Researchers from Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco were able to directly observe the release of endorphins in the brain, causing feelings of pleasure and reward.

Jennifer Mitchell, PhD, clinical project director at the Gallo Center, said: "This is something that we've speculated about for 30 years, based on animal studies, but haven't observed in humans until now.

"It provides the first direct evidence of how alcohol makes people feel good."

Authors of the study believe that locating the precise region in the brain where endorphins are released could open up new opportunities for developing treatments for alcohol addiction.

Positron emission tomography was used to observe the immediate effects of alcohol on the brains of 13 heavy drinkers and 12 control subjects who were not considered heavy drinkers.

Endorphin release was increased by alcohol consumption in all subjects and all reported greater feelings of pleasure the more endorphins were released.

However, in heavy drinkers, the more endorphins released in the orbitofrontal cortex, the greater the feeling of intoxication.

The findings could be used to develop a better treatment for alcohol addiction than naltrexone. Although naltrexone is effective in blocking opiod receptors, many patients stop taking it as they dislike the way it makes them feel.

Senior author Howard L. Fields, MD, PhD, said: "Naltrexone blocks more than one opioid receptor, and we need to know which blocking action reduces drinking and which causes the unwanted side effects.

"If we better understand how endorphins control drinking, we will have a better chance of creating more targeted therapies for substance addiction."

Recent research by the National Institutes of Health found hospitalisations for alcohol overdoses are increasing in the US, particularly among 18 to 25 year olds. In 2008, one in three hospitalisations for overdoses for this group was alcohol related.

Until recently, the synthetic chemistry laboratory at the University of Leicester used water aspirators to generate the vacuum required by the rotary evaporators used by its researchers. The vacuum created by water aspirators is inefficient and wastes around 250L of water per hour. Replacing the 8 water aspirators with vacuum pumps will save the laboratory around £2,000 per year in water costs and an astonishing 520,000L of water per year.

Dr Andrew Jamieson and Professor P. Cullis selected a range of vacuum pumps to update their research laboratory with the help of expert advice from their Fisher Scientific account manager. “Fisher Scientific did a fantastic job. They put us in contact with manufacturers of the type of system we were after. They organised meetings and then provided quotes for the different manufacturers.”

Dr Jamieson and Professor Cullis were awarded funds set aside by the University of Leicester’s Environmental Management Team.

The main synthetic laboratory in the Department of Chemistry at Leicester University houses 14MChem, 13 Ph.D. students and 5 postdoctoral researchers. The training of these researchers in the use of modern equipment is fundamental to their employability by the UK chemistry industry.

“Economically, we are making large savings on water costs. From an academic stand point we are now training the thirty plus students who come through the lab each year how to use modern equipment, of the like they will use in industry. The vacuum pump equipment also allows the students to work far more efficiently than previously using the water aspirators,” said Dr Jamieson.

Fisher Scientific is proud to be involved in helping laboratories purchase the right products for their applications which also support their environmental commitments.

The Festive Challenge was organised by ‘Leicestershire Cares’ which is part of a national movement of Cares partnerships that enable employees to make a difference in their communities.

In just one day our team of volunteers decorated several rooms and assisted residents to decorate their own rooms as well as trimming up no less than 6 Christmas trees.  Fisher Scientific were given one tree to ‘own’ which was decorated with baubles featuring our own festive Fisherbrand, Dr Blue – this we hope left a lasting memory of a fun filled day where the residents were helped to fill their home with festive cheer.

 After a busy morning decorating trees and walls, the volunteers joined the residents for a buffet lunch hosted by the home which was much appreciated.  Claire McLeod, the volunteer co-ordinator, from the home said that without the help from Festive Challenge volunteers, getting the home ready for Christmas would be a more difficult task. The residents appreciated seeing new faces, and for the Fisher Scientific volunteers, it was an honour to be able to help in a small way to spread some Christmas cheer.

Thanks to the volunteer group Paula Tyler, Joanne Robinson, Helen Morgan-Smith, Lorraine Perkins, Dorina Carecci and Marcin Czerwonka.  That’s what Christmas is all about!

His local Job Centre put him in touch with the RNIB College in Loughborough who provide training to help blind and partially sighted adults acquire skills that will help them find employment and maintain their independence.  Duncan began studying on a 6 month course in July and rapidly built up IT skills that he has been able to put into practice during a job placement at Fisher Scientific in Loughborough. “The benefits that trainees can receive from work placements and industry expertise are invaluable. Employment can be difficult to obtain and this is often much harder for those with a disability,” said Christina Skipper, skills development trainer at RNIB College Loughborough.

Using text-to-speech software, JAWS, Duncan is able to work with any Microsoft application. He has been able to use his newly acquired Microsoft Excel skills to work in the Transportation office at Fisher Scientific. Working with the transportation team, Duncan supported Lisa Jackson in her role as Transport Administrator. Duncan recorded all the data collected by the track and trace software fitted to each Fisher Scientific lorry. He was also given a project to manage and implement which has enabled the transport office monitor the efficiency of the lorry drivers. “It involves a large amount of  IT and the work has to be accurate and meet very high standards. It feels good that I am trusted to work on things that are important to the company,” said Duncan.  His presence in the Fisher Scientific transport office has left a lasting impression on his co-workers. “It is a pleasure to have Duncan working with us and it has been great to see his confidence and skills grow. Duncan’s hard work, determination and desire to succeed has been an inspiration to all of us,” said Jason Hill Northern European Transport Manager.

Duncan is confident he will be able to find a job with the skills he has developed while at the RNIB College and on his work placement at Fisher Scientific.

If you’d like to read more about Duncan’s journey, visit his blog .

Rainbows Hospice is the only hospice in the East Midlands which provides a vital service for children and young people in need of respite, palliative and end of life care with support from their families. “We have worked in partnership with Rainbows Hospice for a number of years and in the past have donated a variety of products and equipment that help Rainbows provide a high standard of care for children and young people,” said Emily Quinton.

The recent donation was received with much appreciation from Rainbows. “We are extremely grateful for your donation and can’t thank you enough for your continued support,” said Kate Golding of Rainbows.

Fisher Scientific is committed to supporting local charities. Follow us on Twitter or Like us on Facebook to keep up to date with our community activities.

The results suggest that when asked difficult questions the participants were primed to think about computers and have a reduced ability to recall information we know we will have access to in the future. There may also be implications for how we teach and learn: “Perhaps those who teach in any context, be they college professors, doctors or business leaders will become increasingly focused on imparting greater understanding of ideas and ways of thinking and less focused on memorisation. And perhaps those who learn will become less occupied with facts and more engaged in larger questions of understanding,” explained lead author Betsy Sparrow.

Have search engines changed your ability to remember facts and figures?