Update Information You Should Know IV

Make-believe friends make kids' language skills better: study

WELLINGTON, Reuters — Parents, don't worry: Imaginary friends are good for children's language skills and may also benefit their performance at school, according to a New Zealand study.
The study, by University of Otago associate professor Elaine Reese and researcher Gabriel Trionfi, investigated the language skills of 48 boys and girls aged 5-1/2, of whom 23 had imaginary, or invisible, friends.

The researchers found that the children who played with these make-believe companions had more advanced narrative skills than children who did not engage in this type of play.

"Because children's storytelling skills are a strong predictor of their later reading skill, these differences may even have positive spinoffs for children's academic performance," Reese said in a statement on the university's Web site.

The children's language skills were assessed by measuring their vocabulary and their ability to retell a fictional story to a puppet, and then a realistic tale based on an outing or family event.

While children were not found to differ in their vocabulary levels, those with invisible companions told higher-quality stories, both about fictional and real events.

"Most importantly, the children with imaginary friends tailored their stories to the task. For fictional stories, they included more dialogue. For realistic stories, they provided more information about time and place compared to children without imaginary friends," Reese explained.

"We believe that children with imaginary friends may be getting extra practice at telling stories.

"First, they may be creating stories with their imaginary friends. Second, because their friends are invisible, children may recount their escapades to interested adults," Reese added.

幻想玩伴有益孩童語言技巧

威靈頓，路透社— 紐西蘭研究顯示，家中寶貝有「幻想玩伴」的父母不必擔心，這對他們的語言能力有幫助，也有利於學校的表現。
奧塔哥大學副教授莉茲和研究人員崔昂費，對四十八名五歲半的男女童進行調查，其中有廿三名孩童有「看不見的幻想朋友」。

研究人員發現，有虛幻同伴的小孩，敘述能力較不以這種方式玩的小孩更好。

莉茲於奧塔哥大學網頁的聲明中表示：「孩子們說故事的能力，可充分預測出他們往後的閱讀能力，這些不同之處對他們的課業帶來正面的附加利益。」

他們依據孩童的字彙量，和對木偶重新敘述虛構故事，然後描述出遊活動或家庭活動等真實故事的能力，判斷他們的語言技巧。

雖然結果沒有顯示孩子字彙層級不一，但有「幻想玩伴」的孩子，不管是虛構或是真實的故事都講的較好。

莉茲表示：「更重要的發現是，有『幻想朋友』的孩子會據故事添加情節。與沒有「幻想玩伴」的孩子相較，他們講虛構故事時，會加入更多對話；而換到真實故事時，他們會提供更多有關時間和地點的資訊。」

莉茲補充：「我們認為，有『幻想朋友』的小孩可獲得額外練習講故事的機會。首先，他們會與想像的朋友一起編故事；再來，因為這種朋友是無形的，小孩會跟有興趣的大人敘述他們與幻想朋友的冒險故事。」


Feeling down? Try a high-carb, low-fat diet

SYDNEY, Reuters ─ Pass the bread: Eating a diet high in carbohydrates and low on fat helps people lose weight and also makes them feel happier than a diet with less carbs, but more meat and dairy, Australian researchers say.
The study was based on 106 overweight or obese people in Australia, aged 24 to 64, who followed one of two diets for a year: a low-fat, high-carb diet with bread, pasta and rice, or a low-carb, high-fat diet with more meat and dairy.

Researchers from several Australian institutions including CSIRO, the University of South Australia and Flinders University found the dieters lost an average of 13.7 kg (30 lbs) each, with no significant difference in weight loss between the two groups.

But the dieters following the high-carb, low-fat diet were found to be less angry, hostile, depressed and confused than those eating more meat and diary products after the year.

"Over one year, there was a favorable effect of an energy-restricted (low-fat) diet compared with an isocaloric (low-carb) diet on mood state in overweight and obese individuals," the researchers said in their report published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

The researchers said both groups were less angry, less depressed and less confused after eight weeks of dieting, but over the course of a year, those on the low-fat diet maintained their improved mood, while those on the low-carb diet returned to previous moods.

