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plenty of fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy body weight. Alcohol-related dementia - Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. A colleague of mine is in emotional limbo, waiting for his elderly mother to die. Should he drive the 200 miles back and forth to work, so... Read more |
» As we age, we tend to use the same vocabulary choices over and over, and, if what I surmise is correct, even those with normal mental ... Read more » Why am I not surprised? A study has shown that two classes of drugs often given, in tandem, to |
people with dementia - a population that... Read more » I am sometimes asked what degrees I have relating to medicine and healthcare, since I speak at conferences to healthcare professionals... Read more » |
Many things can trigger depression. It is common during life changes such as adolescence, marriage, birth and menopause. It can be a consequence of your upbringing - such as whether or not you were taught effective coping skills as a |
child. There is a genetic component to depression, and influences such as diet, stress and illness also play a part. Being depressed can make you feel out of control and helpless, yet there are many ways to avoid falling into |
depression. * Examine your diet. What you eat - or don’t eat - can influence your mood. The same diets that can cause heart disease and arthritis in some individuals - one that is high in sodium and saturated fat, |
and low in whole, fresh plant foods and unrefined essential fatty acids (EFAs) - can cause depression in others. Likewise, food allergies can also alter brain function and trigger depression (Biol Psychiatry, 1981; 16: 3-19). Wheat, milk, corn, beef and |
eggs are common culprits (Ann Allergy, 1982; 48: 166-71). But bear in mind that food allergies linked to depression often have an addictive quality - so whatever you eat compulsively may be contributing to the problem. * Psychotherapy is as |
effective as drugs. Cognitive behavioural therapy can help those at risk of depression to become more conscious of negative thoughts and attitudes that feed into their depressions. Patients undergoing such therapy can learn to change (or at least mitigate) these |
unhelpful tendencies (J Consult Clin Psychol, 1989; 57: 414-9). * Drug-induced depression is very common. Around 200 different classes of drugs have been implicated, including beta-blockers, tranquillisers, corticosteroids and birth-control pills, as well as alcohol and recreational drugs. If you |
think you may be reacting to a drug, consider switching to another family of drugs or trying other options. * Environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, petrochemicals, pesticides and other toxins can disrupt the nervous system and lead to mild, |
but chronic, mood disorders, including depression (Med Clin North Am, 1990; 74: 325-45). Similarly, exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), especially at work (West J Med, 2000; 173: 94-100) can lead to more depression and suicide in some vulnerable individuals (Bioelectromagnetics, |
2001; [Suppl 5]: S132-43). * St John’s wort is the most effective herbal remedy for mild depression because it works in a similar way to conventional antidepressants. A standardised extract (0.03 per cent hypericin) usually at a dose of 300 |
mg three times a day can be just as effective as antidepressant drugs (BMJ, 1996; 313: 253-8). What’s more, the side-effects are minimal. * Traditional acupuncture can be as good as conventional drugs for preventing relapses in depression (Compl Ther |
Med, 2001; 9: 216-8). * Electroacupuncture can benefit those suffering from major depression who cannot tolerate the side-effects of antidepressant drugs (Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 1998; 52 [Suppl]: S338-40). * Stay active. People who exercise regularly have less depression (Prev Med, |
2003; 36: 698- 703). Typically, any aerobic exercise, such as walking or jogging, for 20-30 minutes three or four times a week will benefit mild-to-moderate depression (BMJ, 1985; 291: 109). * Acknowledge your feelings. Depressed individuals often try to suppress |
their ‘bad’ feelings, especially those concerning distressing life experiences. ‘Confessing’ your most troubling feelings and experiences in a private diary can have significant long-term benefits on both mental and physical health (J Abnorm Psychol, 1986; 95: 274-81; J Consult Clin |
Psychol, 1989; 57: 414-9). * Get a good night’s sleep. Since depression and lack of sleep can form a vicious circle, make sure you sleep well. Stick to regular bedtimes; having curtains that keep the light out will help regulate |
Learning is the means whereby we acquire new working knowledge about the world. Memory is the means whereby we retain that knowledge over time. Our abilities to learn and remember are essential to our sense of self and our ability |
to function effectively in daily life. Memory is the glue that holds our mental life together. As a result, we are who we are in large part because of what we have learned and what we remember from past experience. |
But what is memory? How does the brain capture and sustain it? Why does memory sometimes fail us? Those simple questions, of course, have exceedingly complex answers, and many biological details about the process of memory in humans and other |
