After Weaponizing Immigrants, Europe’s East Finds It Needs Them
The neat two-story rows of white containers stretch right up to the towering cranes of the vast construction
2023-08-23 12:50
Ship from Ukraine port nears Turkey despite Russian blockade
A civilian cargo vessel sailing from Ukraine in defiance of a Russian blockage was hugging the coast of Bulgaria on Thursday on its way to...
2023-08-17 19:21
J.P.Morgan sees "challenging" backdrop for stocks in first half of 2024
J.P.Morgan expects economic uncertainty clouding the outlook for risky assets in the first half of next year as
2023-11-29 16:51
Regular daytime naps could be good for the brain, study shows
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
2023-06-20 12:19
Cam Thomas scores 33, Nets use big 1st quarter to beat Hornets 133-121 for 1st win
Cam Thomas scored 33 points, and the Brooklyn Nets built a 21-point, first-quarter lead and held on to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 133-121 for their first win of the season
2023-10-31 09:59
No stars? Comic-Con returns to roots as Hollywood strikes
Comic books, video games and colorful "cosplay" outfits took center stage at Comic-Con as the giant pop culture event kicked off Thursday without its usual A-list...
2023-07-21 08:23
Ukraine says gains made amid intense fighting in east despite Russia’s aerial dominance
Ukrainian forces have advanced in the eastern part of the war-hit nation where officials said Vladimir Putin has deployed over 110,000 troops, but Kyiv officials reported pressure further north. The intensity of assaults have increased in the Lyman-Kupiansk sector, Ilia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern group of forces, said. Mr Yevlash called the two towns the “most difficult area” as Russian forces use both ground and air forces. Russian forces are actively using fighter jets, Su-35 and Su-25, and helicopters Ka-52 and Mi-8 in the region, he said. They were backed by Su-35 attack aircraft and started attacking along the frontline in the direction of Makiivka in the Luhansk region. Lyman and Kupiansk towns in Kharkiv oblast were recaptured by Ukrainian troops late last year and have witnessed continuous Russian assaults since then. “The enemy has chosen a new point – Makiivka – and is directing all its main efforts into this direction. Of course, we are also repulsing enemy attacks and inflicting damage on forces and equipment," Mr Yevlash said in a daily update. Kyiv’s battle to regain ground near the ghost city of Bakhmut, which has been reduced to rubble in a warfare lasting over a year, is also continuing in the eastern theatre. Two main theatres of war – in southern Ukraine and eastern Ukraine – have cropped up during Kyiv’s four-month old counteroffensive to push back Russian forces off its soil. In its evening report, the general staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces claimed Kyiv’s troops had "achieved success" south of Andriivka. The village south of Bakhmut was captured by Ukrainian troops last month in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian general staff said its forces were pressing on with their southward advance in the Zaporizhzhia region and had repelled a Russian attack near the village of Robotyne. The report said Russian forces had unsuccessfully tried to regain lost positions in an area further south. This was further corroborated by Russian accounts of the fighting which said Moscow’s forces had repelled two Ukrainian attacks west of the Russian-held city of Donetsk. In the southern theatre, Kyiv’s forces are pushing toward the Sea of Azov in an attempt to split Russian-occupied territory in two. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Deadly Russian attack on memorial service was no blind strike, says Zelensky Putin says Wagner chief Prigozhin’s plane blown up by hand grenades on board Putin deliberately attacked Ukrainian civilians in Kharkiv missile strike, says Zelensky A look at Russia's deadliest missile attacks on Ukraine White House condemns ‘horrifying’ Russian attack on grocery store in Ukraine
2023-10-06 15:19
Amy Yang takes the Meijer LPGA Classic lead with her third straight 67
Amy Yang birdied all five par 5s at Blythefield and shot her third straight 5-under 67 to take the third-round lead Saturday in the Meijer LPGA Classic
2023-06-18 07:16
Costantino Rocca's win over Tiger Woods nearly 30 years ago paved the way for this Ryder Cup in Rome
It’s been nearly three decades since Costantino Rocca put Italian golf on the map and it’s hard to imagine the Ryder Cup being held near Rome this week would have happened without him
2023-09-28 21:46
Ron DeSantis' Phone Goes Off During Event: 'I Don't Know Why Anyone Is Calling Me, They Know I'm Here'
VIDEO: Ron DeSantis interrupts own event after forgetting to silence cell phone.
2023-08-11 02:24
How did Phyllis Coates die? Actress known for her role as Lois Lane in 'Adventures of Superman' was 96
Phyllis Coates was the only surviving actor from the series at the time of her death
2023-10-13 04:45
Biden and Jill Biden hand out books and candy while hosting thousands for rainy trick or treating
Books were about as abundant as candy at a trick-or-treating event that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted at the White House on the eve of Halloween
2023-10-31 07:26
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