Bonding is the intense attachment that develops between parents and their baby. It makes parents want to shower their baby with love and affection and to protect and nourish their little one. Bonding gets parents up in the middle of the night to feed their hungry baby and makes them attentive to the baby's wide range of cries.
Scientists are still learning a lot about bonding. They know that the strong ties between parents and their child provide the baby's first model for intimate relationships and foster a sense of security and positive self-esteem. And parents' responsiveness to an infant's signals can affect the child's social and cognitive development.
Why Is Bonding Important?
Bonding is essential for a baby. Studies of newborn monkeys who were given mannequin mothers at birth showed that, even when the mannequins were made of soft material and provided formula to the baby monkeys, the babies were better socialized when they had live mothers to interact with. The baby monkeys with mannequin mothers were more likely to suffer from despair, as well as failure to thrive. Scientists suspect that lack of bonding in human babies can cause similar problems.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Mental Health: Keeping Your Emotional Health
What is good emotional health?
People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They feel good about themselves and have good relationships. They can keep problems in perspective.
Even people who have good emotional health can sometimes have emotional problems or mental illness. Mental illness often has a physical cause, such as a chemical imbalance in the brain. Stress and problems with family, work or school can sometimes trigger mental illness or make it worse. However, people who are emotionally healthy have learned ways to cope with stress and problems. They know when to seek help from their doctor or a counselor.
What about anger?
People are sometimes not aware of what causes their anger, how much anger they are holding inside or how to express anger appropriately. You may be angry about certain events, your own actions or other people's actions. Many little things can build up to make you feel that life is unfair.
If you find yourself becoming increasingly irritable or taking unhealthy risks (such as drinking too much or abusing drugs), you may have a problem dealing with anger. It's very important to talk with your doctor or a counselor about getting help.
People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They feel good about themselves and have good relationships. They can keep problems in perspective.
Even people who have good emotional health can sometimes have emotional problems or mental illness. Mental illness often has a physical cause, such as a chemical imbalance in the brain. Stress and problems with family, work or school can sometimes trigger mental illness or make it worse. However, people who are emotionally healthy have learned ways to cope with stress and problems. They know when to seek help from their doctor or a counselor.
What about anger?
People are sometimes not aware of what causes their anger, how much anger they are holding inside or how to express anger appropriately. You may be angry about certain events, your own actions or other people's actions. Many little things can build up to make you feel that life is unfair.
If you find yourself becoming increasingly irritable or taking unhealthy risks (such as drinking too much or abusing drugs), you may have a problem dealing with anger. It's very important to talk with your doctor or a counselor about getting help.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Benefits of Human Genome Project
Rapid progress in genome science and a glimpse into its potential applications have spurred observers to predict that biology will be the foremost science of the 21st century. Technology and resources generated by the Human Genome Project and other genomic research are already having a major impact on research across the life sciences. The potential for commercial evelopment of genomic research presents U.S. industry with a wealth of opportunities, and sales of DNA-based products and technologies in the biotechnology industry are projected to exceed $45 billion by 2009 (Consulting Resources Corporation Newsletter, Spring 1999).
Some current and potential applications of genome research include molecular medicine, microbial genomics, risk assessment, bioarchaeology, anthropology, evolution, human migration, DNA forensics (identification), agriculture, livestock breeding, and bioprocessing.
Technology and resources promoted by the Human Genome Project have profound impacts on biomedical research especially in linical medicine. Increasingly detailed genome maps have aided researchers seeking genes associated with dozens of genetic conditions, including myotonic dystrophy, fragile X syndrome, neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2, inherited colon cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and familial breast cancer.
Some current and potential applications of genome research include molecular medicine, microbial genomics, risk assessment, bioarchaeology, anthropology, evolution, human migration, DNA forensics (identification), agriculture, livestock breeding, and bioprocessing.
Technology and resources promoted by the Human Genome Project have profound impacts on biomedical research especially in linical medicine. Increasingly detailed genome maps have aided researchers seeking genes associated with dozens of genetic conditions, including myotonic dystrophy, fragile X syndrome, neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2, inherited colon cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and familial breast cancer.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
How to Quit Smoking
So you’ve decided to become a former smoker? Congratulations! Nearly four out of five smokers want to quit, and each year 40 percent of smokers finally attempt it. Before you start, it is important to remember this; research shows that the most success comes to smokers who use more than one method to fight their cravings and withdrawals. Despite your best efforts, you may not succeed the first time. But because you have already committed yourself to quitting, you are one step closer to being a former smoker.
Start by researching all your options to find the best quit-smoking strategy for you. You might want to do this in collaboration with your doctor or another healthcare professional because the right thing for you may require a prescription. It is also wise to have a doctor involved so that he or she can monitor you for any side effects or possible complications. Here are some of the more common and proven treatment options and why they may be right for you.
