Sudoku or crosswords may help keep your brain 10 years younger

Sudoku or crosswords may help keep yur brain 10 years youngerSudoku or crosswords may help keep yur brain 10 years youngerA new study adds mora evidence that puzzles can be effective for brain health.The verdict is still out, however, on how they can help us in the long-term or if they can help prevent cognitive decline.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAccording to a recentstudypublished in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, the more people over 50 engage in games such as Sudoku and crosswords, the better their brains function.Researchers looked at data from about 19,100 participants in the PROTECT study to see how often they performed word and number puzzles. Then they used a series of tests to gauge attention, memory, and reasoning.In short, the more people engaged in puzzles, the better they performed on tests.People who do puzzles have brain function equivalen t to 10 years younger than their age, according to the study tests. On short-term memory tests, puzzle takers had brain function equivalent to eight years younger.The cross-sectional data analysis evaluated testing on about 19,000 people.The data was self-reported, and participants completed cognitive testing online.The improvements are particularly clear in the speed and accuracy of their performance. In some areas the improvement was quite dramatic, saidDr. Anne Corbett, lead author and dementia lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School.We cant say that playing these puzzles necessarily reduces the risk of dementia in later life, Corbett said. But this research supports previous findings that indicate regular use of word and number puzzles helps keep our brains working better for longer.The researchers want to follow up with the participants as time passes. They also want to assess the impact of puzzle intensity as well as a factor in how long people engage in puzzles.Re al results?Dr. Jerri D. Edwards, a professor from the University of South Florida in Tampa who studies brain games and cognition, said that because the study is correlational - not randomized - it doesnt mean that playing gamescausesbetter cognition.It is likely that people who have better cognition like these activities and tend to engage in them, she told Healthline.Also, people without cognitive decline engage in these activities, but when they experience cognitive decline they are likely to quit doing so because they become frustrating or challenging, she said.She noted research that foundcognitive engagement in old agecan be a buffer from decline. She also citedresearch Trusted Sourcethat found that poorer cognitive function can cause a reduction in lifestyle including social activities.According to a largerandomized clinical trial, computerized cognitive training targeting speed of processing was better at protecting against decline over time among older adults compared to c rossword puzzles, Edwards noted.Given that verbal abilities tend to improve with age, we tend to get better at word-related games in normal aging, Edwards said. On the other hand, some cognitive skills that tend to decline with age are mental quickness, divided attention, ignoring distraction, and shifting our attention. It is important to challenge our brains with these types of tasks with age.She encourages cognitive stimulation but said she wasnt aware of any evidence from randomized controlled trials that confirms it can improve cognitive performance or longitudinally reduce the risk of cognitive decline or dementia.Dr. Jessica Langbaum, an Alzheimers disease researcher from Arizona, and associate director for the Alzheimers Prevention Initiative, said theres evidence that doing cognitively stimulating activities such as puzzles can help with our abilities such as thinking, attention, and reasoning.What we do not know, however, is whether this is a direct causal relationship, La ngbaum told Healthline. We also do not know whether participating in these activities delay or prevent the onset of cognitive impairment such as dementia or dementia due to Alzheimers disease.She said the study findings were interesting but noted the data was self-reported, which may not be fully reliable.Brain balanceA key concept in both normal brain aging and dementia (including Alzheimers disease) is that our ability to function is a balance of brain pathology and the brains cognitive strength, explained Dr. Gayatri Devi, a neurologist specializing in memory disorders at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.When the pathology is overwhelming, which happens in aggressive dementias, no amount of brain strength can help slow progression, she said.Thankfully, most kinds of dementia and Alzheimers are slowly progressive, and we can shore up our brains strength or cognitive reserve to either delay onset of dementia or to prevent it altogether.Using crossword puzzles and other mental e xercises to strengthen our brain networks is one way to strengthen the brain, as is physical exercise.The trick is to keep the brain challenged and engaged as we get older, Devi said.You dont have to be a puzzle fanatic to boost your brain, though, you can also learn a new language or take up a new hobby.Regardless of the task, if the problem is challenging enough, all areas of the brain are more or less involved in trying to find a solution - which is good for overall strengthening of the brains networks and improving cognitive reserve, she said.The bottom lineAccording to a recentstudy, the more people over age 50 engage in games such as Sudoku and crosswords, the better their brains function.However, experts clarified that because the study is correlational, not randomized, it doesnt mean that playing games causes better cognition.But experts said challenging your brain either through puzzles or other methods like learning a language can help anyone stay engaged and cognitively sharp.This article first appeared on Healthline.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

