E-Cigarettes Won't Help You Quit, Study Finds

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Targeted Radiation Might Help Fight Advanced Breast Cancer: Study

MONDAY, March 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A minimally invasive treatment that delivers radiation directly to tumors may slow progression of breast cancer that has spread to the liver, a new study suggests.

The treatment is called yttrium 90 (Y-90) radioembolization. Doctors insert a catheter through a tiny cut in the groin and guide it into the artery that supplies the liver. Radiation-emitting micro beads are then sent through the catheter and float out to kill small blood vessels that feed the tumor.

Researchers led by Dr. Robert Lewandowski, an associate professor of radiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, looked at the outcomes of 75 patients. The women ranged in age from 26 to 82, and had chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer that had spread to the liver ("metastatic" disease). Their liver tumors were too large or too numerous to be treated with other methods, the authors noted.

Y-90 radioembolization therapy stabilized 98.5 percent of the treated liver tumors, according to the study, which was to be presented Monday in San Diego at the annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology.

In addition, 24 of the women experienced a more than 30 percent shrinkage in tumor size after treatment, which caused few side effects.

"Although this is not a cure, Y-90 radioembolization can shrink liver tumors, relieve painful symptoms, improve the quality of life and potentially extend survival," Lewandowski said in a society news release.

"While patient selection is important, the therapy is not limited by tumor size, shape, location or number, and it can ease the severity of disease in patients who cannot be treated effectively with other approaches," he added.

Two breast cancer experts were cautiously optimistic about the findings.

According to Dr. Neelima Denduluri, "while these results appear promising, this is a very small retrospective study," meaning that it fell short of the "gold standard" type of prospective trial that tracks patients going forward over time. "Randomized controlled prospective studies addressing this issue are necessary before radioembolization can be incorporated routinely," she believes.

For now, "in women that cannot receive systemic therapy due to toxicities [side effects], are not eligible for clinical trials that utilize new agents, or have exhausted conventional chemotherapy options, radioembolization may be a choice," said Denduluri, a medical oncologist with Virginia Cancer Specialists in Arlington, Va., a US Oncology Network affiliate.

Dr. Stephanie Bernik is chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She said that while this type of therapy has been used to fight liver tumors, "the ability to use this therapy in treatment of metastatic breast cancer to the liver offers some hope to patients with the disease."

Bernik stressed that, right now, the treatment can only extend survival for women with advanced breast cancer, it is not a cure. However, "as the technique is modified and perfected, it is hoped the [treatment] can help achieve remission in women with advanced disease."

Each year in the United States, about 117,000 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to the liver. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment in such cases, but is not effective in, or suitable for, all patients.

Experts note that studies presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Neelima Denduluri, M.D., medical oncologist, Virginia Cancer Specialists, Arlington, Va., a US Oncology Network affiliate; Stephanie Bernik, M.D., chief of surgical oncology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Society of Interventional Radiology, news release, March 24, 2014

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Blindness Rates Dropping Worldwide, Study Finds

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Violent Video Games Tied to Combative Thinking in Study

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Frequent exposure to violent video games increases the likelihood that children and teens will engage in aggressive behavior themselves, new research indicates.

The study of more than 3,000 children found that habitually playing games such as "Call of Duty" and "God of War" might alter their view of their real-world environment and peers, the researchers said.

"[Violent gaming] basically changes a child's or adolescent's personality in some sense, so that they start to see their world in a more aggressive way," said study co-author Craig Anderson, director of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University.

"They start to expect people to behave more aggressively toward them, and they tend to see aggressive solutions as being more appropriate for solving problems," Anderson said.

More than 90 percent of American kids play video games, many of which portray violence in a fun framework free of negative consequences, the researchers said. Because of these large numbers, research such as this has significant implications, they said.

Still, parents shouldn't panic, Anderson said.

"Playing a violent video game isn't going to take a healthy kid who has few other risk factors and turn him into a school shooter," he said. "But it is a risk factor that does drive the odds for aggression up significantly."

