Scientists develop alternative to antibiotics for farm animals

By Tracy Brighten

England’s Chief Medical Officer calls antibiotic-resistant bacteria a “ticking time-bomb” for both animals and humans
Antibiotic alternative for farm animals

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria

Drug-resistant infection in humans and animals is causing increasing public concern. Microbes adapt to create “superbugs” when repeatedly exposed to antimicrobial medicines, particularly bacteria when exposed to antibiotics. Weak bacteria are killed and resistant bacteria thrive and multiply.

The Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies, places this “ticking time-bomb” on the level of the threat from terrorism and pandemic flu. Continue reading

Is social media boosting self-esteem or feeding depression and anxiety?

Girl looking at phone

Researchers identify social media use as a risk factor in the rising trend of teenage depression

Olivia checks Facebook to see what’s been happening since she looked an hour ago. It’s 11.30 pm. She may spend ten minutes or it may be a couple of hours if there are lots of posts. Olivia has 453 friends. She posts a selfie showing her Clairol Deep Chestnut hair and waits for a response. Three likes come through. She relaxes a little.

Olivia is one of the increasing number of young people at risk of mental health problems from social media experiences. With over 1.2 billion active users monthly on Facebook—and more than 757 million users interacting every day—we are more publicly exposed than ever.

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Nordic countries top the world for happiness

By Tracy Brighten

Happy people

The recently released World Happiness Report 2015 identifies those countries where people are happiest and highlights the value to economies of considering people’s well-being when determining public policy.

Produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the WHR examines Gallup survey data from 2012-2014 and past data from 2005-2007, looking at changes in reported well-being and happiness, as well as analysing reasons for happiness variation across nations and cultures. Continue reading

Magical Montessori

By Tracy Brighten

An early education experience for your pre-schooler that teaches life skills, encourages critical thinking and inspires curiosity about their world

Montessori outdoor play

Little Cheverells Montessori School lay back from the lane behind a Horse Chestnut tree and hawthorn hedgerow sprayed with white flowers. Having started a diploma course at the London School of Modern Montessori, I was visiting the school to learn more about child-centred early education.  Continue reading

Acetaminophen pain reliever may also dull your pleasure

Science Nutshell - Tylenol capsules

Next time you take a painkiller, your sensitivity to pain may not be the only thing reduced. You may also be reducing your sensitivity to pleasure

Researchers in the U.S have found that the common pain reliever acetaminophen has a previously unknown side effect of reducing positive emotion.

Previous studies show that acetaminophen reduces both physical and psychological pain, but this new study, published online in the journal Psychological Science, is the first to examine the effect on positive emotions.

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Narcissism linked to parents who over-rate their children

Plastic doll with large eyes sitting on grass
Telling our children they are better than others and giving them a skewed view of their worth may not be good for them in the long run

A recent study looking at the causes of narcissism reveals that parents who overvalue their children may be responsible for their increased self-centeredness and self-importance.

It is well known that narcissistic individuals are self-absorbed, consider themselves to be superior to others and tend to lack empathy. They can react with violence or aggression if they feel humiliated or don’t get the special treatment they deserve, according to past research by authors of this study. However, little is known about what causes narcissism.

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Endangered porpoise thrown lifeline as dolphins drown

By Tracy Brighten

The Mexican government makes a late bid to save the world’s smallest marine mammal, while New Zealand lets the world’s rarest dolphin drown 

Vaquita porpoise Natural History Magazine

The vaquita porpoise population has declined as a result of drownings when porpoises are unable to reach the surface to breathe after entanglement in gillnets used in shrimp fishing. More recently, the gillnet threat has increased with the illegal fishing of the endangered totoaba fish, whose swim bladder is a Chinese delicacy fetching up to $10,000 a kilogram, smuggled to China via California. Continue reading

Spider venom: A breakthrough in chronic pain relief

Tarantula spider

Scientists have found that compounds in spider venom may provide the key to developing a new class of painkillers for chronic pain relief 

The study, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, reveals the potential for analgesics without the side effects that restrict the dosage and effectiveness of existing medications. 

Chronic pain affects 15% of the adult population worldwide, causing prolonged suffering and reducing quality of life. The economic cost is significant, and in the U.S. it is estimated at $600 billion a year, exceeding the combined cost of cancer, diabetes and stroke. 

