A SCOTTISH autism research centre has been given a £1 million boost by a businesswoman turned philanthropist whose late son had the condition.

Dame Stephanie Shirley, who made her fortune in the computer industry, has pledged the cash to the Patrick Wild Centre at Edinburgh University.

The German-born former businesswoman’s son Giles suffered from autism and epilepsy, and the donation will go towards creating a state-of-the-art imaging suite which will enable scientists to study autism in new ways.

The Shirley Foundation is one of the top grant-giving foundations in the UK, with over £50m worth of grants awarded.

Dame Stephanie said: “Research has moved beyond looking at its [autism’s] consequences to examine how biology, genetics and behaviour all link together.

We are all children of society and so should give something back to the world our children will live in

“Results cannot be guaranteed but my hope is that this imaging suite will attract more quality researchers to focus on autism.”

The Patrick Wild Centre for Research into Autism, Fragile X Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities brings together university specialists who want to develop and test new treatments, having pinpointed how genetic changes cause the illness.

It was set up last year following donations to the university by graduate Dr Alfred Wild, and Gus Alusi and Reem Waines, a London-based couple whose six-year-old son, Kenz has Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability, and the most common known genetic cause of autism spectrum disorders.

The centre is named in memory of Dr Wild’s brother Patrick, who was severely autistic.

Dr Andrew Stanfield, consultant psychiatrist and co-director of the centre, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Dame Stephanie for this generous gift which we hope will play a part in developing better treatments for people with autism and related disorders.”

Dame Stephanie, who is in her late 70s, started the business technology group, Freelance Programmers, which eventually became Steria, with just £6, at her dining room table in 1962.

It sold computer software, and she called herself Steve to deflect attention from the fact she was a woman. She initially only

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Sun salutation is not specifically a yoga posture, but instead is a series of movements which are typically done at the start of any yoga session, and are designed to increase flexibility and prepare the body for exercise. To perform sun salutations, start by standing tall in the center of your exercise mat with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Let your arms relax by your sides, and stretch your head towards the sky. Take a deep breath, and as you do so, create an arc with your arm, raising them over your head. As you exhale your breath, slowly bend from the waist, and drop your arms to the ground.

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A few weeks ago I was carrying heavy stuff and I slipped on the front porch. I banged my left hip and backed the left side of my face, my cheek bone on the porch. I didnt think much of it and thought, well, my body can take it. But just a week ago I started feeling a bad ache on my left neck and back as I wake up in the morning to jump out of bed.

Im used to kicking my left foot up and down to get up in the morning, but it has been painful for my left neck lately. So the past few days Ive learned to just get up differently. Maybe be on my belly and push up. Or push up with my right arm.

So my body is learning to recalibrate itself due to some spinal misalignment. Not good enough for me in the 21st century.

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How to choose the best mattresses for your loved ones? Which criteria are important? This article will help you make the best choice.

Buying a cheap mattress you have to pay more as you pay twice! If you have to replace the old baby mattress in the bed of your child and you understand that that he or she will sleep on it only one year, for example, it is more efficient to obtain a foam mattress. However, if purchasing a spring mattress suits your budget this type of mattress is always better.

Spring mattresses for kids are manufactured to ensure a more comfortable rest as metal coils spring move as the weight is applied that gives the best night’s sleep. Read more…

Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows how hard it is to keep on going. All of us need a boost when our spirits are low and we slip. A few tips follow

Most weight loss plans will help you lose weight – but, they are only successful if you hang in there. Sticking to a weight loss regimen is difficult. All -day- every- day can wear you down, especially if you reach a plateau. But you can do it. Here are a few tips.

1. Have a formal, written plan and keep track of your progress. Keep a record of everything you put in your mouth, solid or liquid. Having a written diary lets you compare food eaten and pounds lost. If you join a specific plan, like Weight Watchers, keeping a food diary is mandatory.

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How Parasitin Compares with Leading Weight-Loss Products 

Parasitin is an all natural supplement designed to help rid your body of parasites. Parasites can cause great damage to the body, and in some cases can affect your ability to lose weight. In fact, some parasites cause you to eat more and feel hungry more often because the parasites take the nutrition from your body, which can cause weight gain. Read this review to find out more about the product to see if it is safe for you to take to help you reach your weight loss goals.

We are not able to find a full ingredients list for this product.

Parasitin claims to be able to help cleanse your body of parasites, which can help with weight loss and various other ailments such as fatigue and headache.

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THE biggest hospital in the Highlands and Islands will consider closing wards, reducing staff and giving more of nurses’ paperwork to administrative staff as it faces a deficit of £4.4 million at the end of this financial year.

The shortfall could have been 7.4m as the projected deficit excludes approximately 3m efficiency savings already made this year at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, through cutting five beds and staff reductions of around 40.

They were among the official figures released this week which showed that at the end of September there were 161,369 staff working in the NHS in Scotland, including general practitioners and dentists, a drop of 4162 from the previous year.

NHS Highland points to the likes of the cost of drugs as a major contributor to Raigmores funding problem. A

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Interval training is a term that youre likely to hear thrown around by athletes of various types. This specific type of training provides a diverse array of different benefits to anyone who participates in cardiovascular activity, because it works both the aerobic and the anaerobic systems.

Interval training consists of cardiovascular activity that alternates between periods of intense exercise and total recovery. Because of the short duration of both of these parts of the training, youll never allow your heart rate to drop to a completely resting rate during the recovery period.

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