Anderson said there are many other known risk factors for aggression, such as growing up with parents who are visibly aggressive or living in a violent neighborhood.

The children enrolled in the study, which was published online March 24 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, came from six primary and six secondary schools in Singapore. All were between 8 and 17 years old, and nearly three-quarters were boys.

For three years, the students were surveyed annually about the time they spent playing video games and about the nature of their favorite games.

In addition, the children discussed their feelings of empathy and aggression, and were asked about any past aggressive behaviors. For example, children were asked if they felt it was OK to respond to certain provocative situations by hitting someone, whether they ever thought about hurting a peer and whether seeing someone else who was upset bothered them.

By stacking violent video game habits up against aggressive thought patterns and behavior, the investigators determined that during the three-year study period kids with a lot of exposure to violent video games were more likely to engage in aggressive behavior.

This link seemed to result from a lasting increase in aggressive thinking, the researchers said. That included a rise in aggressive fantasies, and a growing tendency to attribute hostile motives to others.

The shifts in thinking associated with heavy use of violent games occurred for both girls and boys, even when parents monitored their child's gaming habits. The changes were also found to be independent of a child's initial aggressiveness, the study found.

The researchers also said having feelings of empathy didn't seem to dampen the link between violent gaming and aggression, and the link was seen more or less across all age groups.

The authors said more research is needed to better understand the effects of playing video games that glorify brutality. "[But] at least one major reason aggressive behavior went up in children is because violent video games seemed to increase a child's violent thought patterns," Anderson said.

Richard Gallagher, director of the Parenting Institute at the New York University Child Study Center, said he wasn't surprised by the findings.

"Research data with persons of all ages has consistently indicated that playing violent video games does change attitudes and does possibly alter behavioral tendencies," he said. "And it's looking like it shifts kids to what's considered to be a kind of disturbed and biased thinking."

This is important for people to know in terms of public policy and parenting, Gallagher said.

"These kinds of games are not benign," he said. "They might not cause all kids to get involved with negative and aggressive behavior, but they do push them more in that direction."

Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Craig Anderson, Ph.D., distinguished professor, psychology, and director, Center for the Study of Violence, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, and past president, International Society for Research on Aggression; Richard Gallagher, Ph.D., director, Parenting Institute, and associate professor, New York University Child Study Center, New York City; March 24, 2014, JAMA Pediatrics, online

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New Therapy May Shrink Enlarged Prostate With Fewer Side Effects: Study

MONDAY, March 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new noninvasive procedure may bring long-term relief from symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, a new study suggests.

As men age, the prostate gland grows larger and may begin to press on the urethra. Enlarged prostate affects more than half of men by age 60 and causes symptoms such as frequent urination, weak urine stream and a persistent feeling of having to urinate.

Surgery is the standard treatment for the condition, but can cause complications such as sexual dysfunction and impotence, experts note.

The new treatment is called prostate artery embolization. "Prostate artery embolization is a promising therapy that has been performed outside the United States to improve men's symptoms," explained Dr. Man Hon, chief of interventional radiology at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

"This procedure works by closing the blood supply to the prostate," said Hon, who was not involved in the new study. "As a result, the prostate shrinks in size, causes less blockage, and the symptoms improve."

The study was conducted in Portugal and included nearly 500 men, aged 45 to 89, with enlarged prostate -- formally called benign prostatic hyperplasia -- who underwent prostate artery embolization.

Improvements in symptoms were reported by 87 percent of men three months after the procedure, 80 percent after 18 months, and 72 percent after three years. The procedure did not cause sexual dysfunction or impotence, according to the findings, which were slated for presentation on Monday at the annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), in San Diego.

"The results of prostate artery embolization (PAE) are similar to surgery but with fewer complications," study author Dr. Martins Pisco, director of radiology at Saint Louis Hospital in Lisbon, said in a meeting news release. "Patients are discharged three to six hours after the treatment with most of the individuals we've treated noting almost immediate symptom relief."

