tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52919127966958634332024-03-24T16:32:24.954-07:00Simon Li (AKA Mydogisdead)This is the every now and again wall posting of my blog filled with music, Film, science and my love of 8mm film and other geeky things...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.comBlogger270125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-90303650302115172292013-04-01T10:23:00.000-07:002013-04-01T10:23:19.865-07:00Electrostimulation from psychiatric treatment to exercise to erotic masturbation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://youtu.be/d8HiRP7xFaA" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/iggyphoto/iggyphoto1102/iggyphoto110200128/8965274-pretty-young-lady-at-electrostimulation-therapy-intentional-shallow-depth-of-field.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Electro therapy seems only to be synonymous with beneficial alternative medicines. And while the science may prove to give a sound explanation on each of the methods, it is with relatively slow progress that such therapies are not in the mainstream.<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/zYl13Relzbs?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/zYl13Relzbs?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown. Today, ECT is most often recommended for use as a treatment for severe depression that has not responded to other treatment, and is also used in the treatment of mania and catatonia.
Aside from effects in the brain, the general physical risks of ECT are similar to those of brief general anesthesia; the United States' Surgeon General's report says that there are "no absolute health contraindications" to its use.<br />
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<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ZjFF81ikQJc?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ZjFF81ikQJc?hl=en_GB&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Immediately following treatment, the most common adverse effects are confusion and memory loss. The state of confusion usually disappears after a few hours. It can be tolerated by pregnant women who are not suffering major complications. It can be used with diabetic or obese patients, and with caution in those whose cancers are in remission or under control. It can be used in some immunocompromised patients. It must be used very cautiously in people with epilepsy or other neurological disorders because by its nature it provokes small tonic-clonic seizures, and so would likely not be given to a person whose epilepsy is not well controlled.<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/electro_convulsive_therapy.shtml" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://www.humanillnesses.com/images/hdc_0000_0001_0_img0039.jpg" width="320" /></a>According to prominent ECT researcher Harold Sackeim, "despite over fifty years of clinical use and ongoing controversy", until 2007 there had "never been a large-scale, prospective study of the cognitive effects of ECT." In this first-ever large-scale study (347 subjects), Sackeim and colleagues found that at least some forms (namely bilateral application and outdated sine-wave currents) of ECT "routine[ly]" lead to "adverse cognitive effects," including global cognitive deficits and memory loss, that persist for up to six months after treatment, suggesting that the induced deficits may be permanent.<br />
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Another form of therapy is Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) is a psychiatric treatment that applies a small, pulsed electric current across a patient's head. Some researchers and doctors claim that CES has beneficial effects in conditions such as anxiety, depression, insomnia and stress.<br />
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However, its effectiveness is still being studied., and is thus an experimental treatment.
Soroush Zaghi et al. published an article in the journal The Neuroscientist, finding that CES increases the production of serotonin, GABA, and endorphins. These neurochemical changes explain any positive effects that might be experienced from CES.
A meta-analysis by Klawansky et al. published in Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease "showed CES to be significantly more effective than sham treatment", but noted that 86% of the studies included in the review were inadequately blinded and the experimenter "knew which patients were receiving CES or sham treatment." Most studies cited as evidence for the effectiveness of CES failed to report all data necessary for meta-analysis.<br />
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<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/0vCzwfb7BwY?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/0vCzwfb7BwY?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Alternatively Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neurostimulation which uses constant, low current delivered directly to the brain area of interest via small electrodes. tDCS was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries such as strokes. Tests on healthy adults demonstrated that tDCS can increase cognitive performance on a variety of tasks, depending on the area of the brain being stimulated. tDCS has been utilized to enhance language and mathematical ability, attention span, problem solving, memory, and coordination.
Transcranial direct current stimulation works by sending constant, low direct current through the electrodes. When these electrodes are placed in the region of interest, the current induces intracerebral current flow. This current flow then either increases or decreases the neuronal excitability in the specific area being stimulated based on which type of stimulation is being used.<br />
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This change of neuronal excitability leads to alteration of <a href="http://youtu.be/NYAfmyMZe5g" target="_blank">brain function</a>, which can be used in various therapies as well as to provide more information about the functioning of the human brain.
The way that the stimulation changes brain function is either by causing the neuron’s resting membrane potential to depolarize or hyperpolarize. When positive stimulation (anodal tDCS) is delivered, the current causes a depolarization of the resting membrane potential, which increases neuronal excitability and allows for more spontaneous cell firing. When negative stimulation (cathodal tDCS) is delivered, the current causes a hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential. This decreases neuron excitability due to the decreased spontaneous cell firing.
There is no strict limitation on the duration of stimulation set at this point but a stimulation time of 20 minutes is considered the ideal time.<br />
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<a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-thinking-cap-stimulating.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://brmlab.cz/_media/project/brain_hacking/tdcs.jpg?w=800" width="320" /></a></div>
The longer the stimulation duration, the longer the observed effects of the stimulation persist once the stimulation has ended. A stimulation length of 10 minutes results in observed effects lasting for up to an hour. There are no known risks of tDCS at this time, but since this technique of stimulation is still being explored, safety precautions should be kept, as well as the effects to the brain.<br />
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Electro-stimulation can provide benefits to the rest of the body by way of electrical muscle stimulation, also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or electromyostimulation, is the elicitation of muscle contraction using electric impulses. EMS has received increasing attention in the last few years, because it has the potential to serve as: a strength training tool for healthy subjects and athletes; a rehabilitation and preventive tool for partially or totally immobilized patients; a testing tool for evaluating the neural and/or muscular function in vivo; a post-exercise recovery tool for athletes.<br />
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The impulses are generated by a device and delivered through electrodes on the skin in direct proximity to the muscles to be stimulated. The impulses mimic the action potential coming from the central nervous system, causing the muscles to contract. The electrodes are generally pads that adhere to the skin. In medicine EMS is used for rehabilitation purposes, for instance in physical therapy in the prevention of disuse muscle atrophy which can occur for example after musculoskeletal injuries, such as damage to bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. This is distinct from Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), in which an electric current is used for pain therapy.<br />
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EMS devices cause a calorie burning that is marginal at best: calories are burnt in significant amount only when most of the body is involved in physical exercise: several muscles, the heart and the respiratory system are all engaged at once. However, some authors imply that EMS can lead to exercise, since a person toning his/her muscles with electrical stimulation is more likely afterwards to participate in sporting activities as the body is ready, fit, willing and able to take on physical activity.<br />
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While most electro therapies claim some beneficial effects from mild electrical contact. There have been other ideas to try electrical stimulation in a erotic methodology. Utilizing Nikola Tesla's high voltage low current tesla coil, one of the first electro sex toys was a machine called "The violet wand". <br />
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A violet wand typically consists of a hand held "wand" made of plastic which encases a high voltage electrical transformer. Violet wands have been made for the adult industry since the early to mid 1990s. The first manufacturer of violet wands was Donnie Rice of the Erotec company of California, specifically for those into BDSM as a sexual stimulation device.<br />
A violet wand creates shock sensation when there is a gap between the electrode or the attachment and the body. As the wand is held near to the body, the spark will jump, providing the sensation. Full contact with an accessory creates a slightly warm sensation, but a violet wand provides a wide range of physical sensation properties with different settings and attachments. Violet Wands can be used anywhere on the body but should not be used around the eyes.
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Electrostimulation, in general, can cause tissue damage or even death if misused.<br />
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The most common problems arising from electrostimulation tend to be burns from lack of lubrication or bad contact between the electrode and the skin's surface. Even at relatively low current and voltage, there is also risk of interference with normal heart function (potentially including cardiac arrest), and this risk is higher for those who use an artificial pacemaker or similar device or who have heart conditions. Because of this, it is not advisable to place the electrical contacts in such a way that current passes through the chest cavity. Newcomers are encouraged to research the hazards, limitations, and techniques of electrostimulation and the devices used.
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There have been modifications to a typical muscle stimulator using electrode pads placed around the genitals can provide the erotic effect. The popular designs are the violet wand or<a href="http://youtu.be/Xdnlx71-aAA" target="_blank"> artificial phallus</a> place inside the female genitals for stimulation, these have been the safer choice considering most are battery operated. The use of remote control gives the flexibility to the consumer and with connectivity to allow long distance relationships to sexually blossom. But despite the images to the misuse of electro-shock therapy portrayed in horror film, its still likely that electricity will play a part in our lives as well as our wellbeing.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-59428989906327918902013-03-29T09:06:00.001-07:002013-03-29T09:06:53.519-07:00Is modern living a breeding ground for Psychopaths?...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/panewsfeeds/1-of-children-may-be-psychopaths-8096466.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.standard.co.uk/panewsfeeds/article8096465.ece/ALTERNATES/w460/Twin+studies+were+carried+out+which+suggested+psychopathic+traits+in+children+are+genetic" width="320" /></a></div>
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Both the financial elite and their servants who maintain this system, appear to exhibit behavior that is consistent with symptoms associated with a medical disorder known as psychopathy.(*) Psychopaths, also called sociopaths, are categorized as those who exhibit superficial charm and intelligence, and are absent of delusions or nervousness. Their traits include:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Unreliability
Frequent lying</li>
<li>Deceitful and manipulative behavior (either goal-oriented or for the delight of the act itself)</li>
<li>Lack of remorse or shame</li>
<li>Antisocial behavior</li>
<li>Poor judgment and failure to learn by experience</li>
<li>Incapacity for love</li>
<li>Poverty of general emotions</li>
<li>Loss of insight
Unresponsiveness in personal relations</li>
<li>A frequent need for excitement</li>
<li>An inflated self-worth</li>
<li>An ability to rationalize their behavior</li>
<li>A need for complete power</li>
<li>A need to dominate others</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/a-modern-psychopath.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQ37dVbUBWQs8YvegDWFi_Zh4g_g0QYqoqg4tOppgN83mRah3qFWEkeLAqhGfkWtRld9S_44vY-0yKPLj7WFINKjWaXUJvUCfenpF5xkl8UsFi-n5Zsi57TtDhM0QQCZ9DTubLQ08vLWX/s320/knuckle+tattoo+baby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Psychopathy is basically an emotional disorder, although psychopaths don't feel emotion in a normal sense, they do experience boredom, envy, exhilaration, contempt, sadistic pleasure, anger, and hints of depression. Generally, those who believe it's caused by environmental factors use the term sociopath, and believers of the biological theory use the term psychopath. Psychopathy closely resembles Antisocial Personality Disorder. These character types, comprise about 4% of the population and span every level of society. Psychopaths can be found in every race, culture, profession and class.<br />
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<a href="http://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/time-to-test-corporate-leaders-to-weed-out-psychopaths/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://thetyee.cachefly.net/Opinion/2011/11/20/Man-with-axe-300.jpg" /></a></div>
Psychopathy is usually untreatable. Most therapists won't work with them because they often end up damaged in the process. Traditional therapeutic approaches actually make them, if not worse, then far more adept at manipulating others and concealing their behavior. They are generally considered to be not only incurable but also untreatable. Basically psychopaths are the way they are for life. In most legal jurisdictions they are considered sane. So technically, they're not mentally ill, just different.
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<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30267075/ns/health-mental_health/t/destined-psychopath-experts-seek-clues/#.UJvvWcWTm70" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://www.professiongal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/shutterstock_101132875.jpg" width="400" /></a>Some researchers agree that the traits exhibited by these people produce a division stronger than age, race, and religion, which places them in a new category of people. In other words, these people are almost not human as we know it. The word antisocial does not describe someone who prefers to sit at home rather than attend gatherings. More accurately it means antihuman. Most people can't bring themselves to understand the mind-set of a psychopath.
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-barker/which-professions-have-the-most-psychopaths_b_2084246.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2012-11-06-ScreenShot20121106at5.35.01PM.png" width="400" /></a>Psychopaths tend to gravitate towards and thrive in professions that offer power and require cutthroat decision making, a new book has claimed.
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‘The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success’ outlines the ten jobs psychopaths are most likely, and least likely, to be found in. In the workplace, psychopaths are characterized by their attempts to try to undermine and “mentally destroy” their co-workers to feed their need for a sense of power and domination over other human beings.<br />
<a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/a-modern-psychopath.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.sott.net/image/image/s4/90869/full/article400_office_psychopath_4.jpg" width="311" /></a> A leading psychotherapist recently warned Australian bosses that they need to implement strategies to manage workplace psychopaths because they exist in most large companies.
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It’s been established for some time that genes play a significant role in the makeup of those individuals eventually diagnosed with such conditions as Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD, sometimes also now termed Dissocial Personality Disorder or DPD). And while the concepts of psychopathy and sociopathy have been around for a long time, neither has been recognized as an official disorder (although it’s likely that the upcoming revision of the official diagnostic manual will include the key aspects of psychopathy as a variant form of APD).<br />
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<a href="http://www.thekraytwins.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2007/12/27/kray460.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Historically, the evidence for a genetic predisposition to APD has come from studies of monozygotic (identical) twins reared apart. The fact that the twin of an individual with an antisocial behavior history is more likely to show the same kind of behaviors despite being raised in a different environment argues for a genetic predisposition to the disorder.<br />
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<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u-Kv2G3s6Cc?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u-Kv2G3s6Cc?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>And it’s of particular interest that twin studies have shown that the key component of psychopathy (i.e. lack of guilt or remorse and callous use and abuse of others rooted in empathy deficits) also appears to be influenced by biological factors. The “concordance” rate between twins reared apart for the various traits associated with APD, DPD, psychopathy and sociopathy is not strong enough to confirm a strictly genetic basis, but there can be no doubting a strong biologically-based predisposition. And one fairly recent study on monozygotic twins reared apart demonstrated that the biological predisposition toward empathy deficiency shows up even in children as young as 7 years old.<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2155489/Is-child-psychopath-Its-common-think--spot-danger-signs-young-three.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://img.gawkerassets.com/post/4/2012/05/kid-threat2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
According to Professor Essi Viding from University College London.
Her group has carried out twin studies which suggest that psychopathic traits in children are largely genetic. "For the group which has callous-unemotional traits, there's a strong genetic vulnerability," said Prof Viding.
"This does not mean these children are born anti-social or are destined to become anti-social. But in the same way that some of us are more susceptible to heart disease, these children are people who are more vulnerable to environmental influences that trigger the anti-social outcome."
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<a href="http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2012/08/New-Study-Says-1-in-100-Children-In-The-Uk-Are-Psychopaths-e1346424163254.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2012/08/New-Study-Says-1-in-100-Children-In-The-Uk-Are-Psychopaths-e1346424163254.jpg" width="400" /></a>Psychologists are only now starting to recognise that psychopathic children, described as callous-unemotional (CU), form a distinct sub-group. Prof Viding, said between a quarter and half of children with conduct problems may fall into the CU category. That amounts to slightly less than 1% of all children.
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Stephen Scott is professor of child health and behaviour at the Institute of Psychiatry, based at the Maudsley Hospital in South London.<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2195917/One-children-psychopathic-warn-researchers--say-parents-control-them.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://img.costumecraze.com/images/vendors/california/00306-Kids-Psychopath-Costume-large.jpg" width="172" /></a>As director of the National Conduct Problems Clinic for children aged between three and eight who show disruptive, difficult and anti-social behaviour, he is able to identify those who exhibit the ‘combination of anti-social behaviours with an overlay of callous, unemotional traits’ that are typical of adult psychopathy, and refer them on to the department’s Tender Loving Care (TLC) Project.
This research programme sees 100 children every year who have been referred by consultant psychiatrists, consultant paediatricians, social services, GPs, educational psychologists and teachers. Parents can also take along their own child if they are concerned, without a doctor’s referral.
Professor Scott says: ‘Adult sociopaths are superficial and charming, but can also seem uncaring and heartless.’ He believes these characteristics can be identified in childhood. While Professor Scott is wary of ‘over-diagnosis’ and emphasises that many children and adults can possess the cold, unfeeling nature of the psychopath without actually being one (‘think boyfriends who couldn’t give a damn and some chiefs of big corporations’) there is little danger of confusing the average five-year-old scamp with the fledgling psychopath.<br />
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Modern living, which includes watching Tv and being aware of the media somehow filters in our sub consciousness.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xYemnKEKx0c?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xYemnKEKx0c?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>The rewards for being successful or to accumulate wealth further promotes a cut throat behavior to our society. Considering that there are so many influences and that generates a selfish or narcissistic behavior pattern. I am developing a theory which points out the possible link of possible behavior to common genetic dominance. Although no single gene determines a particular behavior. Behaviors are complex traits involving multiple genes that are affected by a variety of other factors.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sott.net/article/252141-Deconstructing-myths-about-psychopaths-What-are-they-really-like" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://darklydexter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/photo582ed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This fact often gets overlooked in media reports hyping scientific breakthroughs on gene function, and, unfortunately, this can be very misleading to the public. Certain genetic markers in psychopaths can get passed down, about 50% of individual differences in psychopathic traits are genetic suggests that a fair amount of variance in psychopathic features is environmental. (It is worth noting that approximately 40-60% of the variance in many personality traits and in several other disorders also appears to reflect genetic factors. Thus, psychopathy is similar to other personality traits and disorders in which genetic factors are important, yet do not explain everything.) Although specific genes relevant to psychopathy have been identified, most people believe there are probably multiple genes which contribute to psychopathy, just as there are multiple genes involved in most clinical conditions which are partly heritable.<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0fkTHSeazsY?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0fkTHSeazsY?hl=en_GB&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Also a working theory that a mothers environment can effect a child's brain. As a unborn baby is exposed to stress hormones and poor diet from, the mothers influences the child's brain development. In this case fear and negative emotions will stimulate the <a href="http://nospank.net/grille5.htm" target="_blank">amygdala for fight or flight response</a>. While a positive environment will stimulate the anterior cingulate cortex, a higher brain function for rational cognitive functions preventing violent action or arguments. The theory of which subtly suggest environment can effect behaviour maybe uncommon, but is worth while to consider during a child's development?.<br />
While its is uncertain that behavior can not influence genetics, although it is important to notice that there is no current studies of links to disprove my theory of modern living having a negative influence our society in general...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/jim_fallon_exploring_the_mind_of_a_killer.html" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="560"></iframe>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-38280470786425522852012-12-31T15:32:00.000-08:002012-12-31T15:32:27.156-08:00The News, a brief history<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/short-history-news" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.hartplain-jun.hants.sch.uk/_files/images/news.gif" width="288" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://www.louvre.fr/sites/default/files/imagecache/940x768/medias/medias_images/images/louvre-recolte-preparation-sol.jpg" width="200" /></a>Before the invention of newspapers in the early 17th century, official government bulletins and edicts were circulated at times in some centralized empires.
The first documented use of an organized courier service for the diffusion of written documents is in Egypt, where Pharaohs used couriers for the diffusion of their decrees in the territory of the State (2400 BC). This practice almost certainly has roots in the much older practice of oral messaging and may have been built on a pre-existing infrastructure.<br />
<a href="http://indonesia-permai.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/history-od-newspaper.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYE-JMwLJ30YVDgu60aupjbGduqFA7NSUK2Z7hZrDC09-JChx-kAQBgKumNReLGUSKe_oF9K_W4DJzQC7bCghng4Bn4j8Los_X5w0nBDson7PxHLxvDHddsl15NneXSV0e2U2v_apq5mI/s200/Acta+Diurna.jpg" width="200" /></a>In Ancient Rome, Acta Diurna, or government announcement bulletins, were made public by Julius Caesar. They were handwritten news sheets posted by the government in the public marketplace from the year 59 BC* to at least 222 AD*. ACTA DIURNA announced news of politics, trials, scandals, military campaigners and execution.
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In China, early government-produced news sheets, called tipao, circulated among court officials during the late Han dynasty (202 BC – 202 AD). Between 713 and 734, the Kaiyuan Za Bao ("Bulletin of the Court") of the Chinese Tang Dynasty published government news; it was handwritten on silk and read by government officials. At some point during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Chinese used carved wooden blocks to print TIPAO, making them the first printed newspaper in history.
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13017882" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/63524000/jpg/_63524041_51241742_chinese_mandarins_circa_1400_getty_464x261.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
In 1582 there was the first reference to privately published news sheets in Beijing, during the late Ming Dynasty.
In Early modern Europe, increased cross-border interaction created a rising need for information which was met by concise handwritten news sheets. In 1556, the government of Venice first published the monthly Notizie scritte, which cost one gazetta. These avvisi were handwritten newsletters and used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently to Italian cities <a href="http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/printing_4.htm" target="_blank">(1500–1700) </a>sharing some characteristics of <a href="http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/printing_4.htm" target="_blank">newspapers</a> though usually not considered true newspapers. Due to low literacy rates, news was at times disseminated by town criers.<br />
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Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien, from 1605, is recognized as the world's first newspaper.
