A new study has suggested that babies born to poor mothers with pregnancy-related diabetes have an extra-high risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Gestational diabetes typically develops during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, particularly in women who are overweight before getting pregnancy, do not exercise, or eat an unhealthy diet.

“There seems to be more research going in the direction that… the brains of children with ADHD are different,” said Ginette Dionne, who has studied gestational diabetes and language development at Laval University in Quebec but wasn’t involved in the new study.

“Gestational diabetes may not be a specific cause (of ADHD), but may be one of the factors that affects brain development,” she added.

A new U.S. study has revealed that toddlers who have poor relationships with their moms are more likely to pack on extra pounds as they grow up.

The involved researchers found more than a quarter of those who scored lowest on mother-child relationship tests as toddlers went on to become obese at age 15.

“There is an overlap in the brain between the areas that govern stress and energy balance,” said Sarah E. Anderson, who worked on the new study and of the Ohio State University College of Public Health in Columbus. “This stress response could be related to obesity through appetite regulation.”

If you think that 20-something guys are good for nothing and it is time for you to enter into a satisfying relationship that can move to the next level, dating an older man could turn out to the best thing for you. Let us read why.

1. An older man has already got a career and is pretty much secure in his work life. This means that he will be totally supportive of your ambitions and would go on any length to lend a hand even when you were not so expressive.
2. The man will be damn confident in the bed and will know what he is doing and would love to give good things to you while a younger man just focus on his pleasures.
3. The older man has already learned the lessons of keeping things in the right places while you will never a younger man doing that barring a really few exceptions.
4. The generation gap between you and him can actually be positive as he will be introducing you to cultures, music, love things, and places you probably never had heard of.
5. Older men do not stay out late and this means that he will prefer spending more time with you than his friends and gadgets. Moreover, you will always be the pretty one for him and that should mean the world to you.
6. Since he has already had a successful career, you will never be bothered to pay any bills or worry about shopping as a man of his years makes more money and you do not have to feel guilty at any stage.
7. The older man, expressing an interest in you, is full of life and is high on charisma, libido, and energy, There will be hardly any thing that can keep him down and you will be surprised to see him following the same approach ten or twenty years down the line.

Need any more reasons?

One in 10 adults could have diabetes by 2030, according to latest statistics by the International Diabetes Federation.

The advocacy group estimated in a report issued on Monday that 522 million people would have diabetes in the next two decades, based on things like aging and demographic changes.

From news.yahoo.com:

The figure includes both types of diabetes. The group expects the number of cases to jump by 90 percent even in Africa, where infectious diseases have previously been the top killer. Without including the impact of increasing obesity, the International Diabetes Federation said its figures were conservative.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries. The agency projects diabetes deaths will double by 2030 and said the International Diabetes Federation’s prediction was possible.

“It’s a credible figure,” said Gojka Roglic, head of WHO’s diabetes unit. “But whether or not it’s correct, we can’t say.”

Three buyside sources said on Wednesday that Groupon Inc is poised to price its initial public offering $1 to $2 above its current range, responding to stronger-than-anticipated demand for the biggest U.S. IPO in months.

Andrew Mason, the daily deals website’s chief executive, and his executive team have been pitching to investors and addressing criticism about an easily replicable business model, slowing growth and other concerns.

From news.yahoo.com:

Over the course of the roadshow, the IPO — one of the most closely watched market debuts in years — has drawn more interest because of a tiny 4.7 percent float and due to Groupon’s being the first daily-deals website to go public.

The company is now targeting a price $1 to $2 above the current $16 to $18 per share range, according to three investors who said they spoke with lead underwriters. At $19, the IPO would value Groupon at $12.02 billion. At $20, it would value the company at $12.7 billion.

“It is many multiple times subscribed,” said Scott Sweet of research firm IPO Boutique. “There is a strong likelihood that Groupon will price above the prevailing $16 to $18 range.”

In what may have been the world’s earliest artist’s studio, a 100,000-year-old workshop used to mix and store the reddish pigment ochre has been discovered in Blombos Cave on the rugged southern coast near Cape Town.

The discovery was made by researchers in South Africa and was reported in Friday’s edition of the journal Science.