Nicotine-Replacement Patch
Nicotine patches are available over the counter and are generally easy to use.
Start by researching all your options to find the best quit-smoking strategy for you. You might want to do this in collaboration with your doctor or another healthcare professional because the right thing for you may require a prescription. It is also wise to have a doctor involved so that he or she can monitor you for any side effects or possible complications. Here are some of the more common and proven treatment options and why they may be right for you.
Nicotine-Replacement Patch
Nicotine patches are available over the counter and are generally easy to use.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Manage Stress to Improve Eyesight
Researchers define stress as a physical, mental, or emotional response to events that causes bodily or mental tension. Simply put, stress is any outside force or event that has an effect on our body or mind.
Depending on the stressors and the types of changes or events we are dealing with, stress can manifest itself physically, emotionally and/or mentally.
Physical – this occurs when the body as a whole starts to suffer as a result of a stressful situation. Symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways and vary in their seriousness.
The most common physical symptom is headaches because stress causes people to unconsciously tense their neck, forehead and shoulder muscles. However long-term stress can lead to digestive problems including ulcers, insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, nervousness and excessive sweating, heart disease, strokes and even hair loss. The concept of managing stress is much easy to say then to do. While some people are pros at stress management; other people can only take a little bit before they start screaming and pulling out their hair. Stress happens each and every day so learning how to best deal with the stress is an important and necessary step.
Depending on the stressors and the types of changes or events we are dealing with, stress can manifest itself physically, emotionally and/or mentally.
Physical – this occurs when the body as a whole starts to suffer as a result of a stressful situation. Symptoms can manifest in a variety of ways and vary in their seriousness.
The most common physical symptom is headaches because stress causes people to unconsciously tense their neck, forehead and shoulder muscles. However long-term stress can lead to digestive problems including ulcers, insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, nervousness and excessive sweating, heart disease, strokes and even hair loss. The concept of managing stress is much easy to say then to do. While some people are pros at stress management; other people can only take a little bit before they start screaming and pulling out their hair. Stress happens each and every day so learning how to best deal with the stress is an important and necessary step.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Beta Carotene and Smoking
Recent studies have shown that smoking and taking Beta Carotene supplements do not go together. Beta Carotene is an antioxidant, which means that it inactivates free radicals in the body. In the process it oxidizes and can become a kind of pro-oxidant or form oxidized by-products. Normally we don't have to worry about the by-products of Beta Carotene's antioxidant behavior. If you maintain a healthy diet with a variety of antioxidants they will work in combination to protect one another from oxidizing.
It appears that smokers on the other hand do have something to worry about. Two studies ending in the nineties found that people who smoked at least one pack a day or drank higher than average amounts of alcohol and took Beta Carotene or Vitamin A supplements were at a higher risk for developing lung cancer and a higher risk of dying. Each of these trials showed that Beta Carotene wasn't helping many of its smoking participants and was in fact hurting some of them. The first trial called The Alpha-Tocopheral, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Trial showed eighteen percent more lung cancer and eight percent more deaths in male smokers who took 20mg of Beta Carotene. The second trial called the Beta Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) initial results showed that there was twenty eight percent more lung cancer in the group of smokers and former smokers it had taking Beta Carotene and Vitamin A and seventeen percent more deaths. These results were so similar to the Cancer Prevention Trial final results that they told the participants to stop taking the supplements before the trial was scheduled to end.
It appears that smokers on the other hand do have something to worry about. Two studies ending in the nineties found that people who smoked at least one pack a day or drank higher than average amounts of alcohol and took Beta Carotene or Vitamin A supplements were at a higher risk for developing lung cancer and a higher risk of dying. Each of these trials showed that Beta Carotene wasn't helping many of its smoking participants and was in fact hurting some of them. The first trial called The Alpha-Tocopheral, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Trial showed eighteen percent more lung cancer and eight percent more deaths in male smokers who took 20mg of Beta Carotene. The second trial called the Beta Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) initial results showed that there was twenty eight percent more lung cancer in the group of smokers and former smokers it had taking Beta Carotene and Vitamin A and seventeen percent more deaths. These results were so similar to the Cancer Prevention Trial final results that they told the participants to stop taking the supplements before the trial was scheduled to end.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Introduction to Google API
Most of the current webmaster tools are created using the powerful Google API. These includes the keyword position checker, link populartiy and indexed pages checker.
In this section, we will discuss how can we use the Google API to create a tool that allows the user to check how many pages are indexed from his / her site.
How to get started?
To start writing programs using Google SOAP Search API:
1. Read their online TOS.
2. Download the Developer's kit.
3. Create a Google account to obtain a license key.
In this section, we will discuss how can we use the Google API to create a tool that allows the user to check how many pages are indexed from his / her site.
How to get started?
To start writing programs using Google SOAP Search API:
1. Read their online TOS.
2. Download the Developer's kit.
3. Create a Google account to obtain a license key.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)