<![CDATA[Lifestyle Articles]]> en-us Wed, 25 May 2011 14:32:44 GMT [Saved Search Name] <![CDATA[Sweet Foods Like Cocaine]]> A sugary syrup widely used in processed foods like biscuits can cause behavioural changes similar to the effects of cocaine, according to new research.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), used as a sweetener and to improve the appearance of food after baking, was tested by a scientist investigating "food addiction".

The substance, which has previously been linked to rising rates of type-2 diabetes, was found to induce behavioural changes similar to the Class A drug in tests on laboratory rats.

Professor Francesco Leri, who carried out the research, said it suggested there was an addictive quality to foods that are high in sugar which could explain, at least partly, the current global obesity epidemic.

"We have evidence in laboratory animals of a shared vulnerability to develop preferences for sweet foods and for cocaine," he said.

"We are not rats, but our children do not think too much about the impact of sweets on their brain and behaviour.

"There is now convincing neurobiological and behavioural evidence indicating that addiction to food is possible."

Prof Leri, from the University of Guelph, Canada, said the food addiction hypothesis suggested people can be addicted to food just as one is addicted to drugs of abuse.

He studied the response of rats to foods containing unnaturally high concentrations of sugar, fats and taste enhancers, such as HFCS and foods like biscuits.

The research, presented on Wednesday at the 2013 Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, argues that just as some people become addicted to cocaine after taking it and others do not, the same is true with foods like HFCS.

Those behind the food addiction hypothesis argue the simple fact that sugar-rich foods are more widely available does not explain why some people are obese and others are not.

They believe vulnerability to addiction, as in cocaine, could be an important factor.

HFCS has a greater proportion of fructose sugar than sucrose, which contains an equal amount of glucose.

Last November, a University of Oxford-led study found that countries that use large amounts of HFCS have higher rates of diabetes than those that consume little.

PAA



]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 06:55:47 GMT <![CDATA[Concept Vaccine May Stop Flu]]> Scientists have unveiled a concept vaccine against flu they say may protect against various strains with a single jab.

Tested in ferrets, considered good human models, the synthetic vaccine uses nanotechnology to attack parts of the influenza virus that different strains have in common, they wrote in the journal Nature.

"It provides a basis for development of universal influenza vaccines and for more rapid generation of vaccines during new outbreaks," study-co-author Gary Nabel of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Maryland told AFP.

Human trials have yet to be done, but the team was encouraged by the extra safety of the vaccine, which doesn't need to be manufactured from viruses in chicken eggs in the lab, as is the case for seasonal vaccines against flu strains often carried by birds.


It is also much faster to make.

The new design incorporates the protein ferritin, fused genetically with hemagglutinin (HA) -- a protein found on the surface of the influenza virus.

The fusion results in a microscopic nanoparticle with eight protruding spikes that forms the basis for the vaccine antigen, which is what spurs the immune response.

Lab animals given the vaccine were protected not only against the strain of H1N1 influenza from which the HA was derived, but a broader range of strains of the constantly mutating influenza virus.

"The novel vaccine concept works by stimulating antibodies that hitch themselves to the parts of the influenza virus that stay consistent across different strains," said a NIAID statement.

The immune response was also stronger than with existing vaccines.

NIAID called the concept "an important step forward in the quest to develop a universal influenza vaccine -- one that would protect against most or all influenza strains without the need for an annual vaccination."

AFP



]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 06:37:04 GMT <![CDATA[Bosses Urged To Employ Older Women]]> Australia's bosses are being encouraged to employ older women in their businesses, with research showing the 45 years and over group can bring qualities such as motivation, sustained job performance and reliability.

The Diversity Council of Australia (DCA), together with the Australian Human Rights Commission, has produced a report that shows Australia lags behind comparable countries in giving older women a chance in the workforce.

The research shows that while older women in the labour force represent a sizeable and growing segment, employers are failing to harness their skills and talents.

DCA chief executive Nareen Young said Australia's future workforce will heavily depend upon the employment of older women.

"Organisations focusing on older women's employment are future-proofing their workforce and positioning the organisation for success," she said.

The research shows working women aged 45 and over represent 17 per cent of the Australia's workforce.

But Australia lags behind other comparable countries in employing older women.

