Hope you find this talk by Ethan Nadelmann on ending the war on drugs stimulating.
It’s a controversial topic but I don’t think anyone would argue that our current policies to eliminate dangerous drug use and the violence and black market that it fuels are working positively for anyone, bar criminal organisations. The terrorist organisations Boko Haram, ISIS and the Taliban are thought to be partly funded by illegal drug sales, drug-related violence and addiction in the west destroys countless lives, and drug money continues to fuel horrific violence and inequality in Latin America too. Perhaps it’s time for a major re-think.
Here at Dunphy Medical we’re stocking up on Chlorella, Vitamin C and Omega Oils with added Vitamin D to stay healthy amid winter’s bugs and flus.
Vitamin B is a perennial favourite and Toki is keeping our skin supple and youthful despite any harsh winter winds.
To discover our range of health products click on the Products tab at the top of this website’s homepage or just follow this link https://dunphymedicalcarrigaline.com/products/. All health supplements can be purchased online via PayPal or directly with a cheque or postal order. Purchases will then be delivered to your door by return mail, there’s no need to even leave the house!
I hope you enjoy this video interview with father and son team Robert and Edward Skidelsky about the principles that underpin their fascinating new book How Much Is Enough? The Love of Money and the Case for the Good Life.
Lord Skidelsky, Emeritus professor of political economy and Dr Edward Skidelsky, lecturer in philosophy tackle the questions: What constitutes the good life? What is the true value of money? Why do we work such long hours just to acquire greater wealth? These are some of the questions that many asked themselves when the financial system crashed in 2008. Their perspectives gave me much food for thought! Hope you find it interesting too.
Marc Abrahams founded the Ig Nobel awards which celebrates the world’s most improbable research, in this entertaining and informative Ted Talk Abrahams tells stories of truly weird science — and makes the case that silliness is critical to boosting public interest in science.
Enjoy!
Researchers in the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC have put forward a radically novel view of the biology of schizophrenia and more specifically its genetic basis, and their work may have significant implications for the development of new treatment strategies for the disorder.
Schizophrenia usually begins in the late teens or early 20s, and tends to be a life-long condition in the majority of cases. The risk of developing the disorder is approximately one in 100 in the general population. However, if there is a history of schizophrenia in the family the risk rises significantly.
However, very slow progress has been made in determining the complex genetics of schizophrenia.
Prof Ted Dinan and colleagues at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre have published a paper on the genetics of schizophrenia in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. They argue that genetic studies over the past few decades have been less than productive in determining the biology of the disorder and in helping develop new treatments.
They re-evaluate the studies to date and put forward a radical alternative perspective.
The research — funded by Science Foundation Ireland — points out that there are more than 100 times as many genes in the bacteria within our intestine as exist in our cells and many of these genes play a fundamental role in brain development and function. In their laboratory, the researchers have found that animals raised in a germ-free environment, who have not been exposed to bacteria, show similar social interaction to that observed in schizophrenia and recent studies indicate that antibiotics may help alleviate some symptoms.
Minocycline, which is used to treat acne in teenagers, has been found to impact on symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations as well as social withdrawal. To date, there has been little effort to explore intestinal bacterial genes in patients with the disorder.
Prof Dinan’s group is currently focusing on this approach with a view to developing new and more effective treatments. They draw a parallel with the gut disorder peptic ulcer disease, which like schizophrenia tends to run in families.
Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication 7 Oct 2014; doi: 10.1038/mp.2014.93.
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