Apparently, for minority children, self-affirmation has a significant effect on their GPA. A two-year follow-up study was published last week in Science. This study had children, starting in 7th grade, write about relationships, interests, and personal values. Students in the test group showed as much as a 0.41 increase in their GPA compared to the [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/im-good-enough-smart-enough-and-doggoneit/
Apparently one-third of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) containing products are contaminated with mercury. The worst offender? Chocolate milk. Well, dairy products in general (60% contained mercury). Mercury was also found in every food/drink category tested, including dressings, syrups, snacks, and soups. On the bright side, only 16% of beverages (e.g. non-diet soda) contained mercury. [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/mercury-in-hfcs/
A new study by the Kaiser Foundation found that people are becoming less concerned about HIV. The percent of respondents reporting HIV/AIDS as the top health concern in the US dropped from 44% in 1995 to 6%. While the majority of people understand how HIV is transmitted, there are still a significant handful of people [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/what-hiv-problem/
Rabies is rather frightening to me, but it’s not nearly as freaky as viral hemorrhagic fevers. My manager recently told me that she knows the wife of Ryan Havelka, a 29 year old North Dakota man that died in September of Hantavirus. He developed Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome after doing some construction work outdoors, where he [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/rabies-isnt-my-only-infectious-fear/
Nursing Professionals Magazine, a magazine for nursing students, announced recently that Abbott Northwestern Hospital was the best place to work for nurses across the country in 2009! This was based on surveys sent out in early 2008 that asked questions about the flexibility of working arrangements, the work environment, opportunities for professional development, and more. [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/best-place-to-work-in-the-us/
The National Endowment for the Arts released the results of its reading survey this week. The survey, started in 1982, has measured the number of people who read (or don’t read, as the case may be), and is commonly cited by those that believe we’re getting stupider. With only 50% of adults not reading anything [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/were-all-a-little-less-illiterate/
A new study to be published in June in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found a link between the state that you live in, and your mental state. The study looked at BRFSS respondent’s frequencies of depression, stress, and other mental problems; the actual measure used was the percent of respondents reporting 14 or [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/midwest-state-of-mind/
Sometimes I wonder if “adults” (~35+) really do ever understand adolescents. Well, I sometimes wonder if journalists portraying youth in the media actually understand them. I read an article this week about the link between TV watching and depression in teens. Depressed teens watched 2.64 hours of TV a day, compared with 2.28 hours in [...]
http://john.mn/2009/10/i-do-like-sponge-bob/
I bought a house, and I close on Tuesday (9/29)! Below are the pictures from the MLS listing:
http://john.mn/2009/10/my-new-home/