Working Hard May Kill You..

A new study has found that office workers in England significantly increased their chances of having a heart attack by working more hours than their peers.

The study, conducted by researchers at University College London, found that employees who regularly worked 11-hour days or longer were 67 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who worked seven- or eight-hour days.

One U.S. expert said many factors could account for the rise in risk among those tied too long to the office.

"Those working long hours may have less time for exercise, healthy eating and physicians visits," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, associate chief of cardiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. "They may be exposed to more stress, get less sleep and engage in other behaviors which contribute to cardiovascular risk."

The study, published in the April 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, followed a low-risk population of almost 7,100 British civil servants from 1991 until 2004, screening out those with signs of heart disease.

About 70 percent of the workers were men, and most (91 percent) were white. Roughly 2.7 percent developed coronary heart disease by the end of the study, the researchers found.

Participants reported how many hours they spent on the job, including work they took home with them. More than half (54 percent) put in between seven and eight hours a day, while 21 percent worked a nine-hour day, and 15 percent spent 10 hours on the job daily, the study found. Slightly more than 10 percent labored 11 hours or more.

Besides bumping up the risk for heart disease by 67 percent compared to people working an eight-hour day, working 11-plus hours a day also put some people into a whole other risk category, the team found.

"Adding working hours to the Framingham risk score improved identification of persons who later developed heart disease," explained study co-author Mika Kivimaki. The Framingham risk score, aimed at gauging heart disease risk, is developed from data that includes age, sex, blood pressure level, cholesterol levels, and whether or not a patient smokes, said Kivimaki, a professor of social epidemiology at University College London.

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/651527.html

Daily Dose: Peter Bjorn And John - Young Folks

Snooki Talks To Rutgers Students

What does $32,000 get you?

Rutgers University students got two hour-long question-and-answer sessions tonight with "Jersey Shore" icon Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. In the first hour, Snooki offered anecdotes about her reality show, dance lessons, a demonstration on styling her iconic "pouf" hairdo and her lessons for life.

Her parting advice to Rutgers students: "Study hard, but party harder."

About 500 students attended the 8 p.m. sold-out show at the Livingston Student Center in Piscataway. A second show was scheduled to start at 10 p.m. Snooki was paid $32,000 for the two shows using money that came from the mandatory student activity fees paid by Rutgers undergraduates.

Among the highlights and lowlights of the first show:

• Snooki and her sidekick, comedian Adam Ace, brought eight students on stage to teach them the "Jersey Shore" fist pump and her signature "tree branch" dance. Snooki also judged a "Situation" contest to see which of five male students had the best abs.

• Snooki introduced her father, who was in the audience and lifted his sweater to reveal a sleeveless T-shirt with "Papa Snooki" printed on the back. "My Dad is what you call... a retired guido," Snooki said.

• A student asked Snooki to be his date to his fraternity formal next month. She briefly considered it. "When is it?" she said. "May 3," he said. "I'll be in Rome," she said, referring to the filming of Season 4 of "Jersey Shore" in Italy.

• When asked to describe her perfect man, Snooki said his name has to end with a vowel, he can't be boring, he has to make her laugh and he must be close to his parents. He also needs to be tan. "I can't be with anyone pale, that would be awkward," she said.

• When asked her inspiration in life, Snooki said: "Being tan. When you're tan, you feel better about yourself."

• Snooki brought a Rutgers student on stage and offered to put her hair in a "pouf" using a banana hair clip. Snooki wasn't thrilled with the results. "That's as good as it's gonna get," she said. When asked what she uses to style her own "pouf," Snooki said he relies on Aussie-brand hair products. "Smells good and stays in good," she said.

• If Snooki had a choice she wouldn't spend summers in Seaside Heights, where "Jersey Shore" is filmed. She prefers Belmar, she said. 

• Snooki said she had partied at Rutgers before, but the details were hazy. "I'm pretty sure I came here. I don't remember what happened," she said.