The most recent data shows participation rates in the labour force for Australian women aged between 55 and 64 is 54.9 per cent compared to such countries as Sweden with 72 per cent, New Zealand with 69.8 per cent and Canada with 57.4 per cent.

DCA research showed older women are less likely to change jobs compared with their younger colleagues and bring with them accumulated work experience, sustained job performance and reliability.

The report - Older Women Matter: Harnessing the Talents of Australia's Older Female Workforce - will be released in Melbourne on Thursday.

AAP



]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 06:31:15 GMT <![CDATA[Google Glasses Prompt Privacy Fears]]> It is set to be the next big thing for gadget lovers everywhere.

But users of Google Glass, a high-tech pair of spectacles with in-built hands-free video camera and internet access, are being given some basic advice - take them off when visiting public conveniences.

Some attendees forgot to remove their Google Glass during calls of nature at a Google developers conference in San Francisco.

The device has already raised privacy fears because it can record video far less conspicuously than a handheld device and could make it difficult for people to know when they are on camera.

Drew Olanoff, reviewing Glass for the Techcrunch website, said: "In its current state, Glass is a utility that allows you to do some of the things that your smartphone does now. The difference with Glass is that you can do these things hands-free, quicker than before and in a less socially disruptive way.

"Still, we heard about people wearing Glass in the bathroom, as if to remind us that not everyone is ready to feed into the hype of the device."

Alex Roth, a technology reviewer for Techradar, said: "Google is actively trying to reduce the voyeur factor by making it rather obvious when Glass is engaged. The screen emits a glow when in use, and spoken commands like 'take a picture' make sure those around you are clued in to what you're doing.

"You also have to look up to read the screen, so broken eye contact will be a dead giveaway. Your friends will know when you're checking football scores instead of listening to them. It also suffers a similar stigma to the Bluetooth earpiece, in that it's distracting, and a bit goofy looking."

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt dismissed concerns about privacy during a talk at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in April, saying: "Criticisms are inevitably from people who are afraid of change or who have not figured out that there will be an adaptation of society to it."

Google Glass is supposed to perform many of the same tasks as smartphones, except the glasses respond to voice commands instead of fingers touching a display screen.

The glasses are equipped with a camera and tiny display screen attached to a rim above the right eye.

Users can speak to the glasses as well as record video, access email, get driving directions and surf the internet by connecting wirelessly to a user's cell phone.

Google Glasses have yet to go on open sale but are being tested by a selected group of users in the US.

The company also sold an unspecified number of Explorer models to computer programmers last year.

The finished product is expected to cost around $A1500.

PAA




]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 06:29:19 GMT <![CDATA[Sleep Problems: Alzheimer's Warning]]> Breathing difficulties during sleep may be an early warning sign of future Alzheimer's disease, researchers believe.

Experts are not sure how sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and Alzheimer's are linked.

But evidence suggests some people who suffer from the sleep problem may already be starting to develop pre-symptomatic dementia.

SDB is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that affect breathing during sleep.

The most common is obstructive sleep apnoea, which affects around four per cent of middle-aged men and two per cent of middle-aged women in the UK.

Sleep apnoea results in breathing being repeatedly interrupted during sleep and is often accompanied by heavy snoring.

Dr Ricardo Osorio, from New York University School of Medicine, who led the new research, said: "We know that about 10 to 20 per cent of middle-aged adults in the United States have SDB and that the number jumps dramatically in those over the age of 65.

"We don't know why it becomes so prevalent but one factor may be that some of these patients are in the earliest pre-clinical stages of AD (Alzheimer's disease)."

A group of 68 men and women with an average age of 71 and no evidence of dementia took part in the study.

Around half (48.5 per cent) were found to have mild SDB and a quarter had moderate-to-severe SDB.

The volunteers had spinal fluid tests and brain scans to identify any early biochemical signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's biomarkers were only found among lean participants with SDB. In these patients, a progressive association was seen between the severity of SDB and the level of two indicators based on proteins and brain scans.

Lean patients with SDB also tended to have a smaller hippocampus - a part of the brain crucial to memory - than other participants.

The findings were presented on Sunday at the American Thoracic Society 2013 annual conference in Philadelphia.

