The Health and Aging Benefits of Red Wine

Artwork: Dr. Murad Abel

“Red red wine you make me feel so grand I feel a million dollars when your just in my hand”. The song Red Red Wine by Neil Diamond may just have some healthy truth in it. As it turns out red wine is healthy for the heart and can encourage a youthful look. If you are going to drink something you might want to pick the option with the most benefits. Instead of reaching for red bull and vodka try something like a classic red wine.

According to the Mayo Clinic red wine has antioxidants that increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol that protects the arteries of the heart (1). The antioxidants are called polyphenols and they protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart to ensure that they do not get clogged. 

 According to a study at the University of Leicester two glasses of wine can lower the chances of developing cancerous tumors by 50% (2). Most physicians will recommend a single glass of wine a day. This is great for everyday usage. However, most people who dine out are likely to have more than one and choosing red wine is a better option.

Red wine also has the amazing ability to reduce aging and make you look younger.  Your skin will be more elastic, spots will be less likely, and small wrinkles may not form as easily. The advantage of wine rests in the polyphenols ability to mop up the damaging free radicals that create aging and age-related diseases (3).

The magic is in the fermentation process and uses grape skins and seeds that are eventually removed but still leave the beneficial results (4). Not all wines are the same.  Smaller wineries with more organic products are better than larger wineries that use lots of chemicals. The type of wine will also make a difference.  According to the website Prevention (5) the top three types of wine are:

Pinot noirs: Contain grapes with the highest concentration of resveratrol from cold and rainy environments. 

Madirans and Cabernets: Made from tannat grapes with high levels of procyanidins. 

Syrahs and Merlots: Often made with blue color grapes with high concentrations of procyanidins.

Effective Group Evaluation of Ideas-Creation and Selection

Groups work together to come up with ideas. These groups may be inter or intra-company formations that focus on particular problems. The process in which they generate ideas and evaluate these ideas is important for the development of stronger business models and group decision-making. A study Harvey & Kou (2013) focused on evaluating group decision-making and found that the idea generation process eventually moves into four modes of group interaction that can be used individually or in combination to determine the merits of each idea. 

The group process is important for determining how groups work through problems and find solutions. With greater understanding it is easier to formulate and train groups to make better decisions that have a real impact on the environment. The power of group decisions may be based in their ability to generate more ideas and evaluate those ideas from multiple perspectives.

The four different ways in which evaluation processes occur is in parallel interactions where several ideas are generated and evaluated, interactive evaluation by which a couple of ideas are evaluated based upon group goals, brainstorming without evaluation, and sequential evaluation whereby one’s idea is generated and evaluated before introducing another. 

Brainstorming without evaluation is great for generating ideas but these ideas will eventually need to be evaluated through the group process to determine which are most likely to work. The Use of collective development of creative products works best when small and diverse groups are able to draw on multiple perspectives and expertise to create new and useful ideas to be evaluated for those that achieve potential goals (Nemeth, 1997). 

The process of brainstorming (ideation) and evaluation helps to ensure that the quality of ideas is beneficial (Paletz and Schunn, 2010). Ideas should start out as free flowing to create as many different pathways to understanding as possible. Potential problems can be seen from different perspectives and backgrounds. The evaluation process ensures that those who are most likely to be successful are selected for use or further study. 

They found that groups used an evaluation-centered sequence whereby a small group of ideas were evaluated in parallel form. This helped the group to create a mental problem framework that allowed them to elaborate and integrate their ideas. The study does help highlight how defining group goals is important for encouraging a mental framework to understand the problem and how the potential solutions may work. Without this evaluation process it would be difficult for the group to formalize potential avenues for solving problems. 

Harvey, S. & Kou, C. (2013). Collective engagement in creative tasks: the role of evaluation in the creative process in groups. Administrative science quarterly, 58 (3). 

Nemeth, C. (1997) ‘Managing innovation: When less is more. California Management Review, 40 (Fall): 59–74.

Paletz, S., and Schunn, C. (2010). ‘A social-cognitive framework of multidisciplinary team innovation. Topics in Cognitive Science, 2: 73–95.

Voting on NASA's New Space Suit Coming to a Close

The concept of development takes new heights as NASA finishes open voting on its next generation of space suits. In 2012 NASA released the Z-1 design which looks a little like Buzz Lightyear’s outfit (1). The design was voted on by 200,000 people from around the world. It blends the old features with new features to create greater levels of functionality. Developers are not ready to move to infinity and beyond but are making a small step in that direction.

The public could choose between the Biomimicry, Technology, and Trends in Society designs (2). The Z-2 will be the next generation to be bested around 2020. Tests will be conducted to Neural Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL). The suits will be better than ones developed in the past and contain features like pressurization, breathable atmospheres, regulate carbon dioxide, and controlled temperature and waste (3). 

In 2013 the ILC, the primary suit vendor, won $4.4 million contract to partner with Philadelphia University to develop, design and test the suit (4).  The goal is to move into the next level of development for Mars missions and ensure that the suits are safer, economic, and extremely functional. The hope is to develop a stronger space program. 

Why is this important? Space is still the next frontier. Not much has changed from Armstrong’s moon landing. It is still a step for mankind.  Modern science is moving into greater detail here on Earth as well as in outer space. Telescopes, private investments, interstellar mapping, and other developments in technology are making space travel an important function of scientific effort. When we someday make our way out there we may find things that may be useful for further science and development. 

You may see the designs here http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/z2/

Call for Papers: Global Interdisciplinary Business-Economics Advancement Conference

May 15^th-18^th, 2014
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Conference

Welcome to the official website of the Global Interdisciplinary Business-Economics Advancement Conference (GIBA 2014), which will be held during May 15-18, 2014, in city of Clearwater Beach, Tampa, Florida, USA. GIBA 2014 aims to bring together researchers, scientists, scholar and scholar students to exchange and share their experiences, new ideas, and research results about all aspects of Business and Economics, and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted.This conference is organized and sponsored by University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee,USA.

The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in these topics and related areas. English is the official language of the conference.We welcome paper submissions.

Prospective authors are invited to submit full  or abstract only (and original research) papers (which is NOT submitted/published/under consideration anywhere in other conferences/journal) in electronic format through the EasyChair system. All papers will be double-blind reviewed by experts in the relevant fields.

http://gibaconference.org/

Convenient Practice and Nighttime Lighting at Mission Bay Golf Course

There are few things to ask for beyond fountains, golf courses, and sunny beaches. California life is all about the outdoors and recreational fun. The Mission Bay Golf Course and Practice Center offers a touch of that life with their 18-hole executive golf course and exclusive night time lighting. Located just a few blocks from Mission Bay and the local De Anza Cove Park it is possible to enjoy the waterfront and a round of golf all in the same afternoon. 

Seeking summer and the smell of freshly cut grass isn’t hard in San Diego. Just head down to the water and take a right-or something like that. Splicing to the left or to the right? You may need to adjust your swing and hit balls over and over until you internalize the right swing. No point in embarrassing yourself in public if you only need a little practice.

Mission Bay Golf Course and Practice center offers an excellent driving range into a sand covered field. The sand plumes help in determining precisely where the ball landed and the yardage of your hit. The mats are well taken care of and there is a putting green available for practice on your short game. It doesn’t take but a half hour to stop in and hit a medium bucket of balls for $8.50. 

Some people love golf and others hate it. You might love it when the ball makes its way perfectly down the fairway. You may hate it when your ball mysteriously gets drawn to that batch of trees or duck covered pond. No matter what type of relationship you have with golf you won’t suffer from the social, physical, naturalistic and recreational outlets it provides.

Mission Bay Golf Course and Practice Center

2702 N Mission Bay Dr

San Diego, CA 92109

http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/golf/mbgolf.shtml

Tee times are from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.