The oldest news agency is the Agence France-Presse (AFP). It was founded in 1835 by a Parisian translator and advertising agent, Charles-Louis Havas as Agence Havas.
In modern times, printed news had to be phoned in to a newsroom or brought there by a reporter, where it was typed and either transmitted over wire services or edited and manually set in type along with other news stories for a specific edition. Today, the term "breaking news" has become trite as commercial broadcasting United States cable news services that are available 24-hours a day use live satellite technology to bring current events into consumers' homes as the event occurs.<br />
Events that used to take hours or days to become common knowledge in towns or in nations are fed instantaneously to consumers via radio, television, mobile phone, and the Internet.
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<a href="http://youtu.be/gHU2AVcK5l8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.soultraderstruth.com/images/jpg/propaganda.jpg" width="241" /></a>The news servers the duality of information on current events and the historical details of past events. While technology has moved on and that all possible news cant be digested, certain edits or types of news have been place in the foreground compared with others. This type of distortion, in which entertainment is place in high regard can suggest propaganda.<br />
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News organizations are often expected to aim for objectivity; reporters claim to try to cover all sides of an issue without bias, as compared to commentators or analysts, who provide opinion or personal point-of-view. The result is a laying out of facts in a sterile, noncommittal manner, and then standing back to "let the reader decide" which view is true. Several governments impose certain constraints or police news organizations against bias. In the United Kingdom, for example, limits are set by the government agency Ofcom, the Office of Communications. Both newspapers and broadcast news programs in the United States are generally expected to remain neutral and avoid bias except for clearly indicated editorial articles or segments. Many single-party governments have operated state-run news organizations, which may present the government's views.
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<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FKjKaeOZ57Q?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
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During the 2010 financial crisis in Greece, the media openly played a protecting role towards the government. Mainly the news program of Mega Channel has been criticised by many other media as well as political parties as playing a role as part of the government propaganda in favour of the International Monetary Fund. Perhaps todays News have taken a turn for the worst as scandals of phone hacking and intrusive paparazzi sensationalize celebrities. The healthy awareness of the world comes with a lot of negative news stories. Small wonder why most people would bury themselves in good news...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-17284674274967753102012-12-30T15:56:00.000-08:002012-12-30T15:56:53.443-08:00Attention and distraction, the tools for popularity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://dmlcentral.net/blog/whitney-burke/how-brain-science-attention-will-transform-way-we-live-work-and-learn" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://www.redhotmarketingblender.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Attention.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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In cognitive psychology there are at least two models which describe how visual attention operates. These models may be considered loosely as metaphors which are used to describe internal processes and to generate hypotheses that are falsifiable. Generally speaking, visual attention is thought to operate as a two-stage process. In the first stage, attention is distributed uniformly over the external visual scene and processing of information is performed in parallel.<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rYHWzPidMmo?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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The first of these models to appear in the literature is the spotlight model. The term "spotlight" was inspired by the work of William James who described attention as having a focus, a margin, and a fringe. The focus is an area that extracts information from the visual scene with a high-resolution, the geometric center of which being where visual attention is directed. Surrounding the focus is the fringe of attention which extracts information in a much more crude fashion (i.e. low-resolution).<br />
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<a href="http://baneofyourresistance.com/tag/distraction-quiz/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://baneofyourresistance.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/distracted2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This fringe extends out to a specified area and this cut-off is called the margin.
The second model that is called the zoom-lens model, and was first introduced in 1983. This model inherits all properties of the spotlight model (i.e. the <a href="http://youtu.be/Sc3fqkwHWJA" target="_blank">focus</a>, the fringe, and the margin) but has the added property of changing in size. This size-change mechanism was inspired by the zoom lens you might find on a camera, and any change in size can be described by a trade-off in the efficiency of processing. In understand the principles of attention it is equally important to understand Distraction and how we can use it to our advantage. <br />
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Distraction is the divided attention of an individual or group from the chosen object of attention onto the source of distraction. Distraction is caused by: the lack of ability to pay attention; lack of interest in the object of attention; or the great intensity, novelty or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention. Distractions come from both external sources, and internal sources.<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8yuJp4VLkCQ?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8yuJp4VLkCQ?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Multitasking could also be considered as distraction in situations requiring full attention on a single object (e.g. sports, academic tests, performance). The issue of distraction in the workplace is studied in interruption science. According to Gloria Mark, a leader in interruption science, the average knowledge worker switches tasks every three minutes, and, once distracted, a worker takes nearly a half-hour to resume the original task.
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Alternatively Propagandising techniques of distraction are used in media manipulation. The idea is encourage the public to focus on a topic or idea that the compliance professional feels is supportive of their cause. By focusing attention, a particular ideology can be made to seem the only reasonable choice.
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<a href="http://youtu.be/Z3Dpb6Hs9aQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://www.thesquireeventcompany.co.uk/images/magicians.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Magicians use distraction techniques to draw the audience's attention away from whichever hand is engaged in sleight of hand. Magicians can accomplish this by encouraging the audience to look elsewhere or by having an assistant do or say something to draw the audience's attention away. Sleight of hand is often used in close-up magic, performed with the audience close to the magician, usually within three or four meters, possibly in physical contact. It often makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards and coins.
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In media or in retail and other forms of social interaction the tools of attention and distraction to enthesise or desensitise a piece of information can create false interest. Besides the basis need to survive and live, the constant bombardment of attention and distraction signals often motivates us to follow those avenues. When fully immersed in a social event people will likely to follow the crowd and yet remain individual. In any occasion it is more educational to spot the objects and people that attract the most attention and leave them for last...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-22598597212692080442012-12-29T16:01:00.000-08:002012-12-29T16:01:01.973-08:00Peer to peer loans, a brief description in bypassing the Banks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.peer-to-peer-lenders.com/about-peer-to-peer-lending/making-a-profit-on-investment-from-social-lending-sites" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://www.peer-to-peer-lenders.com/i/peer-to-peer-lending1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Many economists have offered theories about how financial crises develop and how they could be prevented. There is little consensus, however, and financial crises are still a regular occurrence around the world.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T3CDGh4cXU0?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T3CDGh4cXU0?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>When a bank suffers a sudden rush of withdrawals by depositors, this is called a bank run. Since banks lend out most of the cash they receive in deposits (see fractional-reserve banking), it is difficult for them to quickly pay back all deposits if these are suddenly demanded, so a run may leave the bank in bankruptcy, causing many depositors to lose their savings unless they are covered by deposit insurance. A situation in which bank runs are widespread is called a systemic banking crisis or just a banking panic.
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<a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/15/looming-financial-bubbles-personal-finance-bubbles.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://doctorzhivago.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/bubbleburst.jpg" width="320" /></a>Economists say that a financial asset (stock, for example) exhibits a bubble when its price exceeds the present value of the future income (such as interest or dividends) that would be received by owning it to maturity. If most market participants buy the asset primarily in hopes of selling it later at a higher price, instead of buying it for the income it will generate, this could be evidence that a bubble is present. If there is a bubble, there is also a risk of a crash in asset prices. Well-known examples of bubbles and crashes in stock prices and other asset prices include, the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the crash of the dot-com bubble in 2000–2001, and the now-deflating United States housing bubble.
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<a href="http://youtu.be/T3CDGh4cXU0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://frontview.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/second-great-depression.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
An especially <a href="http://youtu.be/nc11O7Efohs" target="_blank">prolonged recession</a> may be called a depression, while a long period of slow but not necessarily negative growth is sometimes called economic stagnation. Since these phenomena affect much more than the financial system they are not usually considered<a href="http://youtu.be/vSxl2fpU7uE" target="_blank"> financial crises</a> as such though there are links between the two.
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A quarterly survey of commercial banks by the European Central Bank showed a surge in the number of institutions that were becoming more restrictive about who they lent to, because the banks themselves were having trouble raising money and were under pressure from regulators to reduce risk.<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O2wQ66ouc1Y?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O2wQ66ouc1Y?hl=en_GB&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>In the last couple of years, the lending industry has gone through an evolution and has given way to social lending as the new and promising mode of lending. Also known as <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/peertopeer-lending-boom-could-make-banks-obsolete-8421241.html" target="_blank">peer- to- peer lending</a> or person to person (P2P) lending. The main objective of the social lending hubs is to offer an online loan with the best interest rates and to make customers feel like they are borrowing from a friend or community. This peer to peer borrowing is increasingly being seen in a new light and is being considered as a part of community borrowing (which was more traditionally offered by small local community banks).
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Yglfn1Pobs?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Yglfn1Pobs?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Peer-to-peer lenders offer a narrower range of services than traditional banks, and in some jurisdictions may not be required to have a banking license. Peer-to-peer loans, are funded by investors who can choose the loans they fund; sometimes as many as several hundred investors fund one loan; banks, on the other hand, fund loans with money from multiple depositors or money that they have borrowed from other sources; the depositors are not able to choose which loans to fund.. Because of these differences, peer-to-peer lenders are considered non-banking financial companies.
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<a href="http://www.hacktrix.com/social-lending-websites-to-get-peer-2-peer-p2p-loans" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://www.hacktrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/social-lending-peer-to-peer-lending.png" width="320" /></a>One of the main advantages of person-to-person lending for borrowers has been better rates than traditional bank rates can offer (often below 10%.) The advantages for lenders are higher returns than obtainable from a savings account or other investments. Both of these benefits are the result of disintermediation, since peer-to-peer lenders avoid the costs of physical branches, capital reserves, and high overhead costs borne by traditional financial institutions with many employees and costly locations.
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<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/17-million-dollar-ideas-on-kickstarter-2012-12#amanda-palmer-a-project-to-launch-a-new-album-art-book-and-tour-raised-119-million-from-24883-backers-1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.oneswoop.com/res/images/articles/kickstarter_2_400x0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Because, unlike depositing money in banks, peer-to-peer lenders can choose themselves whether to lend their money to safer borrowers with lower interest rates or to riskier borrowers with higher returns, peer-to-peer lending is treated legally as investment and the repayment in case of borrower defaulting is not guaranteed by the government. But despite a certain risk for lenders peer to peer loans have been a growing trend since 2005 by <a href="http://uk.zopa.com/" target="_blank">Zopa</a>. Avoiding the bad reputation of loans or loan sharks, the peer to peer business model has the simple idea of joining borrower and lending community. Without the securities of a central bank, it also avoids the problems of which banks seem to have caused. While other concepts like <a href="http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/" target="_blank">crowd funding</a> allowing fans or donations from well meaning people to fund small <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57561076-92/consumer-electronics-trade-group-wants-startups..-badly/" target="_blank">start up</a> companies to create an industry. Financial institutions don't appear to invest for future unless there are certain guarantees. As the public become discontented with financial scandals and continuing <a href="http://youtu.be/h3VgY1_PzUs" target="_blank">global money worries</a>, its likely that the public will turn to peer to peer investment and loans. The future of creativity and innovation might relay on it, as more and people are turning to this type of banking. Time will tell if this is a sound alternative to savings and loans or if indeed it is another Bubble... <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-20290605933026971842012-12-28T16:01:00.000-08:002012-12-29T05:22:23.435-08:00Quantum Radar, a brief description of anti anti radar counter measure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008/05/lockheeds-spook/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://images2-focus-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://cdn3.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/7346479/quantumimage_large_large.jpg&container=focus&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image/*&refresh=31536000&resize_h=150&resize_w=150&no_expand=1" width="320" /></a></div>
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Quantum radar is a hypothetical remote-sensing method based on quantum entanglement.
One possible implementation of such technology has been developed and patented by defense contractor <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008/05/lockheeds-spook/" target="_blank">Lockheed Martin.</a> It intends to create a radar system which provides a better resolution and higher detail than classical radar can provide.<br />
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<a href="http://www.lasermap.com/laserM/en/doc05.htm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://live.osgeo.org/_images/liblas.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/78R3qi_VbKU" target="_blank">Radar </a>and lidar (Light Detection And Ranging) systems bounce radio or light signals off an object and measure how long they take to return. The returning information can be used to determine the object's position and height, or to calculate its speed.<br />
Meanwhile Mehul Malik and colleagues at the University of Rochester, New York, utilized a special encryption from quantum cryptography. A polarized outgoing photon in one of two ways according to a sequence.
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Their radar system measures the polarisations of the returning photons, using conventional algorithms to measure speed direction. But also checking the encrypted polarized sequence for proof of original signal, forcing anyone wishing to create a false beam to polarise the photons in the same sequence. But if that person tries to measure the photons arriving from the radar transmitter, quantum mechanics ensures that many of the true polarisations get lost.<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2249392/The-unjammable-quantum-radar-make-present-generation-stealth-technology-obsolete.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/12/17/article-2249392-168D7D38000005DC-781_634x401.jpg" width="400" /></a>So a false signal always has more wrongly polarized photons than the true beam, which would probably indicate as enemy signal and easily distinguishable. In a lab test, photons reflected from a model of a stealth bomber had an error rate of less than 1 per cent. When the team tried to spoof the photons as if they were reflected off a bird, over half had the wrong polarisation. The same principle can also be used to reveal if photons encoding a secret key have been intercepted.
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<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/mar/06/usa.science" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://www.armedforces-int.com/upload/image_files/slider/Breakthrough_for_Quantum-Based_Radar_Signal/Unjammable_Radar_System.jpeg" width="400" /></a>For example if a stealth aircraft attempts to intercept these photons and resend them in a way that disguises its position, it would inevitably change the photons' quantum properties, revealing any interference. In order to jam our imaging system, the object must disturb the delicate quantum state of the imaging photons, thus introducing statistical errors that reveal its activity. Traditional methods of evasion include the use of chaff to generate extra noise, as a radar countermeasure.
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/mar/06/usa.science" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/US_Navy_091123-N-8335D-024_Mineman_Seaman_Recruit_Chilo_Espinoza_works_at_the_radar_station_in_the_command_information_center_of_the_mine_counter-measures_ship_USS_Defender_(MCM_2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In early 1942, a Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) researcher named Joan Curran investigated the idea and came up with a scheme for dumping packets of aluminium strips from aircraft to generate a cloud of false echoes. An early idea was to use sheets the size of a notebook page, these would be printed so they would also serve as propaganda leaflets. However, it was found the most effective version used strips of black paper backed with aluminium foil, exactly 27 by 2 centimetres (11 in × 0.79 in) and packed into bundles each weighing 1 pound (0.45 kg). The Head of the TRE, A. P. Rowe, code-named the device as "Window".
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<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A637634" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://content.answcdn.com/main/content/img/McGrawHill/Aviation/f0243-03.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meanwhile in Germany, similar research had led to the development of Düppel. The systems were all essentially identical in concept: small aluminium strips (or wires) cut to one-half of the target radar's wavelength. When hit by the radar, such lengths of metal resonate and re-radiate the signal. Opposing defences would find it almost impossible to distinguish the aircraft from the echoes caused by the chaff. Alternatively Electronic counter measures work by Jamming transmitting signals on the radar frequency to produce a noise level sufficient to hide echoes.<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yzXNKirNC-c?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yzXNKirNC-c?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>The jammer's continuous transmissions will provide a clear direction to the enemy radar, but no range information. Deception may use a transponder to mimic the radar echo with a delay to indicate incorrect range. Transponders may alternatively increase return echo strength to make a small decoy appear to be a larger target. Target modifications include radar absorbing coatings and modifications of the surface shape to either "stealth" a high-value target or enhance reflections from a decoy.
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<a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/stealth-bomber5.htm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/stealth-bomber-25.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The new system of radar effectively renders all forms of radar counter measure useless. Despite passive radar using the subtle method of terrestrial signals from public transmission, which hides the knowledge of possible transmitters. The Quantum radar will accurately record height direction and speed, but at the cost of knowing radar is being used. Although enemy aircraft will be able to detect the radar, it is unlikely that they can provide any countermeasures to quantum encryption radar scanning. This also makes the current fleet of stealth aircraft useless, which in retrospect seems like a regrettable avenue of research considering the program for the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit bomber was US$44.75 billion (through 2004). <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-81330794455581446742012-12-27T16:00:00.000-08:002012-12-27T16:00:58.204-08:00Artificial Trees, the natural alturnative<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://breakthroughgen.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/synthetic-air-capture-technology-how-artificial-trees-can-do-more-than-decorate-your-living-room/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://breakthroughgen.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/artificial-co2-capture-mechanish_69_74471.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert the light energy captured from the sun into chemical energy that can be used to fuel the organism's activities. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea.
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<a href="http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0775714.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.factmonster.com/images/photosynthesis.gif" width="267" /></a></div>
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The first photosynthetic organisms probably evolved about 3,500 million years ago, early in the evolutionary history of life, when all forms of life on Earth were microorganisms and the atmosphere had much more carbon dioxide. They most likely used hydrogen or hydrogen sulfide as sources of electrons, rather than water. Cyanobacteria appeared later, around 3,000 million years ago, and drastically changed the Earth when they began to oxygenate the atmosphere, beginning about 2,400 million years ago. This new atmosphere allowed the evolution of complex life such as protists. Eventually, no later than a billion years ago, one of these protists formed a symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacterium, producing the ancestor of many plants and algae. The chloroplasts in modern plants are the descendants of these ancient symbiotic cyanobacteria.
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<a href="http://youtu.be/2IygaV0_-B0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Thylakoid_membrane.png/450px-Thylakoid_membrane.png" width="400" /></a></div>
Photosynthesis happens when water is absorbed by the roots of green plants and is carried to the leaves by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylem" target="_blank">xylem</a>, and carbon dioxide is obtained from air that enters the leaves through the stomata and diffuses to the cells containing chlorophyll. In the light reactions, one molecule of the pigment chlorophyll absorbs one photon and loses one electron. This electron is passed to a modified form of chlorophyll called pheophytin, which passes the electron to a quinone molecule, allowing the start of a flow of electrons down an electron transport chain that leads to the ultimate reduction of NADP to NADPH. In addition, this creates a proton gradient across the chloroplast membrane; its dissipation is used by ATP synthase for the concomitant synthesis of ATP. The chlorophyll molecule regains the lost electron from a water molecule through a process called photolysis, which releases a dioxygen (O2) molecule.
<a href="http://youtu.be/m8v7prlscM0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Calvin-cycle4.svg" width="320" /></a><br />
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In the light-independent (or "dark") reactions, the enzyme RuBisCO captures CO2 from the atmosphere and in a process that requires the newly formed NADPH, called the Calvin-Benson Cycle, releases three-carbon sugars, which are later combined to form sucrose and starch.
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carbon fixation produces an intermediate product, which is then converted to the final carbohydrate products. The carbon skeletons produced by photosynthesis are then variously used to form other organic compounds, such as the building material cellulose, as precursors for lipid and amino acid biosynthesis, or as a fuel in cellular respiration. The latter occurs not only in plants but also in animals when the energy from plants gets passed through a food chain.<br />
<a href="http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/carbon-geosequestration-will-contaminate-water-supply-study-says/12310" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://breakthroughgen.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/carbon-capture-and-storage1.jpg?w=367&h=292" width="320" /></a><br />
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While nature has provided essential oxygen and food from plants, man has attempted to utilize the sun for energy production. Solar cells have been able to generate clean power as each photon strikes the surface of a solar array freeing up an electron, its combined photoelectric effect seemed like the only principle to make use of the sun artificially. <br />
Professor Ray Frost, from Queensland University of Technology's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, said the idea of geosequestration was to trap carbon dioxide and to lock it into minerals deep underground.
Geosequestration of carbon dioxide is one of the methods under debate to reduce greenhouse gases and their effects on climate change.
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<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ROEFaHKVmSs?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ROEFaHKVmSs?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>The chemical process of using calcium or sodium hydroxide to absorb CO2 has been known for years but the question of whether it can be done in an affordable energy efficient manner has not yet been fully answered. Constructing and erecting the collector device is only 20% of the cost; the remainder of the cost involves prying the CO2 loose from the absorbent and storing it- an energy intensive process. The back of the envelope calculation of total cost supposes $80 to $100 per ton of carbon captured, which is large as compared to the $25-$75 per ton cost that proponents of a carbon tax or cap-and-trade scheme believe will stabilize atmospheric emissions of CO2.
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<a href="http://ksj.mit.edu/tracker/2012/05/new-yorker-artificial-leafs-inventer-spe" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://ksj.mit.edu/sites/default/files/images/tracker/2012/mit-artificial-leaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Trapping Carbon dioxide underground is a solution which offers a instant result, but considering carbon isn't recycled or that containment is finite and may have limits. An alternative solution may lay in increasing the number of plant life to off-set industrial levels of carbon dioxide production. Although natural resources like the Amazon and other rain forests are dwindling, recent claim of replicating photosynthesis may offer a natural solution. One of the biggest obstacles to artificial photosynthesis has been that scientists could only replicate it with a costly platinum catalyst.
