Some people like to have a few close friends, while others prefer a wider social circle that is perhaps less deep. These preferences reflect people’s personalities and individual circumstances — but is one approach to social networks “better” than the other? New research suggests that the optimal social networking strategy depends on socioeconomic conditions.
Researchers Shigehiro Oishi of the University of Virginia and Selin Kesebir of the London Business School explore the benefits of social networking strategies in two studies.
“In the age of Facebook, many Americans seem to opt for a broad, shallow networking strategy. Yet, cross-cultural research has shown that having many friends is not always viewed positively outside the United States,” Oishi and Kesebir write.
Read more: Optimal Circle of Friends Depends on Socioeconomic Conditions
The amounts of vitamin D present in supplements sold over the counter often bear little resemblance to the descriptions on the bottle labels, a new study concludes.
For many the smell of wood smoke from a fireplace elicits fond memories of hearth and home. There is a lack of awareness, however, that wood smoke has become a major source of air pollution in the United States. Combustion of organic matter such as wood and yard debris releases a variety of harmful substances, including particulates, carcinogens, carbon monoxide, respiratory irritants and toxins..
It may be possible to use a patient's own skin to repair the damage caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), which is currently incurable, say researchers.
Nerves struggle to communicate in MS as their insulating covering is attacked by the immune system - causing fatigue and damaging movement.
Animal tests, described in the journal Cell Stem Cell, have now used modified skin cells to repair the insulation.
Experts said there was an "urgent need" for such therapies.
New rat study reveals that the brains of depressive people are incapable of controlling the activity in certain brain areas – the innate braking system doesn’t work. The discovery could lead to new types of antidepressants.
Antidepressant drugs, such as Citalopram or Prozac, do not have the desired effect on all patients.Science cannot really explain why this is so, and if fact not a lot is known about how these drugs actually affect our brains. Scientists generally have a limited understanding of why we actually get depressed in the first place.
But new, ground-breaking animal studies have made researchers a little wiser. The studies have revealed mechanisms that appear to play a role in the development of depression.
