12 Reasons You Should Visit Finland At Least Once In Your Life

 

Lifestyle by Julia Kitlinski-Hong

Norway and Sweden might be more popular destinations for tourists visiting Scandinavia, but Finland has many highlights that make it worth exploring as well. Here are a few reasons why you should visit Finland. You will not regret spending time in this often overlooked country in Northern Europe.

 

1. It Is Not As Cold As You Might Imagine

The average temperatures range from 25 F in the winter to 64 F in the summer. While the rest of their European neighbors are experiencing sometimes unbearable summer temperatures, Finns have a mild summer that makes sightseeing activities enjoyable.

 

2. There Is Plenty Of Space

There is a total of 5.5 million people living in Finland’s 131, 000 square miles. This comes out to about 38 people per square mile. You definitely will not feel claustrophobic here. You can have a restorative vacation while reveling in all the wide open spaces.

 

3. Communication Is Easy

Like the rest of its Scandinavian neighbors, Finland’s official business language is English. The added layer of having to navigate a foreign country where English is not widely spoken is not an issue at all in this country, allowing you to stress about other things — like where to eat and what to see.

 

4. Uses The Euro As Its Currency

Unlike its Scandinavian neighbors, Finland uses the Euro. This makes it easy if you are visiting Western Europe before or after your trip up north. Having the Euro as currency means that Finland is the cheapest Nordic destination, which will make budget travelers rejoice.

 

5. There Is An Advanced Technology Infrastructure In Place

Finland is famous for having the world’s largest number of cell phones and internet nodes per capita. This country is also is known for leading the way with information technology in Europe. In fact, Finland comes in second to the USA.

 

6. Virtually Crime Free

The extremely low-level of crime makes Finland an ideal place for solo travelers, families and elderly travelers who might feel more vulnerable than others in cities that are known to have their fair share of crime. Helsinki, the capital city, has been named the second safest city in the world.

 

7. There Is Endless Outdoor Activities Available

Finland is known as having 187, 888 lakes in its borders. This makes it the country with the most lakes anywhere in the world. There are plenty of places to explore “The Great Outdoors”, whether its on a boat, on wheels, or your own two feet.

 

8. It Has A Great Food Scene

The Finnish food scene is just getting started with a batch of young chefs making their way into the spotlight, a renewed appreciation for local ingredients, and innovative ways to create traditional dishes. What, did you think you will be eating a lot of reindeer while in Finland? If so, you’ll be in for a great surprise.

 

9. Stable Government

Tied with Denmark, Finland has the lowest levels of corruption in the world. This adds to the general feeling of being secure while visiting, knowing that riots against the government are not bound to break out during your visit.

 

10. Nature’s Spectacular Light Show

With front row seats to the Northern Lights, it’s hard to resist this brilliant display of color. For the optimal viewing, make sure to do some research beforehand, because these lights cannot be seen every night.

 

11. Experience The Never-Ending Daylight

In the summertime, the sun can be in the sky for a twenty-four hour period. This is a unique natural phenomenon that should be experienced at least once in your life.

 

12. Staying Warm in A Finnish Sauna

Saunas in Finland are a common recreational activity where Finns go both to socialize and use for its relaxation purposes. There are reportedly three million saunas in Finland, a lot of them in private households.

Featured photo credit: Flickr via flickr.com

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source : http://www.lifehack.org/291750/12-reasons-you-should-visit-finland-least-once-your-life?mid=20150731&ref=mail&uid=580391&feq=daily

Baines&Fricker reveal a stylish portable research lab for Fieldwork

 

Baines&Fricker were commissioned by consultancy firm Fieldwork to design and make a portable research lab. The lab comes in a custom built flightcase with rollers on one side. The flightcase doubles as a base when stood on one end and the lab’s front panel pulls forward to create a desk. According to Fieldwork founder Curtis James, “Fieldwork do ethnographic research into working life, which entails making visible the ordinary and extraordinary things that might go unnoticed in day to day office life.” This new portable research lab allows them to advance their work in a stylish, convenient way. + Baines&Fricker + Fieldwork source: http://inhabitat.com/bainesfricker-reveal-a-stylish-portable-research-lab-for-fieldwork/