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Danial Nocera at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says his team has found a way to replace it with a cheap nickel-molybdenum-zinc compound. This puts him one step closer to his goal of finding an inexpensive, portable source of renewable energy for developing countries.
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<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/47M98ylHTak?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/47M98ylHTak?hl=en_GB&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Artificial leaves resemble a thin playing card, described by MIT as a "silicon solar cell with different catalytic materials bonded onto its two sides". Covered with water and placed in sunlight, it splits hydrogen and water, mimicking photosynthesis. I've got to say that the Nocera system is very good it's probably at the moment the best in the world, but there are other alternative approaches and many places are working on it," said Jim Barber, a biologist at Imperial College London.
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Barber is part of another team researching artificial photosynthesis. His project uses iron oxide, or rust, as a cheap material to absorb light and serve as a semi-conductor. "The sun is the only energy source available to us of sufficient magnitude to satisfy our needs. That's why it's so important to continue to develop the research and development. The Nocera work is a giant leap forward towards this goal of capturing sunlight and storing it as a fuel," Barber explained. According to Barber, if artificial photosynthesis systems could use around 10% of the sunlight falling on them, they would only need to cover 0.16% of the Earth's surface to satisfy a global energy consumption rate of 20 terawatts, the amount it is predicted that the world will need in 2030.
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<a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/panasonic-develops-highly-efficient-artificial-photosynthesis-system-generating-organic-materials-from-carbon-dioxide-and-water#!prettyPhoto" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/panasonic_artificial_photosynthesis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Alternatively Panasonic has developed an artificial photosynthesis system which converts carbon dioxide (CO2) to organic materials by illuminating with sunlight at a world's top efficiency*1 of 0.2%. The efficiency is on a comparable level with real plants used for biomass energy. The key to the system is the application of a nitride semiconductor which makes the system simple and efficient. This development will be a foundation for the realization of a system for capturing and converting wasted carbon dioxide from incinerators, power plants or industrial activities.<br />
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<a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/energy-production/artificial-photosynthesis.htm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/artificial-photosynthesis-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Panasonic's artificial photosysnthesis system has a simple structure with highly efficient CO2 conversion, which can utilize direct sunlight or focused light. Nitride semiconductors have attracted attention for their potential applications in highly efficient optical and power devices for energy saving. However, its potential was revealed to extend beyond solid devices; more specifically, it can be used as a photo-electrode for CO2 reduction. Making a deviced structure through the thin film process for semiconductors, the performance as a photo-electrode has highly improved.
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<a href="http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2012/08/panasonic-creates-efficient-nitride-semioconductor-based-artificial-photosynthesis.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/2012/07/en120730-5/en120730-5-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The CO2 reduction takes place on a metal catalyst at the opposite side of nitride <a href="http://panasonic.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/2012/07/en120730-5/en120730-5.html" target="_blank">semiconductor photo-electrode</a>. The system with a nitride semiconductor and a metal catalyst generates mainly formic acid from CO2 and water with light at a world's top efficiency of 0.2%. The formic acid is an important chemical in industry for dye and fragrances. The reaction rate is completely proportional to the light power due to the low energy loss with simple structure; in other words, the system can respond to focused light. This will make it possible to realize a simple and compact system for capturing and converting wasted carbon dioxide from incinerators and electric generation plants.
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While new research continues it may be possible to create a system mimicking photosynthesis, the closest resemblance has not been able to turn the complex biological systems to a clean food source. The probable best solution for the time being is to contain the increasing number of carbon dioxide emissions. Although sweeping underground waste products seem like a solution, there may be hidden factors which might reappear as in most waste products. Its uncertain if Artificial trees will be the solution, but considering that natural resources are reducing in numbers and that industry doesn't appear to slow down. It might be wise to put research into Terraforming technology...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-27925277060991496492012-12-26T15:59:00.000-08:002012-12-26T16:08:35.028-08:00stem cells, a brief description<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/topic/stem-cells" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.rescuepost.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/10/stem_cells.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>
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Stem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide (through mitosis) and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells. In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all the specialized cells (these are called pluripotent cells), but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin, or intestinal tissues.
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<a href="http://www.donate-cord-blood.com/autologous-stem-cell-transplant/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://donate-cord-blood.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/autologous-stem-cell-transplant.gif" width="320" /></a>
<li>Bone marrow, which requires extraction by harvesting, that is, drilling into bone (typically the femur or iliac crest),
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<li>Adipose tissue (lipid cells), which requires extraction by liposuction,
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<li>Blood, which requires extraction through pheresis, wherein blood is drawn from the donor (similar to a blood donation), passed through a machine that extracts the stem cells and returns other portions of the blood to the donor
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</ul>
<a href="http://nanobiotechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/adult_stem_cells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://nanobiotechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/adult_stem_cells.jpg" width="285" /></a>Stem cells can also be taken from umbilical cord blood just after birth. Of all stem cell types, autologous harvesting involves the least risk. By definition, <a href="http://www.webmd.com/cancer/autologous-stem-cell-transplant" target="_blank">autologous</a> cells are obtained from one's own body, just as one may bank his or her own blood for elective surgical procedures.
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Highly plastic adult stem cells are routinely used in medical therapies, for example in bone marrow transplantation. Stem cells can now be artificially grown and transformed (differentiated) into specialized cell types with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture. Embryonic cell lines and autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning have also been proposed as promising candidates for future therapies. Research into stem cells grew out of findings by Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till at the University of Toronto in the 1960s.
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<a href="http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/12/scientists-can-now-make-brain-cells-from-urine/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://media.gizmodo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/187x3tkcelgkpjpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
To do this, the team first converted stem cells extracted from urine into urothelial cells and smooth muscle cells - vital cell lines for making ureters, which empty fluid from the kidneys into the bladder, and urethras, which conduct it from the bladder out of the body. Zhang then chemically stripped all pig cells from layers of pig gut tissue, leaving just the underlying inert collagen scaffold. He coated this scaffold with the two types of cell. Two weeks later, the deposited cells had formed layers on the scaffolds resembling urethras and ureters.
In another experiment, the same structures developed after the seeded scaffolds had been implanted in mice lacking an immune system, proving that the cells can survive and grow in live animals.<br />
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Zhang plans further experiments in larger animals and eventually in humans. He and his colleagues hope to emulate the clinical success seen two years ago when researchers replaced a woman's damaged windpipe by growing her stem cells on a section of donated windpipe that had been stripped of the donor's cells.
There seem to be ample stem cells in urine to make these structures. A single colony of converted cells can coat a scaffold up to 10 cubic centimetres in volume, and just 200 millilitres of urine contains enough stem cells to form 15 colonies, say the team. While harvesting cells may sound unique, an alternative macabre method maybe put into practice.<br />
Dead bodies can provide organs for transplants, now they might become a source of stem cells too. Huge numbers of stem cells can still be mined from bone marrow five days after death to be potentially used in a variety of life-saving treatments.
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<a href="http://katielambert.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/graves.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://katielambert.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/graves.jpg" width="320" /></a>Human bone marrow contains mesenchymal stem cells, which can develop into bone, cartilage, fat and other cell types. MSCs can be transplanted and the type of cell they form depends on where they are injected. Cells injected into the heart, for example, can form healthy new tissue, a useful therapy for people with chronic heart conditions.
Unlike other tissue transplants, MSCs taken from one person tend not to be rejected by another's immune system. In fact, MSCs appear to pacify immune cells. It is this feature which has made MSC treatments invaluable for children with graft-versus-host disease, in which transplants aimed at treating diseases such as leukaemia attack the child instead.
Stem cell therapies require a huge numbers of cells though, and it can be difficult to obtain a sufficient amount from a living donor.
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<a href="http://www.euronews.com/2012/06/20/french-scientists-amazing-discovery-about-dead-bodies/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cache.io9.com/assets/images/8/2010/10/the-walking-dead1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Paolo Macchiarini, who researches regenerative medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, describes the work as an excellent advance but says that the cells may not be as healthy as they seem. Their DNA may be affected by the death of surrounding tissue and exposure to cold temperatures. "We need to make sure the cells are safe," he says.
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Corneal stem cells taken from the eyes of fresh cadavers have already been used to treat blindness in people with eye conditions that result from injury and scarring, but Chris Mason at University College London sees a potential hurdle in using such MSCs in therapy. "The work is novel and intriguing... but it would be better to use a living donor," he says. That's partly because medical regulators oppose treating individuals with stem cells from more than one source. "You can always go back and get more stem cells from a living donor if you need them, but if you use a cadaver, you'll eventually run out."
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<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q9KfFobS3yQ?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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In 2006, Shinya Yamanaka made a groundbreaking discovery that would win him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine just six years later: he found a new way to ‘reprogramme’ adult, specialized cells to turn them into stem cells. These laboratory-grown stem cells are pluripotent – they can make any type of cell in the body - and are called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. Only embryonic stem cells are naturally pluripotent. Yamanaka’s discovery means that theoretically any dividing cell of the body can now be turned into a pluripotent stem cell. Stem cells is still a relatively new science and while small breakthroughs in the news are helping to turn peoples mind on the ethical issues. As alternatives to using embryonic stem cells are making great advances it is uncertain how we might harvest cells for repair...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-15756835024708957262012-12-25T16:00:00.000-08:002012-12-25T16:00:28.157-08:00Sous-vide cooking, boil in a bag technology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://www.winegoggle.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/sous-vide.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sous-vide French for "under vacuum") is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for longer than normal cooking times—72 hours in some cases—at an accurately regulated temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55 °C (131 °F) to 60 °C (140 °F) for meats and higher for vegetables. The intention is to cook the item evenly, and to not overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same "doneness", keeping the food juicier.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cookingsousvide.com/info/sous-vide-equipment/more/sealing-your-food-for-sous-vide" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.souschef.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/o/sous-vide-supreme-vacuum-sealer-black-salmon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
In most cases, cooking sous vide simply involves two steps: the sealing of foods in plastic bags and submerging the bags into hot water baths for a period of time to heat through. The water is typically regulated at the desired final temperature of the food or just above. The food is held in the water bath until it reaches the same temperature as the water (and then held at that temperature until service or a final cooking step takes place such as searing). In many ways, this is similar to simmering (such as in a poached fish recipe), except the sous vide water is usually at a lower temperature and food is kept from making direct contact with the water by a barrier (such as a plastic bag or eggshell in the case of sous vide eggs, thus minimizing flavor and nutrient loss of the ingredients to the cooking liquid).
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The theory was first described by Sir Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) in 1799 (although he used air as the heat transfer medium). It was re-discovered by American and French engineers in the mid-1960s and developed into an industrial food preservation method. The method was adopted by Georges Pralus in 1974 for the Restaurant Troisgros (of Pierre and Michel Troisgros) in Roanne, France. He discovered that when foie gras was cooked in this manner it kept its original appearance, did not lose excess amounts of fat and had better texture. Another pioneer in sous-vide is Bruno Goussault, who further researched the effects of temperature on various foods and became well known for training top chefs in the method. As chief scientist of Alexandria, Virginia-based food manufacturer Cuisine Solutions, Goussault developed the parameters of cooking times and temperatures for various food.
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FH9V8Dg86Zw?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow in food in the absence of oxygen and produce the deadly botulinum toxin, so sous-vide cooking must be performed under carefully controlled conditions to avoid botulism poisoning. Generally speaking, food that is heated and served within four hours is considered safe, but meat that is cooked for longer to tenderize must reach a temperature of at least 55 °C (131 °F) within four hours and then be kept there, in order to pasteurize the meat.<br />
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Pasteurization kills the botulism bacteria, but the possibility of hardy botulism spores surviving and reactivating once cool remains a concern as with many preserved foods, however processed. For that reason, Baldwin's treatise specifies precise chilling requirements for "cook-chill", so that the botulism spores do not have the opportunity to grow or propagate.
Extra precautions need to be taken for food to be eaten by people with compromised immunity. Women eating food cooked sous vide while pregnant may expose risk to themselves and/or their fetus and thus may choose to be more careful than usual.
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Sous-vide's failure to penetrate the home kitchen is in part because of expense. A typical water-bath for the domestic cook, will cost £499, along with a good vacuum-sealer too cost at least £50.
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One limitation of sous-vide cooking is the fact that browning (Maillard reactions) happens at much higher temperatures (above the boiling point of water). The flavors and "crust" texture developed by browning are generally seen as very desirable in the cooking of certain types of meat, such as a steak. The flavors and texture produced by browning cannot be obtained with only the sous-vide technique. In many cases, meats and other foods cooked with the sous-vide technique will be browned either before or after being placed in the water bath, using techniques such as grilling or searing on an extremely hot pan.
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<a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/450126-how-to-cook-boil-in-bag-rice/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://d74bwl3dcueqd.cloudfront.net/images/guide/3c87000ef160479281d36fd8b2a67784/440x380_ac.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
The whole process of cooking a ready meal in a bag for longterm storage offers the convenience to quickly heat up, eat and go ready meal. While the equipment is relatively expensive, its seems that this type of cooking maybe left for the convenience of large restaurants and emergency food packs for hurricane evacuees. Comparing the effort of a typical weekly shop to buying preparing and freezing enough food for the week, seems to be too much of a chore for Sous vide. Also the novel factor of this type of cooking would probably wear off in a few months, and would just seem like boil in the bag cooking. A simple task synonymous for boiling rice or cheap ready meals for a students with a budget...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-86704824852025428302012-12-24T16:00:00.000-08:002012-12-25T06:56:49.669-08:00The science of Santa, or the time dialation of giving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01780/santa-sleigh_1780995c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01780/santa-sleigh_1780995c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas and simply "Santa", is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric origins.
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<a href="http://www.noradsanta.org/en/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.momontherocks.com/science%20of%20santa%20academic%20santa%208X10.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
If we assume that Santa has to travel 510,000,000km on Christmas Eve, and that he has 32 hours to do it (see here for the reasoning behind those numbers), then Santa will be travelling at 10,703,437.5km/hr, or about 1,800 miles per second, all night (assuming he never stops: some sort of sleigh-mounted present-launcher will be required to shoot gifts down chimneys while moving.
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Also assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false but for the purposes of our calculations we will accept), we are now talking about .78 miles per household, a total trip of 75½ million miles, not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once every 31 hours, plus feeding and etc.
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This means that Santa’s sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second, 3000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest manmade vehicle on earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second a conventional reindeer can run, tops, 15 miles per hour.
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jb0gj_sIBdg?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
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353,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance this will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer with absorb 14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy. Per second. Each. In short, they will burst into flame almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and create deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second. Santa, meanwhile, will be subjected to centrifugal forces 17,500.06 times greater than gravity. A 250-pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of his sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force.
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZ3VWRzk_r4?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZ3VWRzk_r4?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>While conventional physics explain the impossibility, unconventional science fiction might have hold some clues. Obtaining the speeds that is required to be achieved in one night might, one would assume each task of gift giving is shorten due to the time constraints. Instead it is likely that the task maybe performed as we see it as magical, but in theory be a time dilation.<br />
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<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nCf53ses22w?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nCf53ses22w?hl=en_GB&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an actual difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses.While time is moving forward conventionally on earth. Santa may experience the effects a time dilation that will allow him to travel and become invisible to most people. Also not excluding the fact that an <a href="http://youtu.be/nCf53ses22w" target="_blank">improbability drive</a>, can theoretically allow the traveler the unique ability to appear in anywhere in the universe or local depending on the drive characteristics.<br />
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<a href="http://weirdthings.com/2011/07/why-is-the-tardis-bigger-on-the-inside/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://weirdthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Einstein-bridge-cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
While limited in our knowledge of dimensional space the likely hood of carrying toys in Santa's sack. It seems impossible to explain the 850,000 toys that needs to be distributed over the world. While 3D printers are a reality, its most likely that toys are possibly manufactured in transit. The other explanation is that dimensional space can allow a pocket universe to exist in a relatively small area with only a doorway between the two universes. The <a href="http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Space-time_vessel" target="_blank">Tardis</a> theory will allow the comfort of travel and infinite space for gift storage. Transdimesional engineering may explain the possibility of storage, it can also be the key to enter someones home. As portals can be expanded to the point at which a human can enter. It can also be the reduced to pass through chimneys or small holes in the wall. AS we grow into Adulthood, we are likely to explain away the unrealistics of magic as a fictional possibility. Science may have a small grasp of what is or not possible, but the truth is that most people like the unknown and would use faith to continue the fictional possibility. If you believe in Santa claus or not, just make sure you have a good time this Christmas..... Merry Christmas everyone from <a href="https://soundcloud.com/mydogisdead/unemployed-at-christmas-1" target="_blank">MYDOGISDEAD</a>...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-67910177357951569572012-12-23T15:58:00.000-08:002012-12-23T15:58:29.100-08:00The History of Toys, fun through the ages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_britain/toys_and_games/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/general_images/toys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word "toy" is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century.
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Toys excavated from the Indus valley civilization (3000-1500 BCE) include small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys which could slide down a string.<br />
<a href="http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-history/ancient-india/indus-valley.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/F1-IndusCivilization/Harappa-oxcart.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Indus civilization seems to have been known as "Meluhha" to the early Sumerians in Mesopotamia (dates given are rarely precisely known and should be regarded as rough approximations). Among the ruins of Harappa this model of an ox cart was found. Such objects are not rare in the Indus civilization and they are usually assumed to have been toys. But but we know so little about the Indus civilization that they might just as well have been a ritual objects or offerings to the Gods.
Whatever the purpose of these "toys", they do show us (in the absence of any excavated full-scale cart)s the sophisticated technology of this very early civilization. Goods were transported on such and similar carts.
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Another example is a chalk figurine that was probably a favourite possession of the three year old, and placed next to the child when they died in the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age, around 3,000 years ago.
Archaeologists who discovered the grave, where the child was laying on his or her side, believe the toy - perhaps placed there by a doting father - is the earliest known depiction of a hedgehog in British history.
The diggers were working to the west of Stonehenge in what is known as the Palisade Ditch when they made the remarkable discovery last month in the top of the pit in which the child was buried.
Archaeologist Dennis Price said: 'It is not difficult to envisage the raw emotion and harrowing grief that would have accompanied the death of this child.
'Amid the aura of gloom that surrounds Stonehenge, it comes as a beam of light to find a child's toy lovingly placed with the tiny corpse to keep him or her company through eternity.<br />
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Egyptian children also played with dolls, although they were much more sophisticated then chalk figurines. Dolls of the time had wigs and movable limbs which were made from stone, pottery, and wood. In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, children played with dolls made of wax or terracotta, sticks, bows and arrows, and yo-yos. When Greek children, especially girls, came of age it was customary for them to sacrifice the toys of their childhood to the gods. On the eve of their wedding, young girls around fourteen would offer their dolls in a temple as a rite of passage into adulthood.
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As technology changed and civilization progressed, toys also changed. Where as ancient toys were made from materials found in nature like stone, wood, and grass, modern toys are often made from plastic, cloth, and synthetic materials, often times powered by batteries. Ancient toys were often made by the parents and family of the children who used them, or by the children themselves. Modern toys, in contrast, are often mass-produced and sold in stores.
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By the early 20th century there were dolls that could say "mama". Today there are <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11638218" target="_blank">computerized</a> dolls that can recognize and identify objects, the voice of their owner, and choose among hundreds of pre-programmed phrases with which to respond. The materials that toys are made from have changed, what toys can do has changed, but the fact that children play with toys has not changed.
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Toys, serve multiple purposes in both humans and animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational role. Toys enhance cognitive behavior and stimulate creativity. They aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in later life.
One of the simplest toys, a set of simple wooden blocks is also one of the best toys for developing minds. Andrew Witkin, director of marketing for Mega Brands told Investor's Business Daily that, "They help develop hand-eye coordination, math and science skills and also let kids be creative." Other toys like Marbles, jackstones, and balls serve similar functions in child development.
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While most toys serves as a some form of education for mind development, the history of toys indicate that imagination seems to play a large part. While Christmas is around the corner its fair to suggest that toys is on the minds of most people, hopefully everyone gets what they wished for...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-53871809962691537422012-12-22T16:00:00.000-08:002012-12-22T16:00:40.033-08:00Fear, a brief description<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://news.discovery.com/human/fear-allure-halloween-121025.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://news.discovery.com/human/2012/10/25/fear-278x225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat that causes animals to move quickly away from the location of the perceived threat, and sometimes hide. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger leading to an urge to confront it or flee from it (also known as the fight-or-flight response) but in extreme cases of fear (horror and terror) a freeze or paralysis response is possible.
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<a href="http://www.writesandbites.com/2012/01/25/which-one-will-we-feed-fear-or-trust/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.writesandbites.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/bigstock_doubt_and_fear_green_road_sign_8148633.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fear is frequently related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable. It is worth noting that fear almost always relates to future events, such as worsening of a situation, or continuation of a situation that is unacceptable. Fear can also be an instant reaction to something presently happening. All people have an instinctual response to potential danger, which is in fact important to the survival of all species. The reactions elicited from fear are seen through advantages in evolution. Fear can be a manipulating and controlling factor in an individuals life.
