Showing posts with label
University of Southern California.
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Showing posts with label
University of Southern California.
Show all posts
Older people in ancient Greece and Rome may not have experienced severe memory problems like many who are aging today.
Researchers in California have combed through a slew of classical texts on human health written between the 8th century BCE and 3rd century CE, and found surprisingly few references to cognitive impairment in older folk.
According to Caleb Finch, who studies the mechanisms of aging at the University of Southern California, and historian Stanley Burstein from California State University, severe memory loss may have been an extremely rare outcome of growing old more than 2,000 years ago. READ MORE...
Research demonstrated that what older adults do when they are sitting influences their risk of dementia.
According to a recent study by the University of Southern California and University of Arizona researchers, those 60 and older who spend a lot of time watching TV or partaking in other passive, sedentary behaviors may be more likely to develop dementia.
Additionally, their research demonstrated that the risk is reduced for those who engage in activities while seated, such as reading or using a computer.
The study was published recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It also revealed that even among those who engaged in physical activity, the connection between sedentary behavior and the risk of dementia persisted.
“It isn’t the time spent sitting, per se, but the type of sedentary activity performed during leisure time that impacts dementia risk,” said study author David Raichlen, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
“We know from past studies that watching TV involves low levels of muscle activity and energy use compared with using a computer or reading,” he said. “And while research has shown that uninterrupted sitting for long periods is linked with reduced blood flow in the brain, the relatively greater intellectual stimulation that occurs during computer use may counteract the negative effects of sitting.” READ MORE...
Scientists identify a six-year cycle of super- and sub-rotation that affected the length of a day based on their analysis of seismic data.
Earth’s structure is divided into layers, with the inner core at the center followed by the outer core, lower mantle, upper mantle, crust, and atmosphere. The inner core is the hottest part of the planet at about 10,000 °F (5400 °C), which is similar to the temperature of the surface of the sun!
Believed to consist mostly of an iron-nickel alloy, the inner core is mainly a solid ball with a radius of about 760 miles (1,220 km). It rotates slightly faster than the planet as a whole, which is called super-rotation.
University of Southern California (USC) scientists have found evidence that the Earth’s inner core oscillates, contradicting previously accepted models that suggested it consistently rotates at a faster rate than the planet’s surface.
Their study, published today (June 10, 2022) in the journal Science Advances, shows that the inner core changed direction in the six-year period from 1969-74, according to the analysis of seismic data. The scientists say their model of inner core movement also explains the variation in the length of a day, which has been shown to oscillate persistently for the past several decades. READ MORE...
