Tag: Health

Politics is making us sick: The negative impact of political engagement on public health during the Trump administration

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Author: Smith, Kevin B. Description: Objectives: To quantify the effect of politics on the physical, psychological, and social health of American adults during the four-year span of the Trump administration. Methods: A previously validated politics and health scale was used to compare health markers in nationally representative surveys administered to separate samples in March 2017 (N = 800) and October 2020 (N = 700). Participants in the 2020 survey were re-sampled approximately two weeks after the 2020 election and health markers were compared to their pre-election baselines. Results: Large numbers…

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Mercury pollution sources and cycle

Mercury as a global pollutant: sources, pathways, and effects

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Author: Driscoll, Charles T.; Mason, Robert P.; Chan, Hing Man; Jacob, Daniel J.; Pirrone, Nicola Description: Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that affects human and ecosystem health. We synthesize understanding of sources, atmosphere-land-ocean Hg dynamics and health effects, and consider the implications of Hg-control policies. Primary anthropogenic Hg emissions greatly exceed natural geogenic sources, resulting in increases in Hg reservoirs and subsequent secondary Hg emissions that facilitate its global distribution. The ultimate fate of emitted Hg is primarily recalcitrant soil pools and deep ocean waters and sediments. Transfers of…

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Ways to play with cats (in this study)

Effects of the characteristic temperament of cats on the emotions and hemodynamic responses of humans

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Author: Nagasawa, Takumi; Ohta, Mitsuaki; Uchiyama, Hidehiko Description: Cats positive effects on their owners’ physiological and psychological health, including improved mood and activation of the human prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus in the brain. However, the association between the health benefits provided by cat ownership and the characteristic behaviors and reactions of cats is unclear. We recruited 29 participants to measure human prefrontal cortex activity, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, during interactions with a cat. After the experiments, participants subjectively responded to a questionnaire regarding success rates for interactions with…

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Cat-human activities related to human well-being

Cat-human related activities associated with human well-being

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Author: Ravenscroft, Samantha J.; Barcelos, Ana Maria; Mills, Daniel S. Description: Besides inconsistent evidence relating to the mental health benefits of pet ownership, there is a specific lack of data in relation to cat ownership. Research in this field frequently fails to consider the effect of specific cat-human relationships or activities that might impact owner well-being. This study aimed to identify and address this gap by examining the activities associated with owning a cat that were perceived by owners to impact on their well-being. Twenty cat owners (18 to 74…

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Cat attachment and effect on human health

Does cat attachment have an effect on human health? A comparison between owners and volunteers

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Author: Dinis, Filipa A. B. S. G.; Martins, Thais Lima Fernandes Description: Cat owners and volunteers from a rehoming centre were given the Lexington Attachment to Pet Scale (LAPS) questionnaire to assess their level of attachment to their own or rescue cats. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure were measured 10 minutes before, during, and after spending time with the cats. Consistent with other studies, the results here show that spending time with a cat can reduce heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that this…

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The Presence of Bacteriophages in the Human Body: Good, Bad or Neutral?

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Author: Lusiak-Szelachowska, Marzanna; Weber-Dabrowska, Beata; Zaczek, Maciej; Borysowski, Jan; Gorrski, Andrzej Description: The presence of bacteriophages (phages) in the human body may impact bacterial microbiota and modulate immunity. The role of phages in human microbiome studies and diseases is poorly understood. However, the correlation between a greater abundance of phages in the gut in ulcerative colitis and diabetes has been suggested. Furthermore, most phages found at different sites in the human body are temperate, so their therapeutic effects and their potential beneficial effects remain unclear. Hence, far, no correlation has…

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All cause and cause specific mortality in obsessive-compulsive disorder: nationwide matched cohort and sibling cohort study

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Author: Fernandez de la Cruz, Lorena; Isomura, Kayoko; Lichtenstein, Paul; Larsson, Henrik; Kuja-Halkola, Ralf; Chang, Zheng; D’Onofrio, Brian M.; Brikell, Isabell; Ruck, Christian; Sidorchuk, Anna; Mataix-Cols, David Description: OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of all cause and cause specific mortality in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) compared with matched unaffected people from the general population and with their unaffected siblings. DESIGN: Population based matched cohort and sibling cohort study. SETTING: Register linkage in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: Population based cohort including 61 378 people with OCD and 613 780 unaffected people matched (1:10) on…

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Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life

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Author: Emmons, Robert A.; McCullough, Michael E. Description: The effect of a grateful outlook on psychological and physical well-being was examined. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions (hassles, gratitude listing, and either neutral life events or social comparison); they then kept weekly (Study 1) or daily (Study 2) records of their moods, coping behaviors, health behaviors, physical symptoms, and overall life appraisals. In a 3rd study, persons with neuromuscular disease were randomly assigned to either the gratitude condition or to a…

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Gratitude as a Human Strength: Appraising the Evidence

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Author: Emmons, Robert A.; Crumpler, Cheryl A. Description: Gratitude is an emotional state and an attitude toward life that is a source of human strength in enhancing one’s personal and relational well-being. In this article, we first explore the theological origins of gratitude as a virtue to be cultivated in the major monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each tradition emphasizes the development of gratitude as a path to a good life, and prescribes approaches for practicing. Gratitude is explored further in the context of psychological theory and research….

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Application of WWTP biosolids and resulting perfluorinated compound contamination of surface and well water in Decatur, Alabama, USA

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Author: Lindstrom, Andrew B.; Strynar, Mark J.; Delinsky, Amy D.; Nakayama, Shoji F.; McMillan, Larry; Libelo, E. Laurence; Neill, Michael; Thomas, Lee Description: Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been produced and used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products for many decades. Their resistance to degradation has led to their widespread distribution in the environment, but little is known about how humans become exposed. Recent studies have demonstrated that the application of PFC contaminated biosolids can have important effects on…

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