"I believe PAE could eventually become standard treatment for enlarged prostate," he added.

However, Dr. James Spies, president elect of SIR, stressed that further studies are needed before the procedure could become widely available. Also, studies presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Another expert agreed that more study is needed. Dr. Manish Vira is director of the Fellowship Program in Urologic Oncology at The Arthur Smith Insitute for Urology in New Hyde Park, NY. He pointed out that the Portuguese study was not designed to compare the success rate of embolization to that of other treatments.

However, Vira added that "the results are especially significant given the very low complication rate and no incontinence. If these results are replicated in the ongoing U.S. trials, then prostate artery embolization will become an attractive treatment option" for men with enlarged prostate who have not responded well to other treatments.

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Manish A. Vira, M.D, director, Fellowship Program in Urologic Oncology, The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology, New Hyde Park, NY; Man Hon, M.D, chief, interventional radiology, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, NY; Society of Interventional Radiology, annual meeting news release, March 24, 2014

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Spanking Triggers Vicious Cycle, Study Finds

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What Is the Best Music to Help You Study?

Beethoven once said, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” As it turns out, music enhances learning, too. According to a College Entrance Exam Board Service study, students involved in musical extracurricular activities scored 51 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT exams and 39 points higher on math on the SAT exams. [1] Through this and other research findings, educators believe that music relaxes, soothes, and helps people concentrate better, making it the perfect study companion to diminish distractions and keep students learning.

In Don Campbell’s book The Mozart Effect, Campbell has condensed research on the topic to enlighten readers about how music affects their brain. According to Campbell, music:

Improves test resultsReduces learning timeHelps you focusReduces errorsEnhances creativity [2]

Yet all music genres aren’t created equal. Loud and more abrasive genres, like rock and metal, might only distract you. Below are some music genres that can help students study and learn:

Classical: While it might not be your thing, many believe that classical music has mind-boosting effects and does wonders for concentration levels. Researchers refer to this as the “Mozart effect,” indicating that listening to classical music—Mozart in particular—can improve people’s ability to think out long-term and figure out abstract solutions to logical problems. [3]Ambient: To keep your brain engaged, consider listening to ambient music, such as waterfalls, rain forests, and so forth, which cultivate an effect similar to meditation, producing a relaxed but alert state of mind. Turn to well-known artists that have made ambient music including Aphex Twin and Brian Eno.Chillout: Discover Chillout, an actual music sub-genre that refers to certain varieties of Intelligent Dance Music (IDM), which encourage people to break, relax, and recover. It stimulates listeners, while encouraging productivity and inspiring creativity. [4]Electronic:  Introduce low-key genre music, including Trip-hop, Jazz, House, Trance, or New Wave, into your study routine to help relax your mind and get your creative juices flowing.

Students can easily access these genres of music on free platforms such as Pandora, Spotify, and other mobile or web apps. Parents and teachers should encourage children and students to listen to music during study and homework periods, potentially reducing learning time and increasing young adults’ memory throughout the process.

______________________________________________

Tiffany Sumner is a freelance writer for eLearners, where she writes articles on a wide range of topics. In her spare time she reads, writes fiction, and watches way too many cat videos online. You can follow her on Google+.

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Learning Strategy Is More Important Than Practice, Claims New Study

Practice itself will not help you achieve perfection in what you do; the point is to choose the right approach, claim a group of psychologists after having analyzed data from about 850 000 people who were playing the same game online.

The main conclusion of the study, which was recently published in the journal Psychological Science, states that if you want to quickly learn something, you should find the optimal strategy for the task before you start practicing.

Tom Stafford of the University of Sheffield, UK, and Michael Dewar of the R&D lab of The New York Times analyzed the results of 854 064 people in the online game “Axon“.

