Monday, December 24, 2007

Caribbean Islands

Take A Break From Winter With A Luxurious Point Grace Getaway

Located on a blissful stretch of powder white sandy beach, Point Grace offers a selection of ocean-front suites or cottage suites with relaxing pool and garden views. All suites are exquisitely furnished and decorated. With magnificent views of the ocean and the peaceful sounds of the gentle Caribbean waves in the background, Point Grace offers the most elegant surroundings with an uncompromised level of service.

Jamaican Christmas

Christmas season in Jamaica is the most festive time of the year, filled with non-stop celebrations, special treats like Jamaican Christmas cake and sorrel drinks, entertainment, parties, festivals and happy gatherings of friends and family.

Antigua Today

History of Antigua

Sunday, December 16, 2007

More Than 3 Million Americans Have Dementia

About 3.4 million Americans over the age of 70 (13.9 per cent) suffer from some form of dementia of whom about 2.4 million (9.7 per cent) have Alzheimer's disease.

More Than 3 Million Americans Have Dementia

Teenage Substance Misuse: What Parents Do And Don't Know

Research from the Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) at the University of Buffalo published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse found that the majority of parents could accurately evaluate their teenagers' cigarette smoking and substance use but were less aware of marijuana and alcohol use.


Teenage Substance Misuse: What Parents Do And Don't Know

How Antioxidants May Work

Very high doses of antioxidant polyphenols (commonly found in red wine, fruits, vegetables, and green tea) shut down and prevented cancerous tumors by inhibiting new blood vessel formation. Conversely, at relatively low doses they play a beneficial role in cardiac and circulatory diseases by facilitating blood vessel growth.

How Antioxidants May Work

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Depression And Intellectual Decline

Depression increases the risk of intellectual decline in older people and can be a predictive factor.


Depression And Intellectual Decline

Spouses And Healthy Lifestyles

A study published in Health Services Research has shown that spouses often mirror each other's positive health behaviors and that intervention programs should be designed with a broader perspective than the individual patient.

Spouses And Healthy Lifestyles

Negative Influences

While we tend to believe that we are capable of forming independent opinions, what other people think can influence our conclusions, with negative attitudes resulting in the biggest changes.

Negative Influences

Stress, Cancer And HIV

A review of research into the relationship between stress and disease has found that stress is a contributing factor particularly in triggering or worsening depression, cardiovascular disease and speeding progression of HIV/AIDS.

Stress, Cancer And HIV

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Two Studies On Autism

Characteristic and sometimes severe symptoms of autism such as repetitive motions, problems interacting with others and impaired communication can improve with age.

Two New Studies On Autism

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Research led by Margaret Battin, professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah and published in the Journal of Medical Ethics has found no evidence that legalization of physician-assisted suicide results in disproportionate numbers of vulnerable people dying prematurely. Researchers explain that opponents of such legislation have claimed that it leads to a "slippery slope" making it easier to end the lives of those considered a burden.

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Breast Cancer Articles

An online survey commissioned by AstraZeneca and conducted by Harris Interactive found that most breast cancer survivors considered themselves stronger after having the disease but their level of knowledge about steps they could take to reduce the likelihood of recurrence was surprisingly low.

21st Century Breast Cancer Management

Research by Kaiser Permanente presented at the recent European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) has found that increased risk of breast cancer is related to alcohol itself and the
quantity drunk rather than the type.

Alcohol And Breast Cancer

Two recent studies have investigated the role of exercise in breast cancer risk,
treatment and rehabilitation.

Exercise Benefits Cancer Care

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Too Little Or Too Much Sleep?

Research from the University of Warwick and University College London published in SLEEP found that both lack of and too much sleep can more than double the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Too Little Or Too Much Sleep?

Monday, October 08, 2007

Childhood Violence Perpetuates Into Adulthood

Victims of violence in childhood are more likely to continue the pattern in adulthood, either as victims or perpetrators.

Childhood Violence Perpetuates Into Adulthood

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Longing Influences Choice

Longing for something intensely (like a holiday or food) can change an individual's choice making processes with a wider array of options considered than would normally be
the case.

Longing Influences Choice

Monday, September 24, 2007

How Children Relate To Storybook Characters

A new study from University of Waterloo researchers Daniela O'Neill and Rebecca Shultis published in Developmental Psychology used an innovative approach to evaluate young children's storytelling ability and found that they are able to immerse themselves in the thoughts and feelings of fictional characters.

