Scan Web Pages 60% Faster

Scan Web Pages 60% Faster

Researchers from Aalto University have developed a new technique that speeds up scanning web pages by as much as 60%.

The new technique, named “Spotlights” by the team consisting of Byungjoo Lee along with Olli Savisaari and Antti Oulasvirta, highlights important information during scrolling.

“The new technique locates on each web page, whether it is a pdf document, video or web document, the visually important elements and presents them using a transparent layer than appears on top of the text. The elements can be, for example, pictures, tables or headlines. It chooses what you should focus and allows you enough time to do that,” Dr. Lee stated.

You can view a demo of Spotlights here:

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The X-Cure-Sci-Fi Thriller              Anatomy and Physiology EBook

Reference:

Aalto University. “New scrolling technique accelerates skim reading.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 March 2016.

Is Text Dying? Using Multimedia in Learning

Is Text Dying? Using Multimedia in Learning

I am a big fan of using multimodal communication in my anatomy and physiology courses. These include audio, videos and images in addition to text. My hope is these various modes of communication will facilitate learning better than using one mode.

Research from North Carolina University supports the importance of multimodal communication in learning. Researchers surveyed faculty members with regard to the types of communication used in courses. What they found was that over half of the respondents used multimodal communication with nearly 90% of science faculty doing so as well.

The study underlines the importance and growth of using multimedia in learning. Education continues to move away from text-based learning. I know I will continue to produce videos and other digital media for my students.

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The X-Cure-Sci-Fi Thriller              Anatomy and Physiology EBook

Reference:

North Carolina State University. “Study highlights importance of multimodal communication in higher education.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 March

Image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piecharts.svg

Higher Rates of Depression Associated with Social Media

Higher Rates of Depression Associated With Social Media

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences have shown that increased use of social media increases the likelihood of depression in teens.

Surveys were given to 1,787 U.S. adults ranging from age 19 – 22. The surveys examined social media use along with a clinical depression assessment. The survey questions asked about the most popular social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn.

The results indicated that participants who checked social media the most were 2.7 times more likely to suffer from depression. Also, those who spent the most time on social media were 1.7 times more likely to develop depression.

The possibilities for the results may indicate that people who are already depressed spend more time on social media, or, social media may cause depression.

The study is important to clinicians who treat depression in that determining social media access may be an important factor in depression.

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The X-Cure-Sci-Fi Thriller              Anatomy and Physiology EBook

Reference:

Liu yi Lin, Jaime E. Sidani, Ariel Shensa, Ana Radovic, Elizabeth Miller, Jason B. Colditz, Beth L. Hoffman, Leila M. Giles, Brian A. Primack. ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND DEPRESSION AMONG U.S. YOUNG ADULTS. Depression and Anxiety, 2016; DOI: 10.1002/da.22466

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The Data is in: Blonds are not Dumb

The Data is in: Blonds are not Dumb!

Research conducted at Ohio State University has shown that Blond females are just as smart as females with other hair colors.

Researchers studied the IQs of 10,878 females and found that blond-haired white females had an average IQ of 103.2. Brown-haired white females had an average IQ of 101.2 and red-haired white females averaged 100.5. Even though blonds averaged a higher IQ, the scores were not statistically significant.

Studies of blond-haired white males also showed no significant difference in IQ.

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The X-Cure-Sci-Fi Thriller              Anatomy and Physiology EBook

Creativity Increases with Brain Zapping

Creativity Increases with Brain Zapping

Want to be more creative? Perhaps zapping your brain with electricity might help. A study conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center and published in Cerbral Cortex indicated that mild electrical stimulation of certain brain centers may increase creativity.

Researchers used Transcranial Direct Current stimulation targeted at the frontopolar cortex, an area that has been associated with creativity. Subjects receiving the stimulation scored higher on tasks of creativity.

The researchers warned that any attempts to stimulate your brain outside of a controlled laboratory is extremely dangerous.

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The X-Cure-Sci-Fi Thriller              Anatomy and Physiology EBook

Cyclodextrin May Reduce Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis

Cyclodextrin May Reduce Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis

A study conducted at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology may offer a new solution for reducing cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaquing in arteries.

Researchers tested cyclodextrin on mice who were fed high cholesterol diets and on humans. They found that cyclodextrin prevented plaque formation in mice. The researchers also examined human plaque biopsies and found that in those treated with cyclodextrin cholesterol had been removed from the plaques and there was reduced inflammation. The scientists concluded that cyclodextrin may be a future important alternative to statin medication.

Cyclodextrin has been approved for human use by the FDA and is available in some nutritional products.

Reference:

Zimmer, A. Grebe, S. S. Bakke, N. Bode, B. Halvorsen, T. Ulas, M. Skjelland, D. De Nardo, L. I. Labzin, A. Kerksiek, C. Hempel, M. T. Heneka, V. Hawxhurst, M. L. Fitzgerald, J. Trebicka, I. Bjorkhem, J.-A. Gustafsson, M. Westerterp, A. R. Tall, S. D. Wright, T. Espevik, J. L. Schultze, G. Nickenig, D. Lutjohann, E. Latz. Cyclodextrin promotes atherosclerosis regression via macrophage reprogramming. Science Translational Medicine, 2016; 8 (333): 333ra50 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aad6100

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Want to Influence People? Lower Your Voice

Want to Influence People? Lower Your Voice

Early on in my medical training I was told to communicate with authority because patients would lose confidence in someone who spoke with less confidence. Now, research lends some support to this concept.

Research conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign showed that lowering the pitch of your voice within the first few words of an interaction increases dominance and influence.

Researchers also found that those who were seen as dominant were not considered more esteemed, admirable or prestigious. It only seemed that dominance was related to the lowered pitch.

Lead researcher, Joey Chen said, “What’s really fascinating about status is that regardless of which groups you look at and what culture and in what context, what inevitably happens is that people divide themselves into leaders and followers, and there’s a hierarchy that’s involved.”

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The X-Cure-Sci-Fi Thriller              Anatomy and Physiology EBook