donderdag 31 maart 2016

20160330 - primary care

Primary care: A patient's main source for regular medical care, ideally providing continuity and integration of health care services. All family physicians, and many pediatricians and internists, practice primary care. The aims of primary care are to provide the patient with a broad spectrum of preventive and curative care over a period of time and to coordinate all the care that the patient receives.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5042

20130329 - antarctic ice

Unexpected Antarctic ice melt

may trigger 2 metre sea level rise

A massive rise in sea level is coming, and it will trigger climate chaos around the world. That was the message from a controversial recent paper by climate scientist James Hansen. It was slated by many for assuming – rather than showing – that sea level could rise between 1 and 5 metres by 2100.

But now, just a week after being formally published, it is being backed up by another study. “He was speculating on massive fresh water discharge to the ocean that I don’t think anybody thought was possible before,” says Rob DeConto of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “Now we’re publishing a paper that says these rates of fresh water input are possible.”

DeConto’s findings suggest that even if countries meet the pledges made as part of the UN climate agreements in Paris last year, global sea level could still rise 1 metre by 2100. If emissions keep climbing it could go up more than 2 metres. North America would be especially hard hit, because gravitational effects mean that ice loss from Antarctica will lead to bigger local increases for the US East Coast.

“Today we’re measuring global sea level rise in millimetres per year,” DeConto says. “We’re talking about the potential for centimetres per year just from [ice loss in] Antarctica.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2082628-unexpected-antarctic-ice-melt-may-trigger-2-metre-sea-level-rise/

woensdag 30 maart 2016

20130328

20130327 - knowledge

Scientia potentia est

The phrase "scientia potentia est" (or "scientia est potentia" or also "scientia potestas est") is a Latin aphorism often claimed to mean organized "knowledge is power". It is commonly attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, although there is no known occurrence of this precise phrase in Bacon's English or Latin writings. However, the expression "ipsa scientia potestas est" ('knowledge itself is power') occurs in Bacon's Meditationes Sacrae (1597). The exact phrase "scientia potentia est" was written for the first time in the 1668 version of the work Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes, who was secretary to Bacon as a young man.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientia_potentia_est

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. Kofi Annan
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/k/kofiannan389917.html?src=t_knowledge_is_power

maandag 28 maart 2016

20130326 - this day

2015	Shiite militia forces in Iraq boycott the fight against ISIS in Tikrit to protest U.S. airstrikes; the U.S. was responding to a request from the Iraqi government, but militias are concerned that the U.S. will receive credit for their work to date
2014	Beijing issues air pollution warnings, advising limited outdoor activity as particulate concentration (PM 2.5) measures 309, over 12 times the World Health Organization standard
2014	A second dwarf planet is discovered between the Oort cloud and the Kuiper belt, an area previously considered a no-man's land; the planet, 2012 VP-113, measures about 280 miles across; the first, Sedna, about 600 miles across, was discovered in 2003
2013	David Milliband announces plans to resign as Britain's Foreign Secretary and move to U.S. state of New York to head the International Rescue Committee
2013	Days after a new U.S.-South Korea military pact, North Korea issues new threats to strike targets in Hawaii, Guam, South Korea and the U.S. mainland
2012	London-based Tullow Oil discovers oil in Kenya
2012	Following a landslide victory, Campbell Newman is sworn in as Australia's new Premier of Queensland
2011	Tokyo reports that levels of radiation in its water supply have returned to normal
2011	In London, England, hundreds of thousands march in Trafalgar Square to protest government budget cuts
2010	Iran calls upon Muslims around the world to act in protest in response to Israel's plans to build in East Jerusalem
2006	Smoking is banned in restaurants and bars in Scotland
2000	72nd Academy Awards Oscar Ceremony, Billy Crystal hosts, American Beauty wins Best Picture, Kevin Spacey and Hilary Swank win lead acting awards

20160325 - health policy

Welcome to this Special Issue of EuroScientist on: Health Policy !

Welcome to this special issue of EuroScientist focusing on Health Policy, particularly on prevention.

The shift towards prevention or wellness has now been operated a few years ago into health policy. Particularly in the field of chronic diseases, which is the focus of our independent coverage in this issue and of a campaign orchestrated by the REIsearch project. This has led to a number of policy experiments over time. As yet, there is no magic bullet to entice people to try and take greater care of their health.