U.S. Army Military Education Promotion Points

U.S. Army Military Education Promotion PointsU.S. Army Military Education Promotion PointsMilitary education points for versetzung for E-5/E-6 were revised in Army Regulation 600-8-19, published 19 December, 2015. There is a maximum of 200 points for promotion to SGT and 220 for promotion to SSG. Promotion Points for NCOES Courses Structured Self Development Courses No promotion points are given for structured self-development courses as completion of SSD 1/SSD 2 as they are requirements in order to be recommended therefore all candidates will have completed these courses. Basic Leader Course No promotion points are given for completion of Basic Leader Course (BLC) if you are competing for selection to SGT as it is a requirement to qualify for promotion. The DA Form 1059 must be made a matter of record. Promotion points are received for academic excellence in BLC, however. You can receive 20 promotion points for achieving commandants list position and 40 promotion points for achi eving Distinguished Honor Graduate of the Distinguished Leadership Graduate. These must be verified on the DA Form 1059. Advance Leaders Course ALC is a requirement for promotion to SSG, so no points are given for completing it. Promotion points are received for academic excellence in ALC. You can receive 20 promotion points for achieving commandants list status and 40 promotion points for achieving Distinguished Honor Graduate of the Distinguished Leadership Graduate. These must be verified on the DA Form 1059. Army Training Requirements and Resources System Courses You can receivefour promotion points per week (40 training hours) for courses that are formally listed in ATTRS. You could receive these promotion points even if the course was a mandatory requirement for your MOS. You should ensure all of your courses are listed in your ATTRS transcript. Noncommissioned Officer Education System Courses that Carry No Promotion Points Other than those listed above, you will not recei ve promotion points for NCOES courses. These courses are excluded from carrying promotion points badge-producing courses, BCT, advanced individual training, new equipment training, USMAPS/U.S. Military Academy, language training, OCS, Warrant Officer Candidate Course, on-the-job training, on-the-job experience, Sergeants Time Trining, FEMA courses, and courses required to hold an MOS. Promotion Points for Ranger, Special Forces, and Sapper Courses You can be awarded 40 promotion points for completion of Ranger, Special Forces, or Sapper courses, but you must complete all phases of the courses to earn these points. Computer-Based Training You can earn a maximum of 80 points for promotion to SGT and 90 for promotion to SSG via computer-based nonresident training. These include military correspondence courses through ATRRS Self-development or Army e-Learning. You earn one point per five hours of Army Correspondence Course Program (ACCP) training. You must have completed the ent ire course. You dont get points for training that is duplicated with both a resident course and a correspondence or computer-based course. The full requirements and promotion points rules are available inArmy Regulation 600819 Personnel-General Enlisted Promotions and Reductions, published by Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, DC 18 December 2015 These are subject to further revision and you should consult the current steuerung for any modifications.