• When a student asked what kind of oil she uses to make fried pickles, one of her favorite foods, Snooki was horrified. 
"I don't fry them, I buy them," she said with distain.

• Snooki's final words for Rutgers: "I love you bit***s!"

Article found: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/snookis_advice_to_rutgers_stud.html

Daily Dose: Sara Bareilles - King Of Anything

Have a pop filled weekend!

Fast Food Twice As Bad For You With Coffee

Blood sugar levels are not a major concern for everyone, but they should be of moderate concern to the general population considering the rising trend of diabetes. This why a new study from the University of Guelph regarding the combined affect of saturated fat and caffeine on blood sugar levels is worthy of note.


The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, discovered that eating a fast food meal high in saturated fat with a coffee is even worse for you than without one. Researchers noted that not only does a healthy person’s blood sugar level spike after eating a high-fat meal, but that the spike doubles after having both a fatty meal and caffeinated coffee – jumping to levels similar to those of people at risk for diabetes.


“The results tell us that saturated fat interferes with the body’s ability to clear sugars from the blood, and when combined with caffeinated coffee, the impact can be even worse,” said lead resarcher and PhD candidate Marie-Soleil Beaudoin in a statement. “Having sugar remain in our blood for long periods is unhealthy because it can take a toll on our body’s organs.”


Participants in the study were healthy young men between the ages of 20-30. In the second part of the study, the men drank about one gram of a specially designed saturated fat drink for every kilogram of body weight. They then drank either two cups of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee five hours later, followed by a sugar drink an hour later. The results showed blood sugar levels rose to 65% above what they were with the caffeinated coffee and fat drink. With just the fat drink, participants blood sugar levels only rose 32%.


“Ultimately we have found that fat and caffeinated coffee are impairing the communication between the gut and the pancreas, which could be playing a role in why participants couldn’t clear the sugar from their blood as easily,” said Beaudoin.


Referring to the impact coffee had five hours after the fat drink, she adds, “This shows that the effects of a high-fat meal can last for hours. What you eat for lunch can impact how your body responds to food later in the day”.


Article found: http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/04/01/fast-food-is-twice-as-bad-for-you-with-a-coffee-study/

Daily Dose: Jaymay - Gray Or Blue

Staying Safe In Your Place

Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are a must. Many city and county laws state that detectors need to be maintained by the landlord; if you don’t know if this is the law in your area, call your local fire marshal and find out. If detectors are required and your landlord is not doing so, give him/her a firm but polite reminder. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to send a certified letter informing him/her that you are aware of the law and that you will be ensuring that the law is enforced. There should be a smoke detector in each room, especially bedrooms. However, it is your job to maintain the detectors inside your apartment. Check the batteries regularly and make sure it is installed correctly. 

In the event of a fire, you should make sure that you know what the emergency evacuation route is in your building. If you don’t live on the first floor, find out where the nearest stairwell is and practice an emergency evacuation drill with your family or roommate.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning death in the United States. An odorless, tasteless, invisible gas, carbon monoxide can only be found with a detector. Depending on the law in your area, your building may or may not be required to provide these for your apartment. Regardless, this is another detector that you should definitely invest in. Test the alarm to be sure it is loud enough to wake you and be heard from other rooms. If your landlord has installed one or more, test and check their installation just as you would with smoke detectors.

Unwanted Critters
Mice, roaches and ants are probably not your ideal roommates. Many building codes require a monthly visit from a preventative exterminator to keep out vermin, so check with the code commissioner and then enforce this rule with your landlord. When you first move in, look for droppings (yuck) and signs of previous pets—fleas are also considered vermin. The landlord is always responsible for clearing out vermin before you move in, but after that, it is your job to keep the apartment clean and do regular checks for infestations.

Other Lurking Hazards
Before you move in, your landlord should provide you with a list of any potential safety issues.

