Clipmarks | Bacteria Clips

Ukraine: Mutant H1N1, Pneumonic Plague, or what? Nearly a million infected, 109 dead

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:43:58 GMT

clipped by: nuttyriv3r

Event: Epidemic
Location: Ukraine MultiStates Ternopil, Lviv, Zakarpattya, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblasts
Number of Deads: 109 person(s)
Number of Infected: 764000 person(s)

They have all fallen ill with the “flu and acute respiratory infections”, 34000 have been hospitalised claims Olexander Bilovol.

The flu AND respiratory deaths jumped up to 109 people and only 14 of those linked to swine flu according to health officials. The World Health Organisation however said that more people could be infected with h1n1.

It is still unclear whether most people are infected with h1n1 or the viral pneumonic plague or as some claim it is the same thing (although the one is a virus and the other one a bacteria). So far evidence shows that this is a pneumonic plague mostly as well as h1n1 infecting people at the same time.

the WHO is still to confirm whether the it is a normal h1n1 or if it has mutated into a different h1n1

Tags: flu epidemic, h1n1, ivano-frankivsk oblasts, lviv, mystery flu, pneumonic plague, ternopil, ukraine, zakarpattya

Fiber in Fruit May Reduce Diabetes & Arthritis

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:36:09 GMT

clipped by: mobile51

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Fibre may keep asthma, diabetes at bay, study finds

SYDNEY (AFP) – An apple a day may keep the doctor away but a fibre-filled diet could also hold the key to keeping asthma, diabetes and arthritis at bay, according to Australian research released Thursday.

AFP/DDP/File – Harvest labourers sort freshly picked apples at an orchard in Marquardt, eastern Germany in August 2009. …

Scientists at Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research say that fibre not only helps keep people regular, it boosts the immune system so it can better combat inflammatory diseases.

When foods high in fibre, such as dried fruit and beans, reach the gut, bacteria convert them to compounds known as short chain fatty acids. These acids are known to alleviate some inflammatory disease in the bowel.

The research, published in the latest edition of Nature, indicated that diet may have profound effects on immune responses or inflammatory diseases, he said.

Tags: health, diet

Appendix: Not so useless?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:30:25 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.scientificblogging.com

Duke University Medical Center researchers believe they have discovered why the appendix exists and what purpose it serves in modern humans.

They think it is used to 'reboot' the digestive system and produce the bacteria sometimes eliminated by disease. How is it that people have them removed and live normal lives afterward?

In modern times, it is relatively unimportant. In crowded areas people can easily replace lost bacteria from contact with others but in ancient times, when isolation was more common or when diseases such as cholera or amoebic dysentery struck and eliminated the stomach's good bacteria, the appendix was likely how the human body regenerated good bacteria.

In that sense, modern hygiene makes it more likely that the under-utilized appendix will need to be removed.

Body Odor Cure

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:20:06 GMT

clipped by: jannet

Clip Source: natural-homeremedies.com

Body odor is the term referred to any kind of unpleasant smell associated with an individual’s body. The condition that causes body odor is hyperhidrosis. Perspiration is the part of the cooling process of body. Water on the skin’s surface evaporates and gives a cooling sensation to the body. Perspiration or sweat doesn’t cause odor but the bacteria that gets accumulated on the skin releases unpleasant smelling chemicals. The body odor is strongly associated with the emission from our sweat glands. The armpits and genitals perspire more as compare to any other parts of the body. The use of deodorants worsens the condition as it contains various toxic chemicals and products of heavy metals like aluminium. The sweat glands are responsible for the elimination of toxic matter from the body.