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<a href="http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=fa/fear-conditioning" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.deviantart.com/download/311478106/infecta_nocte_by_mistertrece-d55g21m.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Some psychologists such as John B. Watson, Robert Plutchik, and Paul Ekman have suggested that there is only a small set of basic or innate emotions and that fear is one of them. This hypothesized set includes such emotions as joy, sadness, and anger. Fear should be distinguished from the emotion anxiety, which typically occurs without any certain or immediate external threat.
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There are studies looking at areas of the brain that are affected in relation to fear. When looking at these areas (amygdala), it was proposed that a person learns to fear regardless of whether they themselves have experienced trauma, or if they have observed the fear in others. In a study completed by Andreas Olsson, Katherine I. Nearing and Elizabeth A. Phelps the amygdala were affected both when subjects observed someone else being submitted to an aversive event, knowing that the same treatment awaited themselves, and when subjects were subsequently placed in a fear-provoking situation. This suggests that fear can develop in both conditions, not just simply from personal history.
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Although fear is learned, the capacity to fear is part of human nature. Because early humans that were quick to fear dangerous situations were more likely to survive and reproduce, preparedness is theorized to be a genetic effect that is the result of natural selection.
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Other research showed that while the participants with the shorter version of the serotonin transporter gene developed a very strong physiological fear response to picture A, participants with a longer version of the gene did not. In addition, a variation in the gene coding for the COMT enzyme was associated with fear extinction volunteers with this particular variant were able to very quickly overcome their fear while volunteers with the other variant failed to do so.
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Another study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims to have found a link between a specific gene and the development of PTSD.
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Dominique de Quervain of the University of Basel in Switzerland and his colleagues recruited around 700 healthy young volunteers, obtaining DNA samples from them to analyse the sequence of their PRKCA gene. This gene is one of many known to be involved in the formation of emotional memories, and encodes an enzyme called protein kinase C-α. The researchers then showed the participants a series of emotionally affecting photographs and shortly afterwards asked them to write down short descriptions of the images.
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<a href="http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2016824,00.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2010/1009/360_holocaust_0908.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Participants carrying two copies of one variant within the PRKCA gene, dubbed the A allele, remembered the most details about the pictures. Those carrying two copies of the other variant the G allele remembered the least, with the performance of those carrying one copy of each variant lying somewhere in the middle.
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The researchers then asked 394 additional participants to perform the same task while undergoing brain imaging. This confirmed that variations in PKRCA are linked to the capacity for emotional memory, and further revealed that they were also associated with differences in brain activity during memory encoding.
The task activated a large network of brain regions, including the hippocampus and amygdala, two structures in the medial temporal lobe that are known to be involved in memory formation and emotion, respectively.<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uVgHtLWw9uA?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
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Again, the increased activity in these areas was associated with the number of copies of the A allele carried by individuals people with two copies showed a larger increase in activity than those with just one.
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Many researchers think that memory must have an important role in PTSD because traumatic memories are one of its core features, says de Quervain, “but it’s very hard to tell that a predisposition for building stronger memory is also a risk for developing the condition”.
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“These findings are of considerable interest,” says neurobiologist James McGaugh of the University of California, Irvine. “It’s well established that emotional arousal enhances memory consolidation, and it’s widely assumed that this may contribute to<a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/402018/20121106/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-veterans-soldiers.htm" target="_blank"> PTSD</a>, but the finding is important as it provides genetic evidence consistent with that hypothesis.”
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The A allele is much more common in people of European than African descent, but exactly how this variation leads to differences in brain activity during the encoding of emotional memory is unclear. Large-scale genomic studies will probably uncover more gene variants associated with increased risk of developing PTSD
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<a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/402018/20121106/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-veterans-soldiers.htm" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2012/11/06/318091.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
While genetic factors are helping us to find the causes of <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/402018/20121106/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-veterans-soldiers.htm" target="_blank">PTSD</a>, further study into early brain development may give us clues how Fear can influence our offspring.<br />
Scientists have found that people with conservative views have brains with larger amygdalas, almond shaped areas in the centre of the brain often associated with anxiety and emotions.
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The anterior cingulate is a part of the brain that is on the middle surface of the brain at the front and we found that the thickness of the grey matter, where the nerve cells of neurons are, was thicker the more people described themselves as liberal or left wing and thinner the more they described themselves as conservative or right wing. As the anterior cingulate is a higher functioning part of the brain which can allow intellectual reasoning.<br />
<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110815152041.htm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wNfLKTA8ubBj6mmCKZ-38TqF9hf0oJWHA9Xt1cN81kfFJa7UcUw02va6rKpDrbFVBzji8zukdkI00WCkrnypE-1f5rzxb0ToVrazMJGhN9o3s5qUuanMm9CDoKoNRN_6xiDLNiEVG8w/s320/Mother_Love3.jpg" width="320" /></a>While the <a href="http://youtu.be/fDD5wvFMH6U" target="_blank">amygdala</a> is a part of the brain which is thought to be very primitive and functions as a basic emotions detector. The amygdala was larger in those people who described themselves as conservative.
Studies in human children, on the other hand, found a connection between early social experiences and the volume of the amygdala, which helps regulate the processing and memory of emotional reactions. Numerous studies also have found that children raised in a nurturing environment typically do better in school and are more emotionally developed than their non-nurtured peers.
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Brain images have now revealed that a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc240jQlOTs&feature=share&list=PLEEB3F093C9F2A624" target="_blank">mother</a>’s love physically affects the volume of her child’s hippocampus.<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/7n0CnMc0jas" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyTUZszTleGcLColBxc9Lu1v2Wlpa_nspcyuVPUeEP9If6rcrviZLKWttIC528zG_g00KpsCiROI-KdOaFRTbx2-AtbYs4uLx5YSDFHD64APy1qqhjRM2SS1i47dx9HbrWq7dbgJQcME/s200/Dont+Worry+Be+Happy.jpg" width="200" /></a>In the study, children of nurturing mothers had hippocampal volumes 10 percent larger than children whose mothers were not as nurturing. Research has suggested a link between a larger hippocampus and better memory.
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Its hard to figure out the potential fallout of a culture perpetuating fear and negative emotions, as each new born maybe effected by such factors. While small incidental moments of fear can be beneficial for recognizing dangers. A constant negative environment can potentially render people susceptible to <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-fear-factor-chemical-bravery.html" target="_blank">PTSD</a> as well as other factors on <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=calling-truce-political-wars" target="_blank">political</a> views. The holistic interconnectivity explanation of fear as a never ending cycle maybe a scary thought. But considering it might perpetuate more fear I am likely to forget about the bad stuff and concentrate on a different emotion...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-70674835806505155012012-12-21T16:00:00.000-08:002012-12-21T16:00:30.190-08:00The secret life of Carbon, nano technology today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://chemistry.about.com/od/elementfacts/a/carbonfacts.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/diamonds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Carbon is the fourth most abundant chemical element in the universe by mass after hydrogen, helium, and oxygen. Carbon is abundant in the Sun, stars, comets, and in the atmospheres of most planets.
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In combination with oxygen in carbon dioxide, carbon is found in the Earth's atmosphere (approximately 810 gigatonnes of carbon) and dissolved in all water bodies (approximately 36,000 gigatonnes of carbon). Around 1,900 gigatonnes of carbon are present in the biosphere.<br />
Carbon is a nonmetal that can bond with itself and many other chemical elements, forming nearly ten million compounds.
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There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with 12C and 13C being stable, while 14C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5,730 years.
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Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses (14C) to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 60,000 years old. The technique was developed by Willard Libby and his colleagues in 1949.
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<a href="http://www.galleries.com/Diamond" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/elements/diamond/diamond.gif" width="200" /></a>Atomic carbon is a very short-lived species and, therefore, carbon is stabilized in various multi-atomic structures with different molecular configurations called allotropes. The three relatively well-known allotropes of carbon are amorphous carbon, graphite, and diamond.
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Once considered exotic, <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/chemistry-terms/fullerene-info.htm" target="_blank">fullerenes</a> are nowadays commonly synthesized and used in research; they include <a href="http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2002/knowles/" target="_blank">buckyballs</a>, <a href="http://www.research.ibm.com/nanoscience/nanotubes.html" target="_blank">carbon nanotubes</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19206315" target="_blank">carbon nanobud</a>s and nanofibers. Several other exotic allotropes have also been discovered, such as<a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/content/285548/diamonds-forever-so-lonsdaleite.html" target="_blank"> lonsdaleite</a>, <a href="http://www.htw-germany.com/technology.php5?lang=en&nav0=2" target="_blank">glassy carbon</a>, <a href="http://www.aip.org/pnu/2004/split/678-1.html" target="_blank">carbon nanofoam</a> and <a href="http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F3-540-49451-0_2?LI=true" target="_blank">linear acetylenic</a> <a href="http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2010/November/CarbyneOtherMythsAboutCarbon.asp" target="_blank">carbon (carbyne)</a>.
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<a href="http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/v7/n12/full/nnano.2012.189.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/63719000/jpg/_63719768_63719767.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20086402" target="_blank">Nanotube</a>s have been constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1, significantly larger than for any other material. These cylindrical <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Ax8sY2U4A&feature=share&list=PL16177A11C0658E27" target="_blank">carbon molecules</a> have unusual properties, which are valuable for nanotechnology, electronics, optics and other fields of materials science and technology. In particular, owing to their extraordinary thermal conductivity and mechanical and electrical properties, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=munIqrfGMZg&feature=share&list=PL16177A11C0658E27" target="_blank">carbon nanotubes</a> find applications as additives to various structural materials. For instance, nanotubes form a tiny portion of the materials in some (primarily carbon fiber) baseball bats, golf clubs, or car parts.
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<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ov1D_YKdjCk?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
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The new solar cell developed at MIT is a consequence of recent advances in the large-scale production of carbon nanotubes. It also features another type of carbon, a fullerene known as C60 (aka Buckminsterfullerene). The nanotubes have to be very pure, single-walled and of the same symmetrical configuration. The material is transparent to visible light and has to be overlaid on conventional silicon cells to form a hybrid cell that could, in theory, capture most of the energy contained in the sunlight it capture.
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There are several bright, optimistic spots in this research, the scientists say. Although the proof of concept devices have so far achieved an efficiency of only 0.1 percent, the researchers have already identified some of the sources of inefficiency. For instance, they have noticed that homogenous mixtures of carbon nanotubes are more efficient than heterogeneous ones. Mixing single-walled and multiwalled nanotubes is not a good idea, either.
The scientists are positive they are bound to make high-efficiency near-infrared solar cells, and point out that even a low-efficiency cell that works in that region, capturing energy that current cells waste, would be worthwhile provided costs are low. They are now looking into ways to better control the shape and thickness of the layers of the material.
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<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EX8ClPVkD1g?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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Said to be the strongest material ever measured, an improvement upon and a replacement for silicon and the most conductive material known to man.
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Graphene as the strongest material ever measured, some 200 times stronger than structural steel.
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Since its properties were uncovered, more and more scientists have been keen to work on projects. About 200 companies and start-ups are now involved in research around graphene. In 2010, it was the subject of about 3,000 research papers.
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<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-zpbIOpZ14Y?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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But companies like IBM and Nokia have also been involved in research. IBM has created a 150 gigahertz (GHz) graphene transistor the quickest comparable silicon device runs at about 40 GHz.
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Despite this frenzy of progress, investment and press attention, many researchers are cautious. Some are certain that graphene will not do everything that has been thought up for the material.
What has been reported as "potential" seems to be at the moment just that, with few real-world examples of it working to replace other materials.
"We feel that it's rather difficult to imagine graphene as a replacement to silicon," says Dr Phaedon Avouris, of IBM.
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<a href="http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-develop-new-graphene-230478.aspx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/energy-density-graphene-capacitor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The team, which was led by Richard Kaner of UCLA, started by smearing graphite oxide a cheap and very easily produced material films on blank DVDs. These discs are then placed in a LightScribe drive (a consumer-oriented piece of gear that costs less than $50), where a 780nm infrared laser reduces the graphite oxide to pure graphene. The laser-scribed graphene (LSG) is peeled off and placed on a flexible substrate, and then cut into slices to become the electrodes. Two electrodes are sandwiched together with a layer of electrolyte in the middle and voila, a high-density electrochemical capacitor, or supercapacitor as they’re more popularly known.
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<a href="http://phys.org/news/2012-10-sponge-like-graphene-supercapacitor-electrodes.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/flexible-graphene-capacitor-300x249.jpg" /></a></div>
Now, beyond the novel manufacturing process the scientists are confident it can be scaled for commercial applications, incidentally the main thing about LSG capacitors is that they have very desirable energy and power characteristics. Power-wise, LSG supercapacitors are capable of discharging at 20 watts per cm3, some 20 times higher than standard activated carbon capacitors, and three orders of magnitude higher than lithium-ion batteries. It has a energy density of 1.36 milliwatt-hours per cm3, about twice the density of activated carbon, and comparable to a high-power lithium-ion battery.
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<a href="http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2010/nov/26/graphene-supercapacitor-breaks-storage-record" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://images.iop.org/objects/phw/news/thumb/14/11/32/sup1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The performance of capacitors is almost entirely reliant on the surface area of the electrodes, so it’s massively helpful that one gram of LSG has a surface area of 1520 square meters (a third of an acre). As previously mentioned, LSG capacitors are highly flexible, too, with no effect on its performance
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In experiments, the researchers demonstrated that electrodes made of the sponge-like graphene are stable in two common electrolytes (ionic liquid and aqueous) used in supercapacitors. While many supercapacitor electrodes perform well only at temperatures of 60 °C (140 °F) or higher, the sponge-like graphene electrodes work very well at room temperature. The researchers attribute both the good room-temperature operation and the ability for fast electrolyte transfer (and resulting high power density) to the electrode's sponge-like macroporous structure. The sponge-like graphene electrodes also exhibit an excellent cycle life. After running through 10,000 charge-discharge cycles, the electrodes retained 90% of their capacity in the ionic liquid electrolyte and 98% in the aqueous electrolyte.
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<a href="http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/11/graphene-based-supercapacitor-with.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v490/n7419/images/nature11458-f4.2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The energy density values of the supercapacitor are comparable to that of nickel metal hydride batteries. The new technology makes for an energy storage device that stores nearly as much energy as in a battery but which can be recharged in seconds or minutes.
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The team, which includes scientists from Angstron Materials in the US and Dalian University of Technology in China, are now working hard to further improve the energy density of the device.
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Graphene supercapacitors could really change the technology landscape. While computing power roughly doubles every 18 months, battery technology is almost at a standstill. Supercapacitors, which suffer virtually zero degradation over 10,000 cycles or more, have been cited as a possible replacement for low-energy devices, such as smartphones. With their huge power density, supercapacitors could also revolutionize electric vehicles, where huge lithium-ion batteries really struggle to strike a balance between mileage, acceleration, and longevity. It’s also worth noting, however, that lithium-ion batteries themselves have had their capacity increased by 10 times thanks to the addition of graphene. Carbons properties allows the possibility of life, its radioactive decay can tie us to the past. The new nano structures of carbon reveals more avenues in medicine, electronics and a possibility in the transport industry. Either way, carbon in any of its forms seems likely to play a major role in the future of of the tech industry...
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-57995389613457368002012-12-20T15:59:00.000-08:002012-12-20T15:59:35.352-08:00Skin, a brief description of wound healing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/IgorFridman.shtml" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/image_article_collections/anatomy_pages/skin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The human skin is the outer covering of the body. In humans, it is the largest organ of the integumentary system. The skin has multiple layers of ectodermal tissue and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. Human skin is similar to that of most other mammals, except that it is not protected by a pelt. Though nearly all human skin is covered with hair follicles, it can appear hairless. There are two general types of skin, hairy and glabrous skin.
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<a href="http://www.beltina.org/health-dictionary/skin-organ-diseases-problems-conditions.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://www.beltina.org/pics/skin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Because it interfaces with the environment, skin plays a key role in protecting the body against pathogens and excessive water loss. Its other functions are insulation, temperature regulation, sensation, synthesis of vitamin D, and the protection of vitamin B folates. Severely damaged skin will try to heal by forming scar tissue. This is often discolored and depigmented.
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In humans, skin pigmentation varies among populations, and skin type can range from dry to oily. Such skin variety provides a rich and diverse habitat for bacteria which number roughly at 1000 species.
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The skin contains DNA-repair enzymes that help reverse UV damage, and people who lack the genes for these enzymes suffer high rates of skin cancer. One form predominantly produced by UV light, malignant melanoma, is particularly invasive, causing it to spread quickly, and can often be deadly. Human skin pigmentation varies among populations in a striking manner. This has led to the classification of people on the basis of skin color.
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa_pre_2011/homeo/homeostasis5.shtml" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://www.odinwear.eu/cms_file.php?fromDB=620&width=663&height=" width="320" /></a></div>
As well as protection from the environment, the skin is a biological heat regulator. It contains a blood supply far greater than its requirements which allows precise control of energy loss by radiation, convection and conduction. Dilated blood vessels increase perfusion and heat loss, while constricted vessels greatly reduce cutaneous blood flow and conserve heat.
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Sweat glands in the skin release more sweat. This evaporates,further removing heat energy from the skin. And Muscles contract rapidly as we shiver. These contractions need energy from respiration, and some of this is released as heat.
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<a href="http://www.vitalitymedical.com/info/what-are-the-different-stages-of-wounds/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://www.healthcuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/products-intro-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Wound healing, or cicatrisation, is an intricate process in which the skin (or another organ-tissue) repairs itself after injury. In normal skin, the epidermis (outermost layer) and dermis (inner or deeper layer) exists in a steady-state equilibrium, forming a protective barrier against the external environment. Once the protective barrier is broken, the normal (physiologic) process of wound healing is immediately set in motion. The classic model of wound healing is divided into three or four sequential, yet overlapping, phases.
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<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hPyMUv7zc-g?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hPyMUv7zc-g?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Hemostasis occurs when blood is present outside of the body or blood vessels. It is the instinctive response for the body to stop bleeding and loss of blood. During Hemostasis three steps occur in a rapid sequence. Vascular spasm is the first response as the blood vessels constrict to allow less blood to be lost.
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In the second step, platelet plug formation, platelets stick together to form a temporary seal to cover the break in the vessel wall. The third and last step is called coagulation or blood clotting. Coagulation reinforces the platelet plug with fibrin threads that act as a “molecular glue”.
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<a href="http://youtu.be/zZpMQ_7qiRg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://www.joat.com.my/product/healthedu/diabetic/wound%20healing%203-d%20disp.jpg" width="320" /></a>Platelets are a large factor in the hemostatic process. They allow for the creation the “platelet plug” that forms almost directly after a blood vessel has been ruptured. Within seconds of a blood vessel’s epithelial wall being disrupted platelets begin to adhere to the sub-endothelium surface. It takes approximately sixty seconds until the first fibrin strands begin to intersperse among the wound. After several minutes the platelet plug is completely formed by fibrin.
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Fibrin mesh is then produced all around the platelet plug, which helps hold the fibrin in place. Once this begins, red and white blood cells caught up in the fibrin mesh which causes the clot to become even stronger There is currently a lot of research being conducted on hemostasis. <br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/jRmSRXHcHeI" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.spectrumhealthcare.net/img/content/products/kalypto-medical/npd-1000/products_s03.jpg" width="200" /></a>Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) or Wound Suction, promotes healing for wounds that are difficult to treat with conventional wound dressings. The negative pressure pump acts like a vacuum and the dressings create a tight seal against the skin. The pump creates just enough of a vacuum on the wound bed that the negative pressure helps draw out the unwanted fluids in order to promote healing. NPWT appears to be useful for diabetic ulcers and management of the open abdomen (laparostomy) but further research is required for other wound type.Depending on the type of wound being treated and the clinical objectives. Typically, the dressing is changed two to three times per week. While reports of complications can occur if dressings are not changed properly by <a href="http://youtu.be/jRmSRXHcHeI" target="_blank">unskilled staff</a>.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPOvZ2-Kl7E?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPOvZ2-Kl7E?hl=en_GB&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>New research in the emerging field of nanodermatology is setting the stage for the more efficient use of nitric oxide to treat infections. Nitric oxide (NO) is known for its antimicrobial activity, but it is difficult to channel this highly reactive gas into a convenient tool for clinical use.