My Career Path from Executive Assistant to Vice President

My Career Path from Executive Assistant to Vice PresidentMy Career Path from Executive Assistant to Vice PresidentHow did one administrative professional follow a career path from executive assistant to vice president of an international training organization? Learn the three skills you can embrace for an engaging career.Ive been immersed in the role of the administrative professional for the last 17 years. In fact, my start in the administrative career welches as a temporary professional for OfficeTeam filling roles at a variety of assignments in numerous industries medical, financial, media and more.In this span of time, Ive had roles wzu siche I shined and roles where I was quite the opposite of shining.Heres what Ive learned and how it has contributed to my successful transition from executive assistant to vice president of Office Dynamics International.Be observantPay attention to the things that are said. What do your leaders wish they could get done? What is of value to them that keeps getting pushed aside because they simply dont have the time?Pay attention to the things that they dont say. Body language, facial expression, attitude, resistance what are these non-verbal cues telling you about your work environment and the leaders you support?Pay attention to the surroundings, the people leaders care about and the things they value. These insights can prove valuable.Remember that familiarity breeds complacency. Stay alert and on top of your game, no matter how long youve been in your position. When you pay attention to the points Ive mentioned above, youre equipped to fill a need simply by listening and understanding.When I began working for our founder and CEO, Joan Burge, I would hear her say revamping a program was important to her and I could see that it would greatly impact her business if she invested the time in the program. Yet, she wasnt getting to this important project. I picked up on her cues and stated that I recognized the importance of t his project to her as well as the impact it would have on the organization. I asked what I could do to assist her in getting the project started. She hadnt thought about how I could get involved, but after hearing the needs and being observant, I came to the table with ideas and the program rejuvenation was a great success.Did you know that a majority of both managers and admins feel that support staff are more valued by their employers than they were 10 years ago? Download OfficeTeams Office of the Future Guide to learn more about top traits and attributes shared among the best administrative professionals.Be open to getting outside your comfort zoneDont ever let fear hold you back and keep you small. In order to continue developing professionally, there will come a time when you will be challenged. And that is a good thing, even if failure is on the other side of that challenge.The fruchtwein tremendous amount of growth and showcasing of any aspect of my skill set has taken place when I was doing things outside my comfort zone. Allow yourself to try new things and be surprised.One of the most amazing parts of working with Joan Burge for the last nine years has been that shes always had faith in my abilities and often challenged me with new projects or leadership roles. I was often terrified on the inside, but would say yes to the new opportunities that came my way because I believed I could achieve them. One of the most memorable examples was when she asked me to speak at our Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence. I had never written a session before and I would be speaking in front of 250 of my peers. It took a lot of preparation and skill development. I wasnt amazing or perfect on my first go, but its given me the chance to develop a skill set I may have never otherwise had a chance to flex.Subscribe to the Robert Half newsletter for free articles and resources to help you land a new job and succeed in your career - all sent directly to your inb ox.Be engaged in your careerI grew from administrative assistant to executive assistant and then to vice president in my career with increased responsibilities as I transitioned to each new role. One of the most impactful things I did along the way was to act as if. This means to act as if I was responsible for the company. I believe, as administrators, we have great impact on the companies we work for. What would Joan do? was a mantra of mine for a long time.My engagement has come from a genuine care and concern for my employer and the cause we serve. As you navigate your own career path, channel your engagement by finding what drives you at work. What are you most passionate about? Is it supporting others, the cause of your organization, or a genuine respect or admiration for the people you support?Everyones career path looks different. In fact, our desires for our own career paths can be vastly different.My parting tips for you as you reach for your career goals areLook forward w ith a plan in mind for yourself.Be flexible with your plan.Pay attention to the people and environment around you.Always show up and do your best work.Try new things, even if they scare you a little.Find a cause youre fired up about and let your passion show.What steps have you taken that have allowed you to advance in your career? Share them with others below.Jasmine Freeman is vice president of Office Dynamics International. She has been very involved in the absatzwirtschaft and social media side of the business, making sure the company and its founder and CEO Joan Burge are known and connected to administrative professionals worldwide. Shes a contributing author to three books Life Choices Putting the Pieces Together, Life Choices Its Never Too Late and Amazon best-seller Who Took My Pen ... Again? Jasmine is also a TEDx speaker (check out her talk From Zero to Silly).