animals remain unknown. HHMI investigator Eric R. Kandel of Columbia University, however, has provided a good start. His studies of the molecular basis of learning and memory underpin much of what we know about how events are recorded by the |
brain, processed by individual nerve cells, and etched in gray matter. For his work on learning and memory, Kandel was awarded a share of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In the 1960s, Kandel began his studies of |
learning and memory by focusing on the behavior of the sea slug Aplysia, which he found to be a marvelously tractable system in which to study the cellular basis of these abilities. With only about 20,000 nerve cells — compared |
with the roughly thousand billion in humans — and a well-delineated neural circuitry, it proved possible to zero in on a biologically interesting reflex pathway. Like humans and other animals, Aplysia is capable of learning to modify this reflex, and |
this learning involves making memories. Kandel found that the cellular basis for memory depends on persistent changes in synapses, the connections between nerve cells. The differences in the strength of these connections come about through learning. Kandel found that when, |
in the simple withdrawal reflex, the gill reacts to touch, the connection between the sensory nerve cell and motor nerve cell of the reflex are activated. When the sea slug was taught to ignore a harmless touch, the connections between |
the sensory nerve cell and motor cell weakened. When the same light touch was coupled to an unpleasant fearful stimulus the animal became sensitized. It would now react strongly to the light touch because the same set of connections had |
strengthened. Kandel later discovered that short-term memory is kindled by the modulation of synapses and that long-term memory is sustained by the activation of genes. The formation of memories, Kandel determined, is a function of biochemical changes that occur at |
the synapse. To make short-term memories, the proteins involved in a chain of events at the nexus of nerve cells are chemically altered by the addition of phosphate groups. To cement a memory for the long haul, proteins are added |
at the synapse to make new connections with sensitization and lose connections with habituation. In the 1990s, he turned from studying simple forms of learning to more complex forms using genetically modified mice and showed that similar principles for short |
and long term memory were at work here as well. By laying a foundation for understanding the events that shape our ability to learn and remember, Kandel's work has helped us understand not only the cellular processes that occur during |
the acts of learning and remembering, but also - through his work on mice - where things can go wrong when dementia and other illnesses that affect memory arise. The cellular processes revealed by Kandel are among the targets of |
drugs used to alleviate these disorders of memory. Pinpointing the activity of individual nerve cells engaged in the process of learning and memory may help in the development of new, more effective agents to treat diseases that affect the brain. |
Australia's “exceptional” heatwave has produced record-breaking temperatures, with at least six of the first seven days of 2013 among the top 20 hottest days in the past century. The extreme |
January heat has prompted the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a special climate statement, with further updates planned as the scorching temperatures continue. Data for Monday is still to be |
fully analysed by the weather bureau, but it may be the hottest of the series and could generate a record average maximum beyond the 40.17 degrees reached on December 21, |
1972. Such a result would make it six days in a row when the national average has been above 39 degrees; tomorrow is expected to make it seven. Prior to |
this series, the longest run of 39 degrees or more was four days, in 1973. “This event is ongoing with significant records likely to be set,” the bureau statement said. |
“A particular feature of this heatwave event has been the exceptional spatial extent of high temperatures.” The final four months of 2012 were the hottest on record for Australia and |
January is making an early run at adding to the sequence of especially hot weather. “Australia-wide, and for individual states, we are currently well above average by many degrees,” said |
Aaron Coutts-Smith, the bureau's NSW manager for climate services. Sydney is set to cop its first major blast of the searing heat that has grilled much of Australia for the |
past week, with 43 degrees forecast. Today's 40-degree prediction for Perth is one sign that any relief for the bulk of central and southern Australia from the current sweltering temperatures |
will be shortlived. “We are seeing that re-intensification” of the heat, said Dr Coutts-Smith. Melbourne, which is expecting 31 degrees today will feel chilly on Wednesday with a maximum of |
just 20 degrees before the mercury starts climbing back to 37 degrees on Friday, the bureau predicts. The data for national averages shows the maximum reached 39.2 on January 2, |
39.6 on January 3, 39.3 on January 4, 39.3 on January 5 and 39.6 on January 6. Interestingly, none of the states has broken individual maximum highs, at least in |