Dr Osorio said it was not clear which condition came first, SDB or Alzheimer's.

"It's really a chicken and egg story," he said. "Our study did not determine the direction of causality, and, in fact, didn't uncover a significant association between the two, until we broke out the data on lean and obese patients."

His team now plans to test a theory that brain damage caused by very early stage Alzheimer's can trigger SDB in lean individuals who would otherwise not be affected by the condition. Obesity is, by itself, a risk factor for breathing problems during sleep.

After an initial assessment, patients will be given continuous positive airway pressure treatment for sleep apnoea. After six months, they will be evaluated again for biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's.

PAA



]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 06:41:19 GMT <![CDATA[Two Parents Gives Educational Edge]]> Children raised in a two-parent families do best at school, a conference has been told.

A "world family map" compiled by the Child Trends research centre was presented at the World Congress of Families in Sydney on Thursday.

It examined families in 45 countries around the world, including Australia.

One of the report's authors, Dr Brad Wilcox from the University of Virginia's National Marriage Project, said it showed that in most of the developed world children are more likely to thrive academically when they have two parents at home.

Dr Wilcox said 80 per cent of Australian children were growing up in a two-parent family, which he said gave them access to the "love, security, attention and financial resources that brings".

These children were more likely to excel in reading and less likely to be held back at school than the children of single parents.
"It's clear that the two-parent family gives a child a leg up in education," he told the conference.

However, he said the report had some "surprising results".

"We found that children from a single-parent family in some developing countries such as Egypt were more likely to be enrolled at school," Dr Wilcox said.

The World Congress of Families was founded by the US-based Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society.

AAP
]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 06:43:26 GMT <![CDATA[Baby Bonus Cut Birth Boom]]> The federal government's decision to axe the baby bonus could lead to a mini-baby boom over the next 10 months as mothers vie to give birth before the change takes effect.

The measure to save $1.1 billion over five years from March 1 next year was announced in the budget handed down by Treasurer Wayne Swan.

Couples trying for children will miss out on the $5000 baby bonus unless they can beat the deadline, although some may be eligible for the replacement increase to the Family Tax Benefit Part A.

Under the benefit change, eligible families will receive a $2000 boost for their firstborn child and $1000 for subsequent children, as long as they aren't accessing the government's paid parental leave scheme.

Mr Swan says the changes are aimed at making the family payments system more sustainable and welfare groups say the bonus decision will better target struggling families.

The government will also make it easier for working mothers with children born close together to qualify for the paid parental leave scheme for subsequent children.

Parents will be able to count time on the government's parental leave as work, under the work test.

Single mothers, who were slugged with welfare cuts in January, when they were forced off Parenting Payments and on to the Newstart Allowance, will be disappointed there won't be much financial relief.

Many were left $60 to $100 worse off and had hoped for a $50 a week increase to the dole.

Labor said the payment rise was too expensive but welfare recipients would be allowed to keep an extra $19 a week from part-time work before payments were affected.

Australian Council of Social Services chief executive Cassandra Goldie said the government had failed to reduce poverty.

"Each year we fail to act, this gaping hole in our safety net grows," she said.

The National Council of Single Mothers chief executive Terese Edwards said single parents would continue to struggle.

"They had pinned their hopes on this budget thinking that their story had been heard," she said.

Indexation pauses on family payments will continue, saving $1.2 billion over the forward estimates.

Other measures from January 2014 include changes to the age eligibility for Family Tax Benefit Part A, which mean families can claim money only up to the end of the calendar year their teenager completes school.

Teenagers could receive Youth Allowance once their families are no longer eligible for the family payment.

But people living temporarily overseas will only be able to claim family-related payments for one year not three, while they're away.

The government also confirmed it won't proceed with increases to Family Tax Benefit Part A announced last year as part of a plan to "spread the benefits of the mining boom".

St Vincent De Paul chief executive John Falzon was disappointed.

"You could well be forgiven for feeling like tonight's budget is less Robin Hood and more Sheriff of Nottingham," he told reporters in Canberra.

AAP



]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 06:33:29 GMT <![CDATA[NAPLAN Testing Begins]]>
National literacy and numeracy tests begin across Australia on Tuesday for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

The NSW Board of Studies said primary school children would sit four tests covering numeracy, reading, writing and language conventions - spelling, language and grammar - while high school students would sit five tests, including two tests in numeracy.