The federal government mandated in 1996 that property managers must inform tenants if lead based paint was used in the building. This type of paint was used in buildings as recently as 20 years ago and it is the leading cause of potential harm to children in urban areas. This paint is most dangerous when it chips and creates dust that can be inhaled. If you suspect that your apartment contains lead based paint, inform your landlord and allow the legal amount of time for removal.

Article found: http://living.apartments.com/safety/staying-safe-in-your-apartment/

Daily Dose: Lykke Li - Let It Fall

It’s Official: Being Beautiful Makes You Happier

Beautiful people are happier than less attractive people, according to a new study by University of Texas-Austin economists.

And interestingly the way that happiness is experienced in beautiful men and women differs considerably, saidDaniel Hamermesh in an interview with the Star.

Previous research has shown that beautiful people generally earn more money and are able to attract a better-looking and higher-earning spouse.

But in Hamermesh’s most recent study he has found many beautiful women are just happier because they are beautiful. “Beauty affects their happiness independent of its impact on their incomes, marriage prospects and other outcomes,” Hamermesh and his co-author Jason Abrevaya write in the study.

In men, the effect of beauty continues to be economic and indirect, he explained. Their attractiveness or beauty means they make more money or attract a beautiful spouse and that gives them increased happiness.

While most beautiful women also experience an economic benefit from their beauty. It is their beauty that gives them happiness. “It’s just the sheer fact of being good-looking, walking down the street and feeling good about your self,” he explained.

Hamermesh used data from surveys from four countries – Canada, the United States, Germany and Britain – in his study to determine life satisfaction or happiness and its relationship to beauty.

About 25,000 people were surveyed between 1971 and 2007. Interviewers asked them about their happiness and at the same time their attractiveness or beauty was ranked by interviewers face to face or by photographs.

Hamermesh didn’t know what to expect when he began analyzing the data. “I wanted to see if there was a relationship between happiness and beauty and we found this relationship,” he said. “That got us to think about what is causing this relationship and how it might differ across genders.”

According to the study, those who are considered the most attractive – in the top 15 per cent – are more than 10 per cent happier than those ranked in the bottom 10 per cent.

The study concludes that “among both men and women at least half of the increase in satisfaction/happiness generated by beauty is indirect.”

Article found: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/mindmood/mentalhealth/article/965788--it-s-official-being-beautiful-makes-you-happier

Daily Dose: The Eels - Fresh Feeling

University of Michigan Study Finds Heartache Equal to Physical Pain

Love hurts. A study at the University of Michigan has confirmed it. Romantic heartbreak causes the same regions in the brain that involve physical pain to activate. It looks like the heart and mind are truly connected when it comes to love.


Everyone can attest to a broken heart at least once in their lives. It's a known fact that love hurts. Now, science has proven that break-ups are indeed painful for the heart, mind, and the body. Will this finding change the way people view love when entering a new relationship? Probably not.


Dr. Steven Richeimer, a researcher at the USC Pain Center stated:


"The idea of heartache is an old, old term and I think it's there for a reason. When you affect negative emotions, you will activate a lot of the same nervous system parts and systems and chemistry that are involved in bodily pain."


So, we get that love hurts. What about research to lessen the pain of heartache? Exercise is always good to do and keeping oneself busy is crucial to surviving a break-up. It's no good to be alone, depressed, and suffering a break-up. These suggestions have no scientific backing, but they do help.


Article found: http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979171424

Daily Dose: Sia - Breathe Me (Remix)

Students Rally For Education Funding

Students representing public universities from across Michigan gathered to voice their frustration with the state of higher education funding Thursday at the Capitol building, 100 N. Capitol Ave., in Lansing.

The rally was hosted by the Student Association of Michigan, or SAM, a student coalition with representatives from 15 Michigan universities. SAM advocates for the promotion of higher education in state government.

The event featured student and professional speakers from across the state who voiced their opinions on proposed cuts to higher education funding. Gov. Rick Snyder has proposed to cut universities’ state funding by as much as $360 million collectively.

