Working mothers

Parents struggling to combine paid work with bringing up their children now have some positive news thanks to a new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) on maternal employment and child socio-emotional behaviour in the UK. The research shows that there are no significant detrimental effects on a child's social or emotional development if their mothers work during their early years.

The ideal scenario for children, both boys and girls, was shown to be where both parents lived in the home and both were in paid employment. For children living with two parents, the impact of the working life of the mother may partly depend on the father's own working arrangements. However using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, the researchers discovered that the relationship between behavioural difficulties and employment of the mother was stronger for girls than for boys and that this was not explained by household income, level of mother's education or depression in the mother.

While boys in households, where the mother was the breadwinner, displayed more difficulties at age five than boys living with two working parents, the same was not true for girls. Girls in traditional households where the father was the breadwinner were more likely to have difficulties at age five than girls living in dual-earner households.

The principal researcher in this study, Dr Anne McMunn, has said: "Mothers who work are more likely to have higher educational qualifications, live in a higher income household, and have a lower likelihood of being depressed than mothers who are not in paid work. These factors explain the higher levels of behavioural difficulties for boys of non-working mothers, but the same was not true for girls."

As previous research has indicated, children in single-mother households and in two-parent households in which neither parent was in work were much more likely to have challenging behaviour at age five than children where both parents were in paid employment. Household income however, and maternal characteristics can mitigate the effects of this.

"Some studies have suggested that whether or not mothers work in the first year of a child's life can be particularly important for later outcomes. In this study we did not see any evidence for a longer-term detrimental influence on child behaviour of mothers working during the child's first year of life," states Dr Anne McMunn.

Source: Economic & Social Research Council UK

Supportive close friendship helps boys and girls overcome adversity

A single supportive close friendship can help young people from low-income backgrounds to thrive in challenging circumstances, according to a new University of Sussex study.

The research, led by psychologist Dr Rebecca Graber, is published 25 June, in the British Journal of Psychology.

Young people from low-income areas typically face substantial challenges to good physical health, mental health, academic achievement and employment.

Previous research has linked these challenges to involvement with peers and membership of larger friendship groups -- particularly among boys -- but has not looked at whether young people's best friendships could positively contribute to resilience: self-reliance, a balanced perspective on life, and the ability to make meaning from difficult circumstances.

Dr Graber, together with Professor Rhiannon Turner from Queen's University in Belfast and Professor Anna Madill from the University of Leeds, surveyed 409 student aged between 11 and 19 from three schools and two colleges in Yorkshire serving catchment areas with poor socioeconomic status.

The participating students completed psychological assessments of the quality of their closest friendship, their resilience in the face of adverse experiences, and how they typically coped with problems.

Both boys' and girls' best friendships facilitated effective ways of coping (such as planning, reframing an issue in a positive way and using emotional support) that helped them develop resilience to complex challenges.

A significant gender difference also emerged: counterintuitively, girls' best friendships had a slight tendency to promote risky and ineffective ways of coping with adversity (such as self-blame and substance use), but boys' best friendships did not.

Dr Graber said: "Research into promoting resilience in young people has concentrated on support from the family, but friendships are important too. Boys' and girls' best friendships are an important source of meaning and strength in the face of substantial adversity.

"There has also been almost a distrust of friendship between boys, with research concentrating on the negative side of belonging to a gang. But that isn't the whole story.

"Our research suggests that boys' best friendships may be intimate, trustworthy and supportive, even as they face social pressures towards a stoic or macho masculinity."

Source: British Psychological Society

Recalling positive memories reverses stress-induced depression

In a remarkable demonstration of the curative power of memory, published in Nature, scientists have established that artificial reactivation of memories stored during a positive experience can suppress the effects of stress-induced depression. The research, conducted by scientists at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics, a joint collaboration of RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan and MIT, shows how positive and negative memories interact in mood disorders, and provides a specific brain circuit for future clinical interventions.

The research, conducted in the laboratory of RIKEN Brain Science Institute Director Susumu Tonegawa, an MIT Professor and 1987 Nobel Laureate for the discovery of antibody diversity, tackles the long-standing question of whether a positive memory can overwrite a negative one. To answer the question, the research team used genetic engineering to create mice in which memory cells from a brain area called the dentate gyrus (DG) could be tagged while memories formed, and later reactivated with a blue light-emitting optical fiber implanted in the DG. The team could then turn on memory cells created during previous experiences.

To test the system, male mice were given a positive experience―exposure to a female mouse―and formed a memory of the event. They were then exposed to a stressful experience that led to a depression-like state.

While they were depressed, light was used to stimulate the DG of some mice and reactivate the memory cells for the positive experience.

Surprisingly, this resulted in a robust recovery from the depressed state. Mapping the brain circuit for this effect revealed two other brain areas―the BLA and NAcc―that cooperate with the DG.