From news.yahoo.com:

Lead researcher Christopher Henshilwood of the University of Bergen, Norway, said the find represents an important benchmark in the evolution of complex human mental processes.

The ochre could have been used for painting, decoration and skin protection, according to the researchers.

The discovery shows that even at that time “humans had the conceptual ability to source, combine and store substances that were then possibly used to enhance their social practices.”

Two separate tool kits for working ochre were found at the site, the researchers said.

The latest find includes pieces of ochre, grinding bowls, shells for storage and bone, and charcoal to mix with the pigment.

Internet monitoring companies have been hired by Australian schools to spy on students’ activities on social networking sites.

“We go where the conversations are, where young people or communities of interest are coalescing online,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted an internet monitoring firm, SR7 partner, James Griffin, as saying.

From in.news.yahoo.com:

Northern Beaches Christian School Principal Stephen Harris said he calls parents even late at night if their children post inappropriate content on the web.

“Our school policy now extends the concept of the school playground to any environment in the social media platform where a student of the school or a teacher is identified by either name, image or inference,” he said.

Public schools are also stepping into what had earlier been considered either private or the domain of parents.

New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties President Cameron Murphy described the monitoring as an “outrageous invasion” of students’ privacy.

“We know it’s become pretty much the essential way of communicating for this generation of students and we understand it’s a big part of their lives. But we’re also aware of the dangers that can come from unrestrained use,” School Director Frances Booth said.

Damien Woody, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots, has announced his retirement after 12 seasons on Friday.

The Pro Bowl offensive lineman played in 173 career games, including 166 as a starter, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2002.

From Reuters.com:

Pro Bowl offensive lineman Damien Woody, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots, announced his retirement after 12 seasons on Friday.

“You never expect this day to happen,” Woody told reporters. “But one thing I say is I’m really looking forward to life after football, especially my body.

“This is a great day.”

Woody also played for the Detroit Lions and spent his final three seasons with the New York Jets.

In an analysis that set off a fierce debate over the health effects of salt, British scientists said they had found no evidence that small cuts to salt intake minimize the risk of developing heart disease or dying prematurely.

The scientists said while cutting salt consumption did appear to lead to slight reductions in blood pressure but the same was not translated into lower incidents of death or reduced risk of heart diseases.

From Reuters.com:

With governments setting ever lower targets for salt intake and food manufacturers working to remove it from their products, it’s really important that we do some large research trials to get a full understanding of the benefits and risks of reducing salt intake,” said Rod Taylor of Exeter University, who led the review.

The Cochrane review attracted sharp criticism from nutrition experts. Francesco Cappuccio, head of the World Health Organization’s collaborating center for nutrition at Warwick University, said it was “a surprisingly poor piece of work.”

“This study does not change the priorities outlined worldwide for a population reduction in salt intake to prevent heart attacks and strokes, the greatest killers in the world,” he said in an emailed comment.

The systematic review has been published by The Cochrane Library.

The benefits offered by EMCs (Electronic Message Centers) are encouraging more and businesses to have a thought about promoting their presence. This affordable advertising mode is already touted to be one of the best modes of business promotion that offers exceptional returns on investments. In this piece of information, we will be accessing some benefits associated with EMCs and a report by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Before we read any further, let us first access the meaning and purpose of EMC so that all of us are on the same knowledge platform.

Electronic variable message centers are computerized programmable electronic visual communication devices that are capable of displaying and storing multiple messages in different formats and at varying intervals. It is worthwhile to note that they can be change as and when the need arises and the change is without the cost of missing or broken letters, and without the physical labor getting involved in such a change.

One of the best things about the EMCs is that they allow businesses to communicate more effectively with potential customers passing by at a specific time of the day and a business can do more good to its cause by changing the message and graphic of the sign for matching the profile on the street. If that is not all, EMCs also enhance the economic viability of difficult commercial sites with limited space.

These and many more advantages prompted the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Signage Foundation for Communication Excellence, Inc., to appreciate the advantages offered by EMCs (Electronic Message Centers). In a report, the SBA and the Signage Foundation said effective signage is an important component of retail business success and can significantly contribute to the success and growth of all businesses. The report highlighted that good on-premise signage is essential to help a business achieve vitality.