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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

ScienceDaily: Living Well News

ScienceDaily: Living Well News


Preparing for parenthood: Pregnant women show increased activity in right side of brain

Posted: 06 May 2014 05:40 PM PDT

Pregnant women show increased activity in the area of the brain related to emotional skills as they prepare to bond with their babies, according to a new study.

Ban cigarette filters to save environment, suggest researchers

Posted: 06 May 2014 10:05 AM PDT

Ban cigarette filters. Start a deposit-return scheme for used butts. Hold manufacturers responsible for clean-ups. Place warnings on packets about the impact of simply flicking one's used cigarettes away. These are among the policy measures that researchers advocate to curb the environmental harm done through the large-scale littering of cigarette butts, packaging and matches.

As kids age, snacking quality appears to decline

Posted: 06 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT

While snacks uniformly contribute to energy intake in both children and adolescents, the effect of snacking on diet quality differs by age group, researchers say. Findings suggest that snacks improve diet quality in elementary school-aged children, whereas they detract from diet quality in adolescents.

Snacking contributes to fatty liver, abdominal obesity

Posted: 06 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Snacking on high-fat and high-sugar foods was independently associated with abdominal fat and fatty liver (hepatic steatosis) research has shown. According to the study, hypercaloric diet with frequent meals increases intrahepatic triglyceride content and fat around the waist, but increasing meal size did not.

Do we yawn to cool the brain? Yawning frequencies of people vary with temperature of the season

Posted: 06 May 2014 09:00 AM PDT

Why do we yawn? We tend to yawn before sleep and after waking, when we are bored or under stimulated. We yawn in the anticipation of important events and when we are under stress. What do all of these have in common? Researchers highlight a link with thermoregulation, and in particular, brain cooling.

'Laughter Guy' dissects features of counterfeit chortling

Posted: 06 May 2014 06:49 AM PDT

Ever wonder how often you fool your boss or in-laws by pretending to laugh at their dumb jokes? The answer is probably around one-third of the time, according to new research by a communication expert who conducted research on fake laughs. When your fake laughs fall short of convincing, tiny subtleties of your breathing are probably giving you away, suggests one researcher.

New face of tofu: Quick, easy, keeps you trim

Posted: 06 May 2014 06:48 AM PDT

Many young American women prepare tofu because they want something that's quick, easy to cook and that can help keep them trim. These researchers also found that the best way to encourage others to try tofu is by showing them that it is low cost and easy to cook; as such, they may be up to 50 percent more likely to try cooking with tofu at home.

Small investors often make poor investments

Posted: 06 May 2014 06:47 AM PDT

Inexperienced investors often fail to make wise investments because they are too influenced by psychological and sociological "biases" rather than economic fundamentals. So called "mum and dad investors" mistakenly think they are doing the right thing by selecting a wide range of shares from famous firms and by following media tips.

Clean before you clean: What's on your toothbrush just might surprise you

Posted: 06 May 2014 06:44 AM PDT

Do you know Staphylococci, coliforms, pseudomonads, yeasts, intestinal bacteria and -- yes -- even fecal germs may be on your toothbrush? Appropriate toothbrush storage and care are important to achieving personal oral hygiene and optimally effective plaque removal. Appropriate toothbrush storage and care are important to achieving personal oral hygiene and optimally effective plaque removal

Mealtime TV viewing during pregnancy may set stage for childhood obesity

Posted: 06 May 2014 04:47 AM PDT

Turning the TV off during mealtimes to help prevent childhood obesity may need to start even before a child is born, according to a new study.

Are we ready for contact with extraterrestrial intelligence?

Posted: 06 May 2014 04:46 AM PDT

The SETI project scientists are known for tracking possible extraterrestrial signals, but now they are also considering sending messages from Earth telling of our position. A researcher questions this idea in view of the results from a survey taken by students, revealing the general level of ignorance about the cosmos and the influence of religion when tackling these matters.

Sports, energy drink consumption linked to negative behaviors

Posted: 06 May 2014 04:42 AM PDT

Weekly consumption of sports drinks and energy drinks among adolescents is significantly associated with higher consumption of other sugar-sweetened beverages, cigarette smoking, and screen media use, according to a study conducted by researchers. Although national data have shown a decline in the prevalence of soft drink and fruit drink consumption, sports and energy drink consumption has tripled among adolescents in recent years. The high caffeine content of energy drinks, as well as the high sugar and calorie content of many sports and energy drinks, has drawn much concern from health professionals.

Lots of fruits, vegetables, but lots of high-fat snacks: Home food environment of overweight women

Posted: 06 May 2014 04:42 AM PDT

The home is an important microenvironment in models of obesity and can trigger behaviors both positively and negatively associated with weight status. With this in mind, a group of researchers sought to examine the home food environment and determine which aspects are associated with healthy eating in low-income overweight and obese women who receive healthcare through local federally-qualified community health centers.

Women with unintended pregnancies take the shortest maternity leaves

Posted: 05 May 2014 06:14 PM PDT

Mothers in the United States who have unintended pregnancies return to work sooner after childbirth than mothers whose pregnancy was intended, according to a study. This is the first study to examine pregnancy intention and return to work after childbirth. Findings suggest the need for policies that increase access to effective contraceptive methods and enable women to take longer maternity leaves.

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