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MENTAL EXERCISE You can think yourself fit, according to
research in Britain. By imagining a workout, complete with
aches, the brain can stimulate neural input to muscles,
improving tone half as much as real exercise.
THE KINDEST CUT Hernia repairs carried out using polypropylene
mesh have enabled the British Hernia Repair Center to reduce
average times for return to work, even for manual workers, from
months to an average of only nine days.
EAU DE VIE Researchers have found that exposing newborn babies
to the smell of their own amniotic fluid can significantly
reduce the distress of being separated from their mothers.
New Scientist; Journal of the American College of
Surgeons; Early Human Development
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HEARING LESS More than 7 million American children, nearly 15%
of 6 to 19-year-olds, are suffering from low- or high-frequency
hearing loss. For most children the disability is not severe and
in one ear only.
STUB IT OUT Women who smoke are 50% more likely to suffer heart
attacks than men, according to research in Denmark, which
suggests the vulnerability may be due to interactions between
female hormones and tobacco chemicals.
FASTER THAN YOU THINK Drivers are likely to go too fast in foggy
conditions, according to researchers in Wales, because reduced
contrast in their peripheral view alters the perception of speed.
Journal of the American Medical Association; British
Medical Journal; New Scientist
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