Adjust metal health by tanning beds

Many people think a bronzed tan gives them a healthy glow. But new research shows that people who regularly use tanning beds may be suffering from a form of addiction.

The Archives of Dermatology reports this week on a study of 421 college students, including 229 who had used indoor tanning beds. The students were asked a variety of questions about their tanning habits that were similar to questions used to assess addiction to alcohol and other substances: Did they wake up in the morning thinking about tanning? Did they want to stop tanning but were unable to curb the habit? Were they annoyed by suggestions from others that they were tanning too much?

Among those who had used tanning beds, 31 percent to 39 percent met the criteria for addiction, depending on the measurement scale that was used. Regular tanners were also more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and higher use of alcohol, marijuana and other substances.

Catherine Mosher, a co-author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said that more research needed to be done but that there was growing evidence that indoor tanners exhibit addictive behaviors. In the study, 78 percent of the most frequent tanners said they had tried to cut down on indoor tanning but had been unable to. Frequent tanners reported missing scheduled plans because they had opted to use a tanning bed instead.

“It may be a way for coping with distressing emotions,” Dr. Mosher said.

Dr. Mosher noted that if additional studies show tanning to be an addictive behavior, then doctors may begin to refer patients who tan excessively to a therapist or other mental health professional. “It sounds like for some of them, it is affecting their relationships with others,” Dr. Mosher said. “And 100 percent of them said they believe they can get skin cancer from tanning beds or booths, but it doesn’t prevent them from spending time using them.”

Drinking water safety threat public health

Infrequent testing and maintenance puts consumers of these water supplies at greater risk of contamination than public systems. It goes on to state people need to take personal responsibility for their water quality and governments need to provide better oversight and resources in order to improve the case.

Water-borne disease outbreaks are common in the developing world but can also occur in affluent countries. In the United States, 19.5 million water-borne illnesses occur every year (all sources) and three quarters (76%) of drinking water outbreaks are associated with groundwater sources. A study from the United Kingdom found outbreaks of water-borne infectious diseases among people with private water supplies were 35 times greater than among consumers of publicly-supplied water.

"The perception that private systems, the majority of which come from groundwater in rural and small towns, yield higher water quality compared to municipal sources is unclear and unfounded," writes Dr. Jeffrey Charrois a research scientist with Alberta Innovates ― Technology Futures and an adjunct assistant professor with University of Alberta. "The provision of safe, secure drinking water is necessary for protecting public health and requires an understanding of the responsibility, proper technical training plus the dedication to carry out those tests."

Contamination of wells can occur from bacteria, enteric viruses and protozoa ― pathogenic organisms capable of causing water-borne-illnesses ― as well as chemicals such as pesticides, nitrate, and naturally occurring arsenic. A review of 288 water-related infectious disease outbreaks in Canada over a 27 year period found that two-thirds were associated with private or semi-private supplies. In another survey of 1292 drinking water wells on farmsteads in Ontario, 40% of the wells were found to contain one or more contaminants at levels above maximum acceptable concentrations.

"Owners of private systems must take personal responsibility for their water quality, but they need more information and better resources," concludes Dr. Charrois. "Local, provincial and federal governments must develop and deliver the education, awareness and innovative programs that encourage people to take the steps to ensure that their private water systems are safe."

While most Canadians are supplied by regulated public municipal water systems, people who live in rural areas often rely on private supplies, most of which are groundwater sources such as wells. These may not be well-maintained or regularly tested for water quality. An Ontario study found that only 8% of private water systems met the current provincial recommendation for frequency of testing.

Costume prepared for "Ragtime"

"I'm trying to show the mosaic quality of the intermingling of the three groups in 1906 New York," Stockstill said. "Each group is connected to each other in small ways. My favorite thing is sitting down and talking with the actors about the characters they are playing. If an actor feels more like the character with the items they put on, it's only going to make for a better show."

"Ragtime" costume designer and theatre design technology major from Gulfport, pins a drawing onto one of many dresses created in the USM costume shop. Cody Stockstill, “Ragtime” costume designer and theatre design technology major from Gulfport, pins a drawing onto one of many dresses created in the USM costume shop.
Fabrics, dyes, accessories and sewing machines in the costume shop of The University of Southern Mississippi have been working nonstop since last November in preparation for the Centennial production of "Ragtime, The Musical."

Cody Stockstill, a master of fine arts student and theatre design technology major from Gulfport, is one of 40 students working on costumes for the production which debuts on Thursday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mannoni Performing Arts Center.

"There are over 30 actors playing something like 80 roles, which makes for challenging costume changes," Stockstill explained. "We have over 1,500 pieces of costume that we're working with."

"For each and every costume, we're going to either build or pull. Build means we buy the fabric and design the costume from the ground up. Pull means we'll pull something we have in stock or buy it, adapt it, die it and make it our own," Hickman explained.

Fashion of Victoria Period costumes

It was Powell's job to relay this confident and determined demeanor through Victoria's fashion. A veteran of award-winning period pieces such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "The Aviator" (winning Academy Awards for both), Powell sought to create a dramatic contrast between what Victoria wore before and after she became Queen.

Thus, the monarch-to-be's wardrobe starts off very doll-like with heavy floral decoration, and over the course of the film undergoes a drastic change to darker colors and more fitted dresses.

"She was a very, very young woman, but knew her own mind. She made sure that being a woman shouldn't hinder her," Powell said.

Much like Victoria's transformation, fashion itself was going through a transitional period, according to Powell: "In the 1820s when Victoria was young, clothing was highly decorated and over the top, but at the time she became queen, a switch-over happened," she said.

"Lines became simpler, skirts were less full -- it all became more austere."

The Evolvement of Manga and Cosplay

This is where cosplay gives its club members an advantage, both by offering constructive criticism and by pooling the various skills the club members possess--skills such as sewing, woodworking, doing makeup, making wigs--to create masterpieces. Costumes are big in the world of anime. While commercially made costumes are available, to truly be considered legit, an otaku must construct his or her own.

"One of the things [members] really like is to do the cosplay. Before Animatics existed, the only time they ever got to do it was at cons. This gives them another reason to do it," said Smart.

Animatics' cosplay involves skits and competitions, providing a chance for club members to get their con fix on a monthly--instead of annual--basis.

Manga goes far beyond cartoons, and achieves a new complexity in art and storytelling. Manga, the drawn form, and anime, the video form, trace their current form to post World War II Japan and their origins to centuries before. Characteristics of the artistic style typically include large, over-sized eyes and wild hair styles. And manga books are read right to left. Anime and manga cover a gambit of themes and genres for all ages from sci-fi, romance, magic, pornography, horror, history--name it and there is probably manga about it. Manga fans insist that the form enters a new level of depth.

"There's so many weird, completely out there stories that you'll never hear anybody come up with over here. The Japanese are just crazy. You've gotta love it," said Crenshaw.

"Its a style of illustration and storytelling that's very different from Western style stuff," said DeLaney. She is pleased that manga is gaining more critical acclaim, and has begun to cross-pollinate with Western graphic novels. For now, anime remains on the fringes of the mainstream, but in the future, it may well become more commonplace. For now, though, places like Rediscovered Books and Animatics will continue to champion the cause.