MSU’s share of that could be as much as $61 million, although $18 million of that could be recouped if the university keeps tuition increases at 7 percent or less.

Jay Gage, a representative of SAM and a Lake Superior State University student, said support for higher education funding is important because an investment in students is an investment in the future.

“The students are the future leaders and the future workers of the state,” Gage said. “I think it’s a shame that (the state government is) subsidizing different avenues of different things in the state without focusing on the future.”

Having MSU representation at the rally particularly was important, considering the proximity of the campus to the Capitol, said Michael Lipphardt, director of educational policy and university budgets at ASMSU.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

“We really wanted to have a representative out today, particularly because MSU is so close to the Capitol,” Lipphardt said. “We believe that our collaboration with SAM and being down here is one of our top priorities.”

Penny Gardner, the president of the Union of Nontenure-Track Faculty at MSU and assistant professor of writing, rhetoric & culture and veterinary medicine spoke at the rally. As an educator, she said she has been able to see the potential of many students for higher education and wanted to make sure they were not hindered by lack of funding.

Full article: http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2011/03/students_rally_for_higher_education_funding

Daily Dose: Feist - Mushaboom

Yesterday was a very busy day at work and I forgot to post a video. So, is your lucky day...youre getting 2!

Russian Scientists Setup Institution For Yeti Research

With the vast amount of eyewitnesses coming forward claiming to have seen the elusive Yeti, Russian scientists decided to setup a “Yeti Institute” at Kemerovo State University. The eyewitnesses claimed to have witnessed the Yeti stealing their farm animals. Dr. Igor Burtsev interviewed the locals and has had many years of experience on the subject.

Of course, we here at GT have covered some of Dr. Burtsev’s work in the past. Throughout the years I remain convinced that Dr. Burtsev has a major fault. He tends to build some sort of rapport with his eyewitnesses. Do you guys remember Fox the Bigfoot? Maybe you might remember the claims of Janice Carter. How she has had a close relationship with a large family of Bigfoot. Dr. Burtsev remains convinced that Janice Carter is telling the truth, so much so, that he has spent months visiting Janice in hopes of documenting the case. The results? Nothing. Just the stories of Janice Carter, which if you read or watch any documentary on the case, it leaves you believing that Janice lives in a fantasy world.

But that is only one case. I’ve seen several dozen reports from eyewitnesses and Russian officials claiming to have witnessed the Yeti. Hopefully with this new research team and facility, the scientists can get more funding at trying to figure out exactly what it is that people are seeing in the Russian wilderness.

Article found: http://www.ghosttheory.com/2011/03/24/russian-scientists-setup-institution-for-yeti-research

Daily Dose: Vampire Weekend - Horchata

Nothing beats live muisc

Are You Sleepy? Maybe Youre Overeating

People who get too little sleep tend to overeat, a Columbia University study suggests.


And sleepy, hungry people don't make wise food choices, find Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, and colleagues at New York Obesity Research Center.


"Short sleep may make you more susceptible to overeating," St-Onge tells WebMD via email. "Keep that in mind when trying to manage your weight."


St-Onge and colleagues kept 13 men and 13 women in a controlled environment for six days on two separate occasions. During one visit, they spent nine hours a day in bed. On the other visit, they were allowed only four hours of bed time.


For four days, all of the men and women were kept on the same diet. On the fifth day they were allowed to eat anything they chose.


On that day, people gobbled about 300 more calories when they were sleepy compared to when they were well rested. Most of those extra calories came from fat, especially saturated fat.


Women were especially vulnerable to overeating when sleepy. Tired women ate 328.6 extra calories, while tired men indulged in 262.7 extra calories. Women were more likely to choose fatty foods when tired, but men tended to choose the same amount of fat.


With five extra hours to eat, didn't subjects simply use the extra time for an extra meal? St-Onge doesn't think so. Only seven of the 26 subjects ate after bedtime.