It appears that a combination of voluntary actions by citizens, with prevention campaigns from interested groups, and regulations can help. But too much of any of these ingredients may affect the fragile dynamic between them.

You will discover many examples of health policies aimed at prevention in the articles below as well as opinions on how to best go about preventing chronic diseases. We invite you to comment on these articles and to share your views.

vrijdag 25 maart 2016

20160324 - johan cruyff

Hendrik Johannes "Johan" Cruijff , anglicised to Cruyff; 25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and coach. As a player he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974. Cruyff was one of the most famous exponents of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels, and is widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in football history. In the 1970s, Dutch football rose from near obscurity to become a powerhouse in the sport. Cruyff led the Netherlands to the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.
At club level, Cruyff started his career at Ajax where he won eight Eredivisie titles, three European Cups and one Intercontinental Cup.In 1973 he moved to FC Barcelona for a world record transfer fee, winning La Liga in his first season and was named European Footballer of the Year. After retiring from playing in 1984, Cruyff became highly successful as manager of Ajax and later FC Barcelona; he remained an influential advisor to both clubs. His son Jordi also played football professionally.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Cruyff

20160323 - weight loss

Simple weight-loss strategies and tricks to stay on track

Avoid the distractions

Aim to eat at the table with the TV off several days a week. Studies have shown we tend to consume more when we’re distracted. ‘By eating mindfully – sitting down to meals, being aware of the appearance, smell, taste and texture of food, chewing slowly and putting down your cutlery between mouthfuls – you’re guaranteed to enjoy it more,’ says Bridget Benelam, Healthy Food Guide expert and senior nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. Eating slowly allows time for your brain to send the satiety message to your stomach that you are full. The result? You’re less likely to overeat.

Rearrange your kitchen

Keep the foods you want to eat more of easily available – put a fruit bowl on the table, vegetable sticks in the fridge, and reduced-fat cheese and crispbreads to hand. If you must have calorific foods that will tempt you to snack, keep them up on a high shelf or at the back of a cupboard.

Rethink rewards

Write a list of the non-food-related luxuries you enjoy. They could include a long, lazy bath, reading a magazine from cover to cover or seeing a new film with friends. Whenever you’re tempted to reward yourself with food, give yourself one of the treats on your list instead.

Change the proportions on your plate

Bulk out your meals with low-calorie vegetables and wholegrains – you could save up to 400 calories just by taking out the higher-fat ingredients and replacing with some of these. Check out the Eatwell Plate for a simple guide to a well-proportioned meal.......

http://www.healthyfood.co.uk/article/top-weight-loss-tips/

donderdag 24 maart 2016

20160322 - sleep

Good Sleep For Good Health

All About Sleep

Sleep makes you strong, makes you feel good. It is an important element of human flourishing and well-being, both subjectively and objectively. Sleep is necessary for a healthy and balanced life. Your body and your brain are active when you sleep. We need to sleep long enough (quantity) and well enough (quality) to function well during waking hours. Nearly all physiological and behavioral functions in humans occur on a rhythmic basis, which in turn leads to diurnal rhythms in human performance capabilities. Sleepdex is dedicated to raising awareness of sleep issues and encouraging people to take sleep seriously.

http://www.sleepdex.org/

woensdag 23 maart 2016

20160321 - sea level

James Hansen and Sea Level Rise –

the peer-reviewed version

Today we repost a blog entry by PLOS Ecology Community Editor Sasha Wright from August 2015. In it, she interprets and discusses the startling findings by the individual often called the world’s most well-known climate scientist: former NASA Director, James Hansen of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. With 18 co-authors representing far-flung disciplines, Hansen had just released the first draft of “Ice melt, sea level rise, and superstorms: evidence from paleoclimate data, climate modeling, and modern observations that 2 degrees C global warming could be dangerous.” Hansen chose to post this paper on the open access discussion site of the European science journal, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics prior to its undergoing formal peer review. At the time, Hansen made clear that he’d posted this draft in order to receive constructive feedback from his scientific peers. What he got was more of a firestorm.
Initial reports on the final, peer-reviewed paper, published yesterday in the formal journal, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, are that its major findings have not fundamentally changed. In their abstract, Hansen et al describe the primary changes made as structural.

Our paper published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussion was organized in the chronological order of our investigation. Here we reorganize the work to make the science easier to follow. First, we describe our climate simulations with specified growing freshwater sources in the North Atlantic and Southern oceans. Second, we analyze paleoclimate data for evidence of these processes and possible implications for the future. Third, we examine modern data for evidence that the simulated climate changes are already occurring.