Tags: home remedies for body odor, body odor remedies, natural remedies for body odor

HSPs and phagocytosis

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:18:41 GMT

clipped by: eudominguez

Clip Source: www.biomedcentral.com

Genes involved in transcription and translation, ribosomal and mitochondrial biogenesis and stress response appear to be up-regulated by phagocytosis. This is not surprising, as cells grow on bacteria more rapidly than in axenic medium, therefore it is likely that phagocytosis triggers gene expression changes leading to increased ribosomal and mitochondrial biogenesis as well as protein synthesis. A total of six genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSP), including HSP 70 family protein (hspN, DDB0186670) are up-regulated among genes induced by phagocytosis (cluster 1/5/7) and genes induced by phagocytosis and growth (cluster 4). Two of them (grpE, DDB0185728 and cpn10A, DDB0187651) encode chaperonins involved in mitochondrial transport and their up-regulation could be linked to increased mitochondrial biogenesis. HSP's have been shown to modulate inflammatory response and phagocytosis in macrophages, though their mechanism of action remains unknown [52,53].

Tags: chaperones dictyostelium

Compost Pile Friends

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:07:12 GMT

clipped by: adosuzano
clipper's remarks: they may not look nice but they are big helpers (most of the time). However, if you are concerned about the food web in your compost pile "breaking out," try the following tips:

1. Create a barrier by spreading a line of wood ash (not barbecue ash because of fat residues) or crushed egg shells around your compost pile. This will keep the activity contained within the pile.
2. A similar, but more lethal technique, is to sink small margarine containers full of stale beer, molasses and water, or yeast and water in the ground around the compost pile. Unsuspecting slugs, sow bugs, and earwigs will be attracted to the liquid, crawl inside, and drown.

Earwigs can be sprayed with a solution of one tablespoon of liquid soap detergent combined with one quart of water. This will kill the earwigs that are doing damage and spare the helpful bugs that are eating dead organic material.
(information from California Integrated Waste Management Board)

Clip Source: www.ciwmb.ca.gov

Compost Pile Critters

The food web decomposition process is divided into three levels:

Level One (primary consumers) is comprised of the organisms that shred organic matter and the microscopic organisms that eat the shredded organic residues.
Level Two (secondary consumers) is comprised of the organisms that eat level one organisms.
Level Three (tertiary consumers) is comprised of the organisms that eat level two organisms.

Clip Source: www.ciwmb.ca.gov

Level One—Primary Consumers

Psychrophilic bacteria

Mesophilic bacteria

Thermophilic bacteria

Actinomycetes

Molds and fungi

Snails, slugs, millipedes, sow bugs, pill bugs, mites and earthworms

Snails

Slugs

Millipedes

Sow bugs

Pill bugs

Mites

Earthworms

Clip Source: www.ciwmb.ca.gov

Level Two—Secondary Consumers

Nematodes

Protozoa

Rotifers

Flatworms

Springtails

Feather-winged beetles

Clip Source: www.ciwmb.ca.gov

Level Three—Tertiary Consumers

Centipedes

Mites

Rove Beetles

Ants

Spiders

Pseudoscorpions

Earwigs

Tags: waste management, compost, insects, recycle, gardening, garden

Sugar Negates Worm's Life-Extending Mutation

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:03:01 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: No more pavlova going in my compost bin.

Clip Source: www.scientificamerican.com

For worms fed a sugary diet, life is sweet. But short. According to a new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, consistently adding a small amount of sugar to a worm's regular diet of bacteria shortened its lifespan by 20 percent. The research was performed on C. elegans, tiny roundworms that typically live an average of two weeks.

In previous work, Cynthia Kenyon of the University of California, San Francisco, found that a mutation to a gene called daf-2 changed insulin signaling and doubled the lifespan of the worms. And the worms didn’t get old at their usual pace and then hang on longer—they actually aged more slowly.

Now Kenyon’s new study shows that worms with the daf-2 mutation don’t get the life-extending benefits if they are routinely fed glucose. More research will be needed to see whether a similar situation holds true in humans.

Tags: murder, :)

The top ten coolest Polychaete Worms

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:54:41 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Each explanation is as fascinating as the pics, so only able to do justice to one. Worth the visit.