Tests begin on Tuesday and would continue on Wednesday and Thursday.

Results and student reports would not be available until September.

AAP


Let's hope our kids do better than some of these ones...


]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 08:17:18 GMT <![CDATA[Students Chosen To Be The Principal]]>
Many young students dream of what they would do if they ran their school, even just for a day.

A few will get the chance in June under the national student "principal for a day" program.

Primary and high school students will get the chance to switch places with their principal for the day, maybe leading a school assembly, attending a staff meeting or visiting classrooms.

The Principals Australia Institute is behind the program and hopes it will increase the community's appreciation of school leaders.

"As a principal, I know how important it is to provide young people with opportunities to stretch their capacity as thinkers and leaders," chief executive Jim Davies said in a statement on Monday.

"My hope is that "Student Principal for a Day" will inspire young people to consider a career in education - or to even become a principal one day."

Schools that want to participate can register online at www.sp4d.edu.au before May 28.

AAP
]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 07:02:08 GMT <![CDATA[Scientists Cure Grey Hair]]>
A cure for grey hair which means millions will be able to throw away messy dyes could be available in the future, researchers have said.

Scientists found people who are going grey develop "massive oxidative stress" via accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle, which causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out.

According to the journal for biological research, FASEB Journal, the team which includes experts from Bradford University's School of Life Sciences, have discovered the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide can be remedied with a proprietary treatment.

They described it as "a topical, UVB-activated compound called PC-KUS (a modified pseudocatalase", the report said.

The treatment can also be used for people with the skin condition vitiligo, which causes a loss of pigmentation. In 1993 Michael Jackson claimed to have developed vitiligo.

Study author Professor Karin Schallreuter said: "To date, it is beyond any doubt that the sudden loss of the inherited skin and localised hair colour can affect those individuals in many fundamental ways.

"The improvement of quality of life after total and even partial successful re-pigmentation has been documented." She is a specialist in vitiligo and the research team made their discovery after studying an international group of 2,411 patients.

FASEB Journal editor-in-chief Gerald Weissman said: "For generations, numerous remedies have been concocted to hide grey hair but now, for the first time, an actual treatment that gets to the root of the problem has been developed.

"While this is exciting news, what's even more exciting is that this also works for vitiligo.

"This condition, while technically cosmetic, can have serious socio-emotional effects of people.

"Developing an effective treatment for this condition has the potential to radically improve many people's lives."

PAA]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 07:12:26 GMT <![CDATA['Road Pricing' To Cut Traffic]]> Photo: HWT Image Library

Making Aussie motorists pay to use roads would ease traffic congestion in the nation's major cities and help boost economic productivity, a report has found.

The Grattan Institute report found a system of road pricing would also be a good way to raise funds for better public transport, such as better bus services.

The report, Productive Cities: opportunity in a changing economy, said the system could take the form of road user charges, congestion charges, or time-of-day tolling.

It found that charging motorists to use roads would result in "a more efficient use of road space" and ultimately help to lift labour productivity.

"In order to address traffic congestion, it is not enough to rely solely on building new roads without also paying attention to managing the demand for road space," the report states.

Road pricing would "also go some way towards raising the revenue needed to increase the capacity of public transport".

However the report conceded that governments would have to spend "political capital" to implement such a system.

It also urged governments to build more homes in established suburbs, saying rising house prices meant many blue-collar workers risked being locked out of areas that offered the best access to jobs.

"This will be good for the economy and good for the fair go," the report found.

AAP]]> Mon, 06 May 2013 07:17:09 GMT <![CDATA[Own Your Own Scottish Island]]> Photo: apaddleinmypack.wordpress.com

A small Scottish island has been put up for sale for STG2.5 million ($A3.82 million).

Tanera Mor is the largest and only inhabited island in the Summer Isles archipelago 1.5 miles off the north-west coast of Scotland.

The 800-acre island is currently managed by Lizzie and Richard Williams, who took it on from Mrs Williams' family, the Wilders.
The Wilders bought the island in 1996 after selling their dairy farm in Wiltshire.

Mrs Williams said it is time to give someone else the "privilege of looking after the amazing place".

