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Salicornia, oil-yielding plant for coastal belts

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:25:23 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

Salicornia, oil-yielding plant for coastal belts

By Our Agriculture Correspondent

The highly salt-tolerant crop yields high quality edible oil and other valuable edible and non-edible products. (Inset) A close-up of the succulent bush.

SALICORNIA, IS a succulent, bushy plant found in the salty-terrains near the coast, and it holds a lot of promise as an ideal edible-oil yielding crop, which can be raised using seawater. "An improved variety of Salicornia developed by crossing with other highly drought-resistant and salt-resistant species of Salicornia, is being grown extensively in several parts of the world, including India.

The variety, SOS-10, grows well in desert sands irrigated with seawater and it can be grown along the sea shore as well," explains Felix Ryan, the Chennai-based Advisor for Development and Refugee Rehabilitation of the United Nations, and Chief Monitor, Survival by Seawater Global Movement.

Tags: biofuel

Sea asparagus can be oil feedstock

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:23:39 GMT

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Clip Source: www.biodieselmagazine.com

Sea asparagus can be oil feedstock

By Ryan C. Christiansen

On two Gulf of California plantations in the state of Sonora, Mexico, Phoenix-based Global Seawater Inc. is using coastal land and seawater to grow what it sees as an important biodiesel feedstock that will help solve the world’s energy needs. At farms in Bahia Kino and Tastiota, Mexico, Global Seawater is growing salicornia, a salt-loving halophyte plant that thrives in heat and poor soil.

Also known as sea asparagus, salicornia has traditionally been seen as a food source. However, “with increases in global energy prices, it became much more economically attractive to begin looking at salicornia as a feedstock for biodiesel and other energy products,” said Jason McCoy, associate to the chief executive officer and chairman’s office for Global Seawater.

The Global Seawater Inc. salicornia plantation near Bahia Kino on the Gulf of California in Mexico./PHOTO: GLOBAL SEAWATER INC.

Tags: biofuel

Turning tables on melting ice sheets

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:14:56 GMT

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Clip Source: www.baltimoresun.com

Turning tables on melting ice sheets

Man would divert rising seas to inland aquaculture

By Marla Dickerson

August 10, 2008

TASTIOTA, Mexico - A few miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, amid cracked earth and mesquite and sun-bleached cactus, neat rows of emerald plants sprout from the desert floor.

The crop is salicornia. It is nourished by seawater flowing from a man-made canal. And if you believe the American who is farming it, this incongruous swath of green has the potential to feed the world, fuel our vehicles and slow global warming.

He is Carl Hodges, a Tucson, Ariz., atmospheric physicist who has spent most of his 71 years figuring out how humans can feed themselves in places where good soil and fresh water are scarce.

Hodges sees opportunity. Why not divert the flow inland to create wealth and jobs instead of disaster?

He wants to channel the ocean into man-made "rivers" to nourish commercial aquaculture operations, mangrove forests and crops that produce food and fuel.

Tags: green

NASA expert claims to have seen ET from UFO standing in Shuttle payload bay during space flight.

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:16:11 GMT

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Clip Source: www.australia.to

NASA expert claims to have seen ET from UFO standing in Shuttle payload bay during space flight.

Clark McClelland's long association with the UFO phenomenon has followed him throughout his aerospace career.

NASA veteran Clark C. McClelland confirms alien existence as outlined by astronaut Edgar Mitchell

I, Clark C. McClelland, former ScO, Space Shuttle Fleet, personally observed an 8 to 9 foot tall ET on his 27 inch video monitors while on duty in the Kennedy Space Center, Launch Control Center (LCC). The ET was standing upright in the Space Shuttle Payload Bay having a discussion with TWO tethered US NASA Astronauts! I also observed on my monitors, the spacecraft of the ET as it was in a stabilized, safe orbit to the rear of the Space Shuttle main engine pods.

I observed this incident for about one minute and seven seconds. Plenty of time to memorize all that I was observing.

IT WAS AN ET and Alien Star Ship!

Pain 'linked with low vitamin D'

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:53:09 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Pain 'linked with low vitamin D'

Low levels of the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D, may contribute to chronic pain among women, scientists believe.

Severe vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia

The link does not apply to men, suggesting hormones may be involved, according to a study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases said.

The team from the Institute of Child Health in London said studies were now needed to see if vitamin D supplements can guard against chronic pain.

About one in 10 people are affected by chronic pain at any one time in the UK.

