Discussion with adults can decrease teens’ marijuana use

Discussion with adults can decrease teens’ marijuana use : A brief, voluntary conversation with adults leads to up to a 20 percent decrease in marijuana use for teenagers who frequently use the drug, according to a new research. To many people, smoking pot is no big deal. They cite reasons such as: "it isn't dangerous or addictive" and "everybody is doing it."

Denise Walker, co-director of the University of Washington's Innovative Programs Research Group, disagrees. "It's not a risk-free drug," she said.

"Lots of people who use it do so without problems. But there are others who use it regularly - almost daily - and want to stop but aren't sure how." "Many teens also have concerns about their use, even if they're not sharing them with family or friends," she added.

The participants in the motivational interviewing group-in which the health educator and student discussed the student's marijuana use and how it might be interfering with the student's life, goals and personal values, and about social norms of how much others use the drug-started the study using marijuana 40 out of the previous 60 days. Three months after counseling they had decreased their use 20 percent, to 32 out of 60 days. After a year they still showed a 15 percent decrease, 34 days out of 60. The study was published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. (ANI)

Discussion with adults can decrease teens’ marijuana use

Discussion with adults can decrease teens’ marijuana use : A brief, voluntary conversation with adults leads to up to a 20 percent decrease in marijuana use for teenagers who frequently use the drug, according to a new research. To many people, smoking pot is no big deal. They cite reasons such as: "it isn't dangerous or addictive" and "everybody is doing it."

Denise Walker, co-director of the University of Washington's Innovative Programs Research Group, disagrees. "It's not a risk-free drug," she said.

"Lots of people who use it do so without problems. But there are others who use it regularly - almost daily - and want to stop but aren't sure how." "Many teens also have concerns about their use, even if they're not sharing them with family or friends," she added.

The participants in the motivational interviewing group-in which the health educator and student discussed the student's marijuana use and how it might be interfering with the student's life, goals and personal values, and about social norms of how much others use the drug-started the study using marijuana 40 out of the previous 60 days. Three months after counseling they had decreased their use 20 percent, to 32 out of 60 days. After a year they still showed a 15 percent decrease, 34 days out of 60. The study was published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. (ANI)

Scary Looking Mummy of the World (14 Photos)

Scary Looking The Mummies of the World: The Franklin Institute from Philadelphia invites visitors to an unusual exhibition called “Mummies of the world.” Every exhibit in this exhibition is unique. Here you can see the dog who’s remains were buried in peat bogs in Germany about five hundred years, and embalmed child, who lived 6420 years ago in Peru.

The exhibition features forty-five mummies and ninety-five items related to mummification and embalming. The exhibition “Mummies of the World” was prepared with the participation of experts from fifteen European institutions under the auspices of the German Museum Reiss Engelhorn-Mannheim. The exhibition has visited many major U.S. cities.

Scary Looking Mummy of the World (14 Photos)

Scary Looking The Mummies of the World: The Franklin Institute from Philadelphia invites visitors to an unusual exhibition called “Mummies of the world.” Every exhibit in this exhibition is unique. Here you can see the dog who’s remains were buried in peat bogs in Germany about five hundred years, and embalmed child, who lived 6420 years ago in Peru.

The exhibition features forty-five mummies and ninety-five items related to mummification and embalming. The exhibition “Mummies of the World” was prepared with the participation of experts from fifteen European institutions under the auspices of the German Museum Reiss Engelhorn-Mannheim. The exhibition has visited many major U.S. cities.

Health Benefits of Eating Strawberries

Revealed that eating strawberries could help stave off ageing and even prevent cancer, diabetes!: It's often called the wonder fruit. Now, a new research has revealed that eating strawberries could help stave off ageing and even prevent cancer.

It said eating the fruit helps boost antioxidant levels in the blood, reports the Daily Mail. Higher levels of antioxidants have been found to combat the effects of oxidative stress, lessening the effects of ageing and even the chances of contracting diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. To cone to the conclusion, Spanish and Italian researchers fed 12 healthy volunteers half a kilo of strawberries over two weeks. Results showed that eating strawberries regularly can boost levels of antioxidants in the blood and also help prevent red blood cells undergoing haemolysis, a process which sees them fragmenting.

Scientists from Marche Polytechnic University in Italy and the University of Granada in Spain say that the power of strawberries lies in the high levels of phenolic compounds they contain, which have antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress can also occur as we age, when we exercise or even give birth, highlighting the potential of the humble soft fruit.

"We have shown that some varieties of strawberries make erythrocytes more resistant to oxidative stress. This could be of great significance if you take into account that this phenomenon can lead to serious diseases," said study author Maurizio Battino, from Marche Polytechnic Univesity. The finding was published in journal Chemistry.(ANI)

Health Benefits of Eating Strawberries

Revealed that eating strawberries could help stave off ageing and even prevent cancer, diabetes!: It's often called the wonder fruit. Now, a new research has revealed that eating strawberries could help stave off ageing and even prevent cancer.

