his back in a determined manner, this indicates he is bracing himself for something important.
Let your fingers do the talking
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No country takes toilets quite so seriously as Japan.
Machines with heated seats, built-in bidets and a dynamic range of flushing options are almost ubiquitous in homes and public buildings.
A poem recently published by a stressed-out salary man captured their comforting appeal with haiku-like brevity. “The only warmth in my life is the toilet seat,” he mourned.
But lavatories here can do much more than keep you warm. One even sends a tiny electrical charge through the user’s buttocks to check their body-fat ratio.
The art of the toilet in Japan
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Australian golfer Don “Dasher” Asher says he got along fine with his chums at a Brisbane golf club until he showed up in a dress.
Asher, 52, of Redland City was booted from the Wynnum Golf Club men’s team after members got upset when they found out he was taking hormones in preparation for a sex-change procedure, The (Brisbane) Courier-Mail reported Saturday.
It took an emergency meeting at the club but Asher was given permission to play for the ladies team, a move that’s just fine by him, the newspaper said.
“It feels as though everything is right at last,” said Dasher, whose wife and 27-year-old son are standing by him. “It was hard when certain male members were trying to kick me out of the club, but the women have been absolutely lovely.”
He’s already refigured his handicap playing from the women’s tees.
Still, some members won’t play while he is on the course. And then there’s the issue off his using the women’s toilet and shower facilities since his transformation to female isn’t yet complete.
Aussie golfer’s sex change rankles team
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