How Children Relate To Storybook Characters

IQ And Short-term Memory

Research from the University of Oregon published in Psychological Science suggests that short-term memory capacity is a strong predictor of IQ.

IQ And Short-term Memory

Suppressing Negative Emotional Memories

Recent research has shown that negative emotional memories can be suppressed with practice, offering the possibility of new treatments for people suffering from a range of conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive syndrome.

Suppressing Negative Emotional Memories

Gut Instinct Decisions

People usually follow emotional gut instinct rather than rational responses when making decisions about complex issues such as terrorism, troop surges or crime, even though the brain can simultaneously process both kinds of information.

Gut Instinct Decisions

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Breastfeeding Does Not Protect Against Allergies

The results of a large randomized trial recently published on bmj.com indicate that prolonged or exclusive breastfeeding fails to protect against development of asthma and allergies in later life.

Breastfeeding Does Not Protect Against Allergies

Personal Chaos Inhibits HIV Health Care

Chaotic personal circumstances may significantly inhibit access to health care for HIV-positive people living in poverty.

Personal Chaos Inhibits HIV Health Care

Chocolate May Not Be Addictive

While people readily admit to being "chocoholics", chocolate is not truly addictive and there is an alternative explanation for this ubiquitous craving.

Chocolate May Not Be Addictive

Fruity Vegetables Reduce Childhood Asthma

A diet rich in fish and "fruity vegetables" such as tomatoes, aubergines, cucumber, green beans and courgettes can reduce childhood asthma and allergies.

Fruity Vegetables Reduce Childhood Asthma

Mediterranean Diet May Help Alzheimer's

Research led by Dr Nikos Scarmeas of Columbia University Medical Center published in Neurology has found that a Mediterranean diet may help people with Alzheimer's disease live longer than those relying on a more traditional Western diet.

The study followed 192 people with Alzheimer's disease in New York for an average of four and a half years during which 85 participants died. However, the study found that those most closely following a Mediterranean diet were 76 per cent less likely to die.

Mediterranean Diet May Help Alzheimer's

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Loneliness Affects Health

Pointing out that loneliness is not the same as solitude which can be highly valued researchers nevertheless conclude that social isolation and physical aging may have a deleterious effect on health.

Loneliness Affects Health

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

New Research On Reading

Two recent studies look at the process of metacomprehension and greater effectiveness of female teachers.

New Research On Reading

Motherese

Female rhesus monkeys use particular vocalizations while interacting with their babies comparable to the way humans use "motherese" or "baby talk".

Motherese

Explaining Out-of-body Experiences

Two recent studies published in Science offer insight into how individuals perceive their own bodies and a possible explanation for out-of-body experiences. This phenomenon has been associated with drug use and neurological disorders such as epilepsy but patients were commonly thought to have imagined it.

Explaining Out-of-body Experiences

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Tomato Antioxidant Does Not Prevent Cancer

A recent study concludes that lycopene, an antioxidant predominately found in tomatoes, is not effective in preventing prostate cancer.

Tomato Antioxidant Does Not Prevent Cancer

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Stroke Care In UK Severely Deficient

The perception of stroke among health professionals and the public must be changed so that it is viewed as a condition requiring emergency treatment.

Stroke Care In UK Severely Deficient

NICE's Threshold Range Questioned

A situation in which NICE employs an unsubstantiated range to assess cost effectiveness and others within UK healthcare make no use of any such threshold is not conducive to efficiency and fairness in the NHS.

NICE's Threshold Range Questioned

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Journey Distances To Hospital Can Be Fatal

The further patients with life-threatening conditions have to travel by ambulance to reach emergency care, the more likely they are to die, with people suffering respiratory problems at greatest risk.

Journey Distances To Hospital Can Be Fatal

Friday, August 24, 2007

Conflict And In-Group Bias

A recent address by Marilynn Brewer, professor of psychology at Ohio State University to mark the award of Distinguished Scientific Contribution for 2007 by the American Psychological Association challenged the concept that conflict is an inevitable and necessary part of interaction between groups.

Conflict And In-Group Bias

Slugs and Snails

This page on our gardening site has been updated to include some tips about slugs in compost bins.


Dealing with Slugs ands Snails

Lack Of Sleep Affects School Results

Insufficient sleep can have an adverse effect the next day not only on an adult's work performance but also on how well students perform at school.

Lack Of Sleep Affects School Results

Appreciating Another Perspective

People from Western cultures such as the United States find it particularly difficult to understand someone else's point of view because they are part of a culture that encourages individualism.

