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Thursday, November 7, 2013

ScienceDaily: Living Well News

ScienceDaily: Living Well News


Buffet dish sequences may prompt healthier choices

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:24 PM PST

Most people are unaware that food order biases what ends up on their plates: the first food in line is taken the most and biases what else is taken. This influence is so strong that in one study researchers found that two-thirds of an individual's plate is filled with the first three items they encounter, thus food order can be leveraged to encourage selection and intake of healthier foods.

Breastfeeding possible deterrent to autism

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:24 PM PST

The emergence of autism in young children appears to result from dysmyelination of brain neurons, related to inadequate supply of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) in the newborn. The deficiency of IGF in affected infants may be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors yet to be determined. If this hypothesis is correct, breastfeeding in particular could increase IGF levels, thereby compensating for an inborn deficiency of the growth factor.

Lower education levels linked to unhealthy diets

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:22 PM PST

People with lower levels of education may eat larger amounts of unhealthy, calorically dense food than those with a higher education level, possibly because they are more physically active.

Crime associated with higher mortality rates in Norwegian national study

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:22 PM PST

People with criminal records die younger than those without, shows a comprehensive national study for Norway.

Annual car crash deaths in England, Wales have fallen 40 percent in 50 years

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 05:22 PM PST

The annual number of car crash deaths in England and Wales has plunged by 41 percent over the past 50 years, despite the increase in drivers on the road.

Movin' on out

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 01:28 PM PST

Recent research shows that individuals in their early 20s -- also known as millennials -- undergo a brand-new life stage not experienced by previous generations: emerging adulthood. A new study examines how moving out on one's own is a critical element in the transition to adulthood.

Speaking a second language may delay different dementias

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST

In the largest study on the topic to date, research shows that speaking a second language may delay the onset of three types of dementias.

Addicts may be seeking relief from emotional lows more than euphoric highs

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 12:24 PM PST

Researchers are challenging the commonly held view that drug addiction occurs because users are always going after the high. Based on new animal studies, they say the initial positive feelings of intoxication are short lived -- quickly replaced by negative emotional responses which may be more important in understanding substance abuse.

Bringing sun's light and energy to interior rooms: Innovative solar technology may lead to interior lighting revolution

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 12:24 PM PST

Researchers have seen the light -- a bright, powerful light -- and it just might change the future of how building interiors are brightened. In fact, that light comes directly from the sun. And with the help of tiny, electrofluidic cells and a series of open-air "ducts," sunlight can naturally illuminate windowless work spaces deep inside office buildings and excess energy can be harnessed, stored and directed to other applications.

Mothers' relationships can influence adolescent children's relationships

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 12:24 PM PST

Researchers have found that mothers' relationships can influence adolescent children's relationships with their friends, particularly the negative and antagonistic aspects.

Mending ruptures in client-therapist relationship has positive benefits

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 12:24 PM PST

In order for prolonged exposure therapy, an evidence-based psychotherapy for post traumatic stress disorder, to reach its full potential, any misperceptions or ruptures in trust and communication between therapist and client need fixing.

'Please feed me': The power of putting a human face on social causes

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 12:24 PM PST

Companies often put a personal face on products in an attempt to reach a deeper connection with consumers. New research suggests the same idea can be applied to social causes: Putting a human face on the campaign for a social cause actually increases support for it.

Early childhood educators hold key to children's communication skills

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 12:24 PM PST

Researchers have completed a new examination of peer-reviewed science that reveals how early childhood educators can ignite the growth of language and communication skills in infants and toddlers. Their conclusion: it takes more than baby talk.

In dual-career couples, mothers still do the most child care

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 11:13 AM PST

Even in couples most likely to believe in sharing parenting responsibilities, mothers still bear significantly more of the child care load, a new study reveals.

New explanation for infection susceptibility in newborns: It is all about helping beneficial bacteria colonize the gut

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 10:19 AM PST

Cells that allow helpful bacteria to safely colonize the intestines of newborn infants also suppress their immune systems to make them more vulnerable to infections, according to new research. The study could prompt a major shift in how medicine views the threat of neonatal infections -- and how researchers go about looking for new strategies to stop it, said scientists who conducted the study.