It said eating the fruit helps boost antioxidant levels in the blood, reports the Daily Mail. Higher levels of antioxidants have been found to combat the effects of oxidative stress, lessening the effects of ageing and even the chances of contracting diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. To cone to the conclusion, Spanish and Italian researchers fed 12 healthy volunteers half a kilo of strawberries over two weeks. Results showed that eating strawberries regularly can boost levels of antioxidants in the blood and also help prevent red blood cells undergoing haemolysis, a process which sees them fragmenting.

Scientists from Marche Polytechnic University in Italy and the University of Granada in Spain say that the power of strawberries lies in the high levels of phenolic compounds they contain, which have antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress can also occur as we age, when we exercise or even give birth, highlighting the potential of the humble soft fruit.

"We have shown that some varieties of strawberries make erythrocytes more resistant to oxidative stress. This could be of great significance if you take into account that this phenomenon can lead to serious diseases," said study author Maurizio Battino, from Marche Polytechnic Univesity. The finding was published in journal Chemistry.(ANI)

Simple way to stay slim 'Eat quality food to lose weight'

Simple way to stay slim 'Eat quality food to lose weight': There is a simple way to stay slim. Eat quality food instead of worrying about the amount of food you eat, say experts.

Consuming bigger amounts of healthier food rather than smaller amounts of poor quality produce is the key, the express.co.uk reported quoting experts Thursday. Experts at the Harvard School of Public Health in America revealed that small lifestyle changes can make all the difference to ­staying in shape. They said focusing on calories alone would not keep you slim. Instead, the best way to stay at a healthy weight is to eat nutritious and filling foods of good quality.

They recommend that people watching their weight need to cut out fizzy, sugar-sweetened drinks, potatoes and refined grain foods like white rice and low-fibre breakfast cereals. And they should eat a lot more “natural” foods, like fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt, while avoiding anything processed.

“Small dietary and other lifestyle changes can together make a big difference - for bad or good. This makes it easy to gain weight unintentionally, but also demonstrates the tremendous opportunity for prevention,” the report quoted Dariush Mozaffaria, study co-author as saying. Nutritionist Angela Dowden said: “This research singles out once again the benefits of minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt.

“As well as being nutrient-dense they are satiating and their fibrous nature also require slightly more energy to digest. “It is not so much that calories don’t count - they definitely do - it’s more that a healthy pattern of eating makes it easier for you to feel full on fewer of them.” The findings, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, also showed the right amount of sleep helped people maintain a healthy weight.(IANS)

Simple way to stay slim 'Eat quality food to lose weight'

Simple way to stay slim 'Eat quality food to lose weight': There is a simple way to stay slim. Eat quality food instead of worrying about the amount of food you eat, say experts.

Consuming bigger amounts of healthier food rather than smaller amounts of poor quality produce is the key, the express.co.uk reported quoting experts Thursday. Experts at the Harvard School of Public Health in America revealed that small lifestyle changes can make all the difference to ­staying in shape. They said focusing on calories alone would not keep you slim. Instead, the best way to stay at a healthy weight is to eat nutritious and filling foods of good quality.

They recommend that people watching their weight need to cut out fizzy, sugar-sweetened drinks, potatoes and refined grain foods like white rice and low-fibre breakfast cereals. And they should eat a lot more “natural” foods, like fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt, while avoiding anything processed.

“Small dietary and other lifestyle changes can together make a big difference - for bad or good. This makes it easy to gain weight unintentionally, but also demonstrates the tremendous opportunity for prevention,” the report quoted Dariush Mozaffaria, study co-author as saying. Nutritionist Angela Dowden said: “This research singles out once again the benefits of minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt.

“As well as being nutrient-dense they are satiating and their fibrous nature also require slightly more energy to digest. “It is not so much that calories don’t count - they definitely do - it’s more that a healthy pattern of eating makes it easier for you to feel full on fewer of them.” The findings, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, also showed the right amount of sleep helped people maintain a healthy weight.(IANS)

Health: 3 or More cups of Coffee a day 'Doubles Hepatitis C Treatment Response'

3 or More cups of Coffee a day 'Doubles Hepatitis CTreatment Response': A new study has found that advanced hepatitis C patients with chronic liver disease may benefit from drinking coffee during treatment. Patients who received peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment and who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were two times more likely to respond to treatment than non-drinkers.

"Coffee intake has been associated with a lower level of liver enzymes, reduced progression of chronic liver disease and reduced incidence of liver cancer," said Neal Freedman, of the National Cancer Institute and the study's lead author. "Although we observed an independent association between coffee intake and virologic response to treatment, this association needs replication in other studies," he said.

Among the non-drinkers studied, 46 percent had an early virologic response; 26 percent had no detectable serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) ribonucleic acid at week 20; 22 percent had no detectable serum at week 48; and 11 percent had a sustained virologic response.