How to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance in the Age of Technology

 

Work by Henry Fan We are living in a digital age and are always connected to our computers, tablets and smartphones. Just a few decades ago, when the workday ended at 5:00PM, workers packed up and turned their minds off for the evening. However, because of our constant connection through technology, client emails, proposals and projects have become a part of time spent outside of the office. These extra hours and inability to step away from work have caused many individuals to call for a work-life balance, which places an emphasis on juggling work and maintaining a personal life with family and friends outside of the office. Here are some suggestions for succeeding with work and your personal life both inside and outside of the office:   Incorporate Physical Activity Into Your Routine Incorporating physical activity into your routine is an important part of maintaining a work-life balance. Physical activity not only helps to refresh both your mind and body, but also provides mental clarity during a time of stress at work. In addition to this, it keeps your body in optimal physical shape, which makes you feel more productive and healthy. Summer is the perfect time to place an emphasis on physical activity. If your schedule does not allow for going to the gym before or after work consider making this a part of your workday. Step away from your desk and take a walk with a co-worker to gain a new perspective and exercise your muscles.   Separating from Electronic Devices Another important aspect of maintaining a work-life balance is separating from electronic devices during evenings and weekends. If you feel the need to complete extra work or respond to emails outside of the office designate a specific time for these responses. For example, allow yourself to complete work in the evenings from 6-8 and then close your laptop. Or, respond to emails Saturday morning and then take Sunday off. Find what works best for you and your schedule and make a point to separate from electronic devices and clear your mind. While spending time working outside of the typical 9-5 has become normal in our current workforce, working all day every day is not efficient and will eventually cause you to burn out.   Make Work Productive The Internet and social media have made our lives faster and easier. Workplace communication that previously took place in the form of long meetings and phone calls has been replaced by quick email and instant message exchanges. While the use of technology for communication has saved us time, it can often serve as a distraction as well. This is important to keep in mind at the office. When you are at work make it productive and spend your hours completing projects and assignments instead of surfing the web or checking Facebook. Consider keeping a time-sheet to monitor your hours and stay on task.   Incorporate Downtime Into Your Routine Take some time to do what you love whether that means spending time with friends and family or investing in a hobby. Having an active social life often correlates with having a positive work life so make sure to invest in what makes you happy outside of the office. This will provide you a sense of meaning and allow you to define yourself outside of a work role. Feeling overwhelmed by a situation or project at work? Sometimes the best ideas come when your mind is refreshed and focused. Grabbing dinner with a friend and discussing your situation may provide new light and a solution to your problem. Take some time to see how others in your office maintain a work-life balance and follow their lead. They may have tips to help you achieve the work-life balance you have been looking for. source : http://www.lifehack.org/275432/how-maintain-healthy-work-life-balance-the-age-technology?mid=20150730&ref=mail&uid=580391&feq=daily

10 Reasons to Focus on Steps, Not Goals

 