Don't get sick in July

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST

With almost no experience, newly graduated medical students enter teaching hospitals around the country every July, beginning their careers as interns. At the same time, the last year's interns and junior residents take a step up and assume new responsibilities. More experienced physicians share a joke about this changing of the guard: Don't get sick in July.

Touch may alleviate existential fears for people with low self-esteem

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 08:40 AM PST

As human beings, we all know that we are going to die some day. Most of us deal with this knowledge by trying to live meaningful lives, but people with low self-esteem tend not to see their lives as particularly meaningful. Now, research suggests that touch may help people with low self-esteem in confronting their own mortality.

Prognostic value of baseline survival determined for 11 types of cancer

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 08:40 AM PST

Results of a study point out the prognostic value of baseline recorded health-related quality of life for survival for eleven types of cancer: brain, breast, colorectal, esophageal, head and neck, lung, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and testicular cancer. For each cancer site, at least one health-related quality of life parameter provided additional prognostic information over and above the clinical and sociodemographic variables.

For young baseball players, light bats don't hit too fast

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 08:40 AM PST

The use of non-wood bats in youth baseball has spurred decades of controversy about whether they propel the ball too fast, in part because of their higher bat-to-ball energy transfer -- the "trampoline effect." A study finds that in some cases non-wood bats do not hit the ball any faster. In the hands of young teen players, for example, lighter non-wood bats hit the ball at wood-like speeds.

Motives assessed for opioid misuse among adolescents

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 08:39 AM PST

Misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents and young adults has generated significant media coverage, but less attention has been given to differentiating the underlying motives for opioid misuse. Research shows that pain relief, not getting high, was the most prevalent motive for medical misuse of opioids among adolescents. This factor alone motivated 4 in 5 adolescents who misused their prescribed pain medications.

Postmastectomy pain most troubling problem for breast cancer survivors

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 08:39 AM PST

More than 40 percent of 200,000 U.S. women diagnosed with breast cancer every year undergo surgery. Though treatment advances have significantly reduced mortality from breast cancer, a study published reports that persistent postmastectomy pain is rated by survivors as their most troubling symptom.

Cyber bullying more difficult for teenagers to process psychologically than in-person bullying

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 08:38 AM PST

Expert adolescent psychologist discusses the psychological ways in which teens experience online bullying versus face-to-face conflict.

Comprehending comprehension

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 07:16 AM PST

What makes a good reader? First, you have to know how to read the words on a page and understand them -- but there's a higher-level step to reading comprehension. You have to tie together the words over time, maintaining their order and meaning in your memory, so that you can understand phrases, sentences, paragraphs and extended texts.

Smart water meters stop money going down the drain

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 06:14 AM PST

Water is increasingly becoming one of Australia's most precious commodities, yet leaking taps and pipes may be costing householders an extra 10 percent on their water bills.

Japanese superfood prevents flu infection

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 04:39 AM PST

Scientists have discovered that bacteria found in a traditional Japanese pickle can prevent flu. Could this be the next superfood?

Health benefits of wild blueberries abound

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 04:38 AM PST

New research shows that regular long-term wild blueberry diets may help improve or prevent pathologies associated with the metabolic syndrome, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Conversations between lovers about STIs important in theory but difficult in bed

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 04:38 AM PST

Having sex can be fun; talking about sex can be fun. Talking about STIs with a sexual interest, however, is a totally different matter, according to new research. The study found a disconnect between the public health messages that promote STI testing as a way to prevent STIs such as HIV and chlamydia and the conversations occurring in bedrooms.

Challenges to assumptions about bisexual men, HIV transmission

Posted: 06 Nov 2013 04:38 AM PST

The number of HIV positive men who have sex with both men and women is likely no higher than the number of HIV positive heterosexual men, according to a US-based analysis. The finding challenges a popular assumption that bisexual men are responsible for significant HIV transmission to their female partners.

Just a few years of early musical training benefits the brain later in life

Posted: 05 Nov 2013 02:13 PM PST

Older adults who took music lessons as children but haven't actively played an instrument in decades have a faster brain response to a speech sound than individuals who never played an instrument. The finding suggests early musical training has a lasting, positive effect on how the brain processes sound. 

Effect of sleep deficiency, possible surgical complications

Posted: 05 Nov 2013 01:22 PM PST

Surgeons who had operated the night before an elective daytime gallbladder surgery did not have a higher rate of complications, according to a study.

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