Here is Sasha’s original August 10th blog post, written as part of PLOS Ecology’s coverage of the Ecological Society of America 2015 annual meeting. It was posted on PLOS Blogs as a preview for Jim Hansen’s appearance on the August 12th PLOS Science Wednesday, the weekly redditscience ‘Ask Me Anything’ hosted by PLOS — where the authors would take questions on the paper’s findings.
At the end of Sasha’s post, we’ve added a Q&A from that AMA; a question that will no doubt be asked again in response to Hansen’s latest publication. It addresses how the authors were able to correlate paleoclimate data with current day climate changes to make these dire predictions.
Your comments are invited on both the authors’ publication process, and the findings in their paper.
— Victoria Costello, PLOSBLOGS

All Eyes on the Oceans: James Hansen and Sea Level Rise

By Sasha Wright
On July 23, James Hansen and 16 co-authors posted a discussion paper on an open-review website about sea level rise and climate change. The article has garnered massive attention around the internet and scientific communities — both for its content and for the unconventional manner in which it waspublished.

http://blogs.plos.org/ecology/2016/03/23/repost-james-hansen-and-sea-level-rise-the-peer-reviewed-version/

dinsdag 22 maart 2016

20160320 - physical activity

7 myths about physical activity

A few weeks ago our colleague Catherine Cameron from the Participaction Blog asked me if I’d be interested in writing a guest-post on exercise-related myths. We put together a list of myths that we have encountered, which she recently posted as a guest post on the Participaction Blog (in English and French). I thought it was a post that would be of interest to our readers, so I have reposted it below. Without any further ado, here are 7 myths about physical activity!
Myth 1: A child’s time is better spent focusing on the three R’s than on performing physical activity
People sometimes worry that time devoted to physical activity comes at the expense of academic achievement. Luckily, that’s not the case.
Here is a summary of some of the evidence showing that physical activity actually improves academic performance, taken from the 2009 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on the Physical Activity of Canadian Children and Youth:
…a comprehensive Ontario school health initiative including physical activity as a key element indicated a 36% increase in reading and a 24% increase in math scores over a two-year period. A study of over5,000 students by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that girls with the highest levels of physical education participation had higher math and reading scores. Another U.S. study of over 12,000 students indicated that daily physical activity was associated with higher math and reading achievement, echoed by an Alberta study of 5,000 students, which showed that active living had positive results on school performance. Healthy bodies and healthy minds are what Canada needs to have a strong, thriving society!
The recently-released 2011 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youthhighlighted new research suggesting that increasing physical activity may actually improve academic performance:
…school-based studies show that increasing children’s physical activity may be an effective approach to improving their academic performance. The inclusion of 30 minutes of physical activity 3 days per week for 4 months in a grade 3 curriculum improved scores on academic achievement tests. Similarly, a school-based childhood obesity prevention program that included physical activity for elementary students from low-income families not only helped with weight control and blood pressure, but also improved academic performance. This is particularly encouraging since children from low-income families are more likely to be physically inactive and obese, and to have lower levels of academic achievement.
Previously here on Obesity Panacea, Dr Angelo Tremblay has presented data from a recent study in Quebec which demonstrated that reducing class time and increasing organized physical activity results in increased fitness without any negative impact on academic achievement.

Myth 2: When you reach 65 vigorous exercise is a no-no.
Let me preface this by saying that before starting an exercise program people should meet with their physician or a Certified Exercise Physiologist to make sure that their exercise program is safe and appropriate for them.
However, there is plenty of evidence that older individual...........................................

http://blogs.plos.org/obesitypanacea/2016/03/22/7-myths-about-physical-activity-2/

20160319 - sleep problems

The bidirectional nature of sleep problems

and psychopathology

Abstract

As sleep and psychiatric disorders are not only comorbid but also co-dependent, patients require individual and integrated attention. The benefits of treating sleep disorders in the context of psychopathology are likely to extend beyond improved sleep, with demonstrated improvements in mental health.

