hotmedfax2018

Want to prevent Alzheimer's?  Make lots of friends. Well, not exactly.  But according to a new study, social ties could preserve memory  as we age, reports newswise.com. A strong social network could be the key to preserving memory, the study has found. New research from The Ohio State University found that mice housed in groups had better memories and healthier brains than animals that lived in pairs.  The discovery bolsters a body of research in humans and animals that supports the role of social connections in preserving the mind and improving quality of life, said lead researcher  Elizabeth Kirby , an assistant professor of behavioral neuroscience and member of the  Center for Chronic Brain Injury at Ohio State .  “Our research suggests that merely having a larger social network can positively influence the aging brain,” says Kirby, who is a member of the  Neurological Institute at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center . Her research...

Your dentist's office have angular tables and fixtures?  Chances are, you're going to trust her more than someone who has the same stuff in round shapes. According to a new study, as reported by newswise.com, curves or angles actually affect how we feel about a business. People who have angular or straight-line business fixtures are more likely to be thought of as competent, the study says. Angular shapes suggested competence to customers, which increased their level of satisfaction when the business was busy. In contrast, circles suggested friendliness and warmth to customers, which increased their satisfaction when the business was not crowded. “Just manipulating this subtle environmental cue had an influence on customer satisfaction in our study,” says  Stephanie Liu , lead author of the research and assistant professor of  consumer sciences at The Ohio State University. The findings may seem odd, but the effect of shapes on people has long been stud...

Got an appointment coming up?  Get ready to be get less done right before it. Why?  Studies have found that we're less productive before an upcoming appointment because an hour "seems shorter when there's a task looming," reports newswise.com. In a series of eight studies, both in the lab and real life, researchers found that free time seems shorter to people when it comes before a task or appointment on their calendar. “We seem to take a mental tax out of our time right before an appointment,” says  Selin Malkoc , co-author of the study and associate professor of  marketing  at The Ohio State University’s  Fisher College of Business  at newswise.com. “We figure something might come up, we might need some extra time, even when there’s no need to do that. As a result, we do less with the available time.” In an online study of 198 people, Malkoc and her colleagues asked some participants to imagine they had a friend coming over to visit in one...

Are you the kind of person who gets things wrong, like me?  I'll know I have to turn in a work project on Monday but figure I have plenty of time when it's just the Wednesday before.  Guess what?  That's a misperception that can result in something going even more wrong than your project turned in late. It's not just missing the deadline.  It's how you might screw up the project from the start. A new study says that misperceptions of deadlines can result in bad decision-making in other places, too, according to newswise.com. Here's how.   You’re faced with a set of tasks. Some aren’t essential but need to be completed quickly ― like redeeming a coupon that expires in two hours. Others have greater importance but do not have an imminent deadline ― like scheduling a regular medical checkup. Which task would you choose to do, and why? Or suppose you have a task with a distant deadline. Though it’s not a crucial chore, would you assume that the far-of...

Who doesn't know this? It's not enough for companies to say they're a f lexible workplace . According to newswise.com, o ne of the best things to happen at work in recent years is the increase of more flexibility at work, whether it's the chance to work "flex hours," take unlimited vacation time, or work from home (my fave). "So many employers offer their employees some flexibility, whether it's maternity or paternity leave or the option for a compressed work week or telecommute options," says  Lindsey Trimble O'Connor, Ph.D. , assistant professor of sociology at  California State University Channel Islands . However, "it's not just about having those policies, it's the cultural belief  around  those policies that matter." "By that Dr. O'Connor means that employees' perceptions of their workplace culture play a role in how they feel about these perks — and whether or not they will actually use them,...

Have you ever bought an outfit for a special occasion, than returned it after you wore it?  For those of you old enough to remember "King of Queens," Carrie did it about four times, before succumbing to embarrassment. This probably won't come as a surprise but a new study has found that lonely and non-empathetic people make less than ethical shopping choices . According to newswise.com, these kinds of people are not motivated to make moral choices at stores (or, I suppose, anywhere else in their lives).  White House, I'm looking at you.   Lonely consumers are capable of behaving morally , but aren’t motivated to, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York, as reported at newswise.com. “Consumers very often behave immorally. And while these behaviors are often legal, they are unethical and cost retailers billions each year,” says Jenny Jiao, assistant professor of management at Binghamton University. A common example ...

We all know how important it is to get sleep (and how much of it we don't.)  But now a new study says that, if we took more breaks after work, we'd, well, sleep better, and more. Like most of you out there, I'm sure, work doesn't end when you come home from the office.  Then it's homework and dinner and baths and catching up on the day with your spouse and yada, yada, yada. It's enough to make you want to go to sleep.  Now. But, according to newswise.com, the more breaks you take after work, the better you will sleep. Now this is pretty dumb to point out but repetitive thoughts on rude behavior at work can cause insomnia. I know.  I've had them. Are you ready for the next news flash?   If you’ve had a bad day at work thanks to rude colleagues, doing something fun and relaxing after you punch out could net you a better night’s sleep, these soothsayers say. “Sleep quality is crucial because sleep plays a major role in how employees perform and be...