The researchers said both diets followed for 12 months had a similar effect on working memory, which improved over the year, but the speed of mental processing remained largely unchanged.

They said the results of their study were consistent with results from epidemiological studies showing that diets high in carbohydrate and low in fat and protein are associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression and have beneficial effects on psychological well-being.

憂鬱嗎？試試高澱粉低脂飲食

雪梨，路透社 — 請把麵包遞給我！澳洲學者表示，比起低碳水化合物而多肉及乳製品的飲食，高碳水化合物且低脂的飲食有助民眾減輕體重，同時讓他們感到更快樂。
這項研究調查澳洲介於廿四歲至六十四歲一百零六位的超重及肥胖者，他們在一年內遵照兩種飲食方法的其中一種，此兩種飲食分別為含麵包、麵食及米飯的低脂高澱粉飲食，與含肉類和乳製品的低澱粉高脂飲食。

來自澳洲科學與工業研究組織、南澳大學和芬林得大學等澳洲研究機構的學者發現，兩組人員中平均每人減輕十三點七公斤(卅磅)的體重，在體重減輕上無明顯不同之處。

但一年之後，遵照高澱低脂飲食的人與食用較多肉類及乳製品的人相比，較不易生氣、具有敵意、感到憂鬱及煩惱。

學者指出：「經過一年之後，與等熱量(低碳)飲食相比，限制熱量(低脂)的飲食在超重及肥胖個體的心理狀態具有較良好的影響。」此項研究刊登於美國《內科醫學總覽》期刊。

學者指出兩組人員在進行八週飲食後，憤怒、憂鬱、煩惱程度都降低了，但經過一年後，低脂飲食的人維持改善後的心態，而低碳飲食的人回復至之前的狀態。

學者表示，兩種飲食皆持續追蹤十二個月，對工作記憶有類似的影響，在一年中都有改善，但心理處理層面上大部分都沒有改變。

學者指出，結果與先前流行病學研究一致，兩者都表示以高碳低脂低蛋白的飲食，與較低程度的焦慮及憂鬱有關，並在心理健康上有助益。



Forget Mondays, the blues hit mid-Tuesday: survey

LONDON, Reuters ─ Nearly half of British workers say mid-morning on Tuesday is the moment when they feel most stressed at work, a study suggests.
The makers of the health supplement Bimuno polled 3,000 adults and found most workers coast through Monday getting their brain in gear and catching up with gossip from the weekend through social networking sites.

"Traditionally, people associate Monday as the worst day of the week, but this doesn't seem to be the case ─ coasting through Monday means we're worse off on Tuesday ─ both in terms of workloads and stress levels," Graham Waters, CEO of Bimuno-maker Clasado, said in a statement.

Tuesday at 11:45am seems to be the time in the day when the real workload for the week hits employees and as a result stress levels rise. The study also revealed Tuesday as the day when workers are most likely to work through their lunch break due to the realization they have a busy week ahead.

More than 53 per cent of those polled admitted cruising through Monday and one in 10 said they further delayed their tasks for the week by logging onto Facebook to view photos from their weekend antics.

Almost one in five employees will leave the office late on a Tuesday as they work after hours to salvage their week after putting in a poor effort the day before.

Over half of Brits also said they regularly felt stressed at work with the average employee experiencing eight hours of mental or emotional strain during a typical week.

Worryingly, nearly a quarter of people said they felt stressed every day. About the same number also blamed heavy workloads, and one in five said stress was simply part of their job.

More than one in 10 admitted it was their boss who caused them tension in the office and nine percent blamed their colleagues.