Productivity Success by Matt Duczeminski When you want to improve an aspect of your life, it’s important to set goals. This is how you know where you want to end up. However, once you’ve set a goal for yourself, you should focus on the small steps you’ll be taking in order to reach this goal. You should always keep your final destination in sight, but know that it’s the small steps that will guide you there. Here’s what you can expect by keeping the small steps in mind.   1. You won’t feel intimidated Maybe your goal is to become a master guitarist, but you don’t even know how to play a chord. It can be incredibly intimidating to watch a Grateful Dead concert as Jerry Garcia moves up and down the fret board for hours without breaking a sweat. You’ll most likely get the feeling that you’ll “never be able to do that,” and run the risk of quitting before you even get started. By taking small steps toward your goal, you’ll feel less intimidated when you see others who are above your level.   2. You’ll see progress constantly If you’re constantly looking at your endgame as your only goal, you won’t think you’re getting anywhere when you make a small improvement in your skills. When you focus on the small steps, you’ll see progress almost instantaneously. Yesterday, you might have set out to memorize the order of the guitar strings. It can be highly motivating to see this goal accomplished. It might not seem like a huge accomplishment, but you’ll know you’re one step closer to achieving your overall goal.   3. You’ll appreciate the process When you focus on the small steps, you’ll realize that even the experts have been in your shoes at one point in their lives. It’s hard to imagine a time in which Garcia didn’t know the difference between an E and an A string, but he had to have started somewhere, right? The small steps might be boring at times — do you think Michael Jordan really loved taking foul shots all day? — , but going through them is an absolute necessity if you want to reach your goal.   4. You’ll learn the basics It might be tempting to skip steps at times in order to reach your goal faster. However, this will only lead to confusion and frustration in the long run. Imagine a child trying to learn multiplication before he or she learns how to add. So much instruction would be lost in this method that the child wouldn’t possibly be able to succeed. The old saying is true: “You have to learn to crawl before you can walk.” Take baby steps to ensure you can handle the small stuff before moving on to the big time.   5. You’ll learn more While you’re learning the basics, you should slow down and try different methods to accomplish your short-term goals. There’s always more than one way to get something done. Going about a task in a variety of ways will lead you to the most efficient way for you to complete the task at hand. You might learn something about the whole process that you would have missed had you rushed through the small steps.   6. You’ll understand the fundamentals It’s not enough just to complete the small tasks — you have to understand why you completed them. Tuning a guitar might seem pretty straight-forward, as you can just memorize each string’s open note and tune it. However, it’s important to take the time to understand the relationship between the strings, and how each is utilized when forming chords and scales. Go beyond rote memorization and truly comprehend each step as you progress toward your goal.   7. You’ll anticipate success If you schedule the small goals to be accomplished, you’ll know on Wednesday what you’ll be able to do on Friday. This not only gives you an idea about how you’re moving forward, but it also motivates you to keep up the hard work. If you schedule out your week of practice and growth, skipping a day will set everything back. When you’ve put it all in writing, you’ll be even more motivated not to let yourself down.   8. You’ll adapt your goals Then again, some days you might not do as well as you’d hoped you would. That’s certainly alright. By setting mini-goals along the way, you’ll be able to modify them depending on your progress the previous day. While you would most likely feel disappointed in yourself for skipping a day of work, there’s no shame in getting stuck on a previous step as long as you’re making strides to overcome it.   9. You’ll celebrate small victories When you set smaller goals, you’ll be able to celebrate more. Like I said, making a schedule and anticipating success will allow you set your sights on a short-term goal, possibly a week-long one. Once you reach that smaller goal, you’ll definitely feel much more accomplished than you would if you’d reached that point without considering it a “goal.” Every small accomplishment is reason to celebrate, so don’t downplay your improvements.   10. You’ll keep pushing yourself If you set one major goal for yourself at the beginning of your journey, you run the risk of becoming complacent once you reach that goal. For example, if your goal was to run a six-minute mile, and it took you months to get to that point, you might just breathe a sigh of relief and consider yourself a success. While that would undoubtedly be a great accomplishment, there’s still room for improvement. If you had spent months improving your time and acknowledging each incremental improvement, you’re more apt to celebrate your milestone and then get back up the next day and work to shatter your own record. Love this article? Share it with your friends on Facebook Matt Duczeminski Matt is a part-time freelance writer trying to make the move to full time, so be prepared to be inundated with articles you may or may not find interesting. Hopefully you do. No, you definitely will. Catch up with me on LinkedIn or Twitter! source : www.lifehack.org

O valor do alimento que é jogado fora

 