Submersible Robot Harpoons Reef-Damaging Lionfish

Submersible Robot Harpoons Reef-Damaging Lionfish Submersible Robot Harpoons Reef-Damaging Lionfish Submersible Robot Harpoons Reef-Damaging LionfishLionfish, a voracious species native to the South Pacific and Indian oceans, are damaging marine ecosystems in the Caribbean and western Atlantic oceans by diminishing the native fish populations that are crucial for commercial and recreational fishing.Unfortunately, the number of lionfish continue to rapidly expanding. A female can lay up to 30,000 eggs every three days. A mature lionfish can consume other fish 80 percent its own body size, and a single lionfish can drastically decrease the number of native fish on a section of reef in a matter of weeks. That devastation puts stress on coral reefs already impacted by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.Listen To ASME TechCast Engineer Roma Agrawal Talks Up Need for Building a Diversified Workforce Methods to control the lionfish population include robots that suck them into a tub e or stun them with electricity. But those often require tethers to communicate with the surface or maintain position, which are not allowed near fruchtwein reefs.Eager to find a better solution, engineering students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have built a prototype for an autonomous underwater robot that reduces the population of lionfish by spearing them and letting them float to the surface where they are collected and consumed as a local delicacy. The WPI robot is untethered and can hunt for fish on its own, without human direction.The goal is to be able to toss the robot over the side of a boat and have it go down to the reef, plot out a course, and begin its search, says Craig Putnam, an advisor for the student kollektiv and senior instructor in computer science and associate director of WPIs Robotics Engineering Program.It needs to set up a search pattern and fly along the reef, and not ansturm into it, while looking for the lionfish. The idea is that this type of robot could be part of the environmental solution.Student William Godsey (l) and Bradley Miller, associate director of WPIs Robotics Resource Center, examine the lionfish harvesting robot built by Godsey and his project team. Image WPIThe most important requirement for the WPI robot is the ability to accurately identify lionfish from other fish within the reef ecosystem. The team used machine learning, advanced computer vision libraries, nerven betreffend network software, and computer vision models to develop the robots computer vision system. The system was exposed to thousands of images of lionfish of different colors, taken from different angles and in different lighting conditions, to train it to recognize a lionfish with greater than 95 percent accuracy. Equally important, the robot was exposed to many pictures of human divers in order to train it in what to absolutely avoid shooting.The team found a product from Intel called a Movidius Neural Compute Stick (MNCS) that acts as a hardware accelerator for this kind of application, Putnam says.The software was modified to run on the MNCS and execution times were greatly improved.Classification could then be done in about 100mswhich is fast enough to be useful for generating steering commands to a remote operating vehicle platform.Another critical part of the robot is a revolving carousel called a Geneva mechanism, which holds eight detachable, buoyant spear tips. When targeting a lionfish, a metal shaft thrusts the spear into the fish. As the shaft retracts, the spear tip detaches and its buoyancy pulls the lionfish to the surface for collection.After each neutrally buoyant spear tip is dispensed, the Geneva mechanism rotates until the pin of the rotating drive wheel is caught by a driven wheel, says student team member Katharine Conroy. This driven wheel is subsequently placed in the correct position to eject another spear tip. It can be thought of like a revolver dispensing spear tips instead of ammuni tion.As more spear tips are used, the robot progressively loses buoyancy. To compensate for this loss, the researchers built a watertight, air-filled chamber that enlarges slightly after each spearing, to displace more water and equalize the robots buoyancy.If this is not done, then the thrusters have to work harder to maintain the robot at the proper depth, Putnam says.This would drain the batteries faster, leading to a reduction in the amount of time the robot could operate before needing to return to the surface for recharging.Finally, the young engineers were challenged to develop a water-tight chamber to protect the robots motherboard and electronics.In many ways, this was the hardest part of the project, says William Godsey, a student who worked on the systems buoyancy and electronics chambers. Just because something is waterproof doesnt mean it will work in salt water, which is an incredibly corrosive environment.The team mounted eight orange speartips on the blue carousel. T wo small boxes just behind the carousel contain cameras. Image WPIThe WPI robot is being designed to attach to a commercially available, autonomous submersible robot. Students in this academic year will conduct more advanced work on the robots GP s, which will enable it to autonomously establish and navigate a three-dimensional search grid as it seeks lionfish the team will also refine the water-tight chamber. Other possibilities include an RF signal for each spear tip to identify its location at the surface, as well as robot-to-robot communication to keep multiple robots from chasing the same fish.We hope this research leads to advancements in the autonomous capabilities of lionfish harvesters, says team member Eric Peterson. One of the biggest issues that currently exists is the implementation of an untethered solution. Tethered solutions are unable to be deployed along the reefs in the Caribbean because the concerns arise that the tether could potentially damage the reefs. We hop e that over the next few years our research makes the development of an autonomous, untethered solution possible.Mark Crawford is an independent writer.Listen to episode 2 of ASME TechCast How Engineers Close the Communication GapRead More Sensors Allow Robots to Feel Sensation Weed-Fighting Robots Could Replace Spraying ansicht Robots Kill Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Resolve to Make Happiness a Ritual

