Health and Fitness

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that some nerve cells in a sleep-deprived yet awake brain can briefly go ‘off-line’ into a sleep-like state, while the rest of the brain appears awake, leading to mistakes.

Even before you feel fatigued, there are signs in the brain that you should stop certain activities that may require alertness, said Chiara Cirelli, professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine and Public Health.

Specific groups of neurons may be falling asleep, with negative consequences on performance,” added Cirelli.

Until now, scientists thought that sleep deprivation generally affected the entire brain. Elect

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You know what’s unfair? The more fit you are, the faster you can lose that fitness. In just three weeks, you could lose 5-10% of your aerobic power and/or endurance; however your strength may stick around a little longer because of muscle memory. If you decide to take a full week off for vacation, or longer, you may find yourself having to build up your endurance all over again.

There are many ways to avoid losing what you have worked for while you are on vacation. Many vacations include physical activities such as swimming, hiking, or walking. If you can take a run along the beach, do so; maybe even try to run barefoot to enjoy a more challenging workout. Y

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A wireless expert has revealed how iPads and iPhones design choice and regulation can affect the privacy and speech rights of users.

Stephen B. Wicker, Cornell professor of electrical and computer engineering, said that by using the wireless information networks the users are actually selling their privacy.

“Cellular convergence and the ubiquity and power of the cellular platform have led to major changes in personal and social dynamics, political action, and economics,” he said.

Wicker said it is vitally important to recognize that cellular telephony is a surveillance technology, and that unless we openly discuss this surveillance capability and craft appropriate legal and technological limits to that capability, we may lose some or all of the social benefits of this technology, as well as a significant piece of ourselves.

“Most people don’t understand that we’re selling our privacy to have these devices,” he said.

“The data that is collected by service providers and third parties can be used for direct marketing. Direct market

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Here’s bad news for those who sit in front of a computer all day at work.

A new study has suggested that spending 10 years or more in a desk job almost doubles the risk of bowel cancer, even if you regularly keep fit or go to the gym.

The findings highlight the dangers of modern working patterns, where large numbers of employees are desk bound for hours at a time, reports the Daily Mail.

The research also backs up earlier studies which showed men who sit down most of the day at their jobs are 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than those with very active occupations.

Diets high in fat and red meat, as well as lack of exercise, are thought to be among the main risk factors.

But the latest study, by a team of experts at the University of Western Australia, show long periods of physical inactivity during the day could also be a major risk.

The researchers spoke to 918 bowel cancer victims and compared their working patterns with 1,021 cancer-free volunteers.

They were quizzed on their job history, lifestyles and levels of physical activity.

The results showed employees who spent more than a decade in sedentary jobs were 94 percent more likely to suffer a tumour in an area of the bowel known as the distal colon.

This is a large part of the bowel which connects up with the rectum. R

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