Key Points

Most patients with psychiatric disorders experience sleep disturbance.
Patients with comorbid sleep problems have greater symptomatology and poorer treatment outcomes.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and insomnia are associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety than community prevalence rates.
There is strong evidence indicating a bidirectional relation between sleep disorders and mental health.
Treatment of sleep problems may have additional benefits on mental health for patients with comorbid psychiatric illness, and may prevent the onset of psychiatric conditions in ‘at-risk’ individuals.
The night-to-night variability of sleep quality in both OSA and insomnia needs to be emphasised to help patients understand that good management is the key message along with the notion that ‘a bad night is just a bad night!’

http://medicinetoday.com.au/2016/march/feature-article/bidirectional-nature-sleep-problems-and-psychopathology

zondag 20 maart 2016

20160318 - meldonium

Meldonium, trade-named as Mildronate, also known as mildronāts, Quaterine, MET-88, and THP is a limited-market pharmaceutical, developed in 1970 by Ivars Kalviņš, and manufactured primarily by Grindeks of Latvia and several generic manufacturers. It is distributed in Eastern European countries as an anti-ischemia medication.
Since January 1, 2016, it has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of substances banned from use by athletes. However, there are debates over its use as an athletic performance enhancer. Some athletes are known to have been using it before it was banned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meldonium

zaterdag 19 maart 2016

20160317 - 100 people

The world population has now reached 7 billion people. This milestone inspired us to conduct research to update our statistics, and the changes over the past 5 years are remarkable. In 2006, only 1 person out of 100 would have had a college education-- today that number has jumped to 7 thanks in part to advances in higher education in Asia. The detailed research and source information can be found here and the statistics provided by Donella Meadows in 1990 that originally inspired our project can be viewed here.

If the World were 100 PEOPLE:

50 would be female
50 would be male

26 would be children
There would be 74 adults,
8 of whom would be 65 and older

There would be:
60 Asians
15 Africans
14 people from the Americas
11 Europeans

33 Christians
22 Muslims
14 Hindus
7 Buddhists
12 people who practice other religions
12 people who would not be aligned with a religion

12 would speak Chinese
5 would speak Spanish
5 would speak English
3 would speak Arabic
3 would speak Hindi
3 would speak Bengali
3 would speak Portuguese
2 would speak Russian
2 would speak Japanese
62 would speak other languages

83 would be able to read and write; 17 would not

7 would have a college degree
22 would own or share a computer

77 people would have a place to shelter them
from the wind and the rain, but 23 would not

1 would be dying of starvation
15 would be undernourished
21 would be overweight

87 would have access to safe drinking water
13 people would have no clean, safe water to drink

Sources: 2012 - Fritz Erickson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Ferris State University (Formerly Dean of Professional and Graduate Studies, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay) and John A. Vonk, University of Northern Colorado, 2006; Returning Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison Wisconsin, Unheard Voices: Celebrating Cultures from the Developing World, 1992; Donella H. Meadows, The Global Citizen, May 31, 1990.

http://www.100people.org/statistics_100stats.php?section=statistics

vrijdag 18 maart 2016

20160316 - genetic tests

Genetic Tests Results:

Do They Change Your Behavior?

by Cari Nierenberg, Live Science Contributor | March 15, 2016 07:30pm ET

You can't change your genes, but you can change your behavior, right? Well, a new study finds that people who have a genetic test result that tells them they are at higher risk for lung cancer or heart disease aren't likely to change their health behaviors anyway.
Researchers in England found that providing people with information about their estimated genetic risk for developing certain diseases, such as diabetes, lung cancer, skin cancer or heart disease, had little or no effect on their health-related behavior, according to the study, published today (March 15) in the journal The BMJ.
The results from genetic tests were just not a factor that motivated people to change their lifestyle habits, especially when it came to quitting smoking and getting more exercise, the study showed.

For example, smokers who found out they had an increased genetic risk of developing lung cancer were not more motivated to stop smoking than those who were not told they had a higher genetic risk of lung cancer. And telling middle-aged men and women they were more likely to develop diabetes did not appear to encourage them to begin a regular exercise program, according to the study.
These findings were not surprising, said Theresa Marteau, lead author of the study and a professor of behavior and health at the University of Cambridge in England. Other studies have shown that communicating information about perceived risk generally has a small impact on the types of health behaviors that were evaluated in this review study, namely, smoking, physical inactivity and diet, she said. [9 Healthy Habits You Can Do in 1 Minute (Or Less)]
In the review study, the researchers analyzed data collected from 18 different studies of more than 6,100 adults ages 30 to 56. The studies all involved one group of participants who received personalized, DNA-based estimates of their disease risk for conditions whose risk could be reduced by behavior change, compared with a second group who did not learn their disease risk from genetic testing.