Resolve to Make Happiness a RitualResolve to Make Happiness a RitualResolve to Make Happiness a Ritual Reynolds, author of Why People Fail The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them (Jossey-Bass, 2011)In the last fifteen years there has been a colossal amount of research conducted on what makes humans happy. Suffice to say that there are numerous things you can do to quickly improve your mood.Lets face it nobody feels fantastic every day. We all have our dark periods. But by following this elementary yet exceedingly potent ritual, you can tangibly reduce your black moods and enjoy vastly greater periods of feeling happy.The important point to remember about happiness is that it is not just dependent on events that occur in your life. It is your reaction to those events that dictates your mood.If you choose to just shrug your shoulders and brush off adversity, then badeanstalt moments wont hurt you much. If you become a drama queen and take bad stuff personally, regular stress and misery will be your companions.Ultimately it really is up to you. The moment you take responsibility for your moods, you begin to see that you are in control of them. Its a very important mental game you must learn to play.Make this ritual of mood control part of your life and just watch how your moods improve.HAPPINESS RITUALEarly morningVisualize the day going well (5 minutes)List all the good things in your lifeExercise (10 minutes plus)EveningReview all the good moments of the day (1 minute)Think of all the things youre grateful for (1 minute)Visualize your life going well (5 minutes)Within a week of practicing this simple ordnungsprinzip, the results will be substantial. Your habits of thinking (your brains neural pathways) will begin to change for the better. Youll get used to expecting and imagining a vibrant, positive future, with the key events in your life going well.Sure enough, that positive expectation will improve your performance and presentation and your results will also improve. It becomes a virtuous circle your thoughts create better results, and then your better results create better thoughts.Now consider the alternative. If you dont do this daily happiness ritual, your moods are far more likely to go up and down with your changing circumstances.People who dont have a system for regulating their moods experience more oscillations in their happiness. Without a controlling force, they are virtually certain to sail on rougher mental waters.I can think of no more valuable technique to quickly improve the quality of your daily experience and uplift the level of your thinking.After all, why is it that so many people want to be rich, successful, or famous? Its because of the way they believe it will make them feel.Well, rather than spend years trying to reach those goals, why not be more direct and simply address your moods themselves? Do the Happiness Ritual each day and youll feel great.In fact, youll feel better than many people who are rich or famous actually feel day to day. To master your moods is truly to be king of the world.Author BioSiimon Reynolds, author of Why People Fail The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them(Jossey-Bass, 2011), is mentor to business leaders worldwide. Winner of numerous business awards, he co-founded the 15th largest marketing services company in the world, with operations in 14 countries. His books have been published in ten countries.Read more Reduce on-the-Job Stress at your WorkplaceManagement Skills Managing Emotions in the WorkplaceManagement Skills Transform Procrastinators into Top Performers