Appreciating Another Perspective

Facial Recognition: The "Cross-Race Effect"

A recent study throws new light on the "cross-race effect", a well-replicated if not fully understood phenomenon involving difficulty in distinguishing between people of other racial groups.

Facial Recognition: The "Cross-Race Effect"

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Links Between Teenage And Domestic Violence

Adolescents who engaged in violent behavior relatively regularly throughout their teenage years or who began in their mid teens and increased with time were significantly more likely to perpetrate domestic violence in their mid 20s.

Links Between Teenage And Domestic Violence

Girl Talk Heightens Anxiety

Excessive discussion about problems with friends (co-rumination) may have a negative impact on emotional adjustment in girls who are more likely than boys of the same age to develop anxiety and depression as a result.

Girl Talk Heightens Anxiety

Managing Teen Emotions

Research from the University of Illinois published recently in Child Development has found that teenagers can learn to manage powerful emotions and gain insight into the processes involved.

Reed Larson, professor of family ecology said:

"There's a stereotype that teens don't manage their emotions, their emotions manage them. But this study showed that, in an atmosphere of trust and support, teens can become adept at identifying their emotions, learn to recognize the tricks emotions play on people, and begin to understand not only how to control their emotions, but to use them in positive ways."

Managing Teen Emotions

Evening-preference and Adolescent Problems

New research suggests that early adolescents who prefer evening to morning activities are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior. Previous studies focusing on older adolescents showed a similar link with psychological problems.

Evening-preference and Adolescent Problems

Breaking Up Is Not Necessarily Hard To Do

New research shows that people were less distressed and coped much better with ending a relationship than they predicted and that this unanticipated effect was particularly marked for those described as "madly in love".

Breaking Up Is Not Necessarily Hard To Do

Why Women Prefer Pink

A study by Newcastle University researchers Anya C. Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling published in Current Biology supports the popular notion that men and women differ when it comes to colour preference. Researchers found that women prefer pink "or at least a redder shade of blue" than men do.

Why Women Prefer Pink

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Effective Health Messages

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology investigated which health messages a person might pay attention to from the plethora available via numerous media and the possible reasons for that choice.

Effective Health Messages

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Counterfactual Thinking

Research sheds new light on the mental processes involved in "counterfactual thinking" in which past decisions are reviewed and alternatives evaluated. The authors explain that while this can be positive and affirming, it more commonly engenders regret and self-criticism.


Counterfactual Thinking

Sunday, May 27, 2007

The Albion Band

A lazy Sunday afternoon. I opened up the cupboard of old vinyl records, more or less alphabetically arranged. The first was the Albion Band's Light Shining (1982). I guess we hadn't played this for close on 20 years.

The Albion Band

Friday, May 18, 2007

The Origins of Morality

A new consensus that scientists are reaching on the origins and mechanisms of morality.

The Origins of Morality

Decision-making Made not Born

People who do well on a series of decision-making tasks involving hypothetical situations tend to have more positive decision outcomes in their lives.

Decision-making Made not Born

Monday, March 26, 2007

Intimacy and Cancer

A study aimed at improving support services has investigated the lives of people caring for a partner with cancer and how they negotiate issues surrounding sexuality and intimacy.

Intimacy and Cancer

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Indian Courtship and the Mobile Phone

Mobile phones have an increasingly indispensable role in young peoples' personal relationships.

Indian Courtship and the Mobile Phone

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Braking Genes and Cancer Cell Division

Researchers have identified a number of genes involved in the mechanism that prevents uncontrolled cell division and found that aberrations are linked to certain types of cancer as well as to the relative aggressiveness of the disease.

Braking Genes and Cancer Cell Division

Avoiding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Researchers have measured carpal tunnel pressure to help establish how much the wrist can be flexed safely if nerve damage associated with carpal tunnel syndrome is to be avoided.

Avoiding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cancer

A new UK study investigated the incidence of cancer in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether this is associated with a decreased survival rate.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cancer

Botox and Migraine

A pioneering surgical technique can significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches in patients in whom other treatments have failed.

Botox and Migraine

Nanotechnology and Health

Nanotechnology may provide developing countries with techniques for diagnosing and treating disease.

Nanotechnology and Health

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Colour Enhances Taste

Study finds that the colour of orange juice has a huge effect on perceptions of taste.

Colour Enhances Taste

Midday Siesta a Napping Good Idea

New research finds that taking regular midday naps (siestas) was associated with reduced risk of death from heart disease over a six-year period for Greek adults - especially working men.