As pessoas costumam jogar no lixo cascas de frutas e folhas e talos de hortaliças, que muitas vezes contêm nutrientes como vitamina C, carboidratos, proteínas e fibras em quantidades maiores do que as encontradas nas partes consumidas desses produtos O valor nutricional de frutas e legumes não é nenhuma novidade. O que as pessoas não sabiam é que as cascas, folhas e talos de alguns desses alimentos possuem nutrientes como vitamina C, carboidratos, cálcio e fibras, muitas vezes em quantidades superiores às da própria polpa. Essa descoberta faz parte de uma pesquisa desenvolvida no Instituto de Biociências (IB), campus de Botucatu, que avaliou o valor nutricional, em cada 100 gramas, de 20 espécies de frutas e hortaliças das mais consumidas pelos brasileiros. O estudo integra o projeto Alimente-se Bem, promovido pelo Serviço Social da Indústria (Sesi) de São Paulo, que ensina donas-de-casa de comunidades carentes a preparar receitas baratas e nutritivas. (Leia texto na página ao lado.) “Sempre soubemos que as cascas também contêm vitaminas e nutrientes, mas não conhecíamos a quantidade dessas substâncias”, comenta Tereza Watanabe, diretora de Alimentação do Sesi-SP, que solicitou a ajuda da UNESP para a realização do projeto. “Por falta de conhecimento da população sobre o valor nutricional dos talos, folhas e cascas e como aproveitá-los nos pratos, eles acabam indo para o lixo, algo inadmissível em um país em que a desnutrição atinge cerca de 22 milhões de pessoas”, comenta Giuseppina Lima, docente do Departamento de Química e Bioquímica do IB e coordenadora da pesquisa. Presença da vitamina C A folha da couve-flor foi o produto que mais surpreendeu os pesquisadores. Embora geralmente não seja aproveitada no preparo de pratos, o estudo constatou que 100 g da folha contêm 122 mg de vitamina C, quantidade quatro vezes maior do que no mesmo volume da polpa da laranja, por exemplo. A casca do mamão, por sua vez, registrou 52 mg. “Esses dois alimentos possuem níveis acima da dose diária de 45 mg da vitamina, recomendada pelos médicos”, aponta Giuseppina. A vitamina C é um dos nutrientes mais importantes para o organismo. Sua carência pode levar a distúrbios neurológicos, dores musculares, perda de dentes e ao escorbuto, doença que provoca hemorragia nas gengivas. Outra função importante é a de neutralizar a ação dos radicais livres, moléculas associadas ao envelhecimento e à formação de tumores. Goiaba, acerola, morango, tomate, pimentão, manga, caju e limão também têm bons níveis da vitamina. Já em 100 g de casca de laranja, os pesquisadores acharam 107 mg de fósforo, volume bem superior ao verificado na polpa da fruta (18 mg). Esse elemento químico é utilizado pelas células humanas para armazenar e transportar energia em forma de calorias. “O fósforo potencializa os efeitos de algumas vitaminas, especialmente as do complexo B, que ajudam a transformar os carboidratos, lipídios e proteínas em energia, fortalecendo os sistemas neurológico, dermatológico e gastrintestinal”, revela Giuseppina. No estudo, essa substância foi encontrada ainda na casca do mamão, no talo do espinafre, na folha e no talo da salsinha. Na casca da laranja, também foi detectado cálcio na concentração de 362 mg. Outro destaque foram as folhas do salsão, com 66 mg dessa substância, que faz parte da constituição dos ossos, dentes e músculos. “É um mineral que controla a atividade hormonal, evita contraturas musculares e cãibras, além de