The length of index and ring fingers could predict how well your children will do in mathematics and literacy if he or she is seven years old, shows a new study.
Specifically, boys whose index fingers were short compared with their ring fingers may excel at numbers and girls with index and ring fingers of similar length also may do better, the research indicates.
Scientists led by Dr Mark Brosnan, Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, compared the finger lengths of 75 children with their Standardized Assessment Test (SAT) scores.
In the study that will be published in the British Journal of Psychology they found a clear link between a child's performance in numeracy and literacy tests and the relative lengths of their index (pointing) and ring fingers.
Scientists believe that the link is caused by different levels of the testosterone and oestrogen hormones in the womb and the effect they have on both brain development and finger length.
Testosterone has been argued to promote development of the areas of the brain which are often associated with spatial and mathematical skills,' Brosnan, said.
Oestrogen is thought to do the same in the areas of the brain, which are often associated with verbal ability and interestingly, these hormones also have a say in the relative lengths of our index and ring fingers,' he added.
The researchers made photocopies of the palm of the children's hands and then measured the length of their index finger and ring finger on both hands using calipers, a measuring instrument accurate to 0.01mm.
They then divided the length of the index finger by that of the ring finger - to calculate the child's digit ratio.
When they compared this ratio to the children's SAT scores, they found that a smaller ratio (i.e. a longer ring finger and therefore greater prenatal exposure to testosterone) meant a larger difference between ability in maths and literacy, favouring numeracy relative to literacy.
The scientists also looked at the boys' and girls' performance separately and found a clear link between high prenatal testosterone exposure, as measured by digit ratio, and higher numeracy SAT scores in males.
They also found a link between low prenatal testosterone exposure, which resulted in a shorter ring finger compared with the index finger, and higher literacy SAT scores for girls, according to health portal Medical News Today.
The scientists suggest that measurements of finger length could help predict how well children will do in mathematics and literacy.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Cool your brain with a yawn
Latest research shows that yawning helps in keeping the brain cool, contradicting the popular belief that yawning promotes sleep and is a sign of tiredness.
Yawning involves opening the mouth involuntarily while taking a long, deep breath of air. It is commonly believed that people yawn as a result of drowsiness or weariness because they need oxygen.
However, researchers at the University of Albany in New York said their experiments on 44 students showed that drawing in air helps cool the brain and helps it work more effectively.
They said that their experiments showed that raising or lowering oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood did not produce that reaction.
Study participants were shown videos of people laughing, being neutral and yawning, and researchers counted how many times the volunteers responded to their own 'contagious yawns,' reported the online edition of BBC News.
The researchers found that those who breathed through the nose rather than the mouth were less likely to yawn when watching a video of other people yawning. This was because vessels in the nasal cavity sent cool blood to the brain.
The same effect was found among those who held a cool pack to their forehead, whereas those who held a warm or room-temperature pack yawned while watching the video.
'Since yawning occurs when brain temperature rises, sending cool blood to the brain serves to maintain optimal levels of mental efficiency,' the authors wrote in the journal Evolutionary Psychology.
Yawning involves opening the mouth involuntarily while taking a long, deep breath of air. It is commonly believed that people yawn as a result of drowsiness or weariness because they need oxygen.
However, researchers at the University of Albany in New York said their experiments on 44 students showed that drawing in air helps cool the brain and helps it work more effectively.
They said that their experiments showed that raising or lowering oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood did not produce that reaction.
Study participants were shown videos of people laughing, being neutral and yawning, and researchers counted how many times the volunteers responded to their own 'contagious yawns,' reported the online edition of BBC News.
The researchers found that those who breathed through the nose rather than the mouth were less likely to yawn when watching a video of other people yawning. This was because vessels in the nasal cavity sent cool blood to the brain.
The same effect was found among those who held a cool pack to their forehead, whereas those who held a warm or room-temperature pack yawned while watching the video.
'Since yawning occurs when brain temperature rises, sending cool blood to the brain serves to maintain optimal levels of mental efficiency,' the authors wrote in the journal Evolutionary Psychology.
Lipstick may cause breast cancer
Beware of using lipsticks! You might end up getting breast cancer, warn scientists in the US who say chemicals in lipsticks and nail varnish might interfere with the healthy development of breast tissues leading to cancer.
Before reaching the conclusion, scientists fed lactating rats with the chemical butyl benzyl phthalate or BBP found in lipstick and nail varnish, which was then absorbed by their offspring via breast milk.
The chemical altered the genetic make-up of cells in the young female rats' mammary glands, the organs that produce milk, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.
Although the effects wore off once BBP was removed from the diet, the subtle changes could have an effect later in life, the scientists say.
The man made substance is a part of the phthalate family of chemicals widely used to soften plastics and are found in food packaging, toys, carpets and solvents. Past studies have linked them with birth defects, kidney problems and infertility.
We are the first to report that neonatal/pre-pubertal exposure to BBP induced modifications in the gene expression of the mammary tissue,' said team leader Jose Russo at the Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia.
BBP is in the environment, so a constant exposure via inhalation and digestive tract can reach many different organs, including the breast, the researchers reported in the online journal BMC Genomics.
This is an indication that the same could happen in humans. Even if an individual is exposed to it in the beginning of life, BBP can cause alterations later in life.'
In this direction, we are evaluating if the exposure of this compound in young girls is associated with early puberty and breast development,' Russo said.
The researchers, however, said more studies were needed to determine if the chemical did actually increase the risk of breast cancer in rats.
Before reaching the conclusion, scientists fed lactating rats with the chemical butyl benzyl phthalate or BBP found in lipstick and nail varnish, which was then absorbed by their offspring via breast milk.
The chemical altered the genetic make-up of cells in the young female rats' mammary glands, the organs that produce milk, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.