Players had to grow “neurons” by clicking on potential targets. Simultaneously the participants’ ability to learn, decision making, and reaction speed were tested.

The researchers’ goal was to find out to what extent the practice contributes to increasing the performance of players. Particular attention was paid to the “champions” who had reached the highest results for the same period of time as the rest of the game participants.

It turned out that the most successful players had chosen one of two strategies: they either completely immersed in the game, relying entirely on intuition, or spent some time on testing the game in the beginning in order to find out all the possibilities thoroughly, thus obtaining complete information.

“Our research shows that we can significantly speed up the learning process, choosing the right strategy: while someone may need to immerse himself in the process from the beginning, someone else should first master the theory”, explains Stafford. “The life of modern man is inextricably linked with learning new technologies and complex skills. Optimization of the learning process is one of the highest priorities of science.”

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What Is the Best Music to Help You Study?

Beethoven once said, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.” As it turns out, music enhances learning, too. According to a College Entrance Exam Board Service study, students involved in musical extracurricular activities scored 51 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT exams and 39 points higher on math on the SAT exams. [1] Through this and other research findings, educators believe that music relaxes, soothes, and helps people concentrate better, making it the perfect study companion to diminish distractions and keep students learning.

In Don Campbell’s book The Mozart Effect, Campbell has condensed research on the topic to enlighten readers about how music affects their brain. According to Campbell, music:

Improves test resultsReduces learning timeHelps you focusReduces errorsEnhances creativity [2]

Yet all music genres aren’t created equal. Loud and more abrasive genres, like rock and metal, might only distract you. Below are some music genres that can help students study and learn:

Classical: While it might not be your thing, many believe that classical music has mind-boosting effects and does wonders for concentration levels. Researchers refer to this as the “Mozart effect,” indicating that listening to classical music—Mozart in particular—can improve people’s ability to think out long-term and figure out abstract solutions to logical problems. [3]Ambient: To keep your brain engaged, consider listening to ambient music, such as waterfalls, rain forests, and so forth, which cultivate an effect similar to meditation, producing a relaxed but alert state of mind. Turn to well-known artists that have made ambient music including Aphex Twin and Brian Eno.Chillout: Discover Chillout, an actual music sub-genre that refers to certain varieties of Intelligent Dance Music (IDM), which encourage people to break, relax, and recover. It stimulates listeners, while encouraging productivity and inspiring creativity. [4]Electronic:  Introduce low-key genre music, including Trip-hop, Jazz, House, Trance, or New Wave, into your study routine to help relax your mind and get your creative juices flowing.

Students can easily access these genres of music on free platforms such as Pandora, Spotify, and other mobile or web apps. Parents and teachers should encourage children and students to listen to music during study and homework periods, potentially reducing learning time and increasing young adults’ memory throughout the process.

______________________________________________

Tiffany Sumner is a freelance writer for eLearners, where she writes articles on a wide range of topics. In her spare time she reads, writes fiction, and watches way too many cat videos online. You can follow her on Google+.

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Where study students of Stenden’s Hotel Management programme

Stenden University of Applied Sciences is one of the few vocational universities in the Netherlands, which runs their own learning company, the four stars Stenden University Hotel. This is the real business hotel, where students of Stenden’s International Hotel Management School study and work during the first 3 years of their study programme.

Under the supervision of the university staff they develop hotel’s website and learn to provide high quality services of any level, from meeting new guest to organising various events, activities, and excursions. Because of students’ eagerness, creativity, and willingness to learn Stenden University Hotel is doing very well. In 2004 it overgrew its ‘leaning company’ status and started to invite regular guests, and in 2012 this hotel celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Stenden University Hotel is located in Leeuwarden, a capital of the Northern Province Friesland. It consists of 28 hotel rooms, a lobby, restaurant, and bar. As this hotel is a part of Stenden University, its guests have full access to the university facilities and equipment, needed for various meetings, conferences, seminars, training sessions, and congresses.