auxiliar a transmissão de impulsos nervosos”, esclarece Suraya Rocha, que realizou, com esse estudo, a sua dissertação de mestrado no IB. Níveis de carotenóides Em quantidade de 68 mg, o cálcio também é encontrado na rama da cenoura, cuja polpa é rica em carotenóides (119 mg). Esses pigmentos, responsáveis pela cor dos alimentos, auxiliam o crescimento ósseo e estão relacionados à vitamina A, sendo antioxidantes associados à prevenção do câncer de pulmão, pele e estômago. São recomendados, ainda, em casos de doenças cardiovasculares, aids e processos ligados ao envelhecimento, como o mal de Alzheimer. As cascas de abóbora, goiaba e mamão são outros produtos que apresentam esses pigmentos. “Nos vegetais, os níveis de carotenóides aumentam à medida que eles amadurecem”, observa Suraya. Na rama da cenoura, as análises identificaram teor de 25 mg de ferro, quantidade necessária para suplementação diária de homens e mulheres. A deficiência desse elemento, responsável pelo transporte do oxigênio na hemoglobina do sangue, costuma causar anemia. “Trata-se de um dos minerais mais importantes na absorção de substâncias fundamentais para a vida”, afirma Pedro Magalhães Padilha, que integrou o grupo do IB. Outro produto rico em nutrientes é a casca de limão, que possui 3 g de proteínas a cada 100 g, o maior volume entre as frutas estudadas. “Compostas por vários aminoácidos que ajudam a formação de novas proteínas, elas são ligadas ao bom funcionamento do sistema de defesa, que combate bactérias e vírus”, aponta Padilha. As cascas de limão também se mostraram as mais ricas em fibras, com 6,7 g. O baixo consumo de fibras pode originar problemas que vão de prisão de ventre a câncer de cólon. Seu consumo reduz os índices de glicemia e colesterol no sangue, o que previne as doenças do coração. Componentes de muitas frutas, hortaliças e cereais, as fibras são encontradas ainda nas cascas de laranja (6,4 g) e maracujá (5,2 g). “Os indivíduos adultos devem ingerir de 30 g a 35 g de fibras por dia”, alerta Giuseppina. Dieta mais saudável O estudo demonstra que as camadas externas de várias frutas são ricas em carboidratos, que fornecem energia às células, fortalecem a parede celular e servem de reserva energética. As cascas do abacaxi (4 g), da maçã (4,7 g) e da laranja (12 g) podem ser aproveitadas em várias receitas de bolos e sobremesas. De qualquer forma, a polpa da banana superou todos os demais produtos analisados, com 14 g de carboidratos. Um grama de carboidrato possui 3,7 calorias – valor utilizado para medir o valor energético dos alimentos. Outro componente importante das cascas de algumas frutas são os lipídios, encontrados principalmente no limão (0,9 g), na laranja (0,7 g) e na maçã (0,7 g). “Cada grama dessas moléculas de gordura possui 9 calorias de energia”, destaca Giuseppina. “Eles fazem parte da membrana celular e exercem no organismo um importante papel de transportar elétrons, hormônios e vitaminas A, D, E e K.” A pesquisadora ressalta que é recomendável o consumo de 80 g de lipídios por dia. Um dos nutrientes mais importantes para a formação dos dentes e ossos nas crianças, o potássio foi encontrado (2,3 mg) nas folhas do salsão. A substância também aparece em quantidades expressivas na rama da cenoura (1,1 mg), na casca do limão (1,9 mg) e no talo do espinafre (1,0 mg). A casca de banana tem o dobro de potássio, 0,9 g, em relação ao encontrado na polpa da fruta, com 0,4 g. A carência de potássio causa