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<a href="http://129.98.182.8/home/news.asp?id=446" target="_blank">Nanotechnology</a> allows researchers to create a vehicle for the controlled release of NO, study co-author Dr. Adam Friedman of Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, explained in an interview. Tiny NO nanoparticles can penetrate the skin's surface and deliver the goods to deep tissue infections, overcoming the biological barriers that block the use of other therapeutic agents, he said<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OtaK5hArKDo?hl=en_GB&version=3"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OtaK5hArKDo?hl=en_GB&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>"In this study [in rats], we demonstrated that both topical and intralesional injection of the nitric oxide nanoparticles were more effective in clearing MRSA muscle abscesses than vancomycin, a common first line systemic antibiotic for deep skin and soft tissue infections," said Dr. Friedman. "When the infected muscle tissue was examined under the microscope, samples from the nanoparticle-treated groups showed both decreased inflammation and destruction to normal tissue, likely owing to the swift and potent antibacterial impact of nitric oxide."
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2847625/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.rsc.org/images/b702858j-200-for_tridion_tcm18-93937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
While Professor Russell Morris, from the University of St Andrews, has used an exciting development in chemical technology metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) – to apply small, beneficial amounts of the gas, nitric oxide, to wounds safely in order speed up healing.
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When a wound occurs in normal skin the body produces nitric oxide to fight infection through its antibacterial properties and then to signal the production of new blood vessels to increase blood flow to the damaged area. Unfortunately people who suffer from diabetes, or those who are elderly or obese often don’t produce enough nitric oxide naturally which can lead to poor wound healing. In bad cases, such as chronic wounds which do not heal, the affected limbs may need to be amputated. Professor Morris and his team are developing non toxic MOFs to be incorporated into wound dressings which deliver nitric oxide slowly and at levels which do not cause any toxic or inflammatory effects but show beneficial effect of improved wound healing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailytech.com/Sprayon+Skin+AFIRMs+Research+Leading+Regenerative+Medicine/article12197.htm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/8503_sprayonskin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Ultimately an immediate option could be Spray-on skin, a patented skin culturing treatment for burns victims, developed by scientist Marie Stoner and plastic surgeon Dr Fiona Wood of Perth, Western Australia. Wood's treatment is under ongoing development. Where previous techniques of skin culturing required 21 days to produce enough cells to cover major burns, Wood has reduced the period to five days. Through research, she found that scarring is greatly reduced if replacement skin could be provided within 10 days. Dr Wood's reported goal is "scarless woundless healing".<br />
<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o8c5Q1mEAhM?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o8c5Q1mEAhM?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>The procedure is performed on site, utilizes a patented and proprietary 'spray-on' application technique, takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and does not require laboratory facilities.
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Clinical trials with the process involved burn patients and showed extremely promising results. Not only did the cells promote growth in the wounds, the recovery time was similar to skin grafting, the standard approach to burn repairs, but without the complications or aesthetic scarring involved.
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The Future of medicine may not be distant possibility, while common problems particular in skin repair are being solved. Its is likely that further development could help surgical matters or non skilled treatment in isolated areas. The possibility of avoiding scars and painful stitches could one day be a reality...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-47162443075293667692012-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:002012-12-19T15:59:50.364-08:00Counter-Sniper Tactics, a brief description<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1157570/armys-new-anti-sniper-technology" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/8374/71475703.jpg" /></a></div>
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The occurrence of <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/snipers-brief-description.html" target="_blank">sniper warfare</a> has led to the evolution of many counter-sniper tactics in modern military strategies. These aim to reduce the damage caused by a sniper to a fighting force, which can often be harmful to both fighting capabilities and morale.<br />
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<a href="http://www.defensereview.com/anti-snipersniper-detectiongunfire-detection-systems-at-a-glance/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Sniper_Scans_for_Enemy_Snipers_in_Iraq_2007.jpg/300px-Sniper_Scans_for_Enemy_Snipers_in_Iraq_2007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Once a sniper attack has occurred, the most difficult task is determining the sniper's location. Because snipers use camouflage, carefully choose their firing positions, and often attack from long distances, they are often able to strike and withdraw without ever being pinpointed. Being aware of the methods snipers use to conceal themselves is also integral to this, as most objects that are usually overlooked are able to function as a snipers' nest. This includes stationary cars that specifically have a hole cut out to allow the <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/snipers-brief-description.html" target="_blank">sniper</a> a place to shoot out of, the driver functioning as the spotter. It could also include boxes or piles of rubble.
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Counter-sniper tactics involves tactics used by a sniper against another sniper.<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/Yn61cU0zxJw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://www.popularairsoft.com/files/imagesnew/weaponblender_custom_overwatch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A friendly sniper is generally the most effective counter-sniper tool. With similar training, knowledge of the surroundings, and equipment, the friendly sniper can offer advice to the squad, enhanced searching capability, and a means to combat the enemy sniper directly. When told what to watch for, the squad can also act as additional eyes and ears for the friendly sniper. Aside from watching over the squad, the friendly sniper also has the option to detach and engage the enemy sniper. Without any outside help from the squad, the respective skills of each sniper play a significant role in determining victory. A sniper duel can frequently distract the enemy sniper from his mission.
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Using Triangulation a technique at two or more locations can more accurately identify the position of a sniper at the time of firing.
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<object height="225" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rNuGN1QlQic?hl=en_US&version=3"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rNuGN1QlQic?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>The enemy's supersonic bullets produce a sonic boom, creating a "crack" sound as they pass by. If the enemy's bullet speed is known, his range can be estimated by measuring the delay between the bullet's passing and the sound of the rifle shot, then comparing it to a table of values. This is only effective at distances of up to 450 meters; beyond this, the delay continues to increase, but at a rate too small for humans to distinguish accurately. Also, in urban areas, the sound can give inaccurate results because the buildings in the area can relay false sound directions
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mM_wrnhabvc?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
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In urban settings or other environments with limited movement and fields of view, smoke can be an effective means to screen friendly movement. This can be used either to pass through and escape, or to close in on and eliminate the enemy sniper.<br />
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BoiKmWKE3LM?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Ordinary soldiers can still do damage through smoke by firing randomly or on intuition, but a<a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/snipers-brief-description.html" target="_blank"> sniper</a> loses his precision advantage and is far less likely to hit anything with his much lower possible shot volume. A determined enemy, such as an emplaced heavy machine gun, will fire randomly through smoke, so this is a dangerous tactic. It should also be noted that weapons of opportunity may also provide a smoke screen, anything from igniting a car's gas tank, oil drum, or using fragmentation grenades to throw up debris and quickly break line of sight and concentration. Flash-bang (distraction) grenades have a wider blast radius than fragmentation grenades.
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If the squad is pinned down by sniper fire and taking casualties, the order may be given to rush the sniper's position. If the sniper is too far away for a direct rush, a "rush to cover" can also be used. The squad may take casualties, but with many moving targets and a slow-firing rifle, the losses are usually small compared to holding position and being slowly picked off.
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<a href="http://www.defencetalk.com/sld-500-counter-sniper-systems-delivered-to-the-us-marines-19631/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://i.imgur.com/Nl2da.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If the sniper's position is known but direct retaliation is not possible, a pair of squads can move through concealment (preferably cover) and drive the sniper toward the group containing the targets. A pincer movement attack can be combined with artillery or mortar fire, so long as this is tightly coordinated, i.e. the target area covered by bombardment does not overlap with the movement of the counter-attacking troops. Even if bombardment does not kill or wound the sniper, it may flush him from cover.
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While tradition methods of sniper detection have been proven to be effective, technology has progressed in the field of electronic countermeasures.<br />
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The 'sniper detector' system, named <a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/antisniper-systems-finding-their-range-01437/" target="_blank">Boomerang</a>, was developed through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and can determine the bullet type, trajectory, and point of fire of unknown shooter locations. The system uses microphone sensors to detect both the muzzle blast and the sonic shock wave that emanate from a high-speed bullet. Sensors detect, classify, localize and display the results on a map immediately after the shot. The system sensors are usually mounted on a vehicle. The United States military is also funding a project known as RedOwl, which uses laser and acoustic sensors to determine the exact direction from which a sniper round has been fired. The <a href="http://youtu.be/1yew_0LtCZ8" target="_blank">RedOwl </a>system has been tested on the <a href="http://youtu.be/1yew_0LtCZ8" target="_blank">PackBot robot</a> from <a href="http://youtu.be/rryF6S0FKM0" target="_blank">iRobot</a> Corporation. While its reliable performance in urban environments with low buildings it might not be effective where the terrain is impossible for vehicles. <br />
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<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/qinetiq-swats-sniper-detector/10486/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3416/3266014707_fe756c04dd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The U.S. Army is adjusting to the reality of hard-fought, <a href="http://youtu.be/wgNInWQI-qU" target="_blank">guerrilla wars</a> like the ones we're fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and redirecting its R and D towards a new breed of battlefield technology.
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Consider a wearable <a href="http://youtu.be/EP0OKofj1Pg" target="_blank">set of electronics</a> that detect a sniper's location.
The unit weighs a mere 6.4 ounces, and is three inches square. It works by ignoring ambient noise and detecting the sound of gunfire. When that occurs, it alerts the wearer, then calculates the direction and distance of the source of the shots. The Soldier-Wearable Acoustic Targeting System (SWATS) can pinpoint the location of snipers after a single gunshot, audibly informing soldiers of the point of origin. A larger version of the technology can also be mounted on a moving vehicle, and it's capable of detecting shots even while moving at 50 mph. What's not clear yet is just how widespread the technology will be.
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<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cUm79I92Tw4?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cUm79I92Tw4?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Alternatively a company from Alabama called Radiance has a new detection system called <a href="http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=774" target="_blank">WeaponWatch</a>, a fast-as-light <a href="http://youtu.be/Nko2wDQUpgQ" target="_blank">infrared detection</a> solution. It identifies weapons based on their unique muzzle bursts, and they claim that in 6 ms the device can detect a firing weapon from 1000 meters and still pin down the location of the attack to within 1.5 meters. This new system could eventually be integrated into an all-in-one system to not only find the perpetrator, but fire back at the target. Other technologies also include ballistic control in the form of smart bullets.<br />
The XM25 rifle uses bullets that are programmed to explode when they have traveled a set distance, allowing enemies to be targeted no matter where they are hiding. The rifle also has a range of 2,300 feet making it possible to hit targets which are well out of the reach of conventional rifles.
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hctyc6THbcE?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hctyc6THbcE?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>The rifle's gun-sight uses a laser range-finder to determine the exact distance to the obstruction, after which the soldier can add or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj1BzrhP3oM" target="_blank">subtract up to 3 metres</a> from that distance to enable the bullets to clear the barrier and explode above or beside the target. Soldiers will be able to use them to target snipers hidden in trenches rather than calling in air strikes. The 25-millimetre round contains a chip that receives a radio signal from the gun-sight as to the precise distance to the target. Todays technology finds ways to circumvent problems like targeting hidden snipers or using smart bullet technology. Electronic sniper <a href="http://www.defencetalk.com/sld-500-counter-sniper-systems-delivered-to-the-us-marines-19631/" target="_blank">countermeasures</a> maybe the only effective system for quick detection. The changing face of war may be a harsh reality but thanks to technology it will filter down to civilian defense, hopefully to help the police one day...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-19298908763287713252012-12-18T16:04:00.000-08:002012-12-18T16:04:10.555-08:00Bio-Printing from Steaks to Organs and DNA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.explainingthefuture.com/bioprinting.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.explainingthefuture.com/images/bioprinter_sidebar.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital model. The technology is used in jewelry, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), automotive, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, geographic information systems, civil engineering, and many other fields.
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<a href="http://www.gadgetslane.com/peter-thiel-co-founder-of-paypal-excited-about-modern-meadow-will-the-future-be-3d-bioprinted-meat-cuts-125355.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://www.gadgetslane.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Peter-Thiel-co-founder-of-PayPal-excited-about-Modern-Meadow-Will-the-future-be-3D-bioprinted-meat-cuts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Billionaire investor Peter Thiel's (pay-pal co-founder) philanthropic foundation plans to announce today a six-figure grant for bioprinted meat, part of an ambitious plan to bring to the world's dinner tables a set of technologies originally developed for creating medical-grade tissues.
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The recipient of the Thiel Foundation's grant, a Columbia, Mo.-based startup named Modern Meadow, is pitching bioprinted meat as a more environmentally-friendly way to satisfy a natural human craving for animal protein. Co-founder Andras Forgacs has sharply criticized the overall cost of traditional livestock practices, saying "if you look at the resource intensity of everything that goes into a hamburger, it is an environmental train wreak".<br />
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<a href="http://www.3ders.org/articles/20120815-thiel-foundation-announces-new-grant-for-3d-printed-meat.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://www.3ders.org/images/modern-meadow-logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
"Modern Meadow is combining regenerative medicine with 3D printing to imagine an economic and compassionate solution to a global problem," said Lindy Fishburne, executive director of Breakout Labs, a project of the Thiel Foundation. "We hope our support will help propel them through the early stage of their development, so they can turn their inspired vision into reality."
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Breakout Labs is also giving grants to Bell Biosystems and Entopsis, both medical startups. A Breakout Labs representative declined to give exact figures, saying that each grant was for a sum between $250,000 and $350,000.
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/tissue-engineering" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Tissue_engineering_english.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Tissue engineering in the traditional method was the use of a combination of cells, engineering and materials methods, and suitable biochemical and physio-chemical factors to improve or replace biological functions. While it was once categorized as a sub-field of bio materials, having grown in scope and importance it can be considered as a field in its own right.
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In practice the term is closely associated with applications that repair or replace portions of or whole tissues (i.e., bone, cartilage, blood vessels, bladder, skin, muscle etc.). Often, the tissues involved require certain mechanical and structural properties for proper functioning. The term <a href="http://youtu.be/9RMx31GnNXY" target="_blank">regenerative medicine</a> is often used synonymously with tissue engineering, although those involved in regenerative medicine place more emphasis on the use of stem cells to produce tissues.
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<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn10771-bioink-printer-makes-stem-cells-differentiate.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://laserage.on.ca/Portals/126624/images/bio03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Mean while in 2002 Professor Makoto Nakamura realized that the droplets of ink in a standard inkjet printer are about the same size as human cells. The theory is that as ink jet technology continues to grow it would be conceivable to print cells in order to create human organs. The tissue is created by printing layer upon layer of living cells.<br />
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Typically a dissolvable gel which has been coined bio-paper is also printed to protect the cells. The cells printed have been termed bioink, made of anywhere between 10,000 to 80,000 aggregated cells. The bioink is circular and is printed from a bioprint head which moves left to right, back and forth and up and down in order for the cell to be placed exactly where needed.The process takes several hours of printing layer upon layer of cells to create the organic object. The bio-paper is printed first from part of the print head and then cells are printed after from another part of the print head. The bio-paper is made from collagen, gelatin, or other hydrogels. Once the bioink is in place the individual droplets or circles merge on their own with the others to form the organic structure. At this point the biopaper evaporates.
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Recently Julie Phillippi at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, US, and colleagues have demonstrated a novel bio-ink printer that directs a population of muscle-derived stem cells from adult mice to differentiate into both muscle and bone tissue. It is the first such system to grow multiple tissues from a single population of adult stem cells, the researchers say.
The technique works by firing various patterns of different growth factor proteins onto the stem cells. By tweaking the spatial patterning of the doses, using different print-heads to deliver various concentrations of the protein "bio-ink", the cells can be directed to differentiate into different tissue types, says Phillippi. The team has already grown muscle and bone tissue in the same dish. Their next step is to investigate "patterns" for other tissue types that occur naturally in the body.
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<a href="http://www.organovo.com/products/novogen-mmx-bioprinter" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://laserage.on.ca/Portals/126624/images/bio05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
By 2010, other research by Organovo had created blood vessels bioprinted from cells cultured from a single person. In a few years it is hoped that medical researchers would be able to test drugs on bioprinted models of liver and other organs and reduce the need for animals in testing. Organovo has become quite good at producing bio-printed blood vessels and hopes that one day these blood vessel grafts could be used in heart bypass surgery. The kidneys being one of the most straight forward body parts could very well be the first artificial human organ created.
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1O3c3pUg0L8?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1O3c3pUg0L8?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>And Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine are in the process of creating a bioprinter that would be used to print new skin cells for burn victims. They are being funded by the U.S. Department of Defense as 5 to 20% of combat related injuries are burns. A piece of skin half the size of a postage stamp is taken from a patient using a chemical solution. Those cells are then separated and replicated on their own in a specialized environment.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uaRXzlZ9Dyk?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uaRXzlZ9Dyk?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Once the new cells have been expanded into large quantities they are put into a bio-printer cartridge and printed onto the patient. The printer is placed over the wound of the patient at a fair distance and once the cells have been printed onto the wound they mature and form new skin. Depending on the size of the burn, the process could take anywhere from minutes to many hours. The size of the wound is scanned and recorded on a computer so the cells would only be printed where necessary. It is unclear at this time when the printer could pass federal regulations and make its way to the battlefields, although the Institute estimates an approximate five year period before the printer would be ready for human patients. The trial tests done on mice have yielded positive results. New skin printed onto the wounded areas of mice healed in 3 weeks, half the time of the mice in the non treated group.
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<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HdgfzdlgUHw?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HdgfzdlgUHw?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Ultimately Craig Venter, the geneticist who made headlines in 2010 when he and colleagues created the first self-replicating cell with a <a href="http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/29039/title/1st-cell-with-synthetic-genome/" target="_blank">synthetic genome</a>, is on to his next big idea of a 3D printer for DNA, which could one day allow people to download, print, and inject vaccines at home.
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Speaking at the inaugural Wired Health Conference in New York City, Venter said that his team of scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, are already testing a version of his digital biological converter designed for what Venter calls “biological teleportation”.
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Biological printers could be used to plausibly shuttle vaccines around the globe, but their use could be problematic as vaccines could easily be used as bio-weapons.
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<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/15543683" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://media.economist.com/images/20100220/201008STD001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If it’s possible to email troops the 3D instructions for printing a replacement gun part, then it should be possible to email macromolecules, as long as the printer can deposit an array of nucleotides, sugars, and amino acids where they belong, then link the whole molecule up chemically. Modern vaccines are made up partially of key molecules. DNA vaccines, which work well in experiments but haven’t been commercialized due to safety concerns, could be synthesized. Venter’s bio-printer could theoretically distribute macromolecular vaccines quickly. However, these instructions could be used in bio-terrorism, especially if these emails are as vulnerable to hackers as current electronic mail protocols. The additive synthesis of organic life told by optimists explains the radical change that possibly allow interchangeable parts for the human body.<br />
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<a href="http://5election.com/2010/09/29/the-organ-printing/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://5magazine.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/bioprinter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The current technology is as good as its print resolution, I am left wondering is nano sized cells built from the ground up layer by layer could produced a organ in a short space of time. The fact is that 3d printers would take a long time to construct a simple organ in 3D, considering that a few billion cells is needed and each one is placed carefully. While the use of DNA printers can be a possibility, as a few strands of DNA can be grown organically for the beneficial reasons of vaccine transportation. The real commercial potential is the simple idea of synthetic meat which needs to scale up its raw material or laboratory grown meat and placed in a clean 3D printer for construction. While the mechanics of food related printing maybe simple, the future of organ printing still remains a vague optimistic picture. The human body normally contains 10 trillion different cells, reconstruction of each cell layer by layer will need a lighting fast printer. With the current speeds of todays 3d printer, it might take more then 20 years to perfect this type of technology...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-18444474977068052702012-12-17T16:01:00.000-08:002012-12-17T16:01:36.314-08:00Military Wifi, warzone connectivity <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://youtu.be/GJ7En4Neucc" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/us-military-setting-up-a-satellite-dish-640x353.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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WiFi is a popular technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly (using radio waves) over a computer network, including high-speed Internet connections. Wi-Fi has had a checkered security history. Its earliest encryption system, WEP, proved easy to break. Much higher quality protocols, WPA and WPA2, were added later. However, an optional feature added in 2007, called Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), has a flaw that allows a remote attacker to recover the router's WPA or WPA2 password in a few hours on most implementations.
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Wireless networks have been a tremendous boon to the network connectivity industry, in the corporate and the home markets. Wi-Fi, the moniker invented by a marketing company, is everywhere. Restaurants, college campuses, churches and even whole cities provide free Wi-Fi access to anyone who can connect with their wireless computing device. While this always-present availability of network connectivity has advantages, it is important to know that there are also some disadvantages.
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Wireless computing has brought about a mobility that transcends traditional boundaries. Computers equipped with broadband cards connect to the Internet from virtually any location. Smartphone technology facilitates connection to the Internet, and from there to a business computer in the office or a desktop at home. This move toward mobility has also created a huge market for mobile applications that range from serious apps such as mobile banking, to not-so-serious apps that are just for fun.
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The disadvantage of WI-FI networks is their limited range, especially in buildings. In an office building or home the signal has a range of about a hundred and fifty feet. Outside, where there are no walls, the signal may travel as far as several hundred feet. You must place the wireless access point in a location that is central so that all computers can attach to the network.
