While it’s true that a pleasant smell can put you in a good mood, new research casts doubt on some of the reputed healing powers of aromatherapy. Researchers at Ohio State University found that lemon and lavender oil had no physiological effect on study subjects, despite lemon’s reputation as a stimulant and lavender’s as a sleep aid. They taped cotton balls that had been dipped in lemon oil, lavender oil or water to subjects’ noses and conducted a variety of tests ranging from pain response (dunking feet in cold water) to mood studies (completing psychological tests)....

Duke was in the 2022 Final Four. Having been assigned to the West Region, the Blue Devils were positioned on what the NCAA Tournament selection committee established as the “left” side of the bracket. The other region on that side, meaning the team the West champ would play in the national semifinals, was the East. There, No. 8 seed North Carolina will play No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s on Sunday for the right to face Duke....

Weight Fluctuations and Arthritis Weight fluctuations occur in many people with arthritis. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, studies have shown that even modest weight fluctuations can lead to worse overall health. One particular study looked at how people with arthritis would be affected by both weight loss and gain, and found that those who either lost or gained 5% to 10% of their body weight experienced heightened disease activity and worse physical function and were more likely to be disabled....

Psoriasis Psoriasis is one of the most common skin diseases, associated with symptoms such as itch, pain, or bleeding. The involved areas of skin appear as red, raised areas called plaques, which may be covered with a coarse silvery scaling. Different forms of psoriasis can have different appearances and different patterns of involved skin. Psoriasis is considered a systemic inflammatory condition, which may have implications for, and shared risk factors with, other diseases, including certain malignancies....

The “All Too Well” singer found herself in a Twitter spat with an unlikely adversary this week after British musician Damon Albarn told the Los Angeles Times she “doesn’t write her own songs.” The Blur and Gorillaz frontman was discussing his thoughts about the current state of the music industry with the newspaper when he said he felt that many artists today are successful because of the “sound and the attitude” behind their music rather than the songs being “good....

One user commented, “If someone ever asks you to define the word ‘begrudgingly’ show them this.” While the commands “sit” and “heel” can be extremely beneficial, “paw” is usually just a bonding exercise between you and your dog, and a way of getting them to earn a treat. Pet website Wag Walking suggest these tips for teaching your dog ‘paw’. Sit. Ask your dog to sit and offer him a treat once he does....

Our pups are often hailed for their everyday support, like Diesel the service dog, who helped his owner combat depression, and Bailey the service dog, who came to the aid of his owner in distress in footage viewed more than 11 million times. One dog recently cemented her good girl status when she moved into her new forever home at an assisted living facility. Rescue pup Ellie Mae was taken in by Last Chance Animal Rescue (LCAR), based in Waldorf, Maryland....

Rescue crews with the Cy-Fair Fire Department arrived at the 20900 block of Westgreen Springs Drive in Katy, about 25 miles west of Houston. The woman was treated by EMS at the scene and taken to hospital by Memorial Hermann Life Flight in critical condition, the department said on Monday, alongside a series of images from the scene. In one photo, the woman can be seen lying on a stretcher as rescue teams from Life Flight prepare to move her into the chopper....

PlymouthLive reported that the dog, Patch, boarded a Plymouth Citybus that took him into the English city center on Tuesday. The outlet wrote that passengers saw Patch get on the bus with someone they thought was the owner, but it was later discovered that the dog was riding solo. Through the power of social media, Patch was soon reunited with his owners after an exciting day. “We get some odd things in lost property, but today was a particularly odd tail…,” a post published to the Plymouth Citybus Facebook page read....

The 3-minute clip is filled with memories of Wednesday and Hurley’s time together, including celebrating a birthday and lounging on the couch. In what’s suppose to be Wednesday’s voice, viewers got a heartfelt snapshot of their lives, from the day Scott brought Wednesday home from the shelter, to the present day with a new sibling. The narration says that Hurley taught Wednesday how to bark, and they cuddled and had a lot of fun together....

On Thursday, the Kennett Fire Department of Kennett, Missouri, was called in on a unique rescue mission for a dog who had been trapped in some equipment on a potato farm. Fire Chief Paul Spain told Newsweek that the dog was believed to have gotten stuck in the Black Gold potato farm’s harvesting and planting pipe system days prior before someone realized the animal couldn’t get out on her own....

In the video, a small dog can be seen on a security camera stuck on some stairs in the snow, until a young boy comes outside and picks him up and brings him inside. User Meganloo84 explained in the video: “He was outside for 45 seconds to go potty and froze so bad he couldn’t walk back up the stairs. My son had to go and rescue him,” describing the weather as a minus 35 degrees windchill....

The Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), based in Cape Town, took the black dog named Rio in, and shared photos of him in a press release. The shelter said that Rio had turned up unaccompanied without a human on January 14, seemingly seeking help on his own. Staff immediately took him in, fed him and secured him with a leash before attending to his injuries....

Kira the dog has gained viral attention on Reddit after becoming the “Barketing Manager” at a company in Lithuania. In a post shared on Wednesday by Jonas—who uses the handle mad_jon on the site—the picture of the qualified canine has delighted the internet, gaining over 23,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments. Jonas lives in Kaunas, Lithuania with his rescue dog Kira, who is around 4 years old. “After joining the company, Kira got to know the employees,” Jonas told Newsweek: “After some time she got recognized as a calm and even relaxing dog....

The attack happened at Karrh Park on S. Ann Street on Saturday. He was then taken to the Wadley Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the attack. The boy, who has not been named, was playing with some friends when the dogs rushed over and attacked him. The two dogs had somehow managed to break free from their leashes before the attack. The boy’s father told local TV station 6KTAL that friends managed to pull the boy away from the dogs and get help....

The fact McDaniel is biracial — his father is Black — is also important to the 49ers, who have been given two third-round draft picks for developing their former offensive coordinator into a head coach. It is part of the NFL’s revamped Rooney Rules, aimed at improving hiring practices around Black and other minority coaching candidates. MORE: Who is Mike McDaniel? Longtime Shanahan assistant hired as next Dolphins head coach...

But the Dolphins quarterback, coming off what some might describe as a disappointing rookie campaign, isn’t worried about getting moved to Houston after just one season in Miami. The No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft said as much Monday in a radio interview with Dan Patrick: “That’s something that I can’t control,” Tagovailoa told Patrick. “I don’t have any control over those trade deals and whatnot.”...

A study from researchers at the The University of Western Australia (UWA), University of Bristol, University of New South Wales and University of Massachusetts, found that a group of 121 male dolphins in Shark Bay, north of Perth, form alliances in order to mate with females. Groups of dolphins also appeared to have rivalries with others. Dolphins are incredibly intelligent animals. Scientists have previously found evidence of them being quick learners, and that they are able to problem solve....

This is a major class test for the Dolphins after road wins at Cleveland and Indianapolis and a home victory against Atlanta. While those are admirable accomplishments, dealing with Drew Brees and Co. in the Superdome is on another level. Since Brees became the Saints' starting quarterback in 2006, New Orleans is 7-2 straight-up and 6-3 against the spread in Monday night games, averaging 34.4 points. A surprisingly solid defense has helped the Saints grab an early lead in the NFC South, and their offense is again near the top of the league in passing yards....