Talks with the local community over a buyout were held but it has now been put on the open market.

Mrs Williams said: "After many happy years of calling Tanera home, it is time for someone else to have the privilege of looking after this amazing place.

"We hope that whoever owns the island in the future will enjoy the same warm and co-operative relationship with the community that we have for the past 17 years."

 travelknitter.wordpress.com

Estate agents CKD Galbraith described Tanera Mor as a "flourishing tourist enterprise and superb family residence", with a guide price of 2.5 million.

It has nine residential properties, a cafe, post office and three jetties.

John Bound, of CKD Galbraith, said: "The chance to own your own Scottish island is extremely rare and with Tanera Mr's thriving tourist enterprise coupled with being a truly spectacular place to live, we expect to receive a lot of interest as it goes on the open market.

"With on-going support and commitment from the local Coigach community, Tanera Mr offers a truly fantastic prospect for interested parties who will very much have the island's heritage and sustainability at heart as well as a fantastic life style."

PAA
]]> Mon, 06 May 2013 07:06:08 GMT <![CDATA[Mothers Day Technology Top 10]]> Mother’s Day is less than 2 weeks away and you’re pretty sure a bag of Pot Puri won’t cover it this year – we've compiled the top 10 technology gifts for mum this year.

1. Digital Radio
For More Info Click Here
Digital Radio listeners ship continues to rise, and lots of great stations like WS4Kids available – from a portable to a nice new mini hi fi – there are lots of great digital radio options.


2. Vinyl Turntable Converter 
For More Info Click Here
(convert all your records to MP3 – available form Big W and other retailers starting around $60)


3. Robot Vacuum Cleaner
For More Info Click Here
While you’re away it does its thing – mapping out the room and making sure it gets every spot.  You can tell it the rooms to miss or areas to do more often. When its running low on batteries, it goes back to its base to recharge then continue.


4. Phone/iPad/Tablet Cases
For More Info Click Here
We take our phones everywhere, so why not let mum accessories with different cases to match her bag or clothes. Lots of colours, different patterns and materials all pretty cheap. There are plenty of places to buy cases too, most shopping centres have a store or there are more specialised stores online too.


5. Kindle or eBook Reader
For More Info Click Here
Know that your mum loves reading a good book – eReaders like the Kindle are brillant! Easy on the eyes for extended reading, great outdoors and batteries that will last for weeks + all your books are on the reader and available instantly. Not sure whether you want to be giving the Mother’s Day gift version with 50 shades of grey pre-loaded??


6. Digital Camera
For More Info Click Here
Yes, I know every device has a camera – but giving mum a high quality point and shoot camera means no more running out of film and lots more great shots of you all sharing time. The quality is amazing and the prize cheap as chips…. A quality easy to use camera will start at about $100


7. Setup Skype 
For More Info Click Here
If you live a little further away from your folks than you would like – Skype video calls are perfect. Great quality, Free and able to be setup with limited technology needed. 


8. Pod Coffee Machine
For More Info Click Here
Having fresh coffee doesn't need to be expensive or messy these days with the Pod coffee system. George Clooney is ambassador for Nespresso, not sure if he comes with it or not cause the packaging does say a strong, dark, rich Italian included. Prices start at around $70.


9. iPad Kitchen Stands
For More Info Click Here
A lot of people are cooking recipes straight from their iPad – but covering your ipad in egg yolk and flour is not clever. There is a big range of iPad Kitchen stands – hang your ipad off an overhead cupboard, slide into a sleeve to keep it clean. If you love cooking but want to keep a clean ipad – this is what you need. 


10. Digital Heart Rate & Exercise Monitors.
For More Info Click Here
If mum likes to keep fit – have a think about one of the great heart rate monitors on the market – they connect to watches or iPhones and can be programmed to look after your work outs, record time or distance too. 



]]> Thu, 02 May 2013 08:00:40 GMT <![CDATA[Will 23rd Millionth Aussie Be 'Aussie'?]]>
The 23 millionth Australian, due to arrive next week, could be a baby called Jack or even a young Pom.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says the nation's population is set to hit 23 million people on April 23 at 9.57pm (AEST), but there's only a 40 per cent chance he or she will be home grown.

