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Regular daytime naps could be good for brain health, new research suggests. Daytime napping could slow the rate at which brains shrink as we age, the study led by researchers at UCL and the University of the Republic in Uruguay found. The researchers hope their findings into the health benefits of sleeping during the day will reduce any stigma that still exists around daytime napping. The study suggests the average difference in brain volume between people programmed to be habitual nappers and those who were not was equivalent to 2.6 to 6.5 years of ageing. Our findings suggest that, for some people, short daytime naps may be a part of the puzzle that could help preserve the health of the brain as we get older Dr Victoria Garfield, UCL Senior author Dr Victoria Garfield, MRC Unit for Lifelong Health & Ageing at UCL, said: “Our findings suggest that, for some people, short daytime naps may be a part of the puzzle that could help preserve the health of the brain as we get older.” The study, published in the journal Sleep Health, analysed data from people aged 40 to 69. Past research has suggested people who have had a short nap perform better in cognitive tests in the hours afterwards than those who did not nap. The new study looked at whether there was a causal relationship between daytime napping and brain health. Researchers looked at 97 snippets of DNA thought to determine people’s likelihood of habitual napping. They compared measures of brain health and cognition of people who are more genetically programmed to nap with people who did not have these changes in DNA, using data from 378,932 people from the UK Biobank study. They found that, overall, people predetermined to nap had a larger total brain volume. The genetic variants – DNA changes – influencing the likelihood of someone to nap were identified in an earlier study looking at data from 452,633 UK Biobank participants. But the researchers did not find a difference in how well those programmed to be habitual nappers performed on three other measures of brain health and cognitive function. Lead author and PhD candidate Valentina Paz, University of the Republic (Uruguay) and MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, said: “This is the first study to attempt to untangle the causal relationship between habitual daytime napping and cognitive and structural brain outcomes. “By looking at genes set at birth, Mendelian randomisation avoids confounding factors occurring throughout life that may influence associations between napping and health outcomes. “Our study points to a causal link between habitual napping and larger total brain volume.” Dr Garfield added: “I hope studies such as this one showing the health benefits of short naps can help to reduce any stigma that still exists around daytime napping.” Read More Dramatic rise in the number of women freezing their eggs Paramedics who found ‘poisoned’ couple dead in Mexico hotel room also fell ill Bruce Willis’ family honours him with first Father’s Day tributes since announcing his dementia diagnosis Richard Ford on Frank Bascombe, getting older and literary feuds: ‘At my age I can’t get into fistfights’ Families’ ‘disappointment’ as Croydon tram disaster driver cleared

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A New York architect accused of murdering three women and dumping their bodies near Gilgo Beach on Long Island allegedly made “taunting” calls to a relative of one of his victims, prosecutors say. Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested on Thursday and charged with six counts of murder in connection with three of 11 unsolved killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders. Suffolk County district attorney Raymond Tierney wrote in a court filing that the sister of victim Melissa Barthelemy received “taunting calls” near to Mr Heuermann’s office in Midtown Manhattan after her disappearance in July 2009. Mr Heuerman also used the phones of Barthelemy and another victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes to check their voicemails after they disappeared, the district attorney wrote while requesting the suspect be held without bail. Mr Heuerman has been charged with first and second-degree murders of sex workers Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Costello, 27, and is considered a “prime suspect” in the murder of Brainard-Barnes, 25. Mr Tierney added that investigators found “no instance” where Mr Heuermann was in a different location from where the womens’ cellphones had been used. During a court appearance on Friday, Mr Heuermann pleaded not guilty to all charges. The bail application detailed disturbing internet search records traced to one of Mr Heuerman’s burner cellphones for “sadistic, torture-related pornography” and child pornography. Investigators say Mr Heuermann also looked up images of the victims and their relatives, and conducted “counter-surveillance” on the criminal investigation on his burner phone. The searches included “why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer”, and “why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught”. Mr Heuermann allegedly created an email account under the fictitious name Thomas Hawk, and used it to “repeatedly view hundreds of images depicting the murdered victims and members of their immediate families”. He also used the account to search for podcasts and documentaries about this investigation. Mr Heumann was observed by law enforcement purchasing credit for one of the burners at a cell phone store in Midtown. He used the phones to solicit the services of sex workers and create fake Tinder profiles, authorities say. Law enforcement first identified Mr Heuermann as a suspect in March after his Chevrolet Avalanche was linked to a witness sighting during Costello’s disappearance. Subpoenas and search warrants uncovered records of burner cellphones used to arrange meetings with three of the four victims before they went missing. District Attorney Tierney said the weight of evidence against Mr Heuermann meant that the “only means to ensure (his) return to court is to remand him without bail”. Mr Heuermann, a married father of two, lives in Massapequa Park, near where the victims disappeared from. Read More Rex Heuermann charged with three Gilgo Beach murders as burner phones and truck tie him to serial killings Gilgo Beach murders – live: Long Island serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann charged with killing three Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann?

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