Clipmarks | pokkets's Biology collection

what do 300 calorie meals look like?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:23:37 GMT

clipped by: boozich
clipper's remarks: gawd!! hate to see what a curry with meat amounts to

Breakfast - 290 Calories
1 whole wheat English muffin
2 pats low fat butter
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 cup of fruit
8 oz fruit juice
8 oz water

Baked potato - 305 Calories
1 medium baked potato
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons salsa
1 cup sliced melon
12 oz water

Oatmeal - 325 Calories
1 cup oatmeal with raisins
1 cup of fruit
1 cup coffee or tea
1 banana

Chicken - 345 Calories
6 oz of chicken
1 cup of green beans
2 pats of low-fat butter
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water

Scrambled eggs - 360 Calories
2 scrambled eggs
2 strips of turkey bacon
1 piece whole wheat toast
1 pat of low fat butter
1 coffee or tea
8 oz water

Chicken and Rice - 395 Calories
6 oz cooked chicken
2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce
1 cup of mixed vegetables
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 small tossed salad
2 tablespoons reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
12 oz water

Human Taste Buds May Recognize a Sixth Flavor...

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:22:57 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com

Human Taste Buds May Recognize a Sixth Flavor: Calcium

Researchers have found specialized receptors on the tongues of mice that detect calcium, leading them to hypothesize that humans have the calcium-dedicated receptors, too. It may be time to add calcium to the types of tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory — that can be detected by humans

The new findings,

may explain why many people have strong reactions to calcium-rich foods like spinach and brussel sprouts

The discovery could allow scientists to tweak the taste of foods to make them more palatable. Alternatively, drugs that block the bone-strengthening mineral’s taste could be created, making it easier for us to eat [these foods]. Dr Tordoff said: “People don’t consume as much calcium as nutritionists would like and one reason for this is that foods high in calcium don’t taste good to many people

Metanoia: Change, not Recovery

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:58:23 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: One slant on going through emotional turmoil, addiction etc. Breah through, not break down (Laing)

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

In Carl Jung's psychology, metanoia indicates a spontaneous attempt of the psyche to heal itself of unbearable conflict by melting down and then being reborn in a more adaptive form. Jung believed that psychotic episodes in particular could be understood as existential crises which were sometimes attempts at self reparation. Jung's concept of metanoia influenced R. D. Laing and the therapeutic community movement which aimed, ideally, to support people whilst they broke down and went through spontaneous healing, rather than thwarting such efforts at self-repair by strengthening their existing character defences and thereby maintaining the underlying conflict.

[edit]

metanoia denotes a process of reforming the psyche as a form of self healing, a proposed explanation for the phenomenon of psychotic breakdown.

Tags: metanoia, recovery

Stem cells could allow 'blood farms'

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:45:44 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: One of the issues recently has been the shelf life of blood, where the rotation principle-first in first out can leave blood 'stale' and unsafe. There is also the fact that the contributions cannot meet the demand, and the increase in surgery that requires large volumes of blood. Transplant, and heart surgery being prime examples. They have been searching for a means of producing blood artificially, but the prospect of using stem cells, makes it more likely to be a reality.
One of the most important aspects is that the red cells have no nucleus, so no nucleic DNA.
A fact that can relieve many ethical, and practical problems.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Maggie Fox

Embryonic stem cells can be used to grow vats of red blood cells, which could lead to the creation of 'farms' that could provide limitless sources of blood, US researchers report.

The research by scientists from Advanced Cell Technology, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester appears in the journal Blood.

"I think it's really a big break for us," says Dr Robert Lanza from Advanced Cell Technology.

Stem cells are the body's master cells, replenishing various cells and tissues as they die. Stem cells taken from days-old embryos are especially powerful, with the ability to produce any cell type.

Doctors hope to someday use them to provide tailor-made transplants for patients, and to study disease. One problem is that the immune system may reject tissues grown from someone else's stem cells.

Red blood cells may be an exception to this, because they do not have a nucleus.

"You don't have to worry about the DNA going haywire," says Lanza.