fraqueza, desorientação mental e fadiga muscular. Segundo Giuseppina, os próximos passos da pesquisa serão ampliar o número de espécies vegetais analisadas e comparar os valores nutricionais com as formas de cultivo e armazenamento dos alimentos. “Vamos continuar a estudar partes geralmente descartadas dos vegetais, para proporcionar à população uma dieta mais saudável; afinal de contas, uma alimentação balanceada é o primeiro passo para uma vida saudável”, argumenta. Receitas com talos, folhas e ramos Arroz verdinho Ingredientes Arroz 3 xícaras (chá) Cebola picada 1 colher (sopa) Alho 1 dente Óleo 4 colheres (sopa) Sal a gosto Refogado: Margarina 1 colher (sopa) Cebola picada ¾ xícara (chá) Talos de agrião picados 1 xícara (chá) Talos de salsa picados 1 xícara (chá) Rama de cenoura picada 1 xícara (chá) Preparo: Doure a cebola e o alho no óleo, refogue o arroz, acrescente a água e o sal. Deixe cozinhar até secar a água. À parte, derreta a margarina, doure a cebola, acrescente os talos e a rama. Refogue-os e misture em seguida, ao arroz cozido. Bolo de casca de banana Ingredientes Massa: Casca de banana 4 unidades Ovo 2 unidades Leite 2 xícaras (chá) Margarina 2 colheres (sopa) Açúcar 3 xícaras (chá) Farinha de rosca 3 xícaras (chá) Fermento em pó 1 colher (sopa) Cobertura: Açúcar ½ xícara (chá) Água 1 ½ xícara (chá) Banana 4 unidades Limão ½ unidade Preparo: Lave as bananas e descasque. Separe 4 xícaras de casca para fazer a massa. Bata as claras em neve e reserve, na geladeira. Bata no liquidificador as gemas, o leite, a margarina, o açúcar e as cascas de banana. Despeje essa mistura em uma vasilha e acrescente a farinha de rosca. Mexa bem. Misture as claras em neve e o fermento. Despeje em uma assadeira untada com margarina e farinha. Leve ao forno médio preaquecido por 40 minutos. Para a cobertura, queime o açúcar em uma panela e junte a água, fazendo um caramelo. Acrescente as bananas em rodelas e o suco de limão. Cozinhe. Cubra o bolo ainda quente. Patê de salsa Ingredientes Berinjela grande 1 unidade Salsa 1 maço inteiro Óleo ¾ xícara (chá) Noz-moscada 1 pitada Azeitona verde ¼ xícara (chá) Sal a gosto Preparo: Pique a salsa juntamente com os talos. Cozinhe a berinjela e bata no liquidificador com os outros ingredientes. Leve à geladeira e sirva frio. Caldo Verde Ingredientes Óleo 2 colheres (sopa) Cebola picada ¾ xícara (chá) Alho 2 dentes Cabeça de peixe 4 unidades pequenas Tomate picado ½ xícara (chá) Louro a gosto Água 10 xícaras (chá) Fubá ½ xícara (chá) Folha de couve-flor 1 ½ xícara (chá) Salsa picada 3 colheres (sopa) Sal a gosto Preparo: Doure em uma panela com óleo a cebola e o alho. Acrescente as cabeças de peixe, o tomate e as folhas de louro. Junte 7 ½ xícaras de água e deixe ferver. Coe o caldo. Reserve. Dissolva o fubá em 2 ½ xícaras de água fria e junte ao caldo de peixe. Leve ao fogo e deixe cozinhar bem. Por último, acrescente a folha de couve-flor cortada em tiras finas e repicada e deixe até cozinhar. Junte a salsa com o fogo desligado. Acrescente o sal. Sirva quente. Quiche de casca de abóbora Ingredientes Massa: Farinha de trigo 1 2/3 xícara (chá) Gema 1 unidade Sal a gosto Margarina 3 colheres (sopa) Água 3 colheres (sopa) Recheio: Cebola picada ½ xícara (chá) Alho 1 dente Óleo 2 colheres (sopa) Casca de abóbora 2 xícaras (chá) Água ½ xícara (chá) Sal a gosto Creme de queijo: Ovo 2 unidades Leite ½ xícara (chá) Queijo parmesão 2 colheres (sopa) Preparo: Para a massa, misture