To examine whether this type of recovery from depression can include persistent changes in brain circuitry that remain even in the absence of light stimulation, the researchers supplied chronic light therapy to the DG over 5 days, ensuring sustained reactivation of the positive memories. Mice who received this therapy were resilient to the negative effects of stress-induced depression, suggesting that memory storage of positive experiences in the DG can be used to suppress or overwrite the damaging effects of stress on behavior, a new concept in mood control.

The findings have important implications for the persistence of memory in coping with stress and depression. The interaction of positive and negative experiences and their corresponding memories is poorly understood, but the findings open a path to new approaches in mood disorder therapy that might be helpful for patients in the future. The authors say it is too early to conclude whether positive memories in general can mitigate the effects of stressful depression. However, it is clear that DG cells are promising targets for therapeutic approaches to maladaptive mood states.

Culled from RIKEN 

4 Ways to Market Your Business for Free

Ask any entrepreneur that’s just starting out what the most difficult aspect of their business is and they’ll likely point you to the challenge of reaching and retaining customers.  Yes, marketing a new business or product can be a time consuming, costly endeavor -- something many entrepreneurs don't have.

Small businesses and startups generally don’t have the luxury of outsourcing their marketing needs to professionals.  However, there are a handful of marketing practices available to entrepreneurs that don’t require them to burn through valuable resources to get this challenge under foot and get their business humming.

As the co-founder and CEO of a media technology startup, I’ve learned a few helpful secrets on how to market your business for free.

1. Create local awareness.

Gaining coverage in local papers, trade magazines and websites can greatly increase name recognition and educate people about your business - driving new customer acquisition.  While many growing businesses in competitive landscapes may want to hire an expensive public relations firm, startups and small businesses can start off with some simple “do-it-yourself” PR.

Start by researching publications and writers that cover your industry -- or local business.  Once you have a grasp on the writers you want to reach and the stories they typically write for their publication, craft a pitch around your business that will pique their interest.  

For example, if you’re in the widget business, explain how your widget business is impacting the local economy -- or your industry. Entrepreneurs and small business owners can also subscribe to Help a Reporter Out. This free service provides queries for upcoming articles -- allowing you to contact the writer directly.

2. Increase lead generation and customer engagement with email marketing.

According to a recent survey conducted by Ascend2, email is the most effective digital marketing tactic, the one that delivers the best ROI and the least difficult to execute. Start a customer newsletter that offers timely information about the business, special promotions or an inside look at the company. This helps build a community with your customers, and it keeps your product and business on their minds.

Entrepreneurs don’t need to pay an agency or marketing consultant to develop an email campaign either.  You can do it yourself with free services, such as MailChimp, which allows small-business owners to send marketing emails, automated messages and targeted campaigns to customers.  If you want to get more personal and send one-on-one messages, use a new free product called Sidekick that automatically notifies you when someone opens an email you sent them.

3. Leverage social media.

It’s free, easy to get started and offers a massive network of potential customers.  The hard part is increasing your followers without wasting your precious time.  Make sure you focus on value over volume.  Identify the social channels that reach your customers best – including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and the new guy, Ello.

The goal is to provide your followers with something that’s useful, interesting and shareable. Start small, post a few times a week and learn who your audience is. Once you have an understanding of who’s consuming your content, and what they’re interested in, you can start ramping up efforts.

Also, tools like my company, Tack, allows you to take a post you’ve already created and turn it into an online ad outside of the social network -- increasing your post’s reach.

4. Stand on the shoulders of your customers.

Satisfied clients can be a business’s best marketing tool. Actively engage pre-existing clients through PR, social media and email.

For example, pitching your business and a satisfied customer to a writer can be mutually beneficial for both parties. This tactic generally leads to a more compelling story and a stronger relationship between you and your customer. Once you have a customer army of spokespeople, let them share positive experiences and tell your company story for you.

Marketing a small or new business is extremely crucial to a company’s success but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to invest a huge chunk of capital into it. Savvy, frugal entrepreneurs can find products and services that can help increase visibility and drive customer acquisition – without spending any overhead. 

Source: Entrepreneur.com

Written by Aaron Goodin

CEO and Founder Tack

Researchers identify new genetic cause of arrhythmia and develop therapy

A rare and deadly form of inherited arrhythmia has been identified by researchers, who have developed a method to treat it. Arrhythmia is a malfunction of the heart's electrical system that causes irregular heartbeats. Most people experience harmless skipped beats or fluttering. However, nearly 4 million Americans have heart arrhythmias that range from bothersome to deadly.

A research team at The Ohio State University Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center have identified a rare and deadly form of inherited arrhythmia and developed a method to treat it. Their findings are described in a recent publication by the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Arrhythmia is a malfunction of the heart's electrical system that causes irregular heartbeats. Most people experience harmless skipped beats or fluttering. However, nearly 4 million Americans have heart arrhythmias that range from bothersome to deadly.