The finding, she suggests, may help explain why there seems to be a link between sleep duration and obesity.


"Our data show that reducing sleep increases energy and fat intakes, which may explain some of the association observed between sleep and obesity," St-Onge and colleagues conclude. "If sustained, the dietary choices made by individuals undergoing short sleep would predispose to obesity and increased risk of cardiovascular disease."


St-Onge and colleagues presented their findings at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention conference, held March 22-25 in Atlanta.


Article found: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20110323/sleepy-people-overeat

Daily Dose: Dragonette - I Get Around (Remix)

66% women unaware of sexual harassment

Women don't report sexual harassment because they simply can't identify such behaviour. This isn't our opinion but the finding of a study conducted by a medical student of D Y Patil Medical College who said that of the 200 medical students she surveyed, more than 66% has sketchy knowledge of sexual harassment. Another important finding was that men also reported harassment at work. The study which was conducted under the guidance of Dr Amitav Banerjee, head of community medicine department at the medical college sought to measure awareness about sexual harassment in the workplace among future professionals.


"The study was conducted over a few months by a third-year student which found men guilty of not realising what behaviour amounts to harassment. Most importantly, respondents only identified physical approach as harassment but didn't think that harassment could be verbal, mental and even non-verbal," said Dr Banerjee.


The survey also showed that most respondents felt that the onus to stop harassment lay on the victim with 51% stating that the victim should report it to stop it. However the biggest shocker is that 49% of surveyed respondents held the woman responsible in some manner for the harassment.


Article found: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/mar/220311-sexual-harassment-D-Y-Patil-Medical-College-Pune.htm

Daily Dose: Matt Pond PA - Halloween

Moving Back Home After College With Your Dignity Intact

Step 1: Take a breather - Transitioning from college to the real world is no easy feat. So move home. Take a little time to chill out and get your head together before launching into full-fledged adulthood.

Use your downtime to set goals and investigate career options.

Step 2: Set rules - Talk with your parents, and lay down some mutually agreeable house rules. That 10 p.m. curfew needs to be a thing of the past, but you might have to compromise in other areas.

Step 3: Respect the 'rents - Unless your parents are bikers or roadies, they may not want your beer pong tournaments in the living room. Try to be respectful of the people who are putting you up—and offer to pay some rent.

Step 4: Make a plan - Make a plan and a realistic time line for achieving the goals that will let you fly the nest. This’ll keep you on track, give you and the folks an accurate forecast of how long you’ll be around, and help remind you that it won’t be forever.

Step 5: Redecorate - Those boy band posters you put up in junior high might feel a little outdated. Upgrade your room to reflect the new you.

Step 6: Save up - Become the master of your finances! Since you’re probably not paying much for rent or utilities, you can boost your savings account, which means being able to afford rent on your own place a lot faster.

Step 7: Ride the party line - Nosy relatives, doubting dates, and trust fund babies may not understand why you’re cohabitating with the folks. Come up with a simple excuse, like “Once you become an adult you realize how much you owe your parents—I’m sticking around a little while to help them out.”

Article found: http://www.howcast.com/videos/217538-How-To-Move-Home-After-College-With-Your-Dignity-Intact

Daily Dose: Sera Cahoone - Baker Lake

You Have ADHD? Lucky!

The distractibility and impulsiveness that is the hallmark of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a silver lining, according to a new study that suggests those with the disorder are more creative than those without.

Researchers gave 60 college students, half with ADHD, a series of tests measuring creativity across 10 domains -- drama, music, humor, creative writing, invention, visual arts, scientific discovery, dance, architecture and culinary arts. The students also answered questions about their problem-solving styles, including preferences for generating, structuring, refining and implementing ideas.

The ADHD group scored higher on creativity across the board, the study authors said, and also exhibited a greater preference for brainstorming and generating ideas than the non-ADHD group, which preferred refining and clarifying ideas.

