Coffee in the genes? New genetic variants associated with coffee drinking

Date: October 7, 2014

Source: Harvard School of Public Health

Summary:

A new, large-scale study has identified six new genetic variants associated with habitual coffee drinking. "Coffee and caffeine have been linked to beneficial and adverse health effects. Our findings may allow us to identify subgroups of people most likely to benefit from increasing or decreasing coffee consumption for optimal health," said the lead author of the study.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141007092352.htm

The findings suggest that people naturally modulate their coffee intake to experience the optimal effects exerted by caffeine and that the strongest genetic factors linked to increased coffee intake likely work by directly increasing caffeine metabolism.

My comments:

Naturally modulate - find out for yourself. Pay attention. don't be a sleep in your own life, your own body. Even coffee and caffeine can't help with that. Genetics are important but don't get carried away we can effect our genetics. Link to Biology of Belief.

New technology may identify tiny strains in body tissues before injuries occur

August 26, 2014, Washington University in St. Louis

Summary:

Algorithms to identify weak spots in tendons, muscles and bones prone to tearing or breaking have been developed by researchers. The technology, which needs to be refined before it is used in patients, one day may help pinpoint minor strains and tiny injuries in the body’s tissues long before bigger problems occur.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140826205233.htm

My comments:

Technology is not available yet. Present imagery is not detail enough. They are relating it to plastic and while it is an easy image to help people understand what they are doing, We are not a chunk of plastic. We are moving/sensing intelligent being. Important part is that you can get micro strains and sprains that you don't realize. Soma awareness is key to preventing it yourself.

Talking while driving safest with someone who can see what you see

October 8, 2014 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141008131603.htm

Back pain killing your sex life? Study reveals best positions to save your spine

September 10, 2014, University of Waterloo

Summary:

Contrary to popular belief, spooning is not always the best sex position for those with a bad back, according to new research. For the first time ever, scientists have successfully documented the way the spine moves during sex and discovered exactly why certain positions are better than others when it comes to avoiding back pain.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140910093215.htm

"Any family doctor will tell you that couples often ask them how to manage their back pain during and after sex. Many couples will remain celibate because one night of love-making can lead to months of back agony," said Professor Stuart McGill, of Waterloo's Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. "Until now, doctors have never had any hard science to base their recommendations upon."

The pioneering study combined infrared and electromagnetic motion capture systems -- like those used in the creation of video games -- to track how 10 couples' spines moved when attempting five common sex positions. The findings were used to create an atlas, or set of guidelines, that recommends different sex positions and thrusting techniques based on what movements trigger a patient's pain.

The atlas recommends that men who are flexion-intolerant -- meaning those whose back pain is made worse by touching their toes or sitting for long periods of time, for example -- replace spooning with doggy-style sex. The guide recommends that these men use a hip-hinging motion rather than thrusting with their spines.

According to Statistics Canada, four of every five people will experience at least one episode of disabling low back pain in their lifetime. Up to 84 per cent of men with low back pain and 73 per cent of women report a significant decrease in the frequency of intercourse when suffering back pain.

Managers can boost creativity by 'empowering leadership' and earning employees' trust

Oct 2014 Rice University

Summary:

Managers can promote creativity in employees by 'empowering leadership' and earning employees' trust, according to a new study.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141008121948.htm

Conscious and Unconscious

Judgment and decision-making: Brain activity indicates there is more than meets the eye

October 2, 2014 University of Melbourne

Summary:

People make immediate judgments about images they are shown, which could impact on their decisions, even before their brains have had time to consciously process the information, a study of brainwaves has found.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141002101218.htm

Published in PLOS ONE, the study is the first in the world to show that it is possible to predict abstract judgments from brain waves, even though people were not conscious of making such judgments. The study also increases our understanding of impulsive behaviors and how to regulate it.

It found that researchers could predict from participants' brain activity how exciting they found a particular image to be, and whether a particular image made them think more about the future or the present. This is true even though the brain activity was recorded before participants knew they were going to be asked to make these judgments.

Lead authors Dr Stefan Bode from the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences and Dr Carsten Murawski from the University of Melbourne Department of Finance said these findings illustrated there was more information encoded in brain activity than previously assumed.

"We have found that brain activity when looking at images can encode judgments such as time reference, even when the viewer is not aware of making such judgments. Moreover, our results suggest that certain images can prompt a person to think about the present or the future," they said.

How curiosity changes the brain to enhance learning

October 2, 2014

Source: Cell Press

Summary:

The more curious we are about a topic, the easier it is to learn information about that topic. New research provides insights into what happens in our brains when curiosity is piqued. The findings could help scientists find ways to enhance overall learning and memory in both healthy individuals and those with neurological conditions.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141002123631.htm

The study revealed three major findings.

First, as expected, when people were highly curious to find out the answer to a question, they were better at learning that information. More surprising, however, was that once their curiosity was aroused, they showed better learning of entirely unrelated information (face recognition) that they encountered but were not necessarily curious about. People were also better able to retain the information learned during a curious state across a 24-hour delay. "Curiosity may put the brain in a state that allows it to learn and retain any kind of information, like a vortex that sucks in what you are motivated to learn, and also everything around it," explains Dr. Gruber.

Second, the investigators found that when curiosity is stimulated, there is increased activity in the brain circuit related to reward. "We showed that intrinsic motivation actually recruits the very same brain areas that are heavily involved in tangible, extrinsic motivation," says Dr. Gruber. This reward circuit relies on dopamine, a chemical messenger that relays messages between neurons.

Third, the team discovered that when curiosity motivated learning, there was increased activity in the hippocampus, a brain region that is important for forming new memories, as well as increased interactions between the hippocampus and the reward circuit. "So curiosity recruits the reward system, and interactions between the reward system and the hippocampus seem to put the brain in a state in which you are more likely to learn and retain information, even if that information is not of particular interest or importance," explains principal investigator Dr. Charan Ranganath, also of UC Davis

Toddlers regulate behavior to avoid making adults angry

October 7, 2014, University of Washington

Summary:

Children as young as 15 months can detect anger when watching other people's social interactions and then use that emotional information to guide their own behavior. The study is the first evidence that younger toddlers are capable of using multiple cues from emotions and vision to understand the motivations of the people around them.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141007131422.htm