the data until January 6, underscoring how large in size the overall weather pattern is. The weather bureau's manager for climate monitoring, Karl Braganza on Monday described the event as |
a "dome of heat" over the continent. NSW, which is likely to endure extreme temperatures today, has to exceed 44.1 degrees on average to beat the record set on January |
14, 1939. This year, the hottest day was on January 5 when maximums averaged 41.1 degrees, with Hay Airport hitting 47.9 degrees, according to data up until January 6. For |
Victoria, the hottest day on record was 44.5 degrees on Black Saturday, February 7, 2009, when bushfires left 173 people dead. In the current spate of heat, the hottest day |
was January 4 when temperatures across the state averaged 41.2 degrees. Up until January 6, Yarrawonga had posted the hottest temperature in the state at 45.7 degrees on January 5, |
while Portland's 42.1 on the previous day was a new daily maximum for that location, the bureau said. Nationwide, the hottest single temperature recorded during the heat - up to |
January 6 - has been the 48.6 degrees reached at Red Rocks Point in WA on Jauary 3. That's about 2 degrees below the 50.7 degrees all-time record set on |
How to get Shading Right Recent improvements to window technology make substantial air conditioning energy savings possible. However, shading remains a time-tested method to accomplish the same end. Architectural and site shading can have an even greater impact on reducing daily cooling use than upgrading windows. Usin... |
Laboratory (NREL) evaluated the relative impacts of different solar load control strategies. The study points the way toward optimizing the interaction of various methods for reducing solar heat gain. This is helpful,as the wide variety of shading options currently available can make choosing an effective solar load co... |
in Tucson, Arizona, as part of the Department of Energy's Building America program.Its integrated package of energy-saving features includes structural insulated panels (SIPs) for the wall and roof construction, white coating on the roof, spectrally selective windows, architectural shading, an interior location for the... |
29) works with five building industry teams to produce advanced residential buildings on a community scale. Systems incorporated into these houses are evaluated by conducting successive design, test, redesign,and retest iterations until cost and performance trade-offs yield innovations that can be cost effectively impl... |
a detailed hourly energy simulation tool and was measured while the building was unoccupied for a period of 12 days. Model inputs included direct measurements of the net air exchange rate, surface reflectance,and window transmittance. Model results, after calibration,showed good agreement with the direct measurements o... |
in a prototype house can facilitate the optimization of cost and performance trade-offs in large-scale production. Typical new productionscale houses in the Tucson market are framed on a slabon- grade foundation with stucco exterior finish and a sloped concrete tile or flat built-up bituminous roof. These standard-prac... |
insulation,1-inch polystyrene sheathing,and double- pane,clear-glass,aluminum frame windows. The slab foundation has no insulation,and the attic is usually vented. A forcedair distribution system provides space heating and cooling,with the air handler located in the garage and the flex duct in the attic. This system is... |
differs from these houses in several respects. It has a well-insulated airtight envelope, with minimized air distribution losses. The house's energy-saving features, plus the large ratio of window to floor area in the design, render window contributions more important than they are in conventional housing, particularly... |
Table 1). Envelope changes include a sealed, insulated, and conditioned crawlspace foundation (a shallow basement) and SIPs (see SIPs Face the Skeptics,HE,Mar/Apr '98). The foundation stem walls are 6-inchthick reinforced concrete, insulated on the interior with a 2-inch-thick rigid foam board (R-10) that serves as the... |
oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing. SIPs 41/2 -inches thick are used for the walls, and SIPs 61/2 -inches thick form the flat lowslope ceiling/roof assembly. The walls are finished with synthetic stucco on the exterior. The roof panels are finished with a white singleply rubberized fabric coating on the exterior (th... |
a thermal break,double panes, and spectrally selective coatings on the inside of the outer pane (surface two) of the tinted glazing. Mechanical system features include putting the air handler in an interior chase, locating all ductwork within the conditioned space,and installing a 12-SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ra... |
gasfired water heater is coupled with an integrated hydronic space-heating coil in the air handler. The house has a controlled-ventilation system consisting of a separate,single-speed and manual-switch fan that supplies fresh air on demand from the outside to the air handler return plenum. This ranch-style house is loc... |
of floor area, including two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The house has a relatively large window area with 272 ft2; four sliding glass doors facing a patio make up about 80% of this window area. The sliding glass doors are partially shaded by the patio cover,which is 24 ft long, 6 ft wide, and 10 ft above ground level ... |
