| News Capsules - November-December - Page 2 |
Bright Lights Help
With Dementia
Brighter lights installed in nursing
homes by researchers appear to
have helped residents suffering
from dementia. The scientists
said the improvements were
modest, but the light appeared to
reduce cognitive declines and
symptoms of depression. They
also found that giving patients the
hormone melatonin helped
improve their sleep and mood.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(6/21/08)
Walking Fights
Alzheimer’s Disease
Older adults who take a brisk walk
just three times weekly can boost
their brainpower and reduce the
risk of memory-robbing illnesses
such as Alzheimer’s disease. This
is the conclusion of research
done by Australian scientists.
Participants randomly assigned to
an exercise group scored higher
on cognitive tests and had better
delayed recall than those in a
usual care group.—www.webmd.
com (9/2/08)
Saying No to Electronic
Voting Machines
Costly electronic voting machines
are being retired to warehouses
all across the country because of
doubts about their ability to
accurately count votes, avoid
breakdowns and resist hackers.
Some states are trying to sell
them on eBay or to third world
countries or even salvage them
for scrap. A few more are holding
on to them in hopes they could
one day be resurrected. In just
two years, the percentage of
voters relying on touchscreen
technology dropped from 44% to
36%.—(Racine) Journal Times
(8/20/08)
With Dementia
Brighter lights installed in nursing
homes by researchers appear to
have helped residents suffering
from dementia. The scientists
said the improvements were
modest, but the light appeared to
reduce cognitive declines and
symptoms of depression. They
also found that giving patients the
hormone melatonin helped
improve their sleep and mood.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(6/21/08)
Walking Fights
Alzheimer’s Disease
Older adults who take a brisk walk
just three times weekly can boost
their brainpower and reduce the
risk of memory-robbing illnesses
such as Alzheimer’s disease. This
is the conclusion of research
done by Australian scientists.
Participants randomly assigned to
an exercise group scored higher
on cognitive tests and had better
delayed recall than those in a
usual care group.—www.webmd.
com (9/2/08)
Saying No to Electronic
Voting Machines
Costly electronic voting machines
are being retired to warehouses
all across the country because of
doubts about their ability to
accurately count votes, avoid
breakdowns and resist hackers.
Some states are trying to sell
them on eBay or to third world
countries or even salvage them
for scrap. A few more are holding
on to them in hopes they could
one day be resurrected. In just
two years, the percentage of
voters relying on touchscreen
technology dropped from 44% to
36%.—(Racine) Journal Times
(8/20/08)
‘Dead’ Baby Now Alive
A female baby in Israel who was
born dead came to life while in a
hospital’s refrigerated unit. The
mother, 26-year-old Falza
Magdoub, had to deliver the baby
at only 23 weeks because of
internal bleeding, and doctors at
Western Galilee hospital
pronounced her child dead at
birth. The baby weighed less
than 1 and a half pounds. Her
body was placed in the
refrigerated unit for at least five
hours to preserve it until the
parents could take her for a
proper burial. When the parents
went to retrieve the body, they
noticed movement. Doctors
called the recovery a miracle
although the cooler’s low
temperature undoubtedly helped.
—OneNewsNow.com (8/23/08)
Waiting Times Grow
In Emergency Rooms
Average waiting time in a hospital’
s emergency room now has grown
to 56 minutes, recently released
federal statistics show. The
reason: there are more people
arriving at the ERs and fewer
ERs. There is a shortage of
specialists, and some patients go
to emergency rooms when they
have trouble getting appointments
with their doctors. The 56 minute
average is skewed though by
some very long waits. Half of all
people had waits of 31 minutes or
less.—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(8/7/08)
A female baby in Israel who was
born dead came to life while in a
hospital’s refrigerated unit. The
mother, 26-year-old Falza
Magdoub, had to deliver the baby
at only 23 weeks because of
internal bleeding, and doctors at
Western Galilee hospital
pronounced her child dead at
birth. The baby weighed less
than 1 and a half pounds. Her
body was placed in the
refrigerated unit for at least five
hours to preserve it until the
parents could take her for a
proper burial. When the parents
went to retrieve the body, they
noticed movement. Doctors
called the recovery a miracle
although the cooler’s low
temperature undoubtedly helped.
—OneNewsNow.com (8/23/08)
Waiting Times Grow
In Emergency Rooms
Average waiting time in a hospital’
s emergency room now has grown
to 56 minutes, recently released
federal statistics show. The
reason: there are more people
arriving at the ERs and fewer
ERs. There is a shortage of
specialists, and some patients go
to emergency rooms when they
have trouble getting appointments
with their doctors. The 56 minute
average is skewed though by
some very long waits. Half of all
people had waits of 31 minutes or
less.—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
(8/7/08)
Printer Needs No Ink
A new printing technology called
ZINK will allow printing without ink.
To print, a ZINK-enabled printer
will process special paper with
embedded cyan, yellow, and
magenta crystals. When
activated by the printer, the
crystals are colorized to produce
any of the different colors of the
palette and to create high-quality,
full-color digital prints. Although
the paper will be expensive, there
will be savings in not having to
buy ink or toner.—Smart
Computing (June, 2008)
Drugs Go Digital
A new worry for parents of
Internet-savvy teens: digital
drugs. Some Web sites are
offering audio files designed to
induce drug-like effects. All the
listener needs is a music player
and headphones. Called
“idozers” or “idosers”, the files
produce binaural beats, a
different sound in each ear which
combine to create a new
frequency. Since they allegedly
can affect brain waves, possible
effects range from relaxation to
druglike effects.—usatoday
(8/7/08)
A new printing technology called
ZINK will allow printing without ink.
To print, a ZINK-enabled printer
will process special paper with
embedded cyan, yellow, and
magenta crystals. When
activated by the printer, the
crystals are colorized to produce
any of the different colors of the
palette and to create high-quality,
full-color digital prints. Although
the paper will be expensive, there
will be savings in not having to
buy ink or toner.—Smart
Computing (June, 2008)
Drugs Go Digital
A new worry for parents of
Internet-savvy teens: digital
drugs. Some Web sites are
offering audio files designed to
induce drug-like effects. All the
listener needs is a music player
and headphones. Called
“idozers” or “idosers”, the files
produce binaural beats, a
different sound in each ear which
combine to create a new
frequency. Since they allegedly
can affect brain waves, possible
effects range from relaxation to
druglike effects.—usatoday
(8/7/08)
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