Cats happy to share if they're top dog

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:06:32 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: It's the dog's fault according to the researcher.
The example at the bottom of the clip, is used as an analogy. And they've never seen a jealous cat?
One problem is that the dog starts copying the cat. When very often in 'cat free' homes, the dog will copy (for better or worse) the owner.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Jennifer Viegas

Dogs and cats can be best of friends, suggests a new study - so long as the cat is in the home first and introductions are made at a young age.

Strange bedfellows: dogs may begin to take on cat-like qualities, by sniffing noses rather than nether regions

According to authors Neta-Li Feuerstein and Professor Joseph Terkel from Tel Aviv University, the study, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, is the first to examine relationships between dogs and cats living in the same house.

if the animals are introduced to each other while still a puppy and a kitten, the two can actually learn each other's body language.

with homes in which a dog is adopted either before or after a baby is born

When the dog enters a home with a baby in residence, the status quo is already in place

However, when the baby is born after the dog has become accustomed to a certain amount of attention

the dog will often display behaviour resembling jealousy."

Noseless seats a less pressing option

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:28:14 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: It should be a great alternative for recreational use, and some professions where bike riding is part of the job description, but it isn't really an option for sports racing, where time is more important than comfort. Some bike racers would prefer to have a groin injury, than lose a second. Another remedy suggested by Dr Barnes, apart from seat adjustment, is a good quality chamois in the shorts. - However you may want to be careful not to use it to dry the car.
Another thing. Police may know how to ride a bike, but what fraction have ever adjusted the seat?

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Claudine Ryan

A long day on the bike leaves most of us uncomfortable, but US scientists have good news for those men who find themselves with more than a numb backside

Research published in the latest issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals that bicycle seats without the protruding nose extension can help to ease discomfort some male bike riders experience

past researchers have found men riding their bikes for extended periods are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction, as well as genital numbness.

Researchers evaluated 90 bike police officers in five metropolitan areas in the United States. After six months of using no-nose bike seats the number of officers who reported no genital numbness rose from 27% to 82%.

Sports Medicine Australia's

Dr Peter Barnes says there are easier ways for men to alleviate groin discomfort bike riding can cause.

It's a common problem, but it's not a major problem that can't be overcome with pretty simple adjustments to the set up of their bike

Antibodies still protect 1918 flu survivors

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:51:48 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: In those days, they sure knew how to make antibodies

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Maggie Fox

Antibodies from survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic, the worst in human memory, still protect against the highly deadly virus, researchers report.

The findings by a team of influenza and immune system experts suggest new and better ways to fight viruses - especially new pandemic strains that emerge and spread before a vaccine can be formulated.

These survivors, now aged 91 to 101, all lived through the pandemic as children.

Their immune systems still carry a memory of that virus and can produce proteins called antibodies that kill the 1918 flu strain with surprising efficiency, the researchers report in the journal Nature.

"It was very surprising that these subjects would still have cells floating in their blood so long afterward," says Dr James Crowe of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, who helped lead the study.

"The antibodies that we isolated are remarkable antibodies. They grab onto the virus very tightly and they virtually never fall off," says Crowe.

Scientists stop the aging process.

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:12:01 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: Perhaps suspend. In a mouse liver. The findings linked aging to the ability of cells to expel toxins,which when not removed cause a buildup which results in degeneration. The degeneration then reducing the ability to remove toxins. The toxins that are removed are generally natural, but I don't know how the results would extend to artificial toxins which are leeching through our environments.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Scientists have stopped the ageing process in an entire organ for the first time, a study released today says.

Clean bill of health: Scientists have shown that clearing damaged protein from the liver helps stop age decline in the organ

Published in today's online edition of Nature Medicine, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York City also say the older organs function as well as they did when the host animal was younger.

The researchers, led by Associate Professor Ana Maria Cuervo, blocked the ageing process in mice livers by stopping the build-up of harmful proteins inside the organ's cells.

As people age their cells become less efficient at getting rid of damaged protein resulting in a build-up of toxic material that is especially pronounced in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The benefits of restoring the cleaning mechanisms found inside all cells could extend far beyond a single organ, says Cuervo.

