“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”[1] and this is no less true for viral pathogens than it is for their host species. To appreciate the full extent of the challenges posed by current and future emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), I believe it is insightful to take a coevolutionary perspective. Coevolution… Continue reading Mitigating the threat of emerging #infectious diseases; a coevolutionary perspective
Category: Environment
MIT researchers say time spent indoors increases risk of #Covid at 6 feet or 60 feet in new study challenging social distancing policies
The risk of being exposed to Covid-19 indoors can be as great at 60 feet as it is at 6 feet in a room where the air is mixed.Existing safety guidelines have omitted too many factors to accurately quantify the risk of airborne transmission, such as time, mask use and ventilation rates.Bazant and Bush question… Continue reading MIT researchers say time spent indoors increases risk of #Covid at 6 feet or 60 feet in new study challenging social distancing policies
Early-life #environmental exposure determinants of child #behavior in Europe: A longitudinal, population-based study
BackgroundEnvironmental exposures in early life influence the development of behavioral outcomes in children, but research has not considered multiple exposures. We therefore aimed to investigate the impact of a broad spectrum of pre- and postnatal environmental exposures on child behavior. Methods and findingsWe used data from the HELIX (Human Early Life Exposome) project, which was… Continue reading Early-life #environmental exposure determinants of child #behavior in Europe: A longitudinal, population-based study
Associations of #Job Strain, #Stressful Life Events, and Social Strain With Coronary Heart Disease in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study
The association between psychosocial stress and coronary heart disease (CHD) may be stronger in women than men and may differ across types of stressors. In this study, we assessed associations of psychosocial stressors, including job strain, stressful life events, and social strain with the incidence of CHD in women. Methods and Results We used longitudinal… Continue reading Associations of #Job Strain, #Stressful Life Events, and Social Strain With Coronary Heart Disease in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study
#COVID-19 Pandemic: A Wake-Up Call for Clean #Air
..Since its identification in Wuhan, China, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 104 million and killed over 2.2 million people worldwide (1). Recent studies of air pollution and COVID-19 cases and mortality in diverse international settings add convincingly to a large body of evidence showing that exposure to air pollution exacerbates viral respiratory… Continue reading #COVID-19 Pandemic: A Wake-Up Call for Clean #Air
#Income robustly predicts self-regard #emotions
There is robust evidence that higher income makes people evaluate their lives more favorably, but there is no consistent evidence on whether it makes people feel better. Analyzing data from five large surveys spanning 162 countries, we predicted and found the most comprehensive evidence to date that income reliably predicted greater positive self-regard emotions (e.g.,… Continue reading #Income robustly predicts self-regard #emotions
#Obesity and Responsiveness to #Food Marketing Before and After #Bariatric Surgery
Although food marketing is often accused of increasing population obesity, the relationship between individual responsiveness to marketing and obesity has yet to be established: Are people with obesity more responsive to food marketing and, if so, is it a stable trait or can it be reversed by bariatric surgery? We studied the responses to three… Continue reading #Obesity and Responsiveness to #Food Marketing Before and After #Bariatric Surgery
Online #Mindfulness May Target Psychological #Distress and Mental Health during #COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected mental health, creating an urgent need for convenient and safe interventions to improve well-being. Online mindfulness interventions show promise for improving depression, anxiety, and general well-being. Objective To assess: 1) the impact of online mindfulness on psychological distress, 2) altruistic efforts, and 3) the quantity, quality, and availability of… Continue reading Online #Mindfulness May Target Psychological #Distress and Mental Health during #COVID-19
The mixed benefits of a #stressor-free life.
Research documents the pernicious effects of daily stressors on well-being, but often ignored in these studies are people reporting no stressors. The current study compared adults who reported no daily stressors with adults who reported at least one stressor across 8 consecutive days on measures of well-being. Of the 2,804 respondents (age range = 25–75… Continue reading The mixed benefits of a #stressor-free life.