Clip Source: www.bogleech.com

Over 10,000 species of Polychaete have been
documented, nearly all of them found in brackish or salt-water environments. Unlike the
earthworms, Polychaetes can possess dozens of legs, claws, tentacles, antennae, functioning
eyes and complex mouthparts, an anatomy that has been modified into an insanely broad variety
of lifestyles

#1: Osedax worms

As the largest single concentration of meat in the animal kingdom, the death of a whale is
one of the deep sea's most celebrated events

Structured more like a plant than an animal, the female Osedax worm lacks a
mouth or stomach, relying on a network of "roots" to tap into its only food source; the fatty
oils contained within whale bone. Like the thermal tube worms, it relies on unique
symbiotic bacteria to process this nourishment

the "missing" male
worms were there all along, plentiful but microscopic, living inside the bodies of the
females. Continuously fertilized by her tiny inner harem, the lady snot-flower pumps
thousands of eggs

Tags: nature

'Scar Eating' Enzyme Aids Spine Repair

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:27:18 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Other teams have shown that delivering an enzyme from bacteria that digests scar tissue may help.

"The problem has been this enzyme is really sensitive and degrades very fast," says Bellamkonda.

He says the enzyme, chondroitinase ABC (chABC), is heat sensitive and must be repeatedly injected or infused into the body to work.
Hollow straws

Bellamkonda's team found a way to overcome both of those issues. They mixed the enzyme with a sugar called trehalose that made it stable at internal body temperature.

And instead of injecting the enzyme into the spinal cord, they put it into tiny hollow straws just twice the length of a single cell. They inject these at the injury site in a special gel that keeps the straws in place.

Bellamkonda's team tested the system in rats and found the enzyme prevented scar tissue formation for up to six weeks.

"The goal is that at the time the surgeon is removing the offending (vertebrae) bone after the injury you would inject this gel to si

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

US researchers have engineered an enzyme that can gobble up scar tissue formed after spinal cord injuries, overcoming a key hurdle to getting injured nerves to reconnect and heal.

Spinal cord injuries trigger a cascade of events in the body that block the growth of nerve cells after a spinal cord injury.

"One of the major impediments has been this scar tissue that has formed," says Professor Ravi Bellamkonda of Georgia Institute of Technology , whose study appears this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

The team tested the system in rats and found it prevented scar tissue formation for up to six weeks (Source: iStockphoto)

He says sugar proteins found near the scar tissue inhibit nerve fibre regeneration. Eliminating scar tissue is an essential step toward getting nerve fibres to grow back.

Tags: enzyme aids spine repair, medicine, science

Cure tonsilloliths

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:57:26 GMT

clipped by: candice5583
clipper's remarks: Some very good tips about how to remove tonsil stones!

Clip Source: ezinearticles.com

Cure Tonsilloliths - Don't Put Up With Those White Things on Your Tonsils Any Longer!

To cure your tonsilloliths you should avoid eating before you go to sleep. Because when you eat before bed food particles lying inside the mouth can accumulate in the tonsils. Always brush your teeth before bed. Brushing your tongue regularly can also help in removing bacteria you may have missed when brushing your teeth.

For many years I searched for a cure for my tonsilloliths. I wasted a lot of money on products that didn't do what they promised. But eventually I found what I was looking for at Mytonsilstonecure.info. It was the one thing that finally cured my tonsil stones for good and one of the best things I ever did.

Swine flu hand gel

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:03:28 GMT

clipped by: dluis9958
clipper's remarks: We have been in the business of manufacturing detergents and disinfectants for over 35 years from our manufacturing plant in the UK. This means that we have a substantial accumulated knowledge base in developing and manufacturing healthcare cleaning chemicals and swine flu hand gel.

