Health, Fitness and Style

Just a weeks' worth of training can improve vision in older adults, according to new research in the journal Psychological Science. The findings show that training boosted older adults' sensitivity to contrast and also their ability to see things clearly at close distances. While some age-related declines in vision can be traced to the eye itself, research suggests that decline in other aspects of vision are the result of changes in brain function. more »

Rose Madeline Mula writes: Hamlet had it easy. All he had to figure out was whether "to be or not to be?" — a one-time dilemma, at least if he chose "not to be." My soul-searching question, which I am compelled to ask of every item in my closets and drawers, is "to pack or not to pack?" You'd think that it would get easier every time I travel. Wrong. If anything, it seems to get harder.     more »

A study by Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins on the perceived risk of regularly using cannabis and the characteristics associated with these perceptions found that non-white, low-income women over the age of 50 were most likely to perceive a risk in using the drug. Least likely were those 12 to 25 years old, with a high school diploma or more, and a total family income above $75,000. more »

"By the end of the first quarter of the 2015, legislators had introduced 791 provisions related to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Nearly 42% of these provisions (332 provisions) seek to restrict access to abortion services; abortion restrictions have been introduced in 43 states. By April 1, 53 abortion restrictions had been approved by a legislative chamber, and nine had been enacted. Many of the new abortion restrictions enacted this year would either limit the use of medication abortion (Arkansas and Idaho) or ban abortion at 20 weeks postfertilization (West Virginia), a disturbing combination of attempts to curtail access in both the early and later months of pregnancy, potentially leaving women with fewer options and a greatly reduced time frame to get the care they need." more »