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Living with nature in mind

Welcome to Nature in Mind where you’ll find articles on wildlife conservation, sustainable living and animal welfare, as well as memoir and opinion pieces.

Wherever we live in the world, we are connected by our responsibility to humanity and nature. By living with nature in mind, we can support a thriving natural environment and enjoy better mental health. We can enrich our own lives and those of generations to come. Through this blog, I hope to raise awareness of why nature matters.

If you need a content writer, copywriter or copy editor for your business or publication, visit my freelance writing services website: www.tracybrightenwriter.com .

Image credit: Australasian Gannet Colony at Muriwai Beach, New Zealand by David Brighten

Condemnation and controversy over live export of 50,000 sheep

By Tracy Brighten

Animal welfare groups and opposition MPs say slaughter, not breeding, awaits livestock export survivors

The News Hub - Sheep Muster med

The Green party, NZ First and animal welfare group SAFE are concerned the New Zealand government may be using a breeding claim to circumvent the ban on livestock exports for slaughter. The ban was implemented by the NZ Labour government on animal welfare grounds after international public outcry when 5,000 sheep perished in an Australian shipment bound for Saudi Arabia in 2004.

Animals loaded in secrecy

Livestock carrier NADA, registered in Panama, docked in Port Timaru in the South Island on Thursday when 50,000 sheep, and 3,000 cattle were loaded on board the multi-storey vessel overnight. NADA departed on Friday morning carrying the largest ever livestock cargo to leave New Zealand since 35,000 breeding sheep were exported to Mexico in 2007. Continue reading

Malta referendum fails to ban hunters shooting migrating birds

By Tracy Brighten

Fewer turtle doves will now survive their epic 3,000 mile migration from Africa to European breeding grounds, leaving conservationists stunned 

The News Hub - Turtle dove hunted

Hunters have won a Malta referendum allowing them to continue the tradition of shooting turtle doves and quail in spring, from April 14 until April 30. The margin of victory was slim, reflecting widespread Maltese opposition to this tradition. Hunting of these birds is banned elsewhere in the European Union. Continue reading

World’s rarest dolphin faces extinction

By Tracy Brighten

Will the New Zealand government protect the last 50 Maui dolphins from fishing and oil industry threats?

Science Nutshell Single Maui dolphin by Will Rayment

Experts presented new research on the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin that sends a clear message to the New Zealand government: act now or be responsible for following in China’s footsteps after the extinction of the Yangtze River dolphin in 2006.

In May, the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee held its annual meeting in San Diego, U.S, where 200 of the world’s leading scientists presented their latest cetacean research.

In 2014, Otago University professors Dr Liz Slooten and Dr Steve Dawson, the world’s leading New Zealand dolphin experts, estimated the Maui’s dolphin population at 55 adults over one year old. Continue reading

Art, music and nature good for our health

By Tracy Brighten

If you feel awe on seeing a breath-taking view, joy on hearing a song thrush’s trills, or contentment on listening to Mozart, you may also enjoy good health

Science Nutshell panoramic view

Researchers in a study at UC Berkeley found a biological pathway between positive emotions and good health that involves pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Cytokines are proteins that interact with immune system cells to regulate the inflammatory response to infection, disease and injury. However, sustained high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines can be damaging and are associated with type-2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and clinical depression. Continue reading

Older adults need double the protein RDA to build muscle

Foods high in protein including meat, eggs, fish, nuts and beans

New research shows that differences in protein synthesis between older and younger adults means that as we age, we must double our protein RDA to remain active

It is well known that we need to consume protein to enable our body to build and repair muscle. As we get older, the body becomes less efficient in this process at a time when fitness affects our quality of life and strong muscles can help protect our joints from osteoarthritis.

Research published in January in the American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests the amount of protein consumed by older adults affects the body’s net protein balance due to differences in the way they synthesise protein compared to younger adults.

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Sleep cleanses the brain of toxins linked to Alzheimer’s

Woman in bed sleeping

Research revealing that sleep cleanses the brain of toxins has been awarded a top prize in the advancement of science 

Scientists have long sought to establish the function of sleep, proposing that there must be a more essential function than the storing and consolidation of memories, considering an animal’s vulnerability during the sleep state. Sleep is also known to have a restorative effect on the human brain, and lack of sleep impairs brain function, but how does this occur?

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