http://www.livescience.com/54062-genetic-tests-results-dont-change-your-behavior.html
http://www.genesinlife.org/testing-services/testing-genetic-conditions

donderdag 17 maart 2016

20160315 - outsider art

The term outsider art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for art brut, "raw art" or "rough art"), a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; Dubuffet focused particularly on art by those on the outside of the established art scene, such as psychiatric hospital patients and children.
While Dubuffet's term is quite specific, the English term "outsider art" is often applied more broadly, to include certain self-taught or naïve art makers who were never institutionalized. Typically, those labeled as outsider artists have little or no contact with the mainstream art world or art institutions. In many cases, their work is discovered only after their deaths. Often, outsider art illustrates extreme mental states, unconventional ideas, or elaborate fantasy worlds.
Outsider art has emerged as a successful art marketing category; an annual Outsider Art Fair has taken place in New York since 1993, and there are at least two regularly published journals dedicated to the subject. The term is sometimes misapplied as a catch-all marketing label for art created by people who are outside the mainstream "art world" or "art gallery system", regardless of their circumstances or the content of their work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsider_art

woensdag 16 maart 2016

20160314 - 3d printing

3-D printing

could one day help fix damaged cartilage

Date:: March 16, 2016
Source:: American Chemical Society

Athletes, the elderly and others who suffer from injuries and arthritis can lose cartilage and experience a lot of pain. Researchers are now reporting, however, that they have found a way to produce cartilage tissue by 3-D bioprinting an ink containing human cells, and they have successfully tested it in an in vivo mouse model. The development could one day lead to precisely printed implants to heal damaged noses, ears and knees.

The researchers presented their work today at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160316082721.htm

dinsdag 15 maart 2016

20160313 - ferris wheel

A Ferris wheel, named after George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., (sometimes called a big wheel, observation wheel, or, in the case of the very tallest examples, giant wheel) is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, capsules, gondolas, or pods) attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, they are kept upright, usually by gravity.
Some of the largest modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on the outside of the rim, with electric motors to independently rotate each car to keep it upright. These wheels may be referred to as observation wheels and their cars referred to as capsules. Sometimes these alternative names are also used for wheels with conventional gravity-oriented cars.
The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The term Ferris wheel is used generically for all such structures which are now the most common type of amusement ride at state fairs in the United States.
Since the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel there have been nine world's tallest-ever Ferris wheels. The current record holder is the 167.6-metre (550 ft) High Roller in Las Vegas, US, which opened to the public in March 2014.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferris_wheel

maandag 14 maart 2016

20160312 - ada lovelace

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (née Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852) was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognised as the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine. As a result, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer.
Ada Lovelace was the only legitimate child of the poet George Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Milbanke ("Annabella"), Lady Wentworth. All Byron's other children were born out of wedlock to other women. Byron separated from his wife a month after Ada was born and left England forever four months later, eventually dying of disease in the Greek War of Independence when Ada was eight years old. Her mother remained bitter towards Lord Byron and promoted Ada's interest in mathematics and logic in an effort to prevent her from developing what she saw as the insanity seen in her father, but Ada remained interested in him despite this (and was, upon her eventual death, buried next to him at her request). Often ill, she spent most of her childhood sick. Ada married William Lord King in 1835. King was made Earl of Lovelace in 1838, and she became Lady Lovelace.
Her educational and social exploits brought her into contact with scientists such as Andrew Crosse, Sir David Brewster, Charles Wheatstone, Michael Faraday and the author Charles Dickens, in which she used to further her education. Ada described her approach as "poetical science" and herself as an "Analyst (& Metaphysician)".
As a teenager, her mathematical talents led her to an ongoing working relationship and friendship with fellow British mathematician Charles Babbage, also known as 'the father of computers', and in particular, Babbage's work on the Analytical Engine. Lovelace first met him in June 1833, through their mutual friend, and her private tutor, Mary Somerville. Between 1842 and 1843, Ada translated an article by Italian military engineer Luigi Menabrea on the engine, which she supplemented with an elaborate set of notes, simply called Notes. These notes contain what many consider to be the first computer program—that is, an algorithm designed to be carried out by a machine. Lovelace's notes are important in the early history of computers. She also developed a vision of the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching, while many others, including Babbage himself, focused only on those capabilities. Her mind-set of "poetical science" led her to ask questions about the Analytical Engine (as shown in her notes) examining how individuals and society relate to technology as a collaborative tool.
She died of uterine cancer in 1852 at the age of 36.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace

zondag 13 maart 2016

20160311 - fukushima

Crippled Fukushima Reactors

Are Still a Danger, 5 Years after the Accident

Japan’s citizens, and scientists worldwide, do not have answers to basic health and environment questions