Complex decision? Don't sleep on it

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:09:34 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Since its publication two years ago by a Dutch research team in the journal Science, the earlier finding had been used to encourage decision-makers to make "snap" decisions (for example, in the best-selling book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell) or to leave complex choices to the powers of unconscious thought ("Sleep on it", Dijksterhuis et al., Science, 2006).

But in the new study, to be published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, scientists ran four experiments in which participants were presented with complex decisions and asked to choose the best option immediately ("blink"), after a period of conscious deliberation ("think"), or after a period of distraction ("sleep on it"), which is claimed to encourage "unconscious thought processes".

In all experiments, there was some evidence that conscious deliberation can lead to better choices and little evidence for superiority of choices made "unconsciously".

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Neither snap judgements nor sleeping on a problem are any better than conscious thinking for making complex decisions, according to new research.

The finding debunks a controversial 2006 research result asserting that unconscious thought is superior for complex decisions, such as buying a house or car.

If anything, the new study suggests that conscious thought leads to better choices.

"Claims that we can make superior 'snap' decisions by trusting intuition or through the 'power' of unconscious thought have received a great deal of attention in the media," says University of New South Wales psychologist, Dr Ben Newell, lead author of the new study.

"At best, these sorts of headlines are misleading," says Dr Newell. "At worst, they're outright dangerous. In stark contrast to claims made by the Dutch research team and in the media, we found very little evidence of the superiority of unconscious thought for complex decisions.

Tags: behavior, decision making, rationality, intuition

Viruses can catch colds, says study that redefines life itself

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:06:46 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Prof La Scola and his colleagues were surprised to spot a smaller type of virus attached to the virus-making factory inside infected cells. The new virus - Sputnik - was unable to infect cells by itself but seemed to hijack the larger to achieve its infectious aims.

By regulating the growth and death of plankton, giant viruses - and satellite viruses such as Sputnik - could be a major influence on ocean nutrient cycles and climate.

"These viruses could be major players in global systems," Nature is told by Prof Curtis Suttle, an expert in marine viruses at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

viruses can apparently get sick.

Even better, they're made sick by another virus.

Viruses are the ultimate example of KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. Nothing but a core of genetic material in a protein shell, they may not be able to do anything but replicate (and even then only with a host cell), but they also outnumber us umpty-billion to one.

Their simplicity also makes them hard to kill

Researchers at the Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) have now discovered a virus, named "Sputnik" for its extreme simplicity, which can hijack the viral factory of another pathogen and insert its own code into the program.

The double-victimised cell now manufactures Sputniks, and copies of the original virus which do manage to be made suffer from damage and imperfections because of this second-super-sub-cellular-sabotage.

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

the discovery of a giant virus that itself falls ill through infection by another virus seems to suggest they too are alive

Tags: virology, biology, molecular biology

Biodiversity Declining at 'Unprecedented Rate'

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:53:28 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Going, going, ................

Clip Source: www.livescience.com

The biodiversity of Earth "is declining at an unprecedented rate" according to a new study of threatened species that labels 15,589 plants and animals as threatened for extinction.

Among the report's conclusions:

At least 15 species have gone extinct in the past 20 years; 12 other species survive only in captivity. The actual extinction figure may be higher.

A total of 15,589 species (7,266 animals and 8,323 plants and lichens) are considered at risk of extinction.

One in three amphibians and 42 percent of turtles and tortoises are threatened with extinction, along with 12 percent of birds 23 percent of mammals.

The numbers of threatened species are increasing across almost all major taxonomic groups;

Current extinction rates are at least one hundred to a thousand times higher than background, or "natural" rates.

The list is larger than versions past in part because it includes a more complete assessment of amphibians.