Life After Buzzwords for Resume

Life After Buzzwords for Resume The Buzzwords for Resume Stories Resumes should demonstrate what you could do and not what you cant do, states Harrison. If this is the case, youre not alone, but you might want to take into account a rewrite. Just thought youd want to understand. At best, you truly feel guilty as you do so If youve got mora than 1 phone number, enter it on a different line. You cannot prepare a single resume for a number of kinds of jobs. Theres no sugar-coating whats going on in the utility market. Large-scale transmission projects arent less important than theyve been in years past but its what is happening at the border of the electrical grid thats altering the way we produce and utilize energy. Get more specific if youd like actual outcomes. More surprising to discover in the top 10 were smaller states like Connecticut and Vermont. Words which dont show action and that dont move information forward arent great to include in a resume. Local search mark eting is a great place to begin with a hyperlocal strategy in order for your company shows up when local consumers are searching for your goods and solutions. You can also check at a number of the samples of various sorts of resumes for various kinds of careers. Or perhaps its that youve got extensive expertise in content marketing along with exceptional analytical abilities. Across all search queries, the most often encountered jobs advertised call for a wide mixture of skills. Marketers with the best array of skills are frequently the best performers. Buzzwords for Resume Can Be Fun for Everyone The keywords in your resume can help you get selected for a work interview. Use keywords from the job verbs to demonstrate that you are conversant with the tools theyd would like you to use. Its important that you know every time a buzzword goes from a positive to negative to avoid utilizing the undesirable terms. There are other resume buzzwords that you ought to avoid, obviously. The very first point to do is to know about what the terrible buzzwords are. The buzzword does require a little more context. however, it offers just the correct space for being specific. For instance, on occasion a buzzword is only a term thats being mentioned a lot because of authentic concern over this issue. With the synonyms and acronyms youre attempting to cover all your bases. Nonetheless, there are instances when utilizing an intelligently placed buzzword can boost your resume. A good posting for a nursing position will comprise experiences particular to the profession. Needless to say, you are going to be held accountable for actually having the skill set you profess to get, too Put simply, there are many resumes to cope with that there isnt any way to devote much time with any except the very best. If youd like help making sure your resume rises over the rest, get in touch with the Palmer Group for support.A whole lot of well-meaning individuals will suggest you o ught to use action verbs. To produce meaningful change, they must behave differently. You should use words that cause you to stick out from the crowd not make you just another component of it. For instance, a job applicant might be interested in both an overall management team position, and an advertising job. Your work is to demonstrate the hiring manager what youve done and the way that it has helped the organizations and people around you. Employers dont want to understand if youre a team player, but they do want to learn how you saved company resources, effort and money on a team undertaking, or while collaborating with different members. Well, you should be aware that the key skills employers are interested in fall into four categories. Picking your keywords is an issue of knowing which ones are related to the industry you are trying to become into, and having the ability to make an honest claim to them. Making sustainable choices shouldnt be a matter of your earnings or your geographical area.

Team Building Mistakes for Small Businesses - Spark Hire

Team Building Mistakes for Small Businesses - Spark HireTrying to develop a roster of talented employees is a challenge for even the most capable small geschftliches miteinander owners. From worrying about turnover to ensuring that staff members are able to utilize their talents properly, managing a diverse range of employees can be a challenge. To ensure that this happens successfully, take care to avoid ansicht common team building mistakes. Interacting with all employees in the same way.Managers need to take into account how personality and experience impact an individual. Interacting with all employees in exactly the same manner simply isnt an effective management technique. People learn in different ways and respond to different types of coaching. Make it a point to learn about your employees unique preferences, and respect these wishes.Failing to set goals.In order to keep your team motivated, you need to set both short and long-term goals that everyone in your amtsstube is wor king to achieve. Instead of coming into work each day and waiting for the clock to hit 5 p.m., these goals enable your employees to feel as if theyre working towards a bigger purpose. It also helps when you want to track progress, as the results are easily measurable.Failing to seem approachable.When you run a small business, you need to be accessible to your employees. They should feel comfortable coming to you with questions, concerns, or general feedback. The minute you come across as inaccessible, you create an unhealthy disconnect in your office.Forgetting to delegate.Many small business owners struggle to delegate properly, and end up burning themselves out as a result. Youve hired your employees for a reason. Make sure you give them the opportunity to do their jobs. Trying to handle every task on your own is a recipe for disaster.Forgetting to praise positive performance.Offering criticism is a necessary part of a managers job, however its important not to forget the positive praise side of things too. If youre bringing attention to mistakes, you also need to offer praise when an employee does an exceptional job. Dont get so overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks that you forget about this.Setting regular meeting times with your team is another important part of keeping any small business running smoothly. These sessions allow employees and management to work through possible problems before they become major issues, ensuring everyone is on the same page.How do you keep your small businesss team strong? Share with us in the comments