Wednesday, May 31

World

Post ACA, Coverage For Mental Health Reaches More Individuals Than Ever
World

Post ACA, Coverage For Mental Health Reaches More Individuals Than Ever

A new study from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill shows that the likelihood of an individual to seek treatment for a mental health condition increased significantly following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare. The study was published in the medical journal Psychiatric Services and found both specific and overall increases in mental health coverage under the ACA. Mental health patients are now 8% less likely to be uninsured, 4% less likely to report unmet needs because of cost, and 6% more likely to report a steady care source. The conclusion is that accessible mental health care results in more people seeking treatment. That said, there are still serious barriers to affordable mental health care including an intense social ...
World

Four Orphaned Bear Cubs Found Under Lake Tahoe Deck

It is estimated that 100,000 black bears live in Alaska, but that's not the only place these creatures roam. Four orphaned black bear cubs were found shivering and cold underneath the deck of a Nevada house this week. They were rescued and taken to an animal sanctuary. The owner of the house in Stateline, on Lake Tahoe, said that she had first seen the cubs with their mother under the deck in March. But the four adorable fur balls are without parents after their mother, an 18 year old sow, was found dead from unknown causes. It is thought that the cubs weigh only seven pounds -- officials think they were born sometime in January. Four cubs at once is something of an anomaly. "Twins are fairly common," says Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy, "three is like wow, bu...
Mustaches Are More Common Than Women Amongst Leadership Roles
Featured News, World

Mustaches Are More Common Than Women Amongst Leadership Roles

Past research has found that women like to remove their facial and body hair. A 2010 Wayne State University survey found that about 85% of women remove their upper lip hair and 96% of women remove their body hair. However, new research suggests that growing a mustache may help them move up in their career. According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, female leaders at medical schools are fewer and far between than mustaches. Of the 50 medical schools examined in the study, 13% of leaders were women, while 19% were mustached humans. Researchers defined mustaches as "the visible presence of hair on the upper cutaneous lip," which means that a mustache could exist with or without other facial hair, such as a beard. Most importantly, mustache identification was ge...
Featured News, World

Pet Obesity is on the Rise

We humans are well aware that there is a rampant obesity epidemic among us. Obesity can lead to chronic and life-threatening illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, and bone problems. But recent statistics show that humans aren't the only species contending with a growing obesity epidemic -- it's gone to the dogs (and cats), too. According to recent data released by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, around 52.7% of dogs and 57.9% of cats are overweight or obese. Considering that more than 46 million households in America own dogs, and more than 38 million own cats, that's tens of millions of canines and felines. And while a pudgy purring pal may seem cute, the consequences of pet obesity are anything but. Common negative side effects of pet obesity i...
Get Off Your Hands and Knees and Let Someone, or Something, Clean for You
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Get Off Your Hands and Knees and Let Someone, or Something, Clean for You

UPDATED 1/11/21 Living in a clean home feels amazing and is great for your mental health. That said, not everyone has the time or ability to maintain their home in the state that they want it to be in. Fortunately, these people aren't doomed to a disorganized and unkempt home for the rest of their lives. A reliable and helpful good maid service could come in handy for them. A fast and easy cleaner can upgrade your life in ways that you didn't know were possible. You can find a good cleaning company online. Read the reviews left for their services to see if they're good. When you find one that seems genuine, you could ask to get a cleaning consultation. This will serve as a preview of the services that you'll get from them. If you're dissatisfied, make sure to let the professi...
World

How Does the Human Brain Keep the Body Hydrated? Researchers May Have Just Found Out

A new study from a research team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and Duke University has made a breakthrough discovery about how the brain detects and prevents dehydration. The study was published on Oct. 6 in the academic journal Cell Reports, and the major finding focused on the structure of a specific protein in the human brain that regulates hydration and temperature for the entire body. According to Tech Times and the Dispatch Tribunal, scientists previously had no clue how the brain managed to measure and control temperature throughout the body, thereby causing certain responses (like sweating or thirst) to regulate hydration and warmth. The research team stated that the discovery could yield important developments and treatments fo...
Hitler at Home: How Interior Design and Propaganda Sold a Monster
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Hitler at Home: How Interior Design and Propaganda Sold a Monster

About one in two Americans (47% to be exact) haven't updated their home's design in five years or more, and outside of guilty pleasure reality TV shows, most Americans think of interior design as a distraction, if they think of it at all. But a fascinating new book from a University of Buffalo author shows exactly how interior design was used to soften the image of the world's most notorious dictator, Adolf Hitler. Before Hitler was exposed as the war-mongering, genocidal egomaniac we all know and loathe today, he was the subject of often fawning profiles in the international press. Despina Stratigakos is an architectural historian and the interim chair of Architecture at the University at Buffalo; she recently wrote Hitler at Home, which details how interior design was incorporated into ...
NASA Wants To Turn Astronaut Poop Into Plastics for 3D Printers
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NASA Wants To Turn Astronaut Poop Into Plastics for 3D Printers

This summer, NASA awarded Clemson University researchers a three-year grant to study methods for transforming human waste into vitamins, plastics, and other useful materials for long-duration space flight. The South Carolina scientists will receive $200,000 per year for their research project, officially titled "Synthetic Biology for Recycling Human Waste into Food, Nutraceuticals, and Materials: Closing the Loop for Long-Term Space Travel." With the advanced alchemical process, the researchers say, they can use genetically engineered yeast to synthesize plastics from the waste. The plastics can then be used in 3D printing machines to make tools and parts on demand. NASA hopes the Clemson team can find new ways to recycle waste -- including carbon dioxide from human breathing, urine, and ...
Could This Little Plastic Cap Save Children From Drug Overdoses?
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Could This Little Plastic Cap Save Children From Drug Overdoses?

In 2013, investigative journalism outfit ProPublica reported on the crusade of Dr. Daniel Budnitz, who wanted to save children from fatal medication poisoning. Dr. Budnitz is a scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and he believed a new plastic closure called a flow restrictor could stop kids from accidentally swallowing toxic amounts of medications like acetaminophen. Budnitz isn't just a professional epidemiologist; he's also a father. When he discovered that 74,000 kids like his end up in the emergency room each year from such poisonings, he made it his personal mission to reduce such drug overdoses. Because even more troubling, ProPublica revealed internal documents from Food and Drug Administration scientists who had been advocating behind-the-scenes for the ...
2,200-Year-Old Abandoned Termite Mound Found In Africa
World

2,200-Year-Old Abandoned Termite Mound Found In Africa

A giant abandoned termite mound was found in the Miombo forest area, located in central Africa. Scientists have predicted that the termite mound may be over 2,200 years old, making it the oldest termite structure ever dated. Another nearby mound was studied to ensure that the mound was not classified as an anomaly. This mound is at least 750 years old. Both mounds were built by a termite species known as Macrotermes falciger. These termites are native to the Lubumbashi region of Upper Katanga, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as reported by BBC World. The age of this ancient mound suggests that termites use the same mound for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. New generations of termites continue to use these mounds even after the previous generation dies off. These mounds allow t...