LOS ANGELES ― Lapsed musical instrumentalists (and their disappointed parents): Take heart! The child that gets even a few years of formal musical training before quitting those weekly lessons continues to show evidence that his or her brain has been changed in ways that improve mental function, says a new study.The latest research found that even years after they stopped practicing, young adults who had taken as little as two or three years of instrumental music training in their elementary or

Technology Aug. 23, 2012

Following are excerpts from the interview with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. ― Ed.Korea Herald: You have promised to make Seoul a city which is “human-centric and vibrant with creativity and innovation.” What efforts have been made for this vision? Park Won-soon: The world is moving that way. If the 19th and 20th centuries were eras of development and growth, now the quality of life and gross national happiness (GNH), instead of gross national product (GNP), are at the center. In that regard, meani

Social Affairs Aug. 17, 2012

Ovarian cancer accounts for 4.2 percent of all cancers in women and has the highest incidence rate among all genitourinary cancers in women following cervical cancer in Korea. There is growing concern about ovarian cancer as its incidence rate is on the rise every year with approximately 1,400 newly-diagnosed patients annually, whereas the incidence rate of cervical cancer is gradually decreasing.The ovaries are small organs located in the female pelvis which are found in pairs on either side of

Technology Aug. 16, 2012

As public concerns grew over the safety of tap water after the algae advisory in the capital’s Han River was issued, the Seoul city government said Friday that their latest test showed the water posed no threat to health.The city released the results of its test conducted Wednesday at five water intake facilities along the river including Gangbuk, Amsa and Pungnap, which found no signs of toxic material.The city had tested for microcystin, nodularin and anatoxin a.Another test in the Paldang Dam

Social Affairs Aug. 10, 2012

WASHINGTON ― Against the drumbeat of bad news on obesity and diabetes among children, researchers have uncovered a cause for cautious optimism: a steady and significant improvement in the cholesterol profiles of American kids over the last 20 years.The proportion of young people ages 6 to 19 with high total cholesterol dropped 28 percent between the two time periods sampled in the report, from 11.3 percent in 1988-94 down to 8.1 percent in 2007-10, the new study found.At the same time, the avera

Technology Aug. 9, 2012

Blood vessels are literally the vessels through which our blood flows. There are essential substances such as nutrients and oxygen in the blood, and the vessels function as a carrier of these substances throughout the body. Therefore, it is easy to understand that the blood has to flow smoothly for a healthy life. Blood vessels can be narrowed or obstructed due to many reasons including aging, disease, diet and smoking. If so, the body sends an SOS signal and in severe cases, the person’s life i

Technology Aug. 9, 2012

Of all the obstacles athletes have had to overcome to compete in the Olympics, perhaps the most controversial has been the gender test.Originally designed to prevent men from competing in women’s events, it is based on the premise that competitors can be sorted into two categories via established scientific rules. But the biological boundaries of gender aren’t always clear.Consider the Spanish hurdler Maria Jose Martinez-Patino. A gender test revealed that she had a Y chromosome, which normally

Technology Aug. 9, 2012

SEATTLE ― Women with metastatic breast cancer treated with a combination of two estrogen-blocking drugs survived more than six months longer than those treated with just one of the drugs or one followed by the other, according to a study involving nearly 700 women.It’s the first time such improvement in overall survival has been seen in trials of first-line hormonal therapy for hormone-receptive metastatic breast cancer, the study authors said.“We’re finding a lot of other ways of treating these

Technology Aug. 9, 2012

The prolonged scorching weather is putting people at risk of not only heat-related illnesses but waterborne diseases as well. Seoul City has been gripped by a weeks-long heat wave, with the mercury often soaring above 35 degrees Celsius and nighttime highs staying above 25 C, resulting in 13 consecutive tropical nights since July 27.A total of 89 people have been taken to the hospital for heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke and dehydration since June, whereas 27 people suffered from such i

Technology Aug. 9, 2012

Kim Hai-yung’s life used to be full of affliction, failures and discrimination. She was permanently disabled by her father’s violence, habitually abused by her mother and unwelcomed by schools, friends and society. That was until 1990, when she went to southern Africa as a volunteer worker. “When I first saw the children in poverty and despair as I used to be, I thought of what I could do for them,” Kim, 47, said.She has devoted herself to education in the village at Good Hope, Botswana, for 14

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2012

The nation is on high alert over fast-spreading algal blooms on major rivers and lakes, threatening to affect public health and drinking water. The government attributes the algae to hot weather and the long drought. Activists blame the government’s massive development of four rivers that they claim slowed water flows and damaged the eco-system. Rapid increases in algae are typically caused by nutrient enrichment, high temperatures and still water conditions. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria,

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2012