"This particular form of arrhythmia involving both the atria and the ventricle is extremely complex. It took an integrative team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, pharmacists, genetic counselors, biomedical engineers, and physiologists to address this disease," said Peter Mohler, director of Ohio State's Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute. "We are still only beginning to understand how very small differences in a person's genetic background influence the rhythm of the heart. We hope these initial findings will help us not only address rare inherited forms of disease but also more common forms of irregular heart rhythms observed in millions of people around the world."

The starting point for their research is a 37-year-old man who had recurrent ventricular fibrillation (VF) that did not respond to standard therapies, including ablation and various medications. During a 16-month period, the team recorded 168 discharges from the patient's implantable cardioverter defibrillator for VF. Additionally, the man's mother had died suddenly and prematurely.

Based on family history and clinical presentation, the man underwent genetic testing for known causes of arrhythmia, but no known genetic variants were identified. Therefore, the team sequenced every protein-coding gene in the patient's genome and they found multiple variants. Among them, researchers identified a protein-coding variant in a gene known as DPP6. The team determined that the variant alters how heart muscle cells process electrical impulses, causing an abnormal heart rhythm.

"Finally, we could see where the problem was originating, and that allowed us to design a specific therapeutic strategy that normally would not have been considered," said Cynthia Carnes, a professor in Ohio State's College of Pharmacy and arrhythmia researcher at the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute. "While we are still working to understand the complete picture of this disease, this therapy has significantly reduced the patient's irregular heart rhythms for nearly two years."

"We are excited about these preliminary findings, and we're now focusing on how other genetic or environmental factors may contribute to the disease." said Amy Sturm, certified genetic counselor at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center and co-first author on the study. "It's important to identify others across the globe with this form of arrhythmia to better understand the disease progression, with the ultimate goal of identifying and treating those at risk before arrhythmia occurs."

Source: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Hubert Humphrey Fellowships in USA for International Students

The Humphrey Program brings young and mid-career professionals from designated countries to the United States for a year of non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development, and professional collaboration with U.S. counterparts. 

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program provides a year of professional enrichment in the United States for experienced professionals from designated countries throughout the world.   The Fellowship provides ten months of non-degree academic study* and related professional experiences in the United States.  Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or private sector. 

*The Humphrey Program is a non-degree program. Participants may complete academic coursework at their host university to update their academic and professional knowledge in their field, but they do not receive an academic degree as a result of their participation in the Program.
Host Institution(s):
Fellows are placed at one of the participating USA universities. Fellows are not able to choose which university they will attend. Rather, they are assigned in diverse groups of 7-15 to the most appropriate host institution based on their area of interest and professional field.
Field of study:
• Agricultural and Rural Development
• Communications/Journalism
• Economic Development
• Educational Administration, Planning and Policy
• Finance and Banking
• Higher Education Administration
• HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention
• Human Resource Management
• Law and Human Rights
• Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
• Public Health Policy and Management
•  Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
•  Substance Abuse Education, Treatment and Prevention
•  Teaching of English as a Foreign Language
•  Technology Policy and Management
•  Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention
•  Urban and Regional Planning

Number of Awards:
Approximately 200 Fellowships are awarded annually.

Target group:
Citizens of eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Eurasia, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and Pacific, South and Central Asia, and Western Hemisphere.

Scholarship value/inclusions:
The Fellowship provides for:
•  Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university;
•  Pre-academic English language training, if required;
•  A maintenance (living) allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance;
•  Accident and sickness coverage;
•  A book allowance;
•  A one-time computer subsidy;
•  Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the program and domestic travel to required program events);
•  A Professional Development allowance for professional activities, such as field trips, professional visits and conferences.

Eligibility:
The applicant must have:
•  an undergraduate (first university) degree,
•  a minimum of five years of substantial professional experience,
•  limited or no prior experience in the United States,
•  demonstrated leadership qualities,
•  a record of public service in the community, and
•  English language ability
Please contact the U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs Section or Fulbright Commission in your country of residence to learn about possible specific program requirements (link found below).

Application instructions:
The deadlines for applicants vary by country but falls around May to September each year. Please check with the Embassy or Fulbright Commission in your country to learn about the exact deadline for submitting applications.  Embassies and Commissions must submit their nominations to the Institute of International Education office in Washington, DC by 1 October.

Please contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy or Bi-national Fulbright Commission in your country for more information about application procedures.
It is important to read the FAQs and visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Website:
Official Scholarship Website:  http://humphreyfellowship.org/

Women Seeking Mentors: Questions to Ask

Of all the resources professionals have at their disposal, a mentor is arguably one of the most helpful. Articles, books, and trial and error can be great teachers when you're navigating your career, but nothing can replace advice from someone who has been there before you.

