RefBan

Referral Banners

Saturday, April 19, 2014

ScienceDaily: Living Well News

ScienceDaily: Living Well News


Impact of childhood bullying still evident after 40 years

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 06:25 PM PDT

The negative social, physical and mental health effects of childhood bullying are still evident nearly 40 years later, according to new research. The study is the first to look at the effects of bullying beyond early adulthood. Just over a quarter of children in the study (28%) had been bullied occasionally, and 15% bullied frequently -- similar to rates in the UK today. Individuals who were bullied in childhood were more likely to have poorer physical and psychological health and cognitive functioning at age 50. Individuals who were frequently bullied in childhood were at an increased risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal thoughts.

Gene variant increases risk of colorectal cancer from eating processed meat

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 04:16 PM PDT

A common genetic variant that affects one in three people appears to significantly increase the risk of colorectal cancer from the consumption of processed meat, according to a new study.

Inhibited children become anxious adults: Examining the causes and effects of early shyness

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 12:59 PM PDT

Three little girls sit together in a room, playing with the toys surrounding them. One of the girls -- "Emma" -- has clearly taken charge of the group, and the others happily go along with her. A fourth girl -- "Jane" -- enters the room, hiding her face while clinging to her mother. The first three continue to play, while mom sits Jane down with some toys a few feet away from the group. After mom leaves, however, Jane sits alone against the wall. Emma makes her way over to Jane, inviting her to play with the rest of the group. Jane -- looking trapped -- starts to cry, then stands up and tries desperately to open the door.

Loud talking, horseplay in car results in more serious incidents for teen drivers

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:19 AM PDT

Adolescent drivers are often distracted by technology while they are driving, but loud conversations and horseplay between passengers appear more likely to result in a dangerous incident, according to a new study. Researchers ecruited 52 North Carolina high-school age drivers to have in-vehicle cameras mounted in their cars and trucks to observe distracted driving behaviors and distracted conditions when teen drivers were behind the wheel. Young drivers were recorded in a variety of real-world driving situations over six months -- with parents in the car, with other teens in the car and alone.

Fish consumption advisories for expecting mothers fail to cover all types of contaminants

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:19 AM PDT

Fish consumption advisories for expecting mothers are ineffective in reducing infant exposure to contaminants like persistent organic pollutants. The researchers' model estimates that women who stop eating fish shortly before or during their pregnancy may only lower their child's exposure to POPs by 10 to 15 per cent.

Connecting sleep deficits among young fruit flies to disruption in mating later in life

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:19 AM PDT

Mom always said you need your sleep, and it turns out, she was right. According to a new study, the lack of sleep in young fruit flies profoundly diminishes their ability to do one thing they do really, really well -- make more flies. To address whether sleep loss in young flies affects development of courtship circuits, the team investigated a group of neurons implicated in courtship. One particular subset of those neurons was smaller in sleep-deprived animals than normal flies, suggesting a possible mechanism for how sleep deprivation can lead to altered courting behavior.

Boosting depression-causing mechanisms in brain increases resilience, surprisingly

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 11:18 AM PDT

New research uncovers a conceptually novel approach to treating depression. Instead of dampening neuron firing found with stress-induced depression, researchers demonstrated for the first time that further activating these neurons opens a new avenue to mimic and promote natural resilience.

Internet use may cut retirees' depression

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 09:47 AM PDT

Spending time online has the potential to ward off depression among retirees, particularly among those who live alone, according to research. Authors report that internet use reduced the probability of a depressed state by 33 percent among their study sample. Late-life depression affects between 5 and 10 million Americans age 50 and older. This new study shows that the Internet offers older Americans a chance to overcome the social and spatial boundaries that are believed to fuel depression.

Distracted driving among teens threatens public health and safety

Posted: 17 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT

Motor vehicle crashes rank as the leading cause of teen deaths and in 2008, 16% of all distraction-related fatal automobile crashes involved drivers under 20 years of age. These grim statistics, coupled with an increasing nationwide awareness of the dangers of distracted driving for all ages, prompted the publication of important research that explores the causes of distracted driving and offers practical recommendations to reduce the incidence of distracted driving among teens.

Book early, after work if you want to enjoy your next hotel stay

Posted: 16 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

If you're planning a summer vacation or weekend getaway, when you book your hotel room can make a big difference. A new study found you'll be happier with your hotel stay if you book your room after business hours. The research found that consumers who made reservations during business hours selected a higher quality hotel, but they were ultimately less satisfied with their choice. Additionally, the study's findings on hotel quality and satisfaction is the same regardless of whether a reservation is made online, by phone or through a travel agent.

In old age, lack of emotion, interest may signal brain is shrinking

Posted: 16 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

Older people who have apathy but not depression may have smaller brain volumes than those without apathy, according to a new study. Apathy is a lack of interest or emotion.

Massage therapy improves circulation, alleviates muscle soreness

Posted: 16 Apr 2014 09:54 AM PDT

Massage therapy improves general blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise, according to a study. The results also showed that massage improved vascular function in people who had not exercised, suggesting that massage has benefits for people regardless of their level of physical activity.

Low vitamin D may not be a culprit in menopause symptoms

Posted: 16 Apr 2014 06:08 AM PDT

No significant connection between vitamin D levels and menopause symptoms has been made from the results of a research project on the topic. The authors analyzed the relationship between the blood levels of vitamin D and a number of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, concentration, and forgetfulness in 530 women who participated in the calcium and vitamin D trial.

No comments: