Green Tea Shown to Enhance Brain Functioning
The fountain of good health flows with green tea. It helps with weight loss (by increasing metabolism), it reduces bad cholesterol, and it regulates glucose levels. Now you can add brain power to its many benefits.
Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland have reported for the first time that green tea extract enhances cognitive function, particularly the working memory.
Professor Christoph Beglinger from the University Hospital of Basel and Professor Stefan Borgwardt from the Psychiatric University Clinics had 12 healthy male study participants drink a soda containing 27.5 grams (0.97 ounces) of green tea extract before solving a working memory task. Beglinger and Borgwardt then analyzed the men’s brain activity in an MRI machine. They found increased connectivity between the parietal and the frontal cortex of the brain, which correlated positively with task performance improvement of the men studied.
“Our findings suggest that green tea might increase the short-term synaptic plasticity of the brain,” Borgwardt said.
Consider this finding the next time you reach for a soda for a little pick-me-up and perhaps choose a cup of green tea instead. Your brain will thank you.
(photo credit: KOREA.NET – Official page of the Republic of Korea via photopin cc)
Industry News Weekly Roundup
There was a lot of news this past week. Here are some stories that caught our eyes.
London’s £12bn Olympic Park Opens Up to the Public
—The Guardian
“Almost 10 years and £12bn in the making, the full extent of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will finally open to the public on Saturday, revealing ‘the biggest new park in Europe for 150 years’, magicked from the mud at the bottom of the Lea Valley.”
From Football to Food
—The Meeting Professional
“When George Wasai—director of food and beverage for the hospitality division of Legends at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys)—played football in the 1980s for Bishop College (now Paul Quinn College), he never suspected that he would return to that same field more than two decades later as part of a team making a difference in the community.”
More to Cultural Venues Than a Name
—The Global Times
“The Shanghai Concert Hall was recently renamed the Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall to mark its strategic cooperation with the German manufacturer of headphones, microphones and wireless transmission systems.”
PepsiCo Demands Higher Visibility at IPL Venues
—The Economic Times
“The American snacks and beverages major is seeking increased visibility in boxes in the stadium, perimeter boards, dug-outs and drinks trolleys among others, after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the first phase of the IPL will be played in the United Arab Emirates because of the Lok Sabha elections in India.”
Melbourne’s The Palace Theatre to Close for Good in May
—The Music
“The venue started trading in 1860 and has been home to a number of venues, including Apollo Theatre, Metro Nightclub, Metro Theatre, St James Theatre and Brennan’s Amphitheatre.”
(photo credit: sludgegulper via photopin cc)
Women Find “Male-Sounding” Job Postings Less Appealing
George Orwell once said, “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” With that in mind, let’s consider the way a job notice is worded.
According to a new study from Technische Universität München (TUM), women will respond less to job ads that feature such words as “determined” and “assertive,” because they feel those words are tied to male stereotypes. The researchers found that women preferred words like “dedicated,” “responsible,” and “sociable.” The wording in job ads made no difference to males.
“A carefully-formulated job posting is essential to get the best choice of personnel,” said Professor Claudia Peus from the Chair of Research and Science Management at TMU. “In most cases, it doesn’t make sense to simply leave out all of the male-sounding phrases. But without a profile featuring at least balanced wording, organizations are robbing themselves of the chance of attracting good female applicants. And that’s because the stereotypes endure almost unchanged in spite of all of the societal transformation we have experienced.”
This new study is similar to one published in 2011 that found the same results.
“When job advertisements were constructed to include more masculine than feminine wording, participants perceived more men within these occupations, and importantly, women found these jobs less appealing,” wrote the authors in the separate 2011 study. “Results confirmed that perceptions of belongingness (but not perceived skills) mediated the effect of gendered wording on job appeal.”
Do you agree or disagree with the findings of these studies? Please contribute to the conversation in the comments section.
Built to Succeed: IAVM Governance 101
On Thursday, April 24, a webinar will offer an inside view of IAVM’s new Coherent Governance system and a theoretical overview of this state-of-the-art operating system for governing boards. This is an opportunity to interact with the people who created the system and learn how it can position boards of directors to lead their organizations from a policy level, how CEOs and boards can achieve absolute clarity of roles, and how clear authority and accountability can be defined. The IAVM Senior Officers will also discuss how IAVM has implemented Coherent Governance, allowing for a 15-minute Q&A session at the end.
“Good work does not always come easy, nor does it come fast,” wrote John Bolton, CFE, IAVM chairman and vice president at SMG Entertainment, in the February/March issue of FM. “The goal, as articulated six years ago by the Mission, Membership, and Governance Initiative was to ‘create a streamlined, transparent, and objective governance model that reflects modern practices…and focuses board efforts on policy creation and association oversight as stewards of the association.’
“We are here for you, and we are listening,” Bolton continued. “We have crafted new policies, and we have spent years discussing and developing a governance model designed to ensure that the leadership of IAVM will continue to effectively advocate for the needs and interests of the entire member community.”
Final Days for IAVM’s Call for Volunteers
“Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”—Margaret Mead
Are you ready for a new challenge? Are you committed to getting a short-term (or long-term) project completed? Then this is the Call for Volunteers that fits you. Here is the vision for the role you might play.
Role of Committee Members:
• Make a serious commitment to participate actively in the committee’s work, including substantive participation in committee meetings and discussions.
• Volunteer for and willingly accept assignments and complete them thoroughly and on time.
• Stay informed about committee matters, be prepared for meetings and review and comment on minutes and reports.
• Get to know other committee members and build a collegial working relationship that contributes to consensus.
• Act as a think tank and a team of “doers.”
• Share the credit. Thank all that were involved in the success of the committee.
IAVM has recently evolved to a Coherent Governance model, with the energy of the IAVM Board of Directors focused on oversight and setting strategic goals based on the wants and needs of our members. Day-to-day operations of the association is performed by the staff management team. As a result, our volunteer boards, committees, and task forces this year will be comprised of those ready to help fill a specific need as identified by the board or by management.
Here are the opportunities available, and the volunteer roles and responsibilities for each. To volunteer, please follow the link below (or click here) to complete the survey and tell us why you are a good fit for the role(s) you seek. You may indicate your interest in as many committees as you wish, so please make sure that you rank your choices with 1 being your highest preference. We will make every effort to place you within your top three rankings.
The deadline to respond to the Call for Volunteers is April 16, 2014. Appointments will be made in early May. Whether you are currently serving on a committee or are now ready to serve, please take a few minutes to complete the survey before the deadline.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at rosanne.duke@iavm.org.
(Image: Orange Photography)