todos os ingredientes, deixando por último a água. Amasse bem. Abra a massa sobre o fundo da assadeira com a ajuda de um rolo e filme plástico, deixando sobrar a borda. Fure a massa com um garfo, para que não se formem bolhas ao assar. Asse em forno preaquecido até dourar. Para o recheio, refogue, em uma panela, a cebola e o alho no óleo. Acrescente a casca da abóbora ralada, junte a água e cozinhe. Verifique o sal e deixe esfriar. Coloque o recheio sobre a massa. Para o creme de queijo, bata no liquidificador o ovo, acrescente o leite e o queijo parmesão. Despeje sobre o recheio da casca de abóbora e leve para assar em forno preaquecido até o creme de queijo dourar. Na Internet Veja outras receitas em www.sesisp.org.br www.casagourmet.com.br www.planetanatural.com.br Estudantes ensinam receitas baratas ados da Coordenadoria de Abastecimento da Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento do Estado de São Paulo estimam que o País perde o equivalente a 1,4% do PIB com alimentos não aproveitados. O volume poderia alimentar 19 milhões de pessoas com três refeições diárias. Para combater esse desperdício e oferecer uma alimentação mais saudável à população, o Serviço Social da Indústria em São Paulo (Sesi) criou, em 1999, o Programa Alimente-se Bem. Receitas com partes dos alimentos geralmente descartadas, como talos, cascas e folhas, são elaboradas e testadas nas cozinhas experimentais da entidade e depois servidas em seus restaurantes do Estado. Diretora de Alimentação do Sesi, Tereza Watanabe enfatiza que o projeto começou a partir de uma pesquisa que detectou que 65% dos trabalhadores das indústrias se alimentavam mal. Depois de uma reformulação nos cardápios oferecidos, em 2003, um outro levantamento constatou a aprovação de 84% em relação a essa inovação. “A mudança de paradigma na alimentação passou pela apresentação dos pratos e seu preparo com receitas deliciosas e nutritivas”, comenta Tereza. Participação de alunos Além da pesquisa sobre o valor nutritivo de frutas e legumes, a UNESP participa do programa na divulgação das receitas elaboradas pelas nutricionistas do Sesi para donas-de-casa, principalmente de bairros carentes. Em Botucatu, estudantes do 4o e 5o anos do curso de Nutrição do IB percorrem a cidade em um ônibus-escola para ensinar as receitas. Doado pela prefeitura local, o coletivo está equipado com forno elétrico, fogão, microondas, geladeiras e utensílios de cozinha. “O mais importante para os alunos é o contato com o público, que apresenta várias questões sobre os tipos de alimento que fazem bem à saúde, o que nos leva a pesquisar e ficar mais atualizados”, diz a quintanista Reila Castaldeli. Aluna do 4o ano, Keny Tirapeli revela que, depois de participar do projeto, também passou a reaproveitar alimentos e fazer sobremesas com cascas de frutas. Desde 2001, em todo o Estado de São Paulo, 360 mil pessoas já passaram pelos cursos e palestras. Nos restaurantes educativos, 4 milhões de refeições foram servidas utilizando receitas que integram um livro com tiragem de mais de 100 mil exemplares. O programa está sendo implantado em 26 Estados pelo Ministério do Desenvolvimento e Combate à Fome do Governo Federal. Em abril, foi lançado um novo livro, o Alimente-se Bem – Fundamentos, Estratégias e Realizações, que traz o estudo dos pesquisadores da UNESP sobre o valor nutricional de frutas e legumes. Julio Zanella   Fonte : http://www.unesp.br/aci/jornal/213/desperdicio.php