In contrast, the corresponding proportions for those who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were 73 percent, 52 percent, 49 percent and 26 percent, respectively. The study appeared in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. (ANI)

Health: 3 or More cups of Coffee a day 'Doubles Hepatitis C Treatment Response'

3 or More cups of Coffee a day 'Doubles Hepatitis CTreatment Response': A new study has found that advanced hepatitis C patients with chronic liver disease may benefit from drinking coffee during treatment. Patients who received peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment and who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were two times more likely to respond to treatment than non-drinkers.

"Coffee intake has been associated with a lower level of liver enzymes, reduced progression of chronic liver disease and reduced incidence of liver cancer," said Neal Freedman, of the National Cancer Institute and the study's lead author. "Although we observed an independent association between coffee intake and virologic response to treatment, this association needs replication in other studies," he said.

Among the non-drinkers studied, 46 percent had an early virologic response; 26 percent had no detectable serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) ribonucleic acid at week 20; 22 percent had no detectable serum at week 48; and 11 percent had a sustained virologic response.

In contrast, the corresponding proportions for those who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were 73 percent, 52 percent, 49 percent and 26 percent, respectively. The study appeared in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. (ANI)

Testosterone therapy 'Boosts Memory' in postmenopausal women

Testosterone therapy 'Boosts Memory' in postmenopausal women: A new study has revealed that testosterone could hold the key to a healthy memory in later years for women. It found that postmenopausal women have better memory after daily treatment with a testosterone spray for six months.

"Women have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to men," said Sonia Davison, MD, PhD, the study''s lead investigator and a postdoctoral research fellow at Monash University, Melbourne. "These results offer a potential therapy, where none currently exists, to slow cognitive decline in women," she added.

The researchers compared a control group of 30 women who received no treatment with a group of nine healthy women in early menopause (ages 47 to 60) who knowingly received the testosterone spray on their skin.

The spray dose returned testosterone levels in the blood to those typical of young women of childbearing age, according to Davison. All of the treated women were receiving a stable dose of non-oral hormone replacement therapy.

All women underwent testing of cognitive function with a battery of computerized tests that can detect even small changes in cognitive performance, Davison said.

The researchers tested subjects'' memory through their ability to recall items from a grocery list read aloud to them-a test of verbal learning and memory-and through their performance on tests of visual learning and memory. Cognitive testing occurred at the beginning and end (week 26) of the study.

At the start of the study the two groups did not differ significantly in their cognitive test results. After 26 weeks the untreated controls showed no significant differences between their initial and final test results, the authors found. The testosterone-treated group, however, improved their verbal learning and memory, as found on the shopping list test, Davison said.

"This is exciting in that the testosterone-treated women were all healthy, with no cognitive impairment, and there was a definite treatment effect of the testosterone spray," she said. "Testosterone may play a protective role against dementia," she added.

She said their results need confirmation in a randomized, controlled clinical trial. The results were presented recently at The Endocrine Society''s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston. (ANI)

Testosterone therapy 'Boosts Memory' in postmenopausal women

Testosterone therapy 'Boosts Memory' in postmenopausal women: A new study has revealed that testosterone could hold the key to a healthy memory in later years for women. It found that postmenopausal women have better memory after daily treatment with a testosterone spray for six months.

"Women have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to men," said Sonia Davison, MD, PhD, the study''s lead investigator and a postdoctoral research fellow at Monash University, Melbourne. "These results offer a potential therapy, where none currently exists, to slow cognitive decline in women," she added.

The researchers compared a control group of 30 women who received no treatment with a group of nine healthy women in early menopause (ages 47 to 60) who knowingly received the testosterone spray on their skin.

The spray dose returned testosterone levels in the blood to those typical of young women of childbearing age, according to Davison. All of the treated women were receiving a stable dose of non-oral hormone replacement therapy.

All women underwent testing of cognitive function with a battery of computerized tests that can detect even small changes in cognitive performance, Davison said.

The researchers tested subjects'' memory through their ability to recall items from a grocery list read aloud to them-a test of verbal learning and memory-and through their performance on tests of visual learning and memory. Cognitive testing occurred at the beginning and end (week 26) of the study.

At the start of the study the two groups did not differ significantly in their cognitive test results. After 26 weeks the untreated controls showed no significant differences between their initial and final test results, the authors found. The testosterone-treated group, however, improved their verbal learning and memory, as found on the shopping list test, Davison said.

"This is exciting in that the testosterone-treated women were all healthy, with no cognitive impairment, and there was a definite treatment effect of the testosterone spray," she said. "Testosterone may play a protective role against dementia," she added.

She said their results need confirmation in a randomized, controlled clinical trial. The results were presented recently at The Endocrine Society''s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston. (ANI)

Transparent Sea Creatures | 11 Photos

Transparent Sea Creatures: These are transparent specimens of Sea creatures. Iori Tomita is an artist and an undergrad who studies ichthyology. His work is the New World Transparent Specimens created through a lengthy process that uses dyes, enzymes, and preservatives. He is trying to show people the hidden side of natural beauty that they might miss normally. see more pictures after jump...

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