英國「藍色星期二」正當道

倫敦，路透社 — 一項研究指出，近一半的英國員工表示，週二的上午是他們感受到最大工作壓力的時段。
英國保健食品Bimuno的製造商調查了三千名成年人，發現多數員工週一喜歡在社交網站「更新」週末發生的八卦而不愛動腦開始工作。

Bimuno製造商Clasado總裁華特於聲明中表示：「通常民眾以為週一為一週內最糟的一天，但結果可能不是如此，就工作量及壓力程度兩者而言，星期一打混代表禮拜二會更慘。」

週二的十一點四十五分似乎為一天當中，員工意識到當週真正工作量的時間，壓力進而開始升高。這項調查同時顯示，因週二為員工瞭解到未來一週忙碌的一天，而容易跳過午休繼續工作。

超過百分之五十三的受訪者承認週一處於放鬆狀態，而十人之中有一人表示，會因登入Facebook瀏覽週末時滑稽的照片而拖延當週工作進度。

近五名員工中即有一人表示，因前一天沒有認真工作，導致週二得加班補救而較晚離開辦公室。

超過一半的英國受訪者也指出，常在工作時感受到壓力。一般員工於平日中，體驗了八小時精神及情緒上的緊繃感。

值得擔心的是，近四分之一的受訪者表示每天都備感壓力。約同樣數字的人將原因歸咎工作量太大，而五人中有一人指出壓力為工作的一部分。

超過十分之一的人承認辦公室壓力來源為上司，百分之九的人則認為壓力來源為同事。


Chicago most stressed city in U.S.

NEW YORK, Reuters ─ Striving to attain that perfect life, work balance? You're not alone, but if you live in Chicago you're more unlikely to find it with residents of the Windy City the most stressed in the United states.
A survey by Harris Interactive found Chicago is the most stressed city in the nation, followed by Houston, Boston, Los Angeles and San Diego, while Miami is the least stressed, along with Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Minneapolis.

"It is (due) to a combination of different things. There wasn't one thing that made Chicago stand out but they were the ones who had the least attainment of life balance," Harris Interactive spokeswoman Regina Corso told Reuters.

Washington DC, despite its concentration of politicians and high-powered wheeler-dealers, came 12th in the poll of 25 cities, ahead of New York at No. 17 but lower than Denver, San Francisco, Tampa or Seattle on the stress scale. Corso attributed Miami's low stress levels to its proximity to the sea, warm weather and laid back attitude.

Financial pressure was the leading cause of stress among the 1,539 people questioned in the online poll, with getting fit and losing weight coming a close second, followed by failing to complete the to-do list and concerns about unemployment.

The most popular methods to calm down at the end of the day were changing clothes, lying down, kissing a spouse or partner, playing with a pet and reading a book or magazine.

Many people said they thought retiring, changing jobs, being at their job longer or getting more help with their work would improve their life balance.

Twenty percent of Americans, mostly women, said their spouse or partner contributed most to their stress level. Men were more likely to cite their boss, not their wife.


芝加哥為全美壓力最大城市榜首

紐約，路透社 — 想努力達成生活與工作的完美平衡？這樣的人不只你一個，但如果你住在芝加哥，兩者完美平衡很難達成，因為風城芝加哥的居民為美國城市中最壓力最大的一群。
美國市調公司Harris Interactive所作的一項調查發現，芝加哥為美國境內最焦慮的城市，接著為休士頓、波士頓、洛杉磯及聖地牙哥，而邁阿密則為壓力最小的城市，其次為達拉斯─沃思堡、拉斯維加斯、辛辛那提及明尼亞波里斯。

該公司的發言人克洛索告訴路透社：「這項調查結果結合許多不同因素，沒有特別單一因素讓芝加哥成為榜上第一，但芝加哥人為生活平衡達成率最低的一群。」

華盛頓為政治人物與有權有勢的野心家聚集之地，在廿五個城市中排名第十二，領先第十七名的紐約，但於焦慮程度還在丹佛、舊金山、坦帕及西雅圖之後。克洛索認為邁阿密為低焦慮城市的主要原因為近海、溫暖的氣候，及邁阿密人悠遊自得的態度。