Clip Source: www.biocleanse.co.uk

Application Specific
Concise Range
User Friendly Formats
Cleans & Disinfects

Learn More »

Alcohol Free
Low Odour
Surface Compatible
Wide Spectrum of Efficacy

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Residual Activity
2 Year Shelf Life
Low Volatility
Dilutable Concentrate

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Independently Tested
Myco Bacteria
Viruses
Spores

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Tags: swine flu hand gel, swine flu

2 Deaths Possibly Linked to Beef Recall

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:45:26 GMT

clipped by: infidel70
clipper's remarks: They were packaged Sept. 15-16 and may have been labeled with a sell-by date from Sept. 19 through Sept. 28. They were packaged Sept. 15-16 and may have been labeled with a sell-by date from Sept. 19 through Sept. 28.

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

(AP) A federal health official says two deaths and 26 other illnesses may be linked to possibly contaminated ground beef recalled by a New York company.

Lola Scott Russell, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says one of the deaths involved a New York adult with several underlying health conditions. The other is a death previously reported by New Hampshire officials.

She says all but three of the suspected E. coli infections are in the northeastern U.S. and 18 are in New England. The CDC is investigating all the cases.

Ashville, N.Y.-based Fairbank Farms recalled almost 546,000 pounds of fresh ground beef that may be tainted with E. coli bacteria. The meat was distributed in September to stores from Virginia to Maine.

The ground beef was sold at Trader Joe's, Price Chopper, Lancaster, Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ's, Ford Brothers and Giant stores. Each package carried the number "EST. 492" on the label.

A Face Full of Bacteria when You Shower

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:38:31 GMT

clipped by: Kelika

Clip Source: www.smartplanet.com

Next time you take a shower, run it for a minute or so before you get in — or else you’ll get a face full of bacteria.

Shower heads harbor 100 times the bacteria as regular drinking water, according to new research.

The result? Significant quantities of bacteria — nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), particularly Mycobacterium avium — were found in the shower heads, at levels 100 times as high as those found in drinking water.

M. avium is responsible for a type of pulmonary disease in developed countries, cases of which have risen in parallel with the rise in showering, Pace said.

“For most people, taking a shower is not dangerous, but if you are immune compromised, such as the elderly or pregnant, it could be,” he said in a statement.

The disease is more prevalent than TB in developed countries.

His advice? Don’t use shower heads made of plastic, which are more hospitable to bacteria than metal ones. And if you see anything crusty on it, toss it in the trash.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Successful-Toenail-Fungus-Remedies&id=2247025

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:43:54 GMT

clipped by: lenidec
clipper's remarks: The article enumerates various alternative toenail fungus remedies, these solutions are not the usual medication or treatments but are proven effective by consumers. Listerine and vicks vaporub are just two of the examples noted in the article as alternative treatments.

Clip Source: ezinearticles.com

Successful Toenail Fungus Remedies

Home toenail fungus remedies are two categories, synthetic treatments and natural treatments utilizing natural ingredients such as pure essential oils. The synthetic treatments are Listerine bath and Vicks vapor rub. Listerine bath can be effective because its an antiseptic solution that is formulated to kill bacteria and fungus in the mouth. Soak the infected feet in Listerine for ten to fifteen minutes, daily before going to bed and make sure to wipe and keep the feet dry. Vicks vapor rub doesn't contain any anti fungal agent but some people have tried and found improvement in the condition of the infected nails. Clean the feet and make sure the feet are totally dry, then apply a generous amount of the rub on infected nail. It is said that the Eucalyptus oil in the rub does the trick.

Tags: alternative, toenail fungus remedies, treatments

Swimmers Ear Treatment

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:47:22 GMT

clipped by: julia85

Clip Source: natural-homeremedies.org

Otitis externa is another term for swimmers ear. It is an inflammation or infection of the ear canal and the external ear. Usually, swimmers ear is a result of excess exposure to water. At the time that the ear gets drenched with water, the moisture has the ability to penetrate the layer that is normally water resistant and at that time, the skin becomes wrinkled and soft. On the surface of this water exposed skin, fungi and bacteria are able to live without really causing any harmful effects. However, in any case that there is a break in the normal barrier of the skin, the bacteria from the contaminated water or the objects that are placed inside of the ear, can easily slide right into the skin which results in swimmers ear.