On March 11, 2011, a giant tsunami from the Pacific Ocean swept over the 10-meter sea wall surrounding six reactors at the Fukushima power plant on Japan’s east coast. The crashing water caused reactor cores to overheat and melt, and subsequent hydrogen explosions damaged three reactor buildings. Radiation spewed in every direction. The country shut down all of its more than 40 reactors, and investigations began into radiation exposure to tens of thousands of nearby residents, as well as to wildlife on land and sea. But major questions still loom today, in part because the damaged reactors are too dangerous to enter, and in part because the plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), is reluctant to share information.
In the midst of this maelstrom, Japan in February started up a third reactor among those that had been shut down. But even as the government seeks to leave the disaster behind, Fukushima remains a wound that will not heal—for former residents, the local landscape and for the Japanese psyche. Two-thirds of the populace dreads another accident enough to oppose the restarts. More than 1,100 square kilometers of villages, mountains and forests remain uninhabitable, and future generations will still be cleaning up the plant site, according to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Echoing citizens' groups, some scientists are complaining that important questions about the disaster's impact are not being addressed. Authorities, they suspect, are subtly discouraging certain kinds of scientific research, possibly because they fear findings that could further alarm the public. In some ways they want this to go away and say things are back to normal, observes marine radiochemist Ken Buesseler of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Exacerbating widespread suspicions of a.................

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/crippled-fukushima-reactors-are-still-a-danger-5-years-after-the-accident1/

zaterdag 12 maart 2016

20160310 - birds

Photographing birds in flight:

how to set up and mistakes to avoid

A sharp photo of a swooping bird of prey is a real feather in the cap for any aspiring wildlife photographer. But birds in flight are among the most challenging animals to capture with your camera, and such is the reverence for the subject that the term even has its own acronym in wildlife circles – BIF.
As well as a stiff test of your camera gear and technique, the perfect shot relies on a fair degree of luck. But this is all part of the allure of bird photography, and there are a few ways in which you can stack the odds in your favour.
The easiest way to get up close to birds of prey is at a sanctuary or zoo. We went to the wonderful Hawk Conservancy Trust in Hampshire for our avian shoot.
Places like this not only put on aerial displays to which photographers are more than welcome (there were lots of long, grey lenses on show during our visit) but many host specialist photography days and private sessions where you can work with the falconers to get top shots of our feathered friends in flight.
When it comes to setting up your camera and choosing the right gear, there are plenty of techniques you can use, which we’ll look at here. But success doesn’t just rely on the best kit or a prime location; a knowledge of the subject is equally important.
If you know where and when they are likely to appear, you can get into position for the perfect shot. We’ll show you how to anticipate the action and capture bird behaviour at its best.

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/10/17/photographing-birds-in-flight-how-to-set-up-and-mistakes-to-avoid/#null

20160309 - epigenetics

On epigenetics: We are not just our DNA

I first learned about epigenetics in a “fish bowl” meeting room at the University of Pennsylvania in the summer of 2013, when I worked as a research intern in the Ted Abel lab. We were in the middle of a weekly lab meeting, discussing if we need to buy a new sonication machine to do certain experiments. My research mentor, a fifth-year Ph.D. student, drew a strip of nucleosomes in my notebook and explained that the sonication process uses high-energy sound waves to grind up and remove proteins from DNA, which could be examined in later studies.