Migrants make up 60 per cent of Australia's population growth, with the UK accounting for one in five arrivals. If number 23,000,000 is born locally, there's a slightly better chance of it being a boy, with 105 males born for every 100 females, and Jack their most popular name.

Australia's population is increasing by 1048 people per day, or by 1.7 per cent a year, which equates to one new Canberra or three new Darwins per year.

The ABS now forecasts the population will exceed 40 million in the late 2050s.

Australia's median age has increased nearly five years from 32.7 to 37.5. Western Australia is the fastest growing state, while Tasmania's population growth rate is contracting. Tasmania's population increased by just 500 people last year, while WA is now growing by more than 1500 people per week.

More people are moving interstate to Queensland, while NSW had the highest departures to other states, with 1900 people leaving each week.

AAP
]]> Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:27:54 GMT <![CDATA[Aussies Drink To Get Drunk]]>
Two in five Australians - and more than 60 per cent of young adults - are drinking to get drunk, a survey suggests.

The annual alcohol poll by lobby group Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, found 77 per cent of Australian adults are drinkers. Typically, half of their number normally have three or more standard alcoholic drinks at a sitting.

The survey, released on Thursday, says 75 per cent of Australians agree that the country has an issue with alcohol abuse or excess drinking. Some 63 per cent of Generation Y respondents admitted to drinking to get drunk, compared to 40 per cent of adults overall.

The foundation's chief executive Michael Thorn said the survey findings highlighted the need for alcohol reforms, such as increased liquor pricing and advertising bans. "Governments around the country seem unwilling to take action, yet this poll again makes clear that Australians recognise that alcohol use results in devastating harms," he said.

The survey found that 61 per cent of people would support health warning labels on alcoholic drinks, while 64 per cent back a ban on alcohol advertising on weekdays and weekends before 8.30pm.

AAP

 ]]> Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:16:06 GMT <![CDATA[NZ Recognises Marriage Equality]]> Photo: Getty Images

Gay marriage is legal in New Zealand.

The 77-44 vote in parliament on Wednesday night was greeted with cheers and applause from packed public galleries and kicked off celebrations around the country.

New Zealand is the 13th country to legalise gay marriage and the first in the Asia-Pacific.

More than 1000 Australian same-sex couples say they will cross the Tasman to tie the knot. "Now that marriage equality is only three hours away there will be a flood of couples flying to New Zealand," said Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Rodney Croome.

Youtube: nzheraldtv

NZ Labour's gay MP Louisa Wall promoted the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill and it was passed on conscience votes, with no instructions from parties. Prime Minister John Key was one of those supporting it.

MPs have been under intense pressure from churches and moral conservative lobby groups during the past few weeks but the final vote was almost identical to those cast during the bill's previous three stages. "Excluding a group in society from marriage is oppressive and unacceptable," Ms Wall said when she launched the third reading debate. "This is not about church teachings or philosophy, it never was. The principles of justice and equality aren't served if the key institution of marriage is reserved for heterosexuals only."

The Green Party's gay MP Kevin Hague said he had been with his partner for nearly 29 years. "Until this day a basic human right has been denied us," he said. "The consequences of this bill will be that same sex couples will marry, transgender people will no longer have to divorce, prejudice and violence will be undermined, the world will be a better place and absolutely no one will be any worse off."

National's Maurice Williamson, a strong supporter, said he had been appalled by some of the lobbying. "I had a letter saying I was going to burn in the fires of hell, some of the bullying tactics were really evil."

 @williamson_nz A photo taken from my Electorate Office this morning. A Gay Rainbow? A Sign none the less.

NZ First leader Winston Peters again called for a referendum. "Some say there is a groundswell for change, but how do we know that?" he said. "New Zealand is supposed to be a democracy and what we are about to do is circumvent any expression of public opinion."

Mr Peters and his MPs voted against the bill. Nearly all the MPs who spoke in the debate supported the bill. One who didn't was National's Jonathan Young. "History has invested significant tradition in marriage and I believe we should maintain that tradition," he said. "This issue isn't as clear as some people think, many are struggling with it and the community is more divided than this parliament."

Although Wednesday night's vote put the bill into law, gay couples who want to marry will have to wait a while. The Department of Internal Affairs which handles births, deaths and marriages has been given four months to get its act together and prepare the procedures and licence forms.