Although the effects wore off once BBP was removed from the diet, the subtle changes could have an effect later in life, the scientists say.
The man made substance is a part of the phthalate family of chemicals widely used to soften plastics and are found in food packaging, toys, carpets and solvents. Past studies have linked them with birth defects, kidney problems and infertility.
We are the first to report that neonatal/pre-pubertal exposure to BBP induced modifications in the gene expression of the mammary tissue,' said team leader Jose Russo at the Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia.
BBP is in the environment, so a constant exposure via inhalation and digestive tract can reach many different organs, including the breast, the researchers reported in the online journal BMC Genomics.
This is an indication that the same could happen in humans. Even if an individual is exposed to it in the beginning of life, BBP can cause alterations later in life.'
In this direction, we are evaluating if the exposure of this compound in young girls is associated with early puberty and breast development,' Russo said.
The researchers, however, said more studies were needed to determine if the chemical did actually increase the risk of breast cancer in rats.
Eating chocolate daily could weaken your bones
Women who eat chocolate daily may end up with weaker bones and could be more prone to fracture, a new study in Australia suggests.
Cocoa used in chocolate has been known to provide a range of health benefits including benefits to the heart.
But after monitoring the amount of chocolate eaten over several weeks by 1,001 women aged between 70 and 85, scientists said that women who ate chocolate every day were found to have lower bone density than those who ate it less than once a week.
The low bone density was found in the hips, neck, tibia and heel bones of the women surveyed, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.
The researchers led by Jonathan Hodgson at the University of Western Australia believe that the findings may be because chocolate contains oxalate, a poisonous acid, which can reduce the calcium absorption and sugar, linked to calcium excretion.
Calcium is vital for maintaining healthy bones. The findings of the latest study appeared in the latest issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition less than a month after British medical journal The Lancet warned against considering chocolate as a healthy food.
The Lancet article said consumers were generally unaware that chocolate manufacturers often remove a healthy element called the flavanols, an antioxidant, because of their bitter taste.
Cocoa used in chocolate has been known to provide a range of health benefits including benefits to the heart.
But after monitoring the amount of chocolate eaten over several weeks by 1,001 women aged between 70 and 85, scientists said that women who ate chocolate every day were found to have lower bone density than those who ate it less than once a week.
The low bone density was found in the hips, neck, tibia and heel bones of the women surveyed, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.
The researchers led by Jonathan Hodgson at the University of Western Australia believe that the findings may be because chocolate contains oxalate, a poisonous acid, which can reduce the calcium absorption and sugar, linked to calcium excretion.
Calcium is vital for maintaining healthy bones. The findings of the latest study appeared in the latest issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition less than a month after British medical journal The Lancet warned against considering chocolate as a healthy food.
The Lancet article said consumers were generally unaware that chocolate manufacturers often remove a healthy element called the flavanols, an antioxidant, because of their bitter taste.
Eat non-veg food to reduce heart attack risk
Vegetarians think again!
Eat fish, meat, and chicken regularly to substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke, finds a new survey conducted by Delhi doctors.
Those who eat vegetarian food face a deficiency of Vitamin B12 and this is one of the reason behind cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, this vitamin is available in plenty in non-vegetarian food,' said Dr Arun Garg, a senior doctor at the Max Hospital here.
Dr Garg, the lead researcher of the study told IANS that he has observed the trend in nearly 5,000 patients over the last five years. He said vitamin B12 deficiency increases the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid.
"Even those who consume non-vegetarian food occasionally are not protected. The risk in vegetarians is four times higher than in non-vegetarians," the study revealed.
The study found that if the body poses a higher level of homocysteine, it increases the chances of blood clotting, which squeezes the blood vessels. Thus it decreases the flow of blood supply to the brain and causes stroke.
"This is known as ischemic stroke. It can cause significant disability in the form of paralysis, loss of speech, loss of vision, unsteadiness, double vision or even loss of consciousness. If blood supply to a major part of brain is compromised, it can cause early death," the study added.
The doctors said that for the last five years, 4,680 Out Patient Department (OPD) patients were screened at two Max hospitals in Delhi for vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels. It was found that 60 percent patients had vitamin B12 levels below the desired level. And out of these, a majority are vegetarian.
I am not advocating non-veg food but this is our finding. Those who are vegetarian should take vitamin B12 supplements,' Dr Garg told IANS.
Eat fish, meat, and chicken regularly to substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke, finds a new survey conducted by Delhi doctors.
Those who eat vegetarian food face a deficiency of Vitamin B12 and this is one of the reason behind cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, this vitamin is available in plenty in non-vegetarian food,' said Dr Arun Garg, a senior doctor at the Max Hospital here.
Dr Garg, the lead researcher of the study told IANS that he has observed the trend in nearly 5,000 patients over the last five years. He said vitamin B12 deficiency increases the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid.
"Even those who consume non-vegetarian food occasionally are not protected. The risk in vegetarians is four times higher than in non-vegetarians," the study revealed.
The study found that if the body poses a higher level of homocysteine, it increases the chances of blood clotting, which squeezes the blood vessels. Thus it decreases the flow of blood supply to the brain and causes stroke.
"This is known as ischemic stroke. It can cause significant disability in the form of paralysis, loss of speech, loss of vision, unsteadiness, double vision or even loss of consciousness. If blood supply to a major part of brain is compromised, it can cause early death," the study added.
The doctors said that for the last five years, 4,680 Out Patient Department (OPD) patients were screened at two Max hospitals in Delhi for vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels. It was found that 60 percent patients had vitamin B12 levels below the desired level. And out of these, a majority are vegetarian.
I am not advocating non-veg food but this is our finding. Those who are vegetarian should take vitamin B12 supplements,' Dr Garg told IANS.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