Another layer of control: the epigenome
It turns out that our genetic make-up is more dynamic than expected. Since Conrad Waddington first coined the term “epigenetics” in the 1940s, scientists have been discovering how one set of DNA expresses itself in different forms, leading to different organs and tissues in an embryo’s development. Something must happen to the DNA that causes it to differentiate.
DNA in our cells is packed up in a condensed string, which wraps itself around proteins called histones (see figure 1). The histones bunch together into complexes called chromatins, placing some genes on the interior and making them inaccessible for transcription. When the genes need to be transcribed, the chromatins unwind, leaving the genes accessible.
There are two forms of regulation that affect DNA and histones. One is histone modification, where specific molecules can bind and change the compaction pattern of histones, exposing DNA string parts that were previously hidden, or wrapping up other string parts tighter. Another is DNA methylation, an enzymatic process that works directly on the DNA by adding or removing “tags” called methyl groups to switch the genes under effect on or off. These two forms of regulation, combined with five families of histones and millions of potential methylation sites, create countless epigenetic possibilities that contribute to the diversity of our world.

http://blogs.plos.org/thestudentblog/2016/03/11/epigenetics/

vrijdag 11 maart 2016

20160308 - IWD

IWD 2016 campaign theme #PledgeForParity

Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement.
And we have much to celebrate today. But progress towards gender parity has slowed in many places.
The World Economic Forum predicted in 2014 that it would take until 2095 to achieve global gender parity. Then one year later in 2015, they estimated that a slowdown in the already glacial pace of progress meant the gender gap wouldn't close entirely until 2133.

So how do we want to celebrate International Women's Day 2016?

We say by Pledging For Parity!
Everyone - men and women - can pledge to take a concrete step to help achieve gender parity more quickly - whether to help women and girls achieve their ambitions, call for gender-balanced leadership, respect and value difference, develop more inclusive and flexible cultures or root out workplace bias. Each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and commit to take pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity.

Commit to take action to accelerate gender parity

Globally, with individuals pledging to move from talk to purposeful action - and with men and women joining forces - we can collectively help women advance equal to their numbers and realize the limitless potential they offer economies the world over. We have urgent work to do. Are you ready to accelerate gender parity?

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme

20160307 - PET plastic

Bacteria found to eat PET plastics

Nature has beaten us to it again. It has taken just 70 years for evolution to throw up a bacterium capable of breaking down and consuming PET, one of the world’s most problematic plastic pollutants.
Japanese researchers discovered and named the species, Ideonella sakaiensis, by analysing microbes living on debris of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastics they collected from soil and wastewater.
The bacterium seems to feed exclusively on PET and breaks it down using just two enzymes. It must have evolved the capability to do this because the plastics were only invented in the 1940s.
The team hopes the discovery will lead to new ways of breaking down plastic, using either the bacteria themselves, or the two enzymes they use for the job.
New ways of breaking down PET are sorely needed – vast quantities of discards clog up landfill sites and natural environments around the world. In 2013, 56 million tonnes of PET were manufactured – about a quarter of all plastics produced that year – but only 2.2 million tonnes were recycled, the team says.
“Large quantities of PET have accumulated in environments across the globe,” says Kohei Oda of Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan, whose team made the discovery. “So, to solve this problem, microbes that break it down could be useful.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2080279-bacteria-found-to-eat-pet-plastics-could-help-do-the-recycling/?utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=SOC&utm_campaign=hoot&cmpid=SOC|NSNS|2016-GLOBAL-hoot

20160306 - global streetart

Global Street Art paints amazing murals, produces digital content and supports you on social media.

Our Story

Since we started in 2012, Global Street Art has organised more legal street art murals in London than anyone else with our Walls Project. By July 2015 we had organised over 1000 murals across London, including more than 50% of the murals in the Brick Lane area. We currently look after four building sites of hoardings around East London, plus we've support street art festivals in Sydenham, Brockley and at The Southbank Centre. We're relentless in pursuing our belief that we should live in a painted city.
We've worked internationally with some of the biggest brands in the World, including Nokia, Sony, Amazon, etc. Please email us for our company presentation - it's updated far more than this humble we page! Its not stret art any more, its hand-painted advertising (to be clear!). We're very good at it!

http://globalstreetart.com/commercial

donderdag 10 maart 2016

20160305 - foto van de dag

20160304 - flying scotsman

Flying Scotsman returns to tracks

in first UK journey since multi-million-dollar restoration

One of the world's most famous steam locomotives has completed its first official journey after a painstaking restoration project.

