Better sleep habits tied to improved academic performance

Elementary-age students who get more sleep may earn better grades, according to a study in Sleep Medicine. Data show youths in the study who had an average sleep extension of 18.2 minutes for five nights earned higher grades in math and reading. Examiner.com (4/7), HealthDay News http://www.examiner.com/article/a-little-extra-sleepimproves-grades-for-kids

Study: How parent depression affects students' grades

School Students' grades can suffer if one or both parents experience depression, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry. Parents with depression may be less likely to attend meetings with teachers or take time to listen to their children's problems and help them find solutions, researchers say. National Public Radio - http://www.npr.org/sections/healthshots/2016/04/04/471783738/kids-grades-can-suffer-when-mom-or-dad-are-depressed

Restaurants work to recruit military veterans

Military veterans are finding opportunities in the restaurant industry, which employs about 250,000 ex-service members, according to the National Restaurant Association. The group's Military Foundation is working to connect with military personnel and help them get ready to fill some of the 1.7 million jobs the industry is expected to create in the coming decade, said Rob Gifford, the association's executive vice president for strategic operations and philanthropy. FSR Magazine online - https://www.fsrmagazine.com/human-resources/battle-break-through

Does gender play a role in adolescent anxiety?

Female students often have more anxiety than their male peers, asserts Leonard Sax, a psychologist and practicing family physician. In this commentary, he cites some research suggesting that girls' feelings about their bodies and their use of social media may play a role. The New York Times (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/why-do-girls-have-moreanxiety-than-boys/)

Study looks at gender gap in alcohol consumption among US youths

Researchers found that girls were more likely than boys to start drinking alcohol in midadolescence. However, the findings in Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, based on 2002-13 survey data involving nearly 390,000 US youths ages 12 to 24, showed that boys had higher alcohol consumption after age 19. HealthDay News - http://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/kids-and-alcoholhealth-news-11/teenaged-girls-now-try-alcohol-before-boys-study-709819.html

Look for the arrival of robots in the mainstream

Robotics is entering mainstream society and stands to substantially transform our world in the near future. Look for the arrival of robots in five categories: at the nanoscale combating cancer, in the lab automating key processes, as avatars containing human consciousness, as providers of security and in swarms carrying out such missions as human rescues. ITProPortal.com (U.K.) - http://www.itproportal.com/2016/04/11/5-ways-robotics-influencingfuture-of-technology/

Companies should teach employees to make decisions

Decision-making needs to be diffused throughout organizations if there is to be adaptability and change, writes Eric McNulty. "It is critical to treat decision making as a core skill worthy of investment in training, just like Six Sigma or any other approach that propels strategic and operational excellence," McNulty argues. Strategy+Business online - http://www.strategybusiness.com/blog/To-Be-or-Not-to-Be