Ms Wall expects there will be a rush. "The first week of August could work for a lot of people," she told NZ Newswire.

AAP
]]> Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:06:54 GMT <![CDATA[Does He Hear Baby Crying?]]> The "maternal instinct" notion gained scientific backing more than three decades ago through two experiments, one of which found that women were nearly twice as accurate as men in identifying the cry of their offspring.

But the new study says men and women are equally skilled at this - and accuracy depends simply on the amount of time that a parent spends with the child.

Scientists led by Nicolas Mathevon at the University of Saint-Etienne recorded the cries of 29 babies aged between 58 and 153 days as the infants were being bathed. Fifteen of the babies were in France and 14 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The idea of sampling cries in Africa and Europe was to test whether local culture and family habits affected outcomes.

All the mothers, and half of the fathers, spent more than four hours a day with their baby. The other fathers spent less than four hours daily with the child. The parents were asked to listen to a recording of three different cries from five babies of a similar age, one of which was their own. There were two sessions of experiments.

On average, the parents were 90 per cent accurate in identifying the cry of their own baby. Mothers were 98 per cent accurate, and fathers who spent more than four hours with baby per day were 90 per cent accurate. Fathers who spent less than four hours daily with the infant were only 75 per cent accurate.

Parents who were exposed to other babies each day - a characteristic of the extended family in Africa - were 82 per cent accurate.
The study, which appears in the journal Nature Communications, says the "maternal instinct" hypothesis is flawed, as the studies from the late 1970s and early 1980s failed to take into account the amount of time the fathers spent with their kids.

In biological terms, men and women are "cooperative breeders", so the idea that one gender is better than the other at a basic mechanism to protect the baby is incongruous, it suggests.

"Both fathers and mothers can reliably and equally recognise their own baby from their cries," it says. "The only crucial factor affecting this ability is the amount of time spent by the parent with their own baby."

AFP
]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:39:52 GMT <![CDATA[Climate Change Rewrites Wine Lists]]>
As new frontiers for grape growing open up, the viability of some traditional production areas is under threat from scorching temperatures and prolonged droughts. And in between the two extremes, some long-established styles are being transformed. Some whites once renowned for being light and crisp are getting fatter and more floral while medium-bodied reds are morphing into heavyweight bruisers.

"Some people are alarmists, I prefer to be an optimist," says Fernando Zamora, oenology researcher and professor at Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain. "I have no doubt that we will still have vineyards in traditional regions, but we have to think of new strategies. And we will also have new zones for vineyards. That's for sure. "Already in Germany they are making fine red wine where it used to be very difficult. And in Denmark, now they've started making wine."

Climatologists working with the wine industry around the planet predict temperatures will rise by one to two degrees Celsius from now until 2050, a trend that is expected to be accompanied by an increase in the incidence of extreme weather events. Knowing this, Gregory Jones, professor at Southern Oregon University, says it's unlikely any region can continue to grow the exact same varieties and make the exact same style of wines.

New vineyard projects in northern Europe will be risky given the increased unpredictability of the weather and the potential for one cold snap to destroy an entire crop. So it may be that the biggest change will come in the range of wines produced in areas that, until recently, have struggled to ripen some varieties.

Tasmania in Australia, parts of New Zealand, southern Chile, Ontario and other parts of Canada, England and the Mosel and Rhine areas in Germany are among the regions that could benefit. "You can look anywhere in the world where there are relatively cool climate regions that today are much more suitable than they were 30, 40, 50 years ago, because the climates were too cold then. People couldn't ripen fruit," added Jones.

Like Zamora, Jones forms part of an international committee for the agriculture and forestry climate change program (ACCAF) run by France's research institute INRA. They are tasked with formulating strategies for helping everything from the plant to legislators cope with climate change.

While wine grapes might not be necessary to feed the Earth's population, the grape vine is more sensitive to climate than plants like rice, corn and soyabeans, which could provide valuable insight for essential future food supplies.

Vitis vinifera, the plant that gives us fine wine grape varieties, is a prolific wanderer that has a fine-tuned sense of the right place to take root and grow perfect grapes. Water stress, temperature change, inopportune downpours and frosts are just a few of the variables that have profound effects on the balance of sugar and acidity, the ripeness of tannins, and the palette of aromas.