"The guidance of a mentor can be very important," said Rachel Martinez, founder of the Are You Kidding sock company. "Many times, it is helpful to learn from others' mistakes, or from the right choices [they have] made."

LourdesMartin-Rosa, American Express OPEN adviser on government contracting, agreed, noting that the real-life experiences mentors can share will help mentees create a better path toward success.

"A mentor will help build leadership, value and character," Martin-Rosa told Business News Daily. "Having someone guide [you] and provide expert advice [on] the day-to-day business challenges is extremely beneficial."

Strong mentorship can provide an advantage for any professional at any career level, but for female professionals, especially those in leadership positions, a mentor can make all the difference. Such advice can help in overcoming the many gender-related challenges that women still face in the modern workplace. Asking for a raise, delegating tasks and honoring parental commitments all tend to be rewarded when men do them — but if women do the same, they're viewed as needy, incompetent and uncommitted. Professional life coach Vittoria Adhami said that these types of deeply ingrained societal biases, along with a lack of self-confidence among female workers, can set women up for failure in their careers.

"Some of the challenges women encounter in the workplace don't necessarily come from their working environment, but rather from within," Adhami said. "We are our worst enemy. We have all the qualifications we need to do the job, but we don't believe we can perform. Men feel positive about being able to do the job until they are told they can't. Women start with thinking they cannot do it until they are told they are doing a good job."

Nola Hennessy, founder and CEO of Serenidad Consulting, added, "Women are still expected to 'support' the professional men, even though the man and woman may have the same qualifications and experience and work alongside one another. The subservience that women have been working their way out of through the centuries is still a mindset that has been strongly programmed into both men and women."

If a female executive struggles with these mindsets, it's easy to see how she could struggle even more with being an effective leader. With the guidance of a trusted mentor, women can learn to overcome the internal and external factors that hold them back, and go on to successfully grow in their careers. Here are a few questions female professionals should ask themselves to help find the right mentor.

Do I look up to this person?

First and foremost, you should ask yourself if you admire this person for her or his achievements and industry experience. Your mentor should ideally be someone who shares your professional outlook and perhaps has even accomplished the goals you hope to achieve.

"Think of people you are really going to be able to gain something from," said Jayna Cooke, CEO of event venue listing site EVENTup. "LinkedIn is a great source to find people. Somebody you admire and look up to within your space is [best] if you're just starting out."

When you've identified someone you think might be a good mentor, avoid asking the person up front if he or she is willing to mentor you. Cooke advised starting off with an invitation to coffee or lunch, and asking to pick the person's brain about his or her experience to get a better idea of how your professional relationship would work.

"It's a process," Cooke said. "It's not something that's going to happen overnight. You're going to ask a lot of people to find the right fit."

Am I able to work well with this person?

While you may have identified someone who meets your requirements for an ideal mentor, that person may not necessarily serve as a great partner. It's critical to know that you can work and communicate well with the person who's going to help guide your career.

"The mentor must be supportive, communicative, inspiring and must feel that your needs are important," Adhami said. "Know the person well before you ask him or her to become your mentor. Form a relationship first.Even if you think that the mentor you want is very knowledgeable, he or she might not necessarily be able to communicate effectively their knowledge."

If you haven't worked with a potential mentor before, Adhami recommended collaborating on a single project. This will give you the opportunity to find out if you are a good match.

Is this person engaged in the local community?

If you don't have a particular mentor in mind when you begin your search, a good place to start looking is your own local community. Small business owners often have a wealth of leadership knowledge and experience that they're often happy to share with other local professionals.

"Good mentors are exceptional leaders within their own community," Martin-Rosa said. "Not only will they understand your challenges, but the culture and environment within your particular industry or community, as well."

Can this person guide me toward my professional goals?

It's important to remember that a mentor does not play the same role in your professional success as a coach might. Mentorship does not mean someone telling you what moves to make; it's about someone encouraging you to find the answers yourself. Hennessy noted that an effective mentor must be nonjudgmental, an active listener, empathetic and very compassionate, providing advice only when asked.

"A good mentor will guide, not advise; inspire, not motivate; critique, not judge; and share ideas and options, but not do it for you," Hennessy said. "The mentee must be willing to open up to new ideas, act on guidance given, [and] be prepared to adapt and change."

Is this person happy in his or her career?

Being good at something and doing well in your chosen career don't necessarily mean you've achieved success. If a seemingly successful person is working at a job he or she secretly hates, it will show — and that person is probably not your ideal mentor. Seek out someone who truly loves his or her work.

"Look for the person who smiles and is always happy at work," Martinez said. "There's a reason that person is happy. She's obviously doing something right."

Source: Nicole Fallon