The causes are not well understood and much of the focus to date has been on emotional factors.

Dr Elina Hyppönen and colleagues believe, at least in women, vitamin D levels could play a role in some cases of chronic pain.

Sunshine vitamin

The nutrient, essential for healthy bones, is produced in the body when exposed to sunlight and is also found in oily fish, egg yolks and margarine.

Tags: health

Patients 'free from cancer' after immune-boost treatment

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:42:09 GMT

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Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Patients 'free from cancer' after immune-boost treatment

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor

Last Updated: 7:01pm BST 14/08/2008

Cancer patients have been left free of the disease after being treated with a new drug which harnesses the power of their own immune cells.

Immunotherapy: could it be the cure for cancer?

Cancer patient recovers after injection of immune cells

Search for the jab that can combat cancer

Four of 38 patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma have seen the disease disappear following treatment, while five others saw reductions of 50 per cent in their tumours.

The drug, which could prove cheaper than other similar therapies, works by activating the body’s own defences to attack the cancer.

The results have been described as an "exciting" and "significant" development in the use of immunotherapy, the process of using the body’s own immune system to fight disease.

Tags: health

Converting gas-powered cars to electric

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:36:05 GMT

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Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Converting gas-powered cars to electric

Read
DETAILS

By Curt Merrill
CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Larry Horsley loves that he doesn't buy much gas, even though he drives his '95 Chevy S-10 back and forth to work each day.

Horsley, a self-described do-it-yourselfer, simply plugs his truck into an electric wall outlet in his Douglasville, Georgia, garage and charges it overnight, instead of buying gasoline refined from mostly imported oil.

"If I can keep a dollar from going overseas, I'll spend two dollars," he said. The whole conversion, including the truck, cost him about $12,000, which parts dealers say is about standard.

Another Atlanta-area tinkerer, David Kennington, converted his Honda Civic del Sol from gasoline to electric for a different reason: "I'm a raging greenie," he said.

Tags: electriccars

"Elite" HIV wife may hold secret to AIDS vaccine

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:30:26 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

"Elite" HIV wife may hold secret to AIDS vaccine

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Maggie Fox, Health And Science Editor – Tue Aug 12, 4:56 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A woman who has never shown symptoms of infection with the AIDS virus may hold the secret to defeating the virus, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

Infected at least 10 years ago by her husband, the woman is able somehow to naturally control the deadly and incurable virus -- even though her husband must take cocktails of strong HIV drugs to control his.

She is a so-called "elite suppressor," and studies of her immune cells have begun to offer clues to how her body does it, the team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore said.

"This is the best evidence to date that elite suppressors can have fully pathogenic virus," said Dr. Joel Blankson, who led the study.

"The feeling was initially that they had defective virus," Blankson added in a telephone interview.

Tags: health

Is this Bigfoot? Hunters set to provide DNA evidence after releasing amazing photo

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:22:08 GMT

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Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Is this Bigfoot? Hunters set to provide DNA evidence after releasing amazing photo

By Niall Firth
Last updated at 7:19 PM on 14th August 2008

For years the Bigfoot has remained an elusive enigma, capturing the imagination in the same way as the Loch Ness Monster or the Yeti.

But today, two professional Bigfoot hunters claim to have found the body of the mythical creature - and say they are storing it in their freezer.

According to a press release posted online, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer claim to have found the animal in the woods of northern Georgia, in the southern United States.

The pair say that the male creature is over seven feet tall, weigh more than 35 stone, and has reddish hair and black-grey eyes.

Bigfoot found? The grainy photo appears to show the body of an ape-like creature in a freezer but it is hard to make out what it is

The creature is also said to have flat feet and a footprint that spans over 40cm.

Tags: bigfoot

Athlon Vs. Atom: Duel Of The Energy Savers : AMD Athlon 64 2000+ At 8 Watts

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:51:29 GMT

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Clip Source: www.tomshardware.com

Athlon Vs. Atom: Duel Of The Energy Savers : AMD Athlon 64 2000+ At 8 Watts

4:10 AM - August 15, 2008 by Bert Toepelt
Source: Tom's Hardware DE – Keywords: Atom, Athlon, Efficient
Topics: AMD/ATI, INTEL
Syndication:

AMD Athlon 64 2000+ At 8 Watts

Zoom

With the development of the Atom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom processor, Intel introduced a totally new chip design that consumes very little energy. AMD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Micro_Devices had to strike back, and did so by clocking down its Athlon 64 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlon_64 , employing the K8 micro architecture, down to the lowest possible frequency of 1 GHz. The Athlon 64 2000+ runs with a core voltage of 0.90 volts and uses just 8 watts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watt . As a result, the CPU easily operates without a fan.