The front entrance is a solid wood door. Another overhang on the front elevation of the house is an open horizontal trellis made of nominal 2 x 6 lumber; vegetation has been planted and is intended to grow over it. Prior to testing, the interior of the house was fully finished and landscaping was complete. No interior ... |
period. Building performance measurements included environmental conditions, net air exchange rate,and electric power use during normal operation of the building (see Measuring Thermal Performance). In addition, cooling loads were measured using a co-cooling test protocol in which a six-zone portable air conditioning u... |
loads and air conditioning energy use. The model was then used to evaluate annual energy use and the impacts of alternative solar load control strategies over a broader range of conditions than could be measured in the field. The simulation model includes accurate building geometry to account for the effects of shading... |
by overhangs or by the adjacent houses. The simulation model was imported into a three-dimensional graphic representation program that has rotational view capabilities to check building geometry.Figure 1 shows the location of exterior walls, windows,doors, and overhangs. Crawlspace walls are evident in this view. Shadi... |
are modeled as measured at the site; these shading surfaces are also shown in the figure. How the Shading Options Added Up For the determination of annual heating and cooling energy,occupied building operation is simulated. The simulation of occupied conditions in this building for a full year predicts that 3,285 kWh o... |
Heat gain through the windows is the largest component of envelope load, and it constitutes more than 30% of the total cooling energy load (see Figures 2 and 3). Figure 4 presents the daily load profiles of air conditioning electricity use on a typical cooling day for four combinations of glazing and shading. In this c... |
the site shading from adjacent buildings. Standard glazing without shading represents the worst case, and spectrally selective glazing with shading (the existing building) represents the best case. The combination of high-performance glazing and shading achieves a 0.4 kW (14%) reduction in afternoon peak electricity de... |
daily cooling use more than upgrading the windows does. The shading combination reduces daily cooling energy use by 9.4 kWh (22%), as compared to 4.4 kWh (11%) for just upgrading the windows. Architectural shading is clearly very important in reducing cooling loads. It reduces the annual cooling requirement by approxim... |
both cases, the heating load increases as the solar gain is reduced, but thanks to the combination of the Tucson climate and the wellinsulated tight building shell, this has little impact. Even in the worst case scenario, less than 80 therms per year of space heating is required. In this housing development, site shadi... |
solar gain. The test house is shaded to the east and west by adjacent, two-story houses. This site shading not only reduces the solar gain through the windows, but effectively shades much of the exterior wall area, reducing overall conductive gains as well. Annual Energy Costs The cooling and heating loads are combined... |
windows with no overhangs but with adjacent building shading, Table 2 presents the reduction in cooling and heating costs for a subset of combinations. The existing building has a south orientation, and the combined features lead to a 26% reduction in cooling and heating costs. The total cost of cooling and heating is ... |
adjacent houses. As expected, the maximum effect from architectural shading occurs if the front of the house faces west, which orients most of the window area to the south. The maximum effect of site shading occurs if the front of the house faces north, which orients most of the window area to the west.With the front f... |
the north side, and neither architectural nor site shading has much effect on cooling and heating costs. - FIRST PAGE - PREVIOUS PAGE Enter your comments in the box below: (Please note that all comments are subject to review prior to posting.) |
Take a look at this snapshot from Health Canada's website fact sheet entitled Healthy Lawn Tips. - Although it may look untidy, leave grass clippings on your lawn when you mow it to provide nutrient recycling. - Aerate compacted soil in the fall to help oxygen, water and nutrients reach |
roots. - Over-seed patchy areas. - In heavy traffic areas, replace grass with mulch or paving stones. - Check your lawn for early signs of pests and other problems such as holes caused by small animals digging for insects. - Set your mower so that your grass is seven to |
eight cm high to encourage deeper roots and help fend off weeds. - Water infrequently, but when you do, make sure you allow the water to get deep into the soil (about 1.5 centimetres) to promote deep roots. Over-watering starves the soil of oxygen and invites disease. Apply at least |
2.5 centimetres of water. Put a container on your lawn to measure how much you've watered. An empty tuna can is about the right height. - Maintain good soil with ample depth and organic matter to prevent problems. - If physical control methods fail and you use a pesticide, be |
