Τετάρτη 26 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

ScienceDaily: Living Well News

ScienceDaily: Living Well News


New ideas change your brain cells, research shows

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:31 AM PST

An important molecular change has been discovered that occurs in the brain when we learn and remember. The research shows that learning stimulates our brain cells in a manner that causes a small fatty acid to attach to delta-catenin, a protein in the brain. This biochemical modification is essential in producing the changes in brain cell connectivity associated with learning, the study finds. Findings may provide an explanation for some mental disabilities, the researchers say.

Did you hear the one about the doctor? Using Facebook to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST

Researchers studied jokes made about doctors posted on Facebook in a new review that demonstrates the potential of using social networking sites for research on health and medicine. "Social networking sites, such as Facebook, have become immensely popular in recent years and present a unique opportunity for researchers to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues," said the lead author. Results showed that jokes in which the doctor (or the healthcare system) was the butt of the joke tended to be more successful, although the association was not statistically significant. Interestingly, the joke in the study that received the greatest number of Facebook likes was a "doctor, lawyer, priest joke" in which the lawyer was the butt of the joke.

Abdominal fat accumulation prevented by unsaturated fat

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

New research shows that saturated fat builds more fat and less muscle than polyunsaturated fat. This is the first study on humans to show that the fat composition of food not only influences cholesterol levels in the blood and the risk of cardiovascular disease but also determines where the fat will be stored in the body. Gaining weight on excess calories from polyunsaturated fat appears to cause more gain in muscle mass, and less body fat than overeating a similar amount of saturated fat.

Tip to dieters: Beware of friends and late night cravings

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:59 AM PST

There's more to dieting than just sheer willpower and self-control. The presence of friends, late night cravings or the temptation of alcohol can often simply be too strong to resist. Research in the UK monitored the social and environmental factors that make people, who are following weight management programs, cheat. Eighty people who were either part of a weight-loss group or were dieting on their own participated in the one-week study. They were given mobile phones on which they kept an electronic diary of all the temptations that came their way, and the situations during which they gave in to these temptations. This helped the researchers to make a complete real-time record, known as 'ecological momentary assessment,' of participants' dietary temptations and lapses.

Age-21 drinking laws save lives, study confirms

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:16 AM PST

Although some advocates want to lower the legal drinking age from 21, research continues to show that the law saves lives. Researchers found that studies done since 2006 -- when a new debate over age-21 laws flared up -- have continued to demonstrate that the mandates work. The laws, studies show, are associated with lower rates of drunk-driving crashes among young people. And it seems they also curb other hazards of heavy drinking -- including suicide, dating violence and unprotected sex.

Equal and equal is unequal: Choosing marriage partner contributes to income inequality, study finds

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Changes in society in choosing a marriage partner contribute to income inequality across households, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the interaction of marriage partner choices and the distribution of income across households. Positive assortative mating, or in other words, the tendency of choosing a partner with the same level of education or income, has increased so significantly over the past five decades in the U.S., that it has a considerable effect on the national income distribution.

Pointing is infants' first communicative gesture

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Researchers have studied the acquisition and development of language in babies on the basis of the temporary coordination of gestures and speech. The results are the first in showing how and when they acquire the pattern of coordination between the two elements which allows them to communicate very early on.

Gender-quota boardrooms come at high price

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Boardroom gender quotas seem to be a success story. According to a new PhD study however, affected companies pay a high price for the gender quota law. As the first country in the world to do so, Norway adopted a law that requires public limited companies to ensure at least 40 per cent representation of both men and women on the company board. To make sure this law is obeyed, a death sentence, i.e. liquidation, may be imposed on companies that do not comply. The boardroom gender-quota law appears to be a huge success, and it has also garnered considerable attention internationally.

Peer-to-peer nursing aggression threatens patient care, outcomes

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Horizontal violence between nurses at the same level of authority is jeopardizing patient outcomes, research has revealed. A relationship between horizontal violence and ineffective communication, as well as between horizontal violence and poor patient outcome or near misses, was demonstrated. Peer-to-peer abuse has been widely documented in fast-paced healthcare environments in other countries.

Exercise in older patients improves long-term health, wellbeing

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

Nurses can increase independence and quality of life as well as reduce social isolation in older patients by promoting exercise. A 12-week community fitness program for the over 60s was found to motivate and encourage individuals to continue with regular physical activity after they completed the intervention.

Culture influences young people's self-esteem: Fulfillment of value priorities of other individuals important to youth

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

Regardless of our personal values, we base most of our self-esteem on the fulfillment of the dominant values of our culture, reveals a global survey. The results of the study reflect the responses of more than 5,000 teenagers and young adults in 19 countries. They show that the young respondents base their self-esteem not on their own personal values - which seem to have little or no influence on their self-regard - but on the fulfillment of the value priorities of other individuals in their cultural environments.

Dyspnea during daily activities predicts all-cause mortality

Posted: 20 Feb 2014 05:33 AM PST

Dyspnea, a sensation of breathlessness, during light daily activities can be used as an indicator of exercise intolerance and low fitness. According to a study on Finnish twins, persistent or developing dyspnea reveals an increased risk of death.

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