Forty healthy adults were divided into two groups—one group attended an eight-week course in mindfulness meditation, an ancient practice that focuses on creating awareness of the present moment, while the other group did not.

Result: The meditation group reported lower levels of loneliness (a risk factor for death) and had lower levels of C-reactive protein and pro-inflammatory gene expression (which contribute to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and cancer).

Mindfulness meditation is taught throughout the US. For locations, consult the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, http://UMassMed.edu/cfm/stress.

Source: J. David Creswell, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.

And if I find
I stand alone again,
I’ll kiss the air
and blow it out
In Thought
across the Skies

Whatever World
Whatever Plane
My Breath of Life
will seek My Love,

My Missing Kiss.

PrP

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said just one hacking attempt was successful on a site he did not want to name, but it was up and running after 10 minutes of downtime.

Typically, there are a few hundred hacking attempts a day on Israeli sites, the ministry said.

Defense-related sites and those of Israel’s prime minister, president and Foreign Ministry have been targeted.

A ministry spokesman said while the attacks have come from around the world, most have been from Israel and the Palestinian territories.

“The ministry’s computer division will continue to block the millions of cyber-attacks,” Steinitz said. “We are enjoying the fruits of our investment in recent years in developing computerized defense systems.”

Steinitz has instructed his ministry to operate in emergency mode to counter attempts to undermine government sites.

Both sides in the Gaza conflict, but particularly Israel, are embracing the social media as one of their tools of warfare. The Israeli Defense Force has established a presence on nearly every platform available while Palestinian militants are active on Twitter.

Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said cyberspace is the battlefield of the future, with attackers already going after banks and other financial systems. U.S. banks have been under sustained attack by suspected Iranian hackers thought to be responding to economic sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.