Healthy Eating Plate Harvard’s New Guide to Healthy Eating Start here to learn more about the new Healthy Eating Plate created by nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health, in conjunction with Harvard Health Publications. The Healthy Eating Plate can be your blueprint for planning a healthy balanced meal, an... |
you follow the Healthy Eating Plate? Here’s a rundown, section by section: - Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits. The more color, and the more variety on this part of the plate, the better. Potatoes and French fries don’t count as vegetables on the Healthy Eating Plate, because they are high in fast-dige... |
on blood sugar and insulin as white bread and sweets. These surges, in the short term, can lead to hunger and overeating, and in the long term, can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems. Read more about vegetables and fruits, or read more about carbohydrates and health. - Save a quarter of you... |
on one quarter of your plate: Chose fish, chicken, beans or nuts, since these contain beneficial nutrients, such as the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in fish, and the fiber in beans. An egg a day is okay for most people, too (people with diabetes should limit their egg intake to three yolks a week, but egg whites a... |
lamb—and avoid processed meats—bacon, cold cuts, hot dogs, and the like—since over time, regularly eating even small amounts of these foods raises the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer. Read more about healthy proteins. - Use healthy plant oils. The glass bottle near the Healthy Eating Plate is a... |
sunflower, peanut, and others, in cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter, and avoid unhealthy trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils. Read more about healthy fats. - Drink water, coffee or tea. On the Healthy Eating Plate, complete your meal with a glass of water, or if you like, a cup of tea or coffee ... |
caffeine and kids? Read more.) Limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day, since high intakes are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. Limit juice to a small glass per day, since it is as high in sugar as a sugary soda. Skip the sugary drinks, since they provi... |
other nutrients. And over time, routinely drinking sugary drinks can lead to weight gain, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, and possibly increase the risk of heart disease. Read more about healthy drinks, or read more about calcium, milk, and health. - Stay active. The small red figure running across the Healthy Ea... |
of the secret to weight control. The other half is eating a healthy diet with modest portions that meet your calorie needs. Read 20 tips for staying active. Comparing the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate to the USDA’s MyPlate shows the shortcomings of MyPlate. Read a head-to-head comparison of the Healthy Eating Plate vs. ... |
by side with the Healthy Eating Pyramid, a simple and trustworthy guide to healthy eating created by faculty in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. Read an in-depth article about the Healthy Eating Plate and the Healthy Eating Pyramid. Or read answers to common questions about the Healthy Ea... |
Health Publications, health.harvard.edu. Any other use, including commercial reuse or mounting on other systems, requires permission from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. To request permission, please contact us using the Healthy Eating Plate reprint request form on this Web site. The aim... |
nutrition for clinicians, allied health professionals, and the public. The contents of this Web site are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professio... |
Salt Reduction Strategies Tasting Success with Cutting Salt Twenty-Five Science Based Strategies & Culinary Insights Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health & The Culinary Institute of America Table of Contents What portion size, produce, fresh foods, and healthy fats have to do with sodium reduction W... |
sodium, and how to make lower sodium choices From the farm to the table, there are many ways to boost flavor that are light on salt Future research can guide the way to compelling reduced sodium flavors Download a PDF of Read more about the creation of The Institute of Medicine’s newly released report, Strategies to Re... |
on big-picture strategies for reining in America’s salt habit. (1) Although the report’s recommendations represent an essential step forward, there are many things that individuals, chefs, and organizations can do right now to reduce sodium. Consumers can use these tips when they cook at home, shop in the supermarket, ... |
ideas in the professional kitchen. Media representatives, healthcare professionals, and food marketers can mine this list for ways to promote positive and delicious nutrition messages about cutting salt. Many of these guidelines offer a “stealth health” approach to sodium reduction—ways that sodium can be reduced with ... |
food choices as well as introduce new foods that can easily translate into satisfying meals. These culinary insights are in addition to valuable food science research already underway on the role of salt in foods and salt substitutes. The good news is that most of these guidelines support broader diet recommendations f... |
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