The study, a follow-up to one conducted in 2006, is published in the April issue of Personality and Individual Differences.

"Personality traits like stubbornness could be seen as a negative thing or it could be seen as a strength . . . and I think it's similar with distraction," said study author Holly A. White, an assistant professor of psychology at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. "But it can also mean they're open to a lot of new ideas coming in. It allows for collisions of ideas we otherwise might not see."

ADHD, affecting approximately 5 percent of American youths, is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, disorganization and difficulty focusing, among other traits. The condition persists into adulthood in 30 percent to 50 percent of those affected.

Article Found: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/650981.html

Daily Dose: Soul Of Mischief - 93 Til infinity

Classic...

How to Get a Free College Education

Daily Dose: School of Seven Bells - Half Asleep

Digital Textbooks Are The Future

Sales of digital textbooks still only account for a small fraction of the U.S. college market. But according to the latest report by the social learning platform Xplana, we have reached the tipping point for e-textbooks, and the company predicts that in the next five years digital textbook sales will surpass 25% of sales for the higher education and career education markets.

That figure is a revision from the company's report last year, which predicted that one in five college textbooks would be digital by the year 2014. Due to the rate at which colleges are embracing digital textbooks, Xplana now projects that sales will grow by 80 to 100% over the next four years.

One of the major reasons why Xplana's report has more optimistic figures for textbook adoption is the popularity of the iPad. Xplana's 2010 report was published before the impact of the iPad could really be assessed. No doubt, the success of the iPad has fueled the consumption of digital content in general. But the iPad has also spawned a number of new digital textbook companies, such as Inkling.

Along with their embrace of the iPad, consumers have also bought e-readers in higher-than-expected numbers. Only about 5% of millennials own e-readers according to a recent Pew Study on the adoption of electronic gadgetry, but undoubtedly, the exploding popularity of trade e-books will impact the acceptance of e-textbooks.

Just as new devices have helped spawn the growth in e-books, Xplana also points to some significant

developments around open educational resources (OER) and open textbooks. States and institutions have embarked on a number of OER initiatives to help address the affordability and availability of textbooks, including Washington State's Open Course Library project, a program that aims to make core college materials available on the Web for less than $30 per class.

An oft-cited study by the Book Industry Study Group found that 75% of college students say they prefer print textbooks. But Xplana says that rather than take that study as a sign that students will refuse use digital books, we should instead marvel that, at a time when only 1% of college textbooks are available in an electronic format, that already 25% of college students say they prefer to study this way.

Full article: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/1_in_4_college_textbooks_will_be_digital_by_2015.php

Daily Dose: Rosi Golan - Hazy

Mediterranean, Not Only Good But Good For You

After conducting a review of the results of 50 published studies on the Mediterranean diet with more than 500,000 participants, researchers have found that the Mediterranean food helps in reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The findings suggested that the natural foodsbased diet was linked with low risks of high blood pressure, blood sugar and triglycerides and it also helped in reducing the risk of a drop in good cholesterol.

Dr. Demosthenes Panagiotakos, an Associate Professor at Harokopio University of Athens in Greece, said, "It is one of the first times in the literature, maybe the first, that someone looks through a meta-analysis at the cardiovascular disease risk factors and not only the hard outcome of heart disease and other conditions".

Published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, this study suggested the daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and low-fat dairy products, weekly consumption of fish, poultry, tree nuts, and legumes.

Researchers also linked the consumption of Mediterranean food to the decreased metabolic syndrome risk and they believed that a more advanced study was required to develop more clarity on the issue.

Dr. Ronald Goldberg, Professor of medicine at the Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, believed that the findings were no surprise as many previous studies had confirmed the role of Mediterranean diet on reducing heart disease.

Article found: http://topnews.net.nz/content/212726-latest-study-confirms-benefits-mediterranean-food

Daily Dose: Delphic - This Momentary