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The benefits of mobile connectivity has open communication channels for the general public to socially flaunt their social status and have instant assess to news networks and entertainment. While the general public are enjoying the benefits of mobile Internet access, the military are considering a similar avenue for their soldiers.<br />
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For example In the final days of the war in southern Lebanon in the summer of 2006, Israeli commanders were desperate. Nimble teams of well-trained Hezbollah insurgents had shocked the high-tech Israeli army.
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There was a problem. Israeli communications systems didn't work very well in the mountains and ravines surrounding the Saluki River deep into Hezbollah territory. To get better comms coverage for its fixed command posts, the Israeli Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information, or "C4I," directorate dangled radio transmitters to tethered balloons and floated them high over the Saluki. The Israeli army took a hard look at its tactics and equipment. For one, the army needed better communications.
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<a href="http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/20101021.aspx" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02428/army_2428299b.jpg" width="400" /></a>Israel would need comms at least as flexible and reliable as Hezbollah's. It took four years of research and development, The key, as with Hezbollah's mix of commercial radios and cell phones, was resisting the urge to reinvent the wheel. The army's new "Afik Rahav" comms network is based on existing WiMax technology, with a twist.
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While built on a commercial WiMax foundation, Afik Rahav boasts several unique features. Civilian WiMax typically beams 360 degrees from its router. For security, and to conserve power, an Afik Rahav system directs just two separate, encrypted "cones" of wireless connectivity. To avoid interfering with civilian Wi-Fi, the military network is tuned to special frequency set aside by the NATO alliance. Range is classified.
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Before, Israeli commanders could count on only 1 or 2 Mb/sec of data through their landlines or point-to-point wireless connections. Afik Rahav supports up to 30 Mb/sec. Plus, it's mobile. In 2006, most Israeli commanders directed their troops from stationary command bunkers. By contrast, Afik Rahav works wherever its trucks can safely roam, and can go from standby to full operation in as little as 15 minutes.
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In battle, the Wi-Fi trucks might remain a few miles behind the advancing tanks, providing connectivity between the combat troops and commanders riding in their own vehicles. When the tanks and commanders reach the limits of the network's range, the Afik Rahav operators shut down the routers, scoot forward in their trucks and resume operations, ideally within minutes. "We are working to eliminate gaps in the commander's access to information at any given time," explains Lieutenant Colonel Shimon Abutbul, who oversees training for the system.
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With a relatively simple and inexpensive command system, the Israelis have achieved what bigger and wealthier nations have consistently failed to do. The United States and Great Britain both have struggled to develop mobile command networks to complement and eventually replace traditional communications.
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In 2003, the US Army launched its "Future Combat Systems" program, which aimed to build a vast fleet of robots and new armored vehicles connected by a wireless-style data network. The basic component of the network was the so-called Joint Tactical Radio System, also known as "Jitters."
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<object height="225" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ag3YRQedEMw?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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In contrast to the Americans and British, the Israelis were eager to blend civilian technology into their new command system. Israeli officers thinks that this blended approach to weapons development takes advantage of the recent explosive growth in the Israeli tech section. Recalling the days when his troops had to dig trenches for telephone wires, Abutbul praised Afik Rahav's hybrid design. "Today's Israelis are far more prepared to work these computerized system, thanks to our high-tech economy."
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Ever since Apple Inc. introduced the iPhone in 2007, consumers have the chance to carry phones that amount to pocket computers, providing both Internet access and specialized software. Only recently the military are beginning so see the benefits of a multi purposeful tool such is a smart phone.<br />
Darpa, the defense research arm that contributed to the development of the Internet, has launched an effort called Transformative Apps under which it has developed a few dozen smartphone applications that work on a number of mobile devices it is evaluating. In addition to mapping, the apps can do things like identify explosives and weapons and help navigate parachute drops.<br />
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Darpa has also launched three programs aimed at developing fixed and mobile wireless networking systems working with traditional defense contractors. The Army doesn't have a plan to give every soldier a smartphone. But Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, recently said that if the devices proved themselves in testing, the service would "buy what we need for who needs it now."
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Many of the applications the Army wants to develop for instance, the ability to watch full-motion video shot from a drone can already be done with equipment now in the field. The potential advantage of smartphones and tablets is their lighter weight and ease of use.
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DARPA are also working on the development of a wireless communications link that is capable of 100 gigabits per second over a range of 200 kilometers (124mi). Officially dubbed “100 Gb/s RF Backbone” (or 100G for short), the program will provide the US military with networks that are around 50 times faster than its current wireless links. Home WiFi network probably exceeds its top limit of 100Mbps, some hundred times slower.<br />
Alternatively visible light links that operate at speeds up to 2.5Tbps but usually over a distance of one meter. Free-space optical communication isn’t reliable, because clouds tend to get in the way when you’re talking about 200-kilometer-long links. The only real option is RF, but again, transmitting 100Gbps over a 200-kilometer RF link is very tough.
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In essence, DARPA wants to give deployed soldiers the same kind of connectivity as a high-bandwidth, low-latency fiber-optic network. In the case of Afghanistan, for example, the US might have a high-speed fiber link to Turkey but the remaining 1,000 miles to Afghanistan most likely consists of low-bandwidth, high-latency links. It’s difficult (and potentially insecure) to control UAVs or send/receive intelligence over these networks, and so the US military instead builds its own wireless network using Common Data Link.
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Common Data Link (CDL) is a secure wireless protocol that networks together a US military deployment, for shuttling around imagery, intelligence, orders, and so on. UAVs, aircraft carriers, helicopters, forward operating bases they’re all connected together via wireless CDL links, bounced via high-altitude aircraft or orbiting satellites. Exact, up-to-date specs are hard to come by, but it seems like the US military’s existing CDL links max out at around 250Mbps. DARPA now wants to push these speeds up to 100Gbps, while using equipment that retains the same weight/power requirements of CDL i.e. these 100G systems must be deployable in the field.
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<a href="http://hothardware.com/News/New-ViaSat-Deal-Could-Brings-12Mbps-Service-To-Rural-Users-Soon/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://hothardware.com/newsimages/Item19978/viasat1.jpg" width="400" /></a>The only RF link that is really comparable is ViaSat-1, a geosynchronous Ka-band communications satellite that sits above the USA, which has a total capacity of 134Gbps — but that’s the combined total of 56 Ka transponders, so the actual bandwidth per link is much lower. In all likelihood, DARPA’s 100G program will probably use the lower-frequency Ku band, which is less susceptible to rain fade (or degradation caused by other inclement atmospheric conditions). Assuming the right encoding/multiplexing techniques can be discovered, there should be plenty of bandwidth in either the Ka or Ku bands to hit 100Gbps. DARPA clearly states that the 100G program is for US military use but it’s hard to ignore the repercussions it might have on commercial networks, too.<br />
<a href="http://kotaku.com/5659322/the-united-states-army-is-testing-fallout-pipboys" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2011/11/949fca876dd36c6f644c3c3039096b80.jpg" width="150" /></a>The modern battlefield is evolving to a ad-hoc tech war, whereby problems in combat over terrain or tactics are overcome with electronic solutions. In the past the field of battle the gun could be your only friend, but in the modern war a smart phone and a strong line to the command center will be the best advantage. As each square area is reclaimed, UAVs will be uploading enemy positions or tagging hidden bases. Its hard to say if the modern battle field will drive the enemies with low technology underground or that a counter strike will overcome a modern army's hi tech arsenal. The advantage is that some of the tools of war filters through for the civilian sector to benefit, in other cases civilian tech is being used aid soldiers. In any case War is a high price to pay for better technology...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-24653745105694811932012-12-16T16:05:00.000-08:002012-12-16T16:05:52.984-08:00The Origins of Homo floresiensis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bigfootevidence.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/yes-yes-yes-precious-we-cant-wait-for.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61dv67UMu3CEHJZHw2eNTA9Xn5F8-oEeq6-dYKBrObAlxCN_GnVorQ3sY8cipF-e4T0hrgVPp4fIQfT-7PW8QXQRsx_-dySvaS2M2yth_bGHOafb7rJSkGbA5mb53ELFYFYn1DLALybRc/s400/thehobbit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A dwarf is an extremely short adult who is less than 58 inches tall. The word midget is considered derogatory and offensive. Both words describe a short person, but refer to different physical characteristics and genetic conditions. "Midget" refers to a person who is very short, but normally proportioned. The term midget is now rarely used and is considered offensive. But its usage was very common until the end of the twentieth century. It has given way to "Short person" or "little person". Several varieties of a specific genetic condition called dwarfism. A dwarf has disproportion of body parts.This is generally caused by a genetic or nutritional disability. Any adult human below the height of 4'10" (147 cm) is considered a dwarf. With reference to legends or folklore, a dwarf is considered a legendary creature resembling a tiny old man, who lives in the depths of the earth and guards buried treasure.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3_S8snltr0M?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3_S8snltr0M?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>But while a genetic mutations, may create dwarfism, a discovery of a new human species was found in a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003. Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. Its unique location with deep underwater trenches have dangerous currents that have cut of Fores and other neighboring islands from the mainland. Its isolation has brought about some unique changes spawning creatures like the kimono dragon. While evidence of modern man never reaching the islands until 1200 years, the compelling mystery of stone tools found dates back 3 quarters of a million years ago. Archaeologist Mike Morwood and colleagues tracked a cave called Liang Bua, while reading the techniques of deep excavation of sand before any work was done.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/foA7RdMRcMk?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/foA7RdMRcMk?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Because evolving from erectus to floresiensis is such a drastic reduction in body size, there has been some speculation that floresiensis might actually have evolved from something smaller, such as the Dmanisi hominids found in Georgia, some of which have brain sizes between 600 and 700 cc, smaller than the 800-900cc typical of early erectus.
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Flores was also in the news in 1998, when Mike Morwood (who is also involved with this new find) announced the discovery of stone tools at another site on Flores dated at 840,000 years many many years before homo sapiens. It was assumed at the time that this was evidence of Homo erectus, since erectus was the only pre-sapiens hominid known to have existed in Indonesia.<br />
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Indonesia's most prominent paleoanthropologist Teuku Jacob has also been reported in newspapers as claiming that LB1 was not a member of a new species, but a member of the "Australomelanesid race" of modern humans, and only 1,300 to 1,800 years old. Other septics mentioned Microcephaly has caused the specimen to be small.
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The disorder may stem from a wide variety of conditions that cause abnormal growth of the brain, or from syndromes associated with chromosomal abnormalities. But common brain shapes of microcephaly brains differ to the H. floresiensis.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9X8gc0PADnk?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9X8gc0PADnk?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>The diseased modern human theory couldn't explain the growing evidence that a jaw bone and a skull at different chronologies probably thousands years apart. The teeth shared a similar size and shape suggest it was either had the same disease or in fact they were normal for that species. While experts explain that evolutionary causes for the shorten teeth, other specialists found that the bones of the hand and feet are similar to early hominids.<br />
<a href="http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/anthropology/article00776.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://cdn5.sci-news.com/images/2012/12/image_776_2.jpg" width="320" /></a>This conclusion was challenged by Robert Martin, since Jacob's death the leading proponent of the microcephaly hypothesis, and Alan Thorne. Martin noted that no research has been done on wrists of microcephalic people. Thorne maintained that the differences were small and that similar variation could occur with living modern humans. He also pointed out that the carpal bones had been found scattered in the cave and it was not certain that they all belonged to the same individual. Project leader Morwood countered that there were also other features, such as the stature, body proportions, brain size, shoulder, pelvis, jaw, and teeth which suggested that H. floresiensis is a separate species that evolved in isolation on the island.
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Another explanation is the theory of island biogeography proposes that the number of species found on an undisturbed island is determined by immigration and extinction. And further, that the isolated populations may follow different evolutionary routes, as shown by Darwin's observation of finches in the Galapagos Islands. Immigration and emigration are affected by the distance of an island from a source of colonists (distance effect). Usually this source is the mainland, but it can also be other islands. Islands that are more isolated are less likely to receive immigrants than islands that are less isolated. The absence of natural predators and mainland creatures would create a unique evolutionary pathway, whereby small animals with evolve large and large elephants become small. <br />
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The final evidence of Australopithecus genus evolved in eastern Africa around 4 million years ago before spreading throughout the continent and eventually becoming extinct 2 million years ago. The bones of Australopithecus matched up to the bone configuration of Homo floresiensis. <br />
Early human fossils, dubbed Homo georgicus, or Homo erectus georgicus, were found at Dmanisi between 1991 and 2005. Soon after evidence of Australopithecus and Homo erectus have been dated at 1.8 million years, showed how it could be possible that
Homo floresiensis might be part of the lineage. The compelling evidence that early man as far back as 1.8 million years exiting Africa reaching Dmanisi, could go further to Asia and possibly Flores island. Despite skeptics thinking the bones at Flores is a genetic mutation similar to a pygmy or disease that stunts grown, the original discoverer Mike Morwood will return back to the cave to uncover more evidence. While it is uncertain if Homo floresiensis will be accepted species of human, people are still researching to uncover hard evidence. Meanwhile <a href="http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/anthropology/article00776.html" target="_blank">modern forensics</a> have reconstructed the archaeological remains of the Homo floresiensis skull to uncover a surprisingly human face...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-22551272994640082582012-12-15T15:58:00.000-08:002012-12-15T16:02:27.203-08:00Solar Cells, a brief history<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://specmat.com/Overview%20of%20Solar%20Cells.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://specmat.com/Solar_Cell_Description.jpg?title=solar+cell&description=how+a+solar+cell+functions&keywords=solar+cell,photovoltaic+cell,solar,photovoltaic,cell,solor+cell,antireflective+coating,specmat" width="400" /></a></div>
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A solar cell (also called a photovoltaic cell) is an electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. It is a form of photoelectric cell (in that its electrical characteristics. current, voltage, or resistance vary when light is incident upon it) which, when exposed to light, can generate and support an electric current without being attached to any external voltage source.
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The photovoltaic effect was first experimentally demonstrated by French physicist A. E. Becquerel. In 1839, at age 19, experimenting in his father's laboratory, he built the world's first photovoltaic cell. However, it was not until 1883 that the first solid state photovoltaic cell was built, by Charles Fritts, who coated the semiconductor selenium with an extremely thin layer of gold to form the junctions. The device was only around 1% efficient. In 1888 Russian physicist Aleksandr Stoletov built the first photoelectric cell based on the outer photoelectric effect discovered by Heinrich Hertz earlier in 1887.
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Albert Einstein explained the underlying mechanism of light instigated carrier excitation--the photoelectric effect-- in 1905, for which he received the Nobel prize in Physics in 1921. Russell Ohl patented the modern junction semiconductor solar cell in 1946, which was discovered while working on the series of advances that would lead to the transistor.
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The first practical photovoltaic cell was developed in 1954 at Bell Laboratories by Daryl Chapin, Calvin Souther Fuller and Gerald Pearson. They used a diffused silicon p-n junction that reached 6% efficiency, compared to the selenium cells that found it difficult to reach 0.5%. At first, cells were developed for toys and other minor uses, as the cost of the electricity they produced was very high; in relative terms, a cell that produced 1 watt of electrical power in bright sunlight cost about $250, comparing to $2 to $3 per watt for a coal plant.
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Solar cells were brought from obscurity by the suggestion to add them to the Vanguard I satellite, launched in 1958. In the original plans, the satellite would be powered only by battery, and last a short time while this ran down. By adding cells to the outside of the body, the mission time could be extended with no major changes to the spacecraft or its power systems. There was some skepticism at first, but in practice the cells proved to be a huge success, and solar cells were quickly designed into many new satellites, notably Bell's own Telstar.
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Improvements were slow over the next two decades, and the only widespread use was in space applications where their power-to-weight ratio was higher than any competing technology. However, this success was also the reason for slow progress; space users were willing to pay anything for the best possible cells, there was no reason to invest in lower-cost solutions if this would reduce efficiency. Instead, the price of cells was determined largely by the semiconductor industry; their move to integrated circuits in the 1960s led to the availability of larger boules at lower relative prices. As their price fell, the price of the resulting cells did as well. However these effects were limited, and by 1971 cell costs were estimated to be $100 per watt.
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It was through funding from Exxon that Dr. Elliot Berman developed a cheaper solar cell. Berman discovered that, while lowering efficiency, using silicon from multiple crystals was much cheaper than using the silicon from a single crystal. That development brought the price down fivefold. Solar cells were now used in offshore gas and oil rigs, and began to be seen as an alternative energy source in remote off-grid locations. In the meantime, with the help of greater funding for solar research, new varieties of silicon were developed, allowing for the widening of uses for solar energy. Since the 2000s, PV solar panels have become affordable and practical for residential use, and are widely used in non-residential applications,
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<a href="http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/china--government-to-rescue-domestic-manufacturers_100007973/#axzz2F9LMlaIn" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://www.pv-magazine.com/fileadmin/PVI_website_pictures/Chinese_flag_Image_Flickr_Renato_Ganoza.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In 2010, a tremendous growth of solar PV cell shipments doubled the solar PV cell market size. According to the solar PV market research company,PVinsights, Suntech topped the ranking of solar cell production. Most of the top ten solar PV producers doubled their shipment in 2010 and five of them were over one gigawatt shipments.The top ten solar cell producers dominated the market with an even higher market share, say 50~60%, with respect to an assumed twenty gigawatt cell shipments in 2010.<br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/5_Largest_Producers_of_Solar_Photovoltaics,_%25_of_Total_World_Solar_PV_Production_2001-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/5_Largest_Producers_of_Solar_Photovoltaics,_%25_of_Total_World_Solar_PV_Production_2001-10.jpg" width="400" /></a>Besides, next-generation solar cells will come into being along with the development of new materials, new structures and new technologies. Currently, quantum dot solar cells, quantum well solar cells, dye sensitization cells, hot photovoltaic cell and organic thin-film or Carbon nanotube composites in the photoactive layer, solar cells are emerging for the purpose of reducing production costs and energy consumption and increasing the photoelectric transformation efficiency and the proportion of renewable energy. While there is a steady rise of people willing to follow <a href="http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/photovoltaic-pv/analyst-germanys-expensive-solar-incentives-cheaper-than-uss.html" target="_blank">Germany's</a> example when in 1999, the German government introduced the 100,000 Roof Programme and there was no looking back after that. According to the German Solar Industry Association BSW Solar, at the end of 2011, Germany had an installed capacity of about 25 GWp of solar, of which about 85% of the capacity is on rooftops. The incentives to instal becomes that much greater when fixed incomes are earned or used to offset household bills, as well as Investment returns of over 8-10%, Guaranteed quarterly income paid by your Utility company,
Income Payments TAX FREE and a better Energy Rating of your home.
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-87040407846904998322012-12-14T15:58:00.000-08:002012-12-14T15:58:10.506-08:00Robot Muscles are not strong enough...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/why-making-robots-is-so-darn-hard.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://acv.fromsoftwarefreak.com/documents/TEDgf2oqgwqaWNXLiRWVxg_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.environmental-robots.com/" target="_blank">Robots</a> and exoskeletons seem to be in the news lately, considering that new<a href="http://youtu.be/K-ZcqwvQbas" target="_blank"> CGI films </a>can make it possible to show the hyper reality of what a sophisticated robot can do in a fire fight. The reality is far from the fantasy. As always movement is restricted by the limited technology, while electric motors rule the mini robots that dominate the toy shelves. The use of these motors will have a limiting strength with or with out a gear system.<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20678838" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/transformers-dark-of-the-moon.jpg" width="320" /></a>Consider The Hybrid Assistive Limb (also known as HAL) is a powered exoskeleton suit currently in development by Japan's Tsukuba University and the robotics company Cyberdyne. It has been designed to support and expand the physical capabilities of its users, particularly people with physical disabilities. There are currently two versions of the system: HAL 3, which has bulkier electric servo-motors and only has the leg function, and HAL 5, which is a full-body exoskeleton for the arms, legs, and torso. HAL 5 is currently capable of allowing the operator to lift and carry about five times as much weight as he or she could lift and carry unaided.<br />
<script src="http://player.ooyala.com/player.js?embedCode=VxMHB5MjqobBaot4Rz_AD8wX29m72Ded&video_pcode=RvbGU6Z74XE_a3bj4QwRGByhq9h2&height=315&deepLinkEmbedCode=VxMHB5MjqobBaot4Rz_AD8wX29m72Ded&width=560"></script><a href="http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/robotsuithal/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.cyberdyne.jp/english/robotsuithal/img/img_robotsuithal.jpg" width="222" /></a>
When a person attempts to move their body, nerve signals are sent from the brain to the muscles through the motor neurons, moving the musculoskeletal system. When this happens, small biosignals can be detected on the surface of the skin. The HAL suit registers these signals through a sensor attached to the skin of the wearer. Based on the signals obtained, the power unit moves the joint simultaneously with the wearer's muscle movement, supporting and amplifying the wearer's motion. The HAL suit possesses both a user-activated “voluntary control system” and a “robotic autonomous control system” for automatic motion support. The use of biosignals from the limbs allows freedom of moment, as nerve impulses is greatly amplified to each servo motor joint. But while the elderly and other people with restricted movement are benefiting with this type of technology in Japan. The super human strength and speed and agility in such a machine with limited battery time can not out perform a robot attack.<br />
<object height="169" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p2W23ysgWKI?version=3&hl=en_GB"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p2W23ysgWKI?version=3&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="169" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Consider hydraulic-power, in fluid or air used for the generation, control and transmission of power. Human Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, is an un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton developed by Professor H. Kazerooni and his team at Ekso Bionics. It is intended to help soldiers in combat carry a load of up to 200 pounds at a top speed of 10 miles per hour for extended periods of time. After being under development at Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory since 2000, the system was announced publicly at the AUSA Winter Symposium on February 26, 2009 when an exclusive licensing agreement was reached with Lockheed Martin.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.amsvans.com/elegs-new-bionic-legs-for-paralyzed-to-walk-again/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://blog.amsvans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/hulc-bionic-legs.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
Sensors in the foot pads relay information to an on-board microcomputer that moves the hydraulic system to amplify and enhance the wearer's movement. The flexibility of the system allows soldiers to run, walk, kneel, crawl, and even go into low squats.
