COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study of telephone customer service representatives shows just how important it is for employees to start the workday in a good mood.
Researchers found that employees’ moods when they clocked in tended to affect how they felt the rest of the day. Early mood was linked to their perceptions of customers and to how they reacted to customers’ moods. (more…)
The government of Japan has provided a report about the damage caused by a strong earthquake which rocked the north-east of the country on Friday, March 11. The Associated Press reports with reference to Japanese television that the tsunami wave, triggered by the quake, caused significant destruction in the northern part of the country.
The magnitude of the earthquake, which took place in Japan on Friday, was measured 8.8 on Richter scale. Quakes still continue in the capital, Tokyo. The epicenter of the quake was located 382 kilometers to the north-east off Tokyo, at the depth of 10 kilometers. (more…)
The United States remains the world’s largest market for cocaine, with 4.8 million users, although its importance has been reduced in recent years, according to the INCB (International Board for Narcotics Control).
“In 2009, 4.8 million people consumed some form of cocaine in the U.S., compared with 5.3 million in 2008,” the INCB said in its report in 2010. With this number of consumers, the U.S. represents 41% of the international drug market, ahead of Europe, with 29%, according to the board, stating that “Although the market for cocaine has been reduced in North America, it continues to grow in Europe.” (more…)
Three babies have been born in the monkey house of the Moscow Zoo during the recent six months. The births took place in the families of orangutans and gorillas. While young males and females are growing, adult apes continue to follow natural laws. *Source: Pravda
A Malaysian woman has rescued her husband from tiger attack by hitting the animal on its head with a wooden ladle and chasing it away.
Tambun Gediu, 60, from an Orang Asli settlement, was hunting for squirrels near his village in the Gerik Belum Forest Reserve on Saturday when the 90kg tiger pounced on him. (more…)
A study by researchers at the UCLA Stroke Center found that stroke and cardiovascular disease have exacted an enormous toll on Hollywood stars.
The findings were presented at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference (ISC) in Los Angeles on Feb. 10.
“Since this is the first time the ISC is being held in Los Angeles, we thought it was an appropriate occasion to investigate the frequency and impact of stroke among leading Hollywood actors,” said Hannah Smith, a staff research associate at the UCLA Stroke Center. “By documenting the toll that stroke and myocardial infarction have exacted on stars like Kirk Douglas and Grace Kelly, we hope to illustrate the damage that cardiovascular disease can cause.” (more…)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The number of reported shark attacks last year increased worldwide but declined in Florida, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File annual report released today.
Ichthyologist George Burgess, director of the file housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus, said Florida typically has the highest number of attacks worldwide, but 2010 marked the state’s fourth straight year of decline. Florida led the U.S. with 13 reported attacks, but the total was significantly lower than the yearly average of 23 over the past decade. (more…)
Disasters — both natural and manmade — can strike anywhere and they often hit without warning, so they can be difficult to prepare for. But what happens afterward? How do people cope following disasters? In a new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, George Bonanno, Chris R. Brewin, Krzysztof Kaniasty, and Annette M. La Greca review the psychological effects of disasters and why some individuals have a harder time recovering than do others.
Individuals exposed to disaster may experience a number of psychological problems including PTSD, grief, anxiety, and increased substance abuse, but the evidence shows that less than 30% of adults experience severe, lasting levels of these problems. The majority of people exposed to a disaster experience passing distress but return to psychological health. In other words, people tend to be psychologically resilient. (more…)