If you like to organise parties and events and make your guest feel welcome, if you are able to make several things at the same time and find flexible solutions of complex problems, than Hospitality Management area may be the right choice for your future career.

International Hotel Management of Stenden University starts in September and February and leads to the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. While students of this programme can gain practice experience in the real environment of Stenden University Hotel, they also do not miss possibilities of (inter)national traineeships during their fourth year of education.

These traineeships not only allow them to compare different hospitality business methods, but also facilitate finding first work place. Due to this education approach 96% students of this programme start their career within 5 months after graduation.

Find application details, deadlines, and tuition fee of Stenden’s International Hotel Management programme at our ‘programmes’ section.

Watch the movie about Stenden University Hotel:

For more information please follow to the International Hotel Management page on the Stenden’s website.

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Study Abroad in Lancaster | Study in England | IFSA Butler

50,000
Near England's Lake District, two hours northwest of LondonCity features
• A friendly atmosphere
• A striking blend of old and new: a modern look and feel, but with roots to the Romans in the first century
• Plenty of entertainment, including more than 50 pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, concert venues, museums, art galleries and an annual literature festival
• The famous Duke's Playhouse includes a repertory theatre and a classic and current film cinema
• A great home base for traveling the country

Do more!
• Visit the sea, six miles from campus
• Head into the gorgeous Lake District for hiking, climbing and spelunking
• Take a train to Edinburgh, two hours away
• Visit London, three hours away by inexpensive student charter bus

Links
Lancaster Tourism
Virtual Lancaster
Lancaster Guide and Virtual Tour
Lake District National Park Authority
This is Lancashire

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Study Abroad in London | Study in England | IFSA Butler

City features
• One of the most cosmopolitan, hip cities in the world, with an atmosphere of excitement and sophistication
• A major global city with remarkable cultural, historic, artistic, political and intellectual offerings
• Home to many universities scattered throughout different neighborhoods, each with its own atmosphere and attractions
• A diverse population with more than 300 languages spoken within the city
• One of the world's leading business and financial centers

Do more!

• Use London’s excellent transportation links to explore continental Europe
• Take advantage of Britain's extensive rail system to visit other areas of the U.K.
• Take a break from the constant bustle of London and experience the beautiful and historic regions of England

Links
Visit London
London On Line
Net London
London Net
Time Out: London
London Town
London Transport
BBC

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Study Abroad in Norwich | Study in England | IFSA-Butler

150,000
Two hours northeast of LondonCity features
• Rated one of the most livable cities in England
• A sense of history, with cobblestone streets, Norman castle and cathedral, and medieval buildings
• A busy commercial center with excellent shopping
• A rich cultural scene with museums, art galleries, concert venues and theatres
• Great nightlife with more than 300 pubs and winebars in addition to cafes, restaurants and nightclubs

Do more!
• Visit the beautiful Norfolk coast for outdoor activities such as hiking and sailing
• Explore London, only a two-hour train ride away
• Travel to continental Europe via the nearby Chunnel (Channel Tunnel)

Links
Visit Norwich
Broadland and East Suffolk Tourism Association
The Channel Tunnel
Norwich News

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Study Abroad in York | Study in England | IFSA Butler

175,000
Yorkshire, in northern EnglandCity features
• Ancient history complemented by a modern cultural scene
• More than 2,000 years of history evident in walls that date to Roman times, fascinating architecture and York Minster, Northern Europe’s largest Gothic cathedral
• Pubs, cafes, tearooms, restaurants and a great pub music scene

Do more!
• Explore the famous Yorkshire Moors and Brontë country
• Take a train to London, two hours away
• Travel to Edinburgh, a two-and-a-half-hour train trip
• Go to the nearby east-coast ports to catch ferries for mainland Europe

Links
York Tourism
Yorkshire Moors
City of York.com
Yorkshire Visitor Centre
Visit Yorkshire
Yorkshire Pride

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Study Abroad in Leeds | Study in England | IFSA Butler

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