Tags: computer

Arsenic Fueling Calif. Lake Bacteria

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:22:46 GMT

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Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

Arsenic Fueling Calif. Lake Bacteria

Michael Reilly, Discovery News

Aug. 14, 2008 -- A deadly toxin, arsenic is known for its ability to end life. But new organisms found floating in Mono Lake in California depend on the poison to survive, even using it along with sunlight to make food through photosynthesis.

Since the 1990s, scientists have discovered about 20 species of bizarre bacteria that "breathe" arsenic. They are typically found in environments where oxygen is scarce and have been forced to survive on whatever strange substance is easily available.

"Just like you and I inhale oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, these bugs breathe in Arsenic +3 and breathe out Arsenic +5," said Ronald Oremland of the United States Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif.

Arsenic +3 is the most poisonous form of the element, because it acts much like phosphorous.

Tags: science

Vitamin D for Babies May Prevent Diabetes Later in Life

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:59:26 GMT

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Clip Source: www.swansonhealthnews.com

Vitamin D for Babies May Prevent Diabetes Later in Life

By Jane Hart, MD

Healthnotes Newswire (August 7, 2008)—Supplementing with vitamin D early in life may reduce the chances of developing type 1 diabetes later on, according to a new study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Recent research has shown that vitamin D, well known for its important role in bone health, may be essential for many other aspects of health as well, including heart health and the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. To determine the impact of early vitamin D supplementation on the development of type 1 diabetes, the authors reviewed five studies, which included 6,455 people who were followed from the time of supplementation to an average age of 15 years, and some for as long as 30 years.

A strong association

Type 1 diabetes risk was significantly reduced in babies who were given vitamin D compared with those who did not receive supplementation.

Tags: health

8 Cool Tools for a Different Photo Viewing Experience

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:38:31 GMT

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Clip Source: mashable.com

8 Cool Tools for a Different Photo Viewing Experience

August 12, 2008

Palin Ningthoujam

Sometimes viewing pictures in rows and columns can be dull. Luckily, there are a number of services dedicated to making the photo search and viewing experience more interesting. Here are 8 resources that provide a new approach to searching and looking at pictures online.

Which are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.

PicLens

Imagery

Zleek

Interestingness

WebMynd

Compfight

Blackr

Photoree

Tags: photography

Why what you don't know about your thyroid gland could hurt you.

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:34:01 GMT

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Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

Why what you don't know about your thyroid gland could hurt you.

The Body's Traffic Cop

Barbara Kantrowitz and

Pat Wingert

Perhaps you're much more tired than usual. You're chilly even in warm weather. Your skin is dry and globs of moisturizer aren't helping. You're grouchier than normal. All of these problems could be caused by stress or aging. But if you've been feeling bad for more than a couple of weeks, the culprit might be your thyroid, a butterfly-shape gland in the lower front of your neck. Most of the time, you don't know your thyroid is there--and that's as it should be. But when something goes wrong, you're in trouble, because the thyroid is like an air-traffic controller for your body, helping to regulate metabolism, body weight and temperature. Your brain needs thyroid hormone, called thyroxine or T4, to develop and function properly. Your heart can't beat properly without it. And your liver needs thyroid hormone to process cholesterol.

Tags: health

What to do When an Eldery Driver is a Safety Risk

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:32:18 GMT

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Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

Senior Moments

A roadmap for when you see signs that your elderly parent isn't capable of driving safely.

By Temma Ehrenfeld | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Aug 8, 2008 |

Watching a parent age is rough. No one likes to see the person who taught you to drive unable to function behind the wheel. In fact, 36 percent of adult children polled by Caring.com and the National Safety Council said that talking to their parents about the need to stop driving would be rougher than a conversation about funeral plans. How can you help you parents stay safely on the road, catch signs of trouble and, when the time comes, encourage them to accept a loss of independence? Here's a basic roadmap for this difficult process from the experts at Caring.com and gerontologist Elizabeth Dugan, author of "The Driving Dilemma."

1. Notice the Warning Signs

2. How to Start the Conversation

3. When a Parent Refuses to Stop Driving

Tags: health