2016-10-31

#HappyHalloween UN Hon'Ambassador for empowerment of women is Wonder Woman

10.31: web.psy/
UN Honorary Ambassador for empowerment of women is Wonder Woman
. the chosen icon for women's equality
is a character in a race in which
the women dominate the men,
and the men struggle for equality.

2016-10-18

DOD DNI want #cyberwar command split from #NSA

10.6: news.pol/purges/war/
DOD DNI want cyberwar command split from NSA:
10.18: summary:
. the same technology used for hacking into computers
can be used for both gathering info (NSA activities)
and for making foreign computers do malicious things
(cyberwar command activities).
. anybody with that technology can do both;
not surprisingly both activities have been headed by
the same director (a military general)
but since Snowden exposed that NSA is spying on its citizens
privacy defenders want NSA headed by senate-selected civilian
rather than a general selected by the military.

2016-10-04

pregnancy brain

9.29: web.health/pregnancy/pregnancy brain:
summary:
"pregnancy brain" is loss of memory
or some sort of cognitive loss
that has not been detected by controlled studies,
yet there is solid indirect evidence.
. pregnancy causes insulin resistance,
and this causes the brain to use less fuel
which then results in less brain function
similar to what happens during Alzheimers.
. other sources of cognitive loss during pregnancy
include problems with sleep, and
having to reduce IQ-raising caffeine.
. magnesium enhances insulin sensitivity
(dark green leafies are the richest source).
. even though fish oil doesn't improve insulin sensitivity
it does enhance memory in some
and there is an FDA-approved form: Lovaza
(undistilled fish normally have too much mercury
for use during pregnancy).
Europe sells prescription R-lipoic acid that may help.

2016-10-01

flossing -- very little evidence?

9.28: news.health/dental/flossing/very little evidence?:
summary:
. flossing has not been shown to prevent
severe periodontal disease, surprisingly.
nevertheless, people who brush and floss regularly
have less gum bleeding compared to toothbrushing alone.
There is poor evidence from twelve studies that
flossing in addition to toothbrushing
reduces gingivitis compared to toothbrushing alone.
. what to do if tooth erosion cuts your floss?
interdental brushes might reduce gingivitis,
(again, the evidence is poor quality).