There is no joystick or control mechanism, instead sensors detect movement and, using an on-board micro-computer, make the suit move in time with the body. The system's titanium structure and hydraulic power augments the soldier's ability, strength and performance, whereas its modularity allows components to be switched and replaced with ease. Hydraulic power can provide speed and power to a human, but the large power pack even for a simple machine like the HULC system may limit its combat superiority. As the kicking power from this machine may provide enough damage to break bones, however it maybe top heavy. The likelyhood is that after attempting to kick the center of balance is distorted enough to topple over the user rendering him helpless as a turtle.<br />
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Current systems of actuators hydraulics and servo motors have strengths and weaknesses all of which seem to have limited success on mobile systems. Even for a exoskeleton system to win a bar room fight, punching and kicking movements would be slightly delayed, due to sluggish mechanics and electronics. Considering that a quick few punches is need to subdue your opponent.<br />
Only recently the tiny artificial muscles created by an international team of researchers are 200 times stronger than human muscle fibers of comparable size. Ray Baughman, a nanotechnology researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas, led the team that made the new muscle, which he sometimes calls a yarn because of the way it's woven. The muscles would work well in small medical devices, he said. His lab in Texas has thought of another creative use for them, too: "We've been playing with yarns to open and close blinds depending on the temperature of the room," he told TechNewsDaily.
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<a href="http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/6162/carbon-nanotubes-with-wax-next-step-artificial-muscles" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/files/imagecache/news/files/news/Carbon%20nanotube%20thread%20artificial%20muscle.jpg" /></a></div>
Baughman's new muscles are made of ropes of carbon nanotubes, a super-tiny, high-tech material that researchers are adding to everything from water filters to experimental airplane parts. Baughman said he and his team twisted the nanotubes "quite similarly to the way people insert twists into common wool or cotton fibers" into thicker yarns. They then filled the hollow space in the nanotubes with different materials, including paraffin, the wax that goes in candles.
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To get the muscles to contract, researchers heated them briefly. When heated, the paraffin wax expanded, pushing against the nanotube walls and making them fatter and shorter. As the wax cooled again, it shrank, and the nanotubes became narrower and longer. The muscles were able to shorten and then lengthen again every 25 milliseconds, or 25 thousandths of a second, Baughman said. Such fast contractions mean the muscles are able to perform a lot of work, he said.
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<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/348915.stm" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091114202361/crysis/images/6/63/500x_nanosuit_0008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Right now, Baughman's lab knows how to make a muscle fiber that's one kilometer (0.62 miles) long, but Baughman hopes one day to weave fabrics that require miles of fiber. He also is looking to make the muscles react to chemicals instead of heat. Heat-driven motors are energy-inefficient, so chemical-driven muscles might be more practical.
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<a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/image/34180" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://spectrum.ieee.org/image/34180" width="320" /></a>Alternatively <a href="http://www.sri.com/engage/products-solutions/epam" target="_blank">SRI International</a>, Menlo Park, Calif.created a electronic muscle or a passive dielectrics which are a variant of artificial muscle activated by the movement of electrons. In an actuator, two flexible conducting plates form a sandwich with the passive dielectric, a springy, insulating plastic, as a filling. When the plates are given opposite charges, their mutual attraction flattens and expands the filling.
Also electro active polymers already been reported to show a significant actuation strain, and although they were not strong enough to amplify body movements, they prove to be useful on small scale robotics. <br />
Other alternatives might be a Ionic polymer metal composites are a form of artificial muscle that depends on the movement of ions for motion. Flexible metal foils sandwich a wet polymer filling. With the foils charged, free ions flow toward one side, expanding it and bending the actuator.<br />
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<a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/bionics/electric-flex/0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://spectrum.ieee.org/image/34181" width="320" /></a></div>
Its still early days for a practical actuator to replace the motors and hydraulics, that we have in current exoskeleton systems. Adding super strength to a machine would mean tethering it to a large power source. While agility of the human body cant quite be matched, as is unlikely at this time to see a exoskeleton perform the same movements of a gymnast.<br />
Excluding the military applications of hand to hand combat or mimicking the fire power of fiction character <a href="http://youtu.be/5EjG-1U3wqA" target="_blank">Iron-man</a>, although the real world applications for replacing damaged limbs is too important to miss. While electro-neural connections are becoming a reality. The progress for artificial muscles is quite slow in comparison to Moore's Law. As emerging technologies that are designed to replace the human element, so will those technologies will find a way to mimic muscle fibers or at-least replace electric servos. The end result will probably be a system that will help aid humans. While there might be a slight need for combat situations, its hard to think that there will be a suit or exoskeleton that will be able to perform superhuman martial arts on an opponent... <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-20673351651029636992012-12-13T16:04:00.000-08:002012-12-13T16:04:41.191-08:00Biotechnology, a brief history on intelligent biological design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1993/intro.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="331" src="http://uni.no/biotech/files/2011/10/uni-biotek_figur_hk_20111115_430.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Biotechnology (sometimes shortened to "biotech") is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make useful products. While thousands of years, humankind has used biotechnology in agriculture, food production and medicine. Agriculture has been theorized to have become the dominant way of producing food since the Neolithic Revolution.<br />
<a href="http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch02.htm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Maler_der_Grabkammer_des_Sennudem_001.jpg/220px-Maler_der_Grabkammer_des_Sennudem_001.jpg" width="320" /></a>Through early biotechnology, the earliest farmers selected and bred the best suited crops, having the highest yields, to produce enough food to support a growing population. As crops and fields became increasingly large and difficult to maintain, it was discovered that specific organisms and their by-products could effectively fertilize, restore nitrogen, and control pests. Throughout the history of agriculture, farmers have inadvertently altered the genetics of their crops through introducing them to new environments and breeding them with other plants one of the first forms of biotechnology.
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These processes also were included in early fermentation of beer. These processes were introduced in early Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India, and still use the same basic biological methods. In brewing, malted grains (containing enzymes) convert starch from grains into sugar and then adding specific yeasts to produce beer. In this process, carbohydrates in the grains were broken down into alcohols such as ethanol. Later other cultures produced the process of lactic acid fermentation which allowed the fermentation and preservation of other forms of food, such as soy sauce. Fermentation was also used in this time period to produce leavened bread. Although the process of fermentation was not fully understood until Louis Pasteur's work in 1857, it is still the first use of biotechnology to convert a food source into another form.
For thousands of years, humans have used selective breeding to improve production of crops and livestock to use them for food. In selective breeding, organisms with desirable characteristics are mated to produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example, this technique was used with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops.
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<a href="http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Labs/Microbiology/History_Microbiology.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Labs/Microbiology/History_Micro/Pasteur.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In the early twentieth century scientists gained a greater understanding of microbiology and explored ways of manufacturing specific products. In 1917, Chaim Weizmann first used a pure microbiological culture in an industrial process, that of manufacturing corn starch using Clostridium acetobutylicum, to produce acetone, which the United Kingdom desperately needed to manufacture explosives during World War I.
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Biotechnology has also led to the development of antibiotics. In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered the mold Penicillium. His work led to the purification of the antibiotic by Howard Florey, Ernst Boris Chain and Norman Heatley, penicillin. In 1940, penicillin became available for medicinal use to treat bacterial infections in humans.
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The field of modern biotechnology is generally thought of as having been born in 1971 when Paul Berg's (Stanford) experiments in gene splicing had early success.
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Herbert W. Boyer (Univ. Calif. at San Francisco) and Stanley N. Cohen (Stanford) significantly advanced the new technology in 1972 by transferring genetic material into a bacterium, such that the imported material would be reproduced.
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United States Supreme Court ruled that a genetically modified microorganism could be patented in the case of Diamond v. Chakrabarty. Indian-born Ananda Chakrabarty, working for General Electric, had modified a bacterium (of the Pseudomonas genus) capable of breaking down crude oil, which he proposed to use in treating oil spills. (Chakrabarty's work did not involve gene manipulation but rather the transfer of entire organelles between strains of the Pseudomonas bacterium.
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The biotechnology sector has allowed the U.S. farming industry to rapidly increase its supply of corn and soybeans—the main inputs into biofuels—by developing genetically modified seeds which are resistant to pests and drought. By boosting farm productivity, biotechnology plays a crucial role in ensuring that biofuel production targets are met.
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Rising demand for biofuels is expected to be good news for the biotechnology sector, with the Department of Energy estimating ethanol usage could reduce U.S. petroleum-derived fuel consumption by up to 30% by 2030.
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Biotechnology is currently being used in many areas including agriculture, bioremediation, food processing, and energy production. DNA fingerprinting is becoming a common practice in forensics.
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One interesting avenue of biotechnology is utilizing a virus to create a new type of tiny battery, made with a simple stamping technique, that could power miniature devices.
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Electronic devices used for controlled drug delivery, or to power tiny lab-on-a-chipapplications, need to get their power from somewhere. But as conventional batteries are made smaller and smaller, they contain less and less of the materials that actually store charge, causing a decline in efficiency.
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Using nanoscale components can boost a battery's capacity to store charge. Now, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, have designed a quick method to build a microbattery that relies on a genetically-engineered virus called M13.
The scientists first made a template from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a commonly used silicon-based organic polymer. After coating it with alternating layers of positive and negative electrolytes, they added the virus.
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The virus had been designed to have negatively charged amino acids at its surface, so that it stuck to the template, and an affinity for cobalt -a favoured material for batteries. Each virus is a semi-rigid fibre a few nanometres in diameter and about a micrometre long, which tends to pack tightly into a whorl that looks similar to a fingerprint.
The whole assembly was dipped into a solution of cobalt ions, which coated the viruses to create a very large surface area that could store charge. Stamping the template onto a platinum layer and peeling off the PDMS left behind an array of small dots of the prepared material, cobalt-side down, which formed the heart of an effective battery. The work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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"This is the first time anyone has ever stamped a battery device," says Paula Hammond, part of the MIT team.
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Biotechnology has reached to a point whereby nano technology are utilizing natural biological systems to function new ways. Optimizing plants for food growth and biofuels as well as new cloning techniques and possible personalized medicines for gene specific diseases. The unlimited potential to design a system using natural resources could pave way to a better life. On the other hand it is likely that trial and error on certain biological systems might make things worse. As with certain mislabel issues have contaminated genetically modified corn intended for biofuels was used in human consumption. And the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/380948.stm" target="_blank">World Wide Fund for Nature</a> (WWF) says more than 350 man-made pollutants have been identified in the breast milk of women in the UK.The resulting scares that natural foods isn't natural any more. Not doubt advances in biotechnology will bring on some ethical issues and that people will gravitate towards the cheap synthetic option. The end result is a future towards intelligent biological design on everything, the fallout could be horrid mutations and unforeseen consequences... <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-39856213151365924482012-12-12T15:59:00.000-08:002012-12-12T15:59:31.516-08:00The Strategic Defense Initiative, the recurring StarWars Inititive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/offdocs/m8310017.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/history/prez_policies/reagan/time_mag_reagan.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was proposed by U.S. <a href="http://youtu.be/oyJjngsudW4" target="_blank">President Ronald Reagan</a> on March 23, 1983, to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic offense doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD). The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (<a href="http://youtu.be/1YnHjg2ouio" target="_blank">SDIO</a>) was set up in 1984 within the United States Department of Defense to oversee the Strategic Defense Initiative.<br />
<a href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&cad=rja&ved=0CHYQFjAK&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reagan.utexas.edu%2Feducation%2FFor%2520Educators%2Fpicturingcurriculum%2Fpicturingcurriculum%2FPicturing%2520the%2520Presidency%2F4.%2520Strategic%2520Defense%2520Initiative%2FSDI%2520Card.pdf&ei=O7XIULW1DsTT0QXKrYDIAQ&usg=AFQjCNEWeYJJdez9KAz6aL17msDg1DOKwA&sig2=wBO7zgFTpCiUW1556l-zjA&bvm=bv.1354675689,d.d2k" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://obscurantist.com/images/sdi.jpg" width="320" /></a>The ambitious initiative was widely criticized as being unrealistic, even unscientific as well as for threatening to destabilize <a href="http://youtu.be/EPP747Aj9Z0" target="_blank">MAD</a> and re-ignite "an offensive arms race". In light of Reagan's vocal criticism of the MAD doctrine (Mutually Assured Destruction) the SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) was an important part of his defense policy intended to offset MAD bias. It was soon derided, largely in the mainstream media, as "Star Wars," after the popular 1977 film by George Lucas. <br />
The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union. With the tension of the Cold War looming overhead, the Strategic Defense Initiative was the United States’ response to possible nuclear attacks from afar.
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The <a href="http://youtu.be/NMI290IH8bQ" target="_blank">weapons</a> required included space- and ground-based nuclear X-ray lasers, subatomic particle beams, and computer-guided projectiles fired by electromagnetic rail guns all under the central control of a supercomputer system.” By using these systems, the United States planned to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles while they still flew high above the Earth, minimizing their effects. However, there was a large power requirement for these types of weapons power requirements so vast that nuclear power was the method of choice. Thus, as the reality of creating numerous nuclear plants diminished, so did the ambitious designs.
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<a href="http://www.osa-opn.org/home/articles/volume_19/issue_5/features/the_history_of_the_x-ray_laser/#.UMi19nfDV8E" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://www.osa-opn.org/opn/media/images/articles/0508/features/FeatureImages/feature1-fig1.jpg" width="320" /></a>An early focus of the project was a curtain of X-ray lasers powered by nuclear explosions. The curtain was to be deployed using a series of missiles launched from submarines or, later on, satellites, during the critical seconds following a Soviet attack. The satellites would be powered by built-in nuclear warheads in theory, the energy from the warhead detonation would be used to pump a series of laser emitters in the missiles or satellites, allowing each satellite to shoot down many incoming warheads simultaneously. The attraction of this approach was that it was thought to be faster than an optical laser, which could only shoot down warheads one at a time, limiting the number of warheads each laser could destroy in the short time 'window' of an attack.
However, on March 26, 1983, the first test, known as the Cabra event, was performed in an underground shaft and resulted in marginally positive readings that could be dismissed as being caused by a faulty detector.<br />
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Since a nuclear explosion was used as the power source, the detector was destroyed during the experiment and the results therefore could not be confirmed. Technical criticism based upon unclassified calculations suggested that the X-ray laser would be of at best marginal use for missile defense. Such critics often cite the X-ray laser system as being the primary focus of SDI, with its apparent failure being a main reason to oppose the program. However, the laser was never more than one of the many systems being researched for ballistic missile defense.
Despite the apparent failure of the Cabra test, the long term legacy of the X-ray laser program is the knowledge gained while conducting the research. A parallel developmental program advanced laboratory X-ray lasers for biological imaging and the creation of 3D holograms of living organisms. Other spin-offs include research on advanced materials like SEAgel and Aerogel, the Electron-Beam Ion Trap facility for physics research, and enhanced techniques for early detection of breast cancer.
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<a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/global-space-warfare-technologies-influences-trends-and-the-road-ahead" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://www.kurzweilai.net/images/7THELcitUSAF-512x342.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Beginning in 1985, the Air Force tested an SDIO-funded deuterium fluoride laser known as <a href="http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/asat/miracl.htm" target="_blank">Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser (MIRACL) at White Sands Missile Range.</a>The system was later tested on target drones simulating cruise missiles for the US Navy, with some success. After the SDIO closed, the MIRACL was tested on an old Air Force satellite for potential use as an Anti-satellite weapon, with mixed results.
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The technology was also used to develop the <a href="http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/thel/index.html" target="_blank">Tactical High Energy Laser</a>, (THEL) which is being tested to shoot down artillery shells.[
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The Missile Defense Agency's Airborne <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-practical-use-high-powered-lasers.html" target="_blank">Laser program</a> uses a chemical laser which has successfully intercepted a missile taking off, so an offshoot of SDI could be said to have successfully implemented one of the key goals of the program.
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In July 1989, the Beam Experiments Aboard a Rocket (BEAR) program launched a sounding rocket containing a <a href="http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/npb.htm" target="_blank">neutral particle beam </a>(NPB) accelerator. The experiment successfully demonstrated that a particle beam would operate and propagate as predicted outside the atmosphere and that there are no unexpected side-effects when firing the beam in space. After the rocket was recovered, the particle beam was still operational. According to the <a href="http://www.33-minutes.com/33-minutes/ballistic-missile-defense-organization.htm" target="_blank">BMDO</a>, the research on neutral particle beam accelerators, which was originally funded by the SDIO, could eventually be used to reduce the half-life of nuclear waste products using accelerator-driven transmutation technology.
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The High Precision Tracking Experiment (HPTE), launched with the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-51-G, was tested June 21, 1985 when a Hawaii-based low-power laser successfully tracked the experiment and bounced the laser off of the HPTE mirror.
The Relay mirror experiment (RME), launched in February 1990, demonstrated critical technologies for space-based relay mirrors that would be used with an SDI directed-energy weapon system.
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Launched on the same rocket as the RME, the Low-power Atmospheric Compensation Experiment (LACE) satellite was built by the United States <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-practical-use-high-powered-lasers.html" target="_blank">Naval Research</a> Laboratory (NRL) to explore atmospheric distortion of lasers and real-time adaptive compensation for that distortion.
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LACE was also used to evaluate ground-based adaptive optics, a technique now used in civilian telescopes to remove atmospheric distortions.
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Research out of hypervelocity <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-rail-gun-brief-history-and.html" target="_blank">railgun</a> technology was done to build an information base about rail guns so that SDI planners would know how to apply the technology to the proposed defense system. The SDI rail gun investigation, called the <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-10-19/news/8603180821_1_rail-gun-projectiles-missiles" target="_blank">Compact High Energy Capacitor Module Advanced Technology Experiment </a>(CHECMATE), had been able to fire two projectiles per day during the initiative.
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Hypervelocity rail guns are, at least conceptually, an attractive alternative to a space-based defense system because of their envisioned ability to quickly shoot at many targets. Also, since only the projectile leaves the gun, a railgun system can potentially fire many times before needing to be resupplied.
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In 1987, the American Physical Society concluded that a global shield such as "Star Wars" was not only impossible with existing technology, but that ten more years of research was needed to learn whether it might ever be feasible.<br />
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Meanwhile emerging technologies 30 years on are beginning to prove a possibilities as tracking systems and lasers are being proposed in the next generation of weapons and defense arsenal.<br />
One example is the <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-practical-use-high-powered-lasers.html" target="_blank">Navy's Laser Weapon System</a> (LaWS), guided by Raytheon's Phalanx Close-In Weapon System sensors, engaged and destroyed four UAV targets flying over water near the Navy's weapons and training facility on San Nicolas Island in California's Santa Barbara Channel, about 120 kilometers west of Los Angeles.<br />
The Strategic advantage of a military defense has many advantages, as enemies could be monitored and fired upon.<br />
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<a href="http://defense.aol.com/2012/06/04/white-house-to-reconsider-commercial-space-imagery-policy/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://o.aolcdn.com/mars/19394/635/357/whitehouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Ridiculous as it seems but over 17,000 Americans have signed an on-line White House petition to ‘secure resources and funding’ for the construction of ultimate weapon, the Death Star. The founder of the campaign outlines the benefits of the campaign for America, claiming that the construction of the Death Star would provide an employment boost as well as enhancing America’s defenses. Although the petition seems to be gathering increasing support, it would require around 20,000 signatures for it to be officially reviewed by the White House. Considering that the cold war is over and the Russians may not be the Arch rivals of the space race. However UN Security Council has condemned <a href="http://youtu.be/NuwtLXwPijc" target="_blank">North Korea </a>for launching a missile in defiance of a UN resolution.<br />
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The US and its allies view the launch as a disguised ballistic missile test.