Tags: nature

50 Facts that Should Change the World

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:00:27 GMT

clipped by: hitchhiker08
clipper's remarks: Interesting

Clip Source: www.christiantoday.com

50 Facts that Should Change the World

1 THE average Japanese woman can expect to live to 84; her counterpart in Botswana will die at 39.

2 BLACK men born in the US stand a one-in-three chance of going to jail. For white men the odds are one in 17.

3 ONE in five of the world's population - 1.25 billion people - is undernourished.

4 NEARLY half of British 15-year-olds have tried illegal drugs and nearly a quarter are regular cigarette smokers.

7 SUPERMARKETS in the UK know more about their customers than the government does. They use loyalty cards to determine your income and what your interests are.

11 THERE are 27 million slaves in the world.

14 ONE in five people live on less than 50p a day.

15 THERE are 44 million child labourers in India, some working 16-hour days.

21 CARS kill two people every minute.

Clip Source: www.christiantoday.com

24 IN Kenya, bribery payments make up a third of the average household budget.

27 MORE than 150 countries are known to use torture.

33 THE world's oil reserves could be exhausted by 2040.

Tags: economy, stability, war, violence, crime, population, global, oil, money, dollar

Gorilla 'mother lode' found in Congo

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:52:21 GMT

clipped by: pokkets
clipper's remarks: I can't help thinking that they are there, because we didn't know about them, but there are other species that have been downgraded from critically endangered to endangered due to conservation efforts.
However the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that 48% of the 634 known species and sub-species of primates, humankind's closest relatives such as chimpanzees, orangutans, gibbons and lemurs, are at risk of extinction.
Primates are suffering most in Asia, with 71% of all species at risk, against 37% in Africa.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Researchers have found 125,000 western lowland gorillas living in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, almost doubling the known number of the endangered species.

A report released today at the International Primatological Society Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland says a new census tallied more than 125,000 critically endangered gorillas in a 47,000-square-kilometre area.

Estimates from the 1980s had suggested fewer than 100,000

had survived and many experts believed these numbers had been cut nearly in half by disease and hunting

The Wildlife Conservation Society report shows

that conservation in the Republic of Congo is working. This discovery should be a rallying cry for the world that we can protect other vulnerable and endangered species

says society president Steven Sanderson

Habitat destruction, led by burning and clearing of tropical forests for farmland,

the hunting of monkeys and apes for their meat are the main threats

Some species are "literally being eaten into extinction

Boredom a sickness or a creative tool?

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:07:57 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: "In experiments in the 1970s, psychiatrists showed that participants completing word-association tasks quickly tired of the job once obvious answers were given; granted more time, they began trying much more creative solutions"

"In a recent paper in The Cambridge Journal of Education, Teresa Belton and Esther Priyadharshini of East Anglia University in England reviewed decades of research and theory on boredom, and concluded that it’s time that boredom “be recognized as a legitimate human emotion that can be central to learning and creativity.”

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

You’re Checked Out, but Your Brain Is Tuned In

Scientists know plenty about boredom, too, though more as a result of poring through thickets of meaningless data than from studying the mental state itself. Much of the research on the topic has focused on the bad company it tends to keep, from depression and overeating to smoking and drug use.

Yet boredom is more than a mere flagging of interest or a precursor to mischief. Some experts say that people tune things out for good reasons, and that over time boredom becomes a tool for sorting information — an increasingly sensitive spam filter.

it is far from a passive neural shrug. Using brain-imaging technology, neuroscientists have found that the brain is highly active when disengaged, consuming only about 5 percent less energy in its resting “default state” than when involved in routine tasks

as if the boredom “had the power to exert pressure on individuals to stretch their inventive capacity,”

Tags: neuroscience

The hottest water on Earth

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:42:03 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks: "Black smokers deep in the Atlantic are spouting 'supercritical' water at over 407 °C – something never before been seen in nature."

Clip Source: environment.newscientist.com

Even Jules Verne did not foresee this one. Deep down at the very bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, geochemist Andrea Koschinsky has found something truly extraordinary: "It's water," she says, "but not as we know it."

At over 3 kilometres beneath the surface, sitting atop what could be a huge bubble of magma, it's the hottest water ever found on Earth. The fluid is in a "supercritical" state that has never before been seen in nature.

Tags: science, geology, water, black smokers