Midday Siesta a Napping Good Idea

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Adolescent Anger Management - Some Practical Texts

Anger Management - an overused phrase that often provokes more anger than management. Anyone working with angry adolescents rapidly realizes that while attention may be on the consequences - damage, disruption, violence to self and others - anger won't be resolved unless underlying issues are listened to and addressed if possible.

Adolescent Anger Management

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Facial Composite Systems Give Poor Results

Recent technological advances in facial composite systems have failed to improve identification and apprehension of criminal suspects.

Facial Composite Systems Give Poor Results

21st Century Breast Cancer Management

New developments in breast cancer imaging, timing of chemotherapy, and vaccine research may offer innovative non-surgical interventions resulting in significant changes to current screening and treatment practice and improvements in patient care.

21st Century Breast Cancer Management

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Aging and the Sense of Smell

New research finds that normal aging processes have little detrimental effect on the sense of smell.

Aging and the Sense of Smell

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Parents Fail to Recognise Children's Excess Weight

A survey by researchers at Deakin's Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition in Australia has found that the majority of parents with obese children lack awareness or concern about their children's weight.

Parents Fail to Recognise Children's Excess Weight

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Lying for Love Online

Online daters usually lie about either their height or weight but less often misrepresent their age. Men systematically overestimated their height, while women more commonly underestimated their weight.

Lying for Love Online

Skin is Home to Zoo of Bacteria

Analysis identified 182 species of bacteria on human skin of which 8 per cent were previously unknown.

Skin is Home to Zoo of Bacteria

Loneliness and Alzheimer's

Lonely people may be twice as likely to develop the type of dementia linked to Alzheimer's disease.


Loneliness and Alzheimer's

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Genetic Evidence for African Britons

First evidence of Africans having lived among "indigenous" British people for centuries and found that their descendants were unaware of their black ancestry.

Genetic Evidence for African Britons

Learning and Forgetting Languages

Two new studies shed light on the process of learning new languages.


Learning and Forgetting Languages

Treating Homeless Young People Produces Results

Innovative new research to establish the best ways of engaging with homeless young people who are without parents or carers has found that a comprehensive intervention program can dramatically improve their mental health and life circumstances.

Treating Homeless Young People Produces Results

Monday, January 29, 2007

Shamrock Seeds

Our gardening site (GardenGuide.biz) had an enquiry about Shamrock seeds. The first problem is deciding on what one means by 'shamrock'. It could be one of at least 5 different species. See the article on the following BBC page and another interesting article about Shamrock. Having decided which you want, you can do a search using the botanical name. You could also try http://www.wildflowers.ie/ for seeds.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Needle Exchange and Drug Treatment

Needle exchange programs are an important part in linking drug users with treatment.

Needle Exchange and Drug Treatment

Cancer Care

Women with breast cancer who are obese, less educated or have lower household incomes may be more likely to receive reduced doses of chemotherapy thereby jeopardizing their survival.

Cancer Care

Lifestyle and Type II diabetes

Changing to a healthier lifestyle appears to be at least as effective as taking prescribed drugs in reducing the risk of developing Type II diabetes.

Lifestyle and Type II diabetes

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Whiter Than White

New research by the University of Exeter and Imerys Minerals Ltd. published in Science has found that the shell of the little known Cyphochilus beetle could hold the answer to manufacture of brilliant white ultra-thin materials.


Whiter Than White

Monday, January 22, 2007

Why Do We Hate Contact Centres?

A recent survey of over 1600 UK consumers found that moving house was the only thing rated more stressful than having to call a contact centre.

Why Do We Hate Contact Centres?

Women Still Do Most Cooking and Shopping

A new study finds that three-quarters of women do most of the cooking and shopping for food in their households. The study of nearly 200 British men and women in their early 30s found that, although half of the women worked full time, they were still responsible for this aspect of family life.

Women Still Do Most Cooking and Shopping

Why is Laughter Contagious?

A new study shows a possible mechanism for contagious laughter. Positive sounds like laughter trigger a response in the area of the listener's brain activated when we smile, as though preparing facial muscles to laugh.

Why is Laughter Contagious?

Why Do We Never Forget a Face?

Vanderbilt University researchers have found that we are able to remember more faces compared to other objects and that faces are retained best in our short-term memory. They suggest that our expertise in remembering faces allows them to be packaged better for memory.

Why Do We Never Forget a Face?