White House spokesman Jay Carney would not specify what "consequences" Washington was considering, saying it would first assess what action was taken by the Security Council.
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The rocket had been scheduled to pass between the Korean peninsula and China, with a second stage coming down off the Philippines. The Japanese government, which put its armed forces on alert ahead of the launch, said the rocket had passed over parts of Okinawa prefecture, south of the Japanese mainland.<br />
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Although North Korea may pose as a potential threat, it is probably unlikely that they have the sophisticated technology research for targeting nuclear missiles or for further development, as most of the country's limited resources are spent on the military.<br />
The recurring theme of space still has an attraction that will no doubt continue to fascinate some people. But the technology or ideas born from The <a href="http://youtu.be/PuiYdVtU6Z0" target="_blank">Strategic Defense Initiative</a>, will likely be on small scale on earth bound vehicles. Meanwhile the growing Commercial interest in the idea of space hotels and manufacturing plants might have a military presence. Its likely that a space platform of any kind will require a co-operation on an international level. Hopefully the scientific and recreational uses of a space station will probably win out over the need to be strategically superior over certain countries... <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yDCzpAuWM1w" width="500"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-54504045155173474562012-12-11T16:00:00.000-08:002012-12-11T16:00:04.973-08:00Dopamine, a brief description <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/197615-how-do-i-increase-dopamine-in-the-brain/"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://www.newshd.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/dopamine.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dopamine is a simple organic chemical in the catecholamine family, or a monoamine neurotransmitter which has a number of important physiological roles in the bodies of animals.
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In the brain, dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells. Dopamine is produced in several areas of the brain, including the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area.It is a neurohormone that is released by the hypothalamus. Its action is as a hormone that is an inhibitor or prolactin release from the anterior lobe of the pituitary.
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Dopamine was first synthesized in 1910 by George Barger and James Ewens at Wellcome Laboratories in London, England. In 1958, Arvid Carlsson and Nils-Åke Hillarp, at the Laboratory for Chemical Pharmacology of the National Heart Institute of Sweden, discovered the function of dopamine as a neurotransmitter. Arvid Carlsson was awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for showing that dopamine is not just a precursor of norepinephrine and epinephrine but a neurotransmitter, as well.
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Dopamine plays a major role in the brain system that is responsible for reward-driven learning. Every type of reward that has been studied increases the level of dopamine transmission in the brain, and a variety of highly addictive drugs, including stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine, act directly on the dopamine system. There is evidence that people with extraverted (reward-seeking) personality types tend to show higher levels of dopamine activity than people with introverted personalities.
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Several important diseases of the nervous system are associated with dysfunctions of the dopamine system. Parkinson's disease, an age-related degenerative condition causing tremor and motor impairment, is caused by loss of dopamine-secreting neurons in the substantia nigra. Schizophrenia has been shown to involve elevated levels of dopamine activity in the mesolimbic pathway and decreased levels of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and restless legs syndrome (RLS) are also believed to be associated with decreased dopamine activity.
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Dopamine is also used as medication. It acts on the sympathetic nervous system. Application of dopamine leads to increased heart rate and blood pressure. When administered through an IV line, dopamine does not cross the blood brain. It acts on the heart by raising its contractility and blood pressure, this is useful in heart failure.
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Dopamine cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, so dopamine given as a drug does not directly affect the central nervous system.
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<a href="http://scientopia.org/blogs/neurodynamics/2010/10/01/the-blood-brain-barrier/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.addiandcassi.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/blood-brain-barrier-picture.jpg" width="193" /></a>Dopamine is needed in some brain diseases as well. This includes diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dopa-responsive dystonia. For these patients levodopa is used. This is a precursor of dopamine. It can cross the blood-brain barrier.
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Exercise to increase dopamine levels in the brain naturally. According to specialists regular, vigorous exercise can be just as effective for treating mood issues as medication and therapy. 30 minutes of daily exercise, including aerobic exercise, for overall brain health. Weight training is especially helpful for increasing dopamine. Replace caffeinated soda, coffees and teas drink decaffeinated green tea Restricting your food intake increases dopamine receptors.
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Eat lean proteins, beans and vegetables to increase dopamine production in the brain. According to experts, eating lean beef, pork, turkey and chicken facilitate dopamine production. Eating cold water fish, wild game, bison and ostrich helps to produce dopamine. Other foods that increase dopamine are low-fat dairy products, fava beans, edamame, black beans, chick peas, lima beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Leafy vegetables and green, yellow and red vegetables provide nutrients which indirectly facilitate dopamine production.
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While Foods such as sugar, saturated fats, cholesterol, and refined foods interfere with proper brain function and can cause low dopamine.
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When dopamine levels are depleted by stress, certain antidepressants, drug use, poor nutrition, and poor sleep. Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar all seem to decrease dopamine activity in the brain.
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Low dopamine levels can cause depression, loss of motor control, loss of satisfaction, addictions, cravings, compulsions, low sex drive, poor attention and focus. When dopamine levels are elevated symptoms may manifest in the form of anxiety, paranoia, or hyperactivity.
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When a person is depressed, symptoms like a lack of motivation and a reduction in the pleasure he or she experiences in life may be persistent. These symptoms are thought to be caused by lower levels of dopamine. Many doctors prescribe medications that increase dopamine in the brain to help those suffering from major depression. Increasing dopamine is also thought to help with depressive moods in those who have bipolar disorder.
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Levels of dopamine in the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, help in improved working memory. However, this is a delicate balance and as levels increase or decrease to abnormal levels, memory suffers. Dopamine helps in focus and attention. Vision helps a dopamine response in the brain and this in turn helps one to focus and direct their attention. Dopamine may be responsible for determining what stays in the short term memory based on an imagined response to certain information. Reduced dopamine concentrations in the prefrontal cortex are thought to contribute to attention deficit disorder.
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Scientists found, had fewer dopamine receptors than normal-weight subjects. Compared with the obese group, the number of dopamine receptors decreased as the subjects' body mass index, an indicator of obesity, increased. That is, the more obese the individual, the lower the number of receptors. It's possible that obese people have fewer dopamine receptors because their brains are trying to compensate for having chronically high dopamine levels, which are triggered by chronic overeating. However, it's also possible that these people have low numbers of dopamine receptors to begin with, making them more vulnerable to addictive behaviors including compulsive food intake.
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The researchers note that, based on this study alone, they cannot conclude whether the brain changes they've detected are a consequence or a cause of obesity. They also acknowledge that the regulation of body weight is extremely complex, involving many physiological mechanisms and neurotransmitters. But they do suggest that addressing the dopamine receptor deficiency or finding other ways to regulate dopamine in obese people might help reduce their tendency to overeat.
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Unfortunately, many of the drugs that have been shown to alter dopamine levels are highly addictive. But exercise, which has other obvious benefits in weight control, is another way obese subjects might be able to stimulate their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6IzoW9hB9s&feature=share&list=PL5E58428F8D64E806" target="_blank">dopamine pleasure</a> and satisfaction circuits, the researchers suggest. In animal studies conducted elsewhere, exercise has been found to increase dopamine release and to raise the number of dopamine receptors. This suggests that obese people might be able to boost their dopamine response through exercise instead of eating just one more reason to exercise if you're trying to lose weight.
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The neurobiology of aggression is not well understood, but scientists are aware of a relationship between the neurotransmitter serotonin and certain aggressive behaviors. The objective of this study was to explore whether higher levels of another brain chemical called dopamine, involved in pleasure and reward, increased aggressive response in its subjects. To scientists' surprise, it was not as they first theorized.
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"The results of this study were astonishingly opposite of what was previously hypothesized," says Ingo Vernaleken, M.D., lead author of the study and research scientist for the department of psychiatry at RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany.<br />
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"Subjects with more functional dopaminergic reward-systems were not more aggressive in competitive situations and could concentrate even more on the game. Subjects with lower dopaminergic capacity were more likely to be distracted by the cheating behavior."
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In this study, 18 healthy adults in their twenties were tested for aggression using the psychological behavioral task known as the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17390565" target="_blank">point subtraction aggression paradigm</a> (PSAP). Participants were asked to play a computer game that required them to press a bar multiple times with the incentive of winning money, but they were also told that an adversary in the next room who is able to cheat may steal some of their winnings. What the paranoid participants did not know was that there was no adversary. The computer program is designed to perform randomized deductions of the subjects' monetary reward to simulate the cheating competitor.The participant had three choices to react: punish the cheater, shield against the adversary by repeatedly pressing a defense button, or continue playing the game in order to maximize their ability to win cash, which indicated resilience.
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Results of the study showed a significant impact on aggressive response in areas in the brain where dopamine synthesis was present, especially in the basal ganglia, which among other functions include the motivation center. Minimized aggression was associated with higher dopamine levels in both the midbrain and the striatum, which plays a role in planning and executive function. People with greater capacity for dopamine synthesis were more invested in the monetary reward aspect of the PSAP, instead of acting in defense or with aggression against their perceived adversary, whereas subjects with lower capacities had a higher vulnerability to act either aggressive, defensive or both. A well-functioning reward system causes more resilience against provocation, excluding the behaviors of a competitive personality that is mistaken for aggressive behaviour. The fine balance of dopamine can alter anything from motivation or movement to attention and perhaps aggression. While increase dopamine reduces <a href="http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/11/uconn-researcher-dopamine-not-about-pleasure-anymore/" target="_blank">Impulsivity</a> the slight connection to behaviour might be related to the <a href="http://mydogisdeadli.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-dark-triad-of-personalities-brief.html" target="_blank">Dark Triad</a> of personality traits. The dopamine reward system has a complex web of mechanisms not just for motivation but also behavior, which relates to our animal programming. Perhaps in the end when we look to progress in science or extend our families we can thank the rewards triggers of our animal brains... or at least monitor the manifestations for low Dopamine levels. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="375" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bVN6426oVgw" width="500"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-30447976499115644562012-12-10T15:59:00.000-08:002012-12-10T15:59:17.382-08:00Serotonin, a brief description<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system (CNS) of animals including humans. <br />
The amino acid tryptophan, which is a component of protein and which humans eating a normal diet consume in significant amounts. High levels of tryptophan in the blood signal the brain to make serotonin, which has many beneficial consequences on mood and affect, including promoting happiness, relaxation and the ability to get a good night's sleep.
Serotonin is sometimes thought of as a "happy" neurotransmitter.<br />
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Where deficiencies in the molecule can lead to depression and fear, appropriate levels of serotonin secretion bathe neurons in the brain in chemicals that help promote feelings of comfort, contentment and well-being. In their book "Biochemistry," Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham explain that the brain makes serotonin when it's signaled to do so. One signal is carbohydrate consumption, which explains why may individuals experience feelings of contentment or happiness upon eating a sugary or starchy snack. Serotonin is so important to happiness; in fact, patients with depression receive prescriptions to help the brain artificially increase serotonin levels, which relieves symptoms.<br />
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One of the benefits of serotonin is sleepiness, which, while not necessarily a benefit at the wrong time of day, is certainly welcome at night. A 2010 study in the scientific journal "Sleep" notes that if the brain's serotonin transporters are misshapen, patients experience insomnia. Further, individuals who have difficulty sleeping have long been advised to try a glass of warm milk before bed. Milk, like many sources of protein, contains the amino acid tryptophan, which signals the brain to make more serotonin and which may produce feelings of sleepiness.
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A "feel-good" hormone, serotonin helps people to feel relaxed and contented. Macalester College notes that studies tie low serotonin levels to anxiety; like depression, chronic anxiety may be treated with drugs that help increase levels of serotonin in the brain. Like many hormones and brain chemicals, however, serotonin functions best when it's at optimal concentrations. Normal levels of the chemical promote relaxation, but extra won't necessarily increase feelings of well being it may just make the individual feel sleepy.
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There are many researchers who believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression. Possible problems include low brain cell production of serotonin, a lack of receptor sites able to receive the serotonin that is made, inability of serotonin to reach the receptor sites, or a shortage in tryptophan, the chemical from which serotonin is made. If any of these biochemical glitches occur, researchers believe it can lead to depression, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic, and even excess anger.
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sWE3UGl7KFk" width="300"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Antidepressant-drugs/Pages/Introduction.aspx" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://www.therealsupermumblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/AntidepressantsCartoon.gif" width="320" /></a>While opposing Studies have shown that medical students and residents
are susceptible to undue influence from pharmaceutical companies due to
the companies involvement in medical school programs.
Antidepressants have been shown to have only a minimal effect, over that
of a placebo, on patients. In an analysis of the efficacy data
submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of the
six most widely prescribed antidepressants approved between 1987 and
1999.
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In an essay on advertisements for anti-depressants published in
PLoS Medicine, social work academic Jeffrey Lacasse and neuroanatomist
Jonathan Leo state that, despite this, the chemical imbalance theory is
promoted by the medical industry as an explanation to depression and
that their medicines correct the chemical imbalance. They also state
that there is some evidence that both patients and professionals are
influenced by the advertisements and patients may get prescribed
medicines when other interventions are more suitable.<br />
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Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening drug reaction that may occur following therapeutic drug use, inadvertent interactions between drugs, overdose of particular drugs, or the recreational use of certain drugs.
The excess serotonin activity produces a spectrum of specific symptoms including cognitive, autonomic, and somatic effects. The symptoms may range from barely perceptible to fatal. Symptom onset is usually rapid, often occurring within minutes. Serotonin syndrome encompasses a wide range of clinical findings. Mild symptoms may only consist of increased heart rate, shivering, sweating, dilated pupils, myoclonus (intermittent tremor or twitching), as well as overresponsive reflexes. Moderate intoxication includes additional abnormalities such as hyperactive bowel sounds, high blood pressure and hyperthermia; a temperature as high as 40 °C (104 °F) is common in moderate intoxication. The overactive reflexes and clonus in moderate cases may be greater in the lower limbs than in the upper limbs. Mental status changes include hypervigilance and agitation. Severe symptoms include severe increases in heart rate and blood pressure that may lead to shock. Temperature may rise to above 41.1 °C (106.0 °F) in life-threatening cases.
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Many medications may have been incorrectly thought to cause serotonin syndrome. For example, some case reports have implicated atypical antipsychotics in serotonin syndrome, but it appears based on their pharmacology that they are unlikely to cause the syndrome. Various drugs, other than Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also have clinically significant potency as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, (e.g. tramadol, amphetamine, and MDMA) and are associated with severe cases of the syndrome.
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<a href="http://alzheimers-review.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/long-term-ecstasy-use-as-risk-factor.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://i53.tinypic.com/wwagsn.jpg" width="320" /></a>Researchers in the Netherlands enlisted 10 men in their mid-20s and seven in their early 20s for the study. The 10 in the mid-20s were long-term users of ecstasy. The other seven men were healthy and had no history of ecstasy use.
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The researchers write that the young men in the ecstasy group had not used the drug, on average, for more than two months before the study began, but had taken an average of 281 ecstasy tablets over the past 6.5 years.
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The hippocampal volume in the ecstasy group was 10.5% smaller than those in the non-ecstasy group, the MRI brain scans showed. What’s more, the overall proportion of gray matter was 4.6% lower, on average, among ecstasy users.
The researchers say this suggests that the effects of ecstasy may not be restricted to the hippocampus region alone.
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“Taken together, these data provide preliminary evidence suggesting that ecstasy users may be prone to incurring hippocampal damage following chronic use of this drug,” the researchers write.
Their findings, they report, mirror previous research that has indicated acute swelling and later atrophy of hippocampal tissue in long-term ecstasy users.
“Hippocampal atrophy is a hallmark for diseases of progressive cognitive impairment in older patients, such as Alzheimer’s disease,’’ the researchers say. <br />
“Since the hippocampus plays an essential role in long-term memory, the present findings are of particular interest in view of various studies showing that ecstasy users display significant memory impairments, whereas their performance on other cognitive tests is generally normal,” the researchers concluded.<br />
<a href="http://www.memorylossonline.com/glossary/serotonin.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.naturalhealthadvisory.com/wp-content/uploads/doctor_and_older_patient-260x180.jpg" /></a>Also as the brain ages, deficiencies in neurotransmitters such as serotonin are more likely to occur. Low serotonin is not so much a specific risk factor for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s as it is a sign that overall brain health and function are compromised. Likewise, boosting serotonin production may not necessarily prevent mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s.
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The chemical balance of serotonin has the ability to keep a check on our sleep cycles and our emotions. The fallout of could be anything from disturbed sleep cycles to depression, memory loss and perhaps Alzheimer's disease. While food, sun and exercise is the natural order to keep our selves balanced, it may not be the case as over worked shift patterns and starchy comfort foods take that away. The delicate balance of our hormones may signify the initial fallout of todays demanding lives, the resulting imbalance may prove if our low income high stress jobs are worth it in the end...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AsjSjQ1YIXE" width="500"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5291912796695863433.post-88482643672663328632012-12-09T15:59:00.000-08:002012-12-09T15:59:10.498-08:00A Tribute to Patrick Moore.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Its sad to hear one of the great TV heroes has pasted away so I thought I will dedicate a mention to Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS (4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) . Who while I was growing up inspired me to read more about astronomy and the interests of science.<br />
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A senior BBC producer wanted a programme on astronomy, and Moore had recently appeared on television debunking UFOs. He was offered a trial. Although he knew nothing about television, Patrick Moore thought I'd just try to make the programme interesting. The producer agreed to do three programmes and see how it will go.
A star was born. He never signed a contract but gave his word that he would work solely for the BBC. The programme was live until 1966, which presented the odd challenge. During one broadcast, Sir Patrick was confronted by an alarmed producer standing off-camera and holding a placard conveying bad news. It had just been discovered that the eminent Soviet astronomer about to be interviewed couldn't speak a word of English. Sir Patrick improvised; he asked questions, pretended to decipher the replies while guessing what the Russian had probably said, and then "related" it to the viewers.
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In later years the BBC consigned the series to late on Sunday or the early hours of Monday (due to TV entertainment scheduling) , but it still pulls in an audience of 600,000. Repeat showings on BBC 2 and BBC 4. He has been properly employed only once, briefly at Armagh Observatory in the mid-1960s. He prefers to be his own boss: "useless as an employee too individualistic". His honours include a knighthood, a Bafta and membership of the Royal Society - and an asteroid named after him. But he is proudest when talking of those he has met.
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"The first airman was Orville Wright, the first man in space was Yuri Gagarin and the first man on the <a href="http://youtu.be/xyjppxh2-C0">Moon</a> was Neil Armstrong, and I have met them all," he says. "Oh, and Albert Einstein. I played the <a href="http://youtu.be/703AFmOd80o">piano </a>while he played the violin. It was 1940 and I was training in Canada and got a pass down to New York and met him. He was as you would expect: charming, out of this world."
Sir Patrick has no pretensions to scientific greatness. He regards himself as a straightforward observational astronomer, and is proud of being so.<br />
In addition to his many popular science books, he wrote numerous works of fiction and was the presenter of the 1990s TV series <a href="http://youtu.be/JJQpGfEEC9k">GamesMaster.</a> He was an opponent of fox hunting, an outspoken critic of the European Union and served as chairman of the short-lived anti-immigration United Country Party before becoming a patron of the UK Independence Party. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Moore lied about his age in order to join the RAF and fight in World War II at the age of sixteen, and from 1940 until 1945 he served as a navigator in RAF Bomber Command, reaching the rank of Flight lieutenant. He first received his flying training in Canada, during which time he met Albert Einstein and Orville Wright while on leave in New York.<br />
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The war had a significant influence on his life: his only romance ended
when his fiancée, a nurse called Lorna, was killed by a bomb which
struck her ambulance. Moore subsequently remarked that he never married
because "there was no one else for me...second best is no good for
me...I would have liked a wife and family, but it was not to be."
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Moore stated that he was "exceptionally close" to his mother Gertrude, a talented artist who lived with him at his Selsey home, which is still adorned with her paintings of "bogeys" little friendly aliens which she regularly produced and which were sent out annually as Moore's Christmas cards. Moore wrote the foreword for Gertrude's 1974 book Mrs Moore In <a href="http://youtu.be/FmsfIo6XkqQ">Space</a>.
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Patrick Moore has influenced many many viewers over 55 years, his eccentric personality and modest raw talent spoke to a generations of British science enthusiasts. From the early years of TV to the latest Mars mission, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mk7h/broadcasts/2012/12" target="_blank">The sky at Night is a British Institution</a>. While the role of science has been place secondary to modern entertainment and reality TV shows. Its great to have one show that stands the test of time...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jFwZ2ExVpMI" width="500"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17037366370865875652noreply@blogger.com0