The Flying Scotsman — a 93-year-old steam locomotive and jewel of Britain's industrial heritage — returned to the tracks on Thursday after a $8 million (4 million pounds) restoration.
The train streamed through the English countryside on its inaugural 280-kilometre journey to the historic city of York, billowing white smoke as passengers enjoyed a champagne breakfast in old-fashioned carriages with wooden compartments.
"It's a wonderful locomotive," William McAlpine, the British construction tycoon who once owned the engine, said.
"She's in the right place doing the right thing and very much loved by everybody, and the wonderful thing about her, she makes people smile, people love her."
Trainspotters lined the track in some areas, causing the train to be an hour late due to disruptions.
At one point near the town of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, the locomotive was forced to come to a sudden stop because of dozens of people on the line.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-26/flying-scotsman-steam-train-returns-to-the-tracks/7202358

zaterdag 5 maart 2016

20160303 - story writing

Way of Story Writing Course
Premium on-line course by Catherine Ann Jones

Our world is made up of stories. If you don't like the one you're in, write a better one. Like your Soul, the soul of story is a combination of craft and magic, a uniting of head and heart. We live in a world of too much separation and pain, which, for many writers, can be ended by illuminating the oneness of life, through creating powerful characters that live in our individual and collective psyche, awaiting release. Writing is a powerful tool of self-exploration.

Every story has a sacred dimension not because of gods but because a man or woman's sense of self and her world is created through them. These stories orient the life of a people through time, establishing the reality of their world. Thus meaning and purpose are given to people's lives. Without story, we do not exist. The Way of Story is how we discover who we are.

Create stories that enlighten and empower action Join master story teller, Catherine Ann Jones as we discover the the how's and why's of writing great stories that have impact and resonance through personal experience and the inspiring insights of other artists, writers, poets and painters. You'll leave this class more prepared than ever to create stories that enlighten and empower action. That's the only thing that can help transform a highly dysfunctional and dangerous world. The writer has that kind of potential power whether writing memoir, short stories, novels, plays, or screenplays. Are you ready to soar into your potential as a writer and help co-create your piece of a new paradigm world? Then join us on our journey to great writing by registering here and now. You'll be very glad you did.
This 16 week course will teach you to develop story, character, & theme into a coherent, emotionally consistent, & marketable story outline. For writers of all levels & all narrative forms including plays, screenplays, stories, novels, & memoir.

Seven Steps to Story Structure

Create memorable characters & dialogue

Balancing craft with intuitive skills

Access and free your potential story

Choosing Your Story

Awakening the Inner Eye

Creating Character

Finding Your Voice

Story Structure

Writing the Story Outline: From Vision to Marketplace

Writing Transformational Stories

Transcending Writers Block

The Way of Story as a Life Path

http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=19

vrijdag 4 maart 2016

20160302 - flying scotsman

The Flying Scotsman is an express passenger train service that has been running between Edinburgh and London—the capitals of Scotland and England respectively—since 1862. It is currently operated by Virgin Trains East Coast.

History

The East Coast Main Line over which the Flying Scotsman runs was built in the 19th century by many small railway companies, but mergers and acquisitions led to only three companies controlling the route; the North British Railway (NBR), the North Eastern Railway (NER) and the Great Northern Railway (GNR). In 1860 the three companies established the East Coast Joint Stock for through services using common vehicles, and it is from this agreement that the Flying Scotsman came about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Scotsman_%28train%29

woensdag 2 maart 2016

20160301 - complimentendag

2016: Extra aandacht werkomgeving!

1 maart 2016 valt op een dinsdag dus…
maak die dag tot een ‘Happy Tuesday’ op je werk! Geef je favoriete collega’s, werknemers, toeleveranciers of misschien wel jouw baas eens een (extra) compliment en zie wat het met hen (en jou!) doet! Maar …… let op:

Waardeer altijd op een persoonlijke manier!
Waardering heeft een ‘zelfreinigend’ vermogen. Als een compliment niet oprecht, gemeend en persoonlijk overkomt, komt het als een boemerang terug.

Wat zijn de mogelijkheden?
Je kunt iemand natuurlijk bellen of een sms-je sturen. Let er in dat laatste geval overigens op dat je dat niet met zo’n ’one size fits all’ berichtje doet! Je weet wel: zo’n onpersoonlijk berichtje dat je op oudejaarsnacht van alle kanten doorgestuurd krijgt. Waarvan je weet dat het min of meer ‘met één druk op de knop’ naar de hele telefoonlijst in dat telefoontoestel is gestuurd. Goed bedoeld maar onpersoonlijk en dus absoluut niet geschikt voor een compliment! Hoe het wel moet? Klik hier http://www.nationalecomplimentendag.nl/tips.html

Je wilt iets aparts en écht persoonlijks?!
Dan kun je nu gebruik maken van één van de unieke (gratis) mogelijkheden die wij je via deze site bieden.