在對一千五百卅九人所做的線上市調中，經濟壓力為造成焦慮的主要因素，健身及減重則緊追在後，接著是未完成待辦事項及擔心失業。

而一天結束後，平靜身心最普遍的方法為換衣服、躺下來、親親配偶或伴侶、跟寵物玩及讀本書或雜誌。

許多受訪者認為退休、轉換軌道、繼續待在目前的工作崗位，或在工作上得到更多幫助可改善生活平衡。

兩成的美國受訪者，其中多數為女性，指出配偶及伴侶為最大的壓力來源，男性則最有可能列舉上司為壓力來源，而非他們的太太。


Seeds of hope: Freezing vaults guard Earth's flora

ARDINGLY, England, AP — The underground bunker can block nuclear fallout, withstand a direct hit by a jetliner, and is cooled to a deathly chill.
There are more than 1,000 seed banks worldwide, including a new unmanned "doomsday" facility in the Arctic wastes of Norway that will ultimately house more than 1 billion crop seeds. But the Millennium Seed Bank, about 50 kilometers south of London, is the only global facility with a focus on wild species.

It aims to store a quarter of the world's plant species by 2020, and could eventually house half of them. It already has 25,000 species and 1.5 billion seeds.

The bank's scientists gauge the total number of plant species at 300,000.

These seeds are helping Australia to vegetate salty reclaimed land; in Pakistan and Egypt, they are used to find plants that can withstand drought and slow desert encroachment.

It costs about 2,000 pounds per species to ship in the seeds, meticulously clean them, X-ray them for insect damage and freeze them for possible future use as medicine, a commercial product, or a reviver of a plant that has gone extinct.

"Twenty years ago we didn't know the rosy periwinkle from Madagascar would reduce childhood leukemia to the extent that it has," said Paul Smith, director of the Millennium Seed Bank Project, standing outside two room-size vaults which are kept at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit to slow the seeds' metabolism.

"So who knows what we have in the bank? Our worry is that we're going to lose those in the wild before we even have a chance."


播種希望：冰冷保險庫守衛著地球的植物

亞汀立，英國，美聯社 — 這座長年維持在死寂低溫下的地下碉堡，可以阻擋核彈攻擊的輻射性落塵，也能抵禦一架噴射機的正面衝撞。
全世界目前已有超過一千座的種子銀行，其中一座剛剛啟用、位於挪威極圈內荒原的一座無人「末日基地」裡，最終將存放超過十億種作物的種子。但是，位於英國倫敦南方約五十公里外的「千禧年種子銀行」，卻是全球唯一一座以野生植物種子為儲存重心的類似機構。

這座銀行矢志於二0二0年前貯藏全世界四分之一植物品種的種子，最終並能存放全世界植種的一半。目前該銀行已經存有兩萬五千種植物的種子，總數高達十五億枚。

澳洲正在用這些種子在高鹽分填海新生地上栽植花木；在巴基斯坦與埃及，這些種子則協助當地人尋找可耐旱、可抗沙漠化的植物。

該銀行行內科學家估計，全世界的植物品種約在卅萬種。

這裡每個品種大約要耗費兩千英鎊，其中包括海運寄送種子、仔細清洗、以X光照射檢查蟲害，以及將其冰凍以備未來不時之需等任務的各項費用。這些種子往後也許可以用於醫療科技、製成商業產品，或者讓絕跡的植物重現地球。

站在兩座足有房間大小、長年維持華氏零下四度以放慢所藏種子新陳代謝的保險庫外，「千禧年種子銀行」的計劃主持人保羅‧史密斯說：「廿年前，沒人知道馬達加斯加的長春花能夠大幅減少兒童血癌病例，一至今日的成績。」

「所以，誰知道這銀行裡還藏著怎樣的寶物？我們只擔心在我們有機會進行採集前，又有植物要從野地裡消失了。」