"In Alsace (northeastern France), climate change is already a problem, because it's changing the aromatic profile, the balance of sugar and acidity. If the consumers accept the changes, it's not a problem. If they don't, it is," said Jean-Marc Touzard, a co-coordinator of ACCAF.

Producers of Beaujolais meanwhile see warmer weather improving the quality of their product in a region where winemakers have sometimes had to add sugar to bolster alcohol levels in their quaffable reds. "In 2003 (when France suffered a severe summer heatwave), our wines tasted more like Cote du Rhone," said Jean Bourjade of the growers group Inter Beaujolais.

The Languedoc region around the Mediterranean already faces these problems. Hotter, dryer weather is making the area's already-robust wines more full-bodied and more alcoholic, at the expense, some say, of finesse.

But all is far from lost. "In the Languedoc, the growers have already begun adapting - planting at a higher altitude and on different soils," said Touzard. Another solution is to change the grape varieties legally allowed under Europe's strict appellation laws, sourcing the indigenous varieties from hot weather climes like Sicily, Greece, Spain and Portugal.

Researchers also say that once these grapes have been genetically decoded, they could be used for plant breeding. Portugal alone has between 100 to 150 indigenous varieties that we know virtually nothing about, according to Jones. "Some of the more southern, really warm places that have genetic material could be a real hotbed for dealing with heat tolerance in the future," said Jones.

AFP
]]> Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:30:48 GMT <![CDATA[Long Weekend DIY Projects]]> (No, They're not paying for this - just some really good videos on simply DIY!)


How To Install A Television Bracket
A step-by-step guide to installing television brackets. Knowing how to properly install television brackets is important and this easy to follow 'How To' video will help you learn how to install any television bracket.





How To Install A Security DeadLock
A step-by-step guide to installing a security deadlock. Knowing how to correctly install a security deadlock is important and this easy to follow 'How To' video will help you learn how to make and install any security deadlock.





How To Lay A Floating Floor
How To Lay A Floating Floor is a step-by-step guide to laying floating floors by Bunnings Warehouse. Knowing how to correctly lay floating floors is important and this easy to follow 'How To' video will help you learn how to lay any floating floor.




How To Build A Planter Box
A step-by-step guide to building planter boxes by Bunnings Warehouse. Knowing how to correctly build a planter box is important and this easy to follow 'How To' video will help you learn how to build any planter box.




How To Build A Workbench
A step-by-step guide to building workbenches. Knowing how to correctly build a workbench is important and this easy to follow 'How To' video will help you learn how to build any workbench.




How To Clean & Seal A Deck
A step-by-step guide to cleaning and sealing a deck. Knowing how to properly clean and seal a deck is important and this easy to follow 'How To' video will help you learn how clean and seal any deck.




How To Build An Outdoor Table
A step-by-step guide to building outdoor tables. Knowing how to correctly build an outdoor table is important and this easy to follow 'How To' video will help you learn how to build any outdoor table.




]]> Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:17:05 GMT <![CDATA[Three Way IVF For UK]]>
In advice to ministers, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) set out safeguards for controversial mitochondrial replacement techniques that could affect future generations. But the HFEA did not explicitly argue for a change of the law that would allow children to be conceived with the help of DNA donated by a second "mother".

Instead, it was left to ministers to decide whether they should ask Parliament to consent to the procedures. Experts believe mitochondrial replacement could lead to the eradication of a host of serious inherited diseases. Critics argue it is the start of a slippery slope towards "designer" babies and eugenics.

However, a consultation exercise conducted by the HFEA has shown that members of the public broadly support for the treatments to prevent disease.

Mitochondria are rod-shaped power plants in cells that supply energy. They contain their own DNA which is only passed onto offspring by mothers. Defects in mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) give rise to a range of potentially life-threatening diseases, including a form of muscular dystrophy and conditions leading to the loss of hearing and vision, heart problems and bowel disorders.

One in 200 children are born with a mitochondrial disease each year in the UK, and an estimated 6,000 adults are believed to be affected by the conditions.

The new techniques result in the damaged mDNA being replaced by a healthy version supplied by the female donor.

PAA]]> Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:18:05 GMT