Major milestone in molecular electronics

 

Schematic of the molecular junction created using asymmetric area electrodes which functions as a diode, allowing current to flow in one direction only. Credit: Berkeley Lab and Columbia University A team of researchers from Berkeley Lab and Columbia University has passed a major milestone in molecular electronics with the creation of the world's highest-performance single-molecule diode. Working at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility, the team used a combination of gold electrodes and an ionic solution to create a single-molecule diode that outperforms the best of its predecessors by a factor of 50. "Using a single symmetric molecule, an ionic solution and two gold electrodes of dramatically different exposed surface areas, we were able to create a diode that resulted in a rectification ratio, the ratio of forward to reverse current at fixed voltage, in excess of 200, which is a record for single-molecule devices," says Jeff Neaton, Director of the Molecular Foundry, a senior faculty scientist with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division and the Department of Physics at the University of California Berkeley, and a member of the Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute at Berkeley (Kavli ENSI). "The asymmetry necessary for diode behavior originates with the different exposed electrode areas and the ionic solution," he says. "This leads to different electrostatic environments surrounding the two electrodes and superlative single-molecule device behavior." With "smaller and faster" as the driving mantra of the electronics industry, single-molecule devices represent the ultimate limit in electronic miniaturization. In 1974, molecular electronics pioneers Mark Ratner and Arieh Aviram theorized that an asymmetric molecule could act as a rectifier, a one-way conductor of electric current. Since then, development of functional single-molecule electronic devices has been a major pursuit with diodes -- one of the most widely used electronic components -- being at the top of the list. A typical diode consists of a silicon p-n junction between a pair of electrodes (anode and cathode) that serves as the "valve" of an electrical circuit, directing the flow of current by allowing it to pass through in only one "forward" direction. The asymmetry of a p-n junction presents the electrons with an "on/off" transport environment. Scientists have previously fashioned single-molecule diodes either through the chemical synthesis of special asymmetric molecules that are analogous to a p-n junction; or through the use of symmetric molecules with different metals as the two electrodes. However, the resulting asymmetric junctions yielded low rectification ratios, and low forward current. Neaton and his colleagues at Columbia University have discovered a way to address both deficiencies. "Electron flow at molecular length-scales is dominated by quantum tunneling," Neaton explains. "The efficiency of the tunneling process depends intimately on the degree of alignment of the molecule's discrete energy levels with the electrode's continuous spectrum. In a molecular rectifier, this alignment is enhanced for positive voltage, leading to an increase in tunneling, and is reduced for negative voltage. At the Molecular Foundry we developed an approach to accurately compute energy-level alignment and tunneling probability in single-molecule junctions. This method allowed myself and Zhenfei Liu to understand the diode behavior quantitatively." In collaboration with Columbia University's Latha Venkataraman and Luis Campos and their respective research groups, Neaton and Liu fabricated a high-performing rectifier from junctions made of symmetric molecules with molecular resonance in nearly perfect alignment with the Fermi electron energy levels of the gold electrodes. Symmetry was broken by a substantial difference in the size of the area on each gold electrode that was exposed to the ionic solution. Owing to the asymmetric electrode area, the ionic solution, and the junction energy level alignment, a positive voltage increases current substantially; a negative voltage suppresses it equally significantly. "The ionic solution, combined with the asymmetry in electrode areas, allows us to control the junction's electrostatic environment simply by changing the bias polarity," Neaton says. "In addition to breaking symmetry, double layers formed by ionic solution also generate dipole differences at the two electrodes, which is the underlying reason behind the asymmetric shift of molecular resonance. The Columbia group's experiments showed that with the same molecule and electrode setup, a non-ionic solution yields no rectification at all." The Berkeley Lab-Columbia University team believes their new approach to a single-molecule diode provides a general route for tuning nonlinear nanoscale-device phenomena that could be applied to systems beyond single-molecule junctions and two-terminal devices. "We expect the understanding gained from this work to be applicable to ionic liquid gating in other contexts, and mechanisms to be generalized to devices fabricated from two-dimensional materials," Neaton says. "Beyond devices, these tiny molecular circuits are petri dishes for revealing and designing new routes to charge and energy flow at the nanoscale. What is exciting to me about this field is its multidisciplinary nature -- the need for both physics and chemistry -- and the strong beneficial coupling between experiment and theory. "With the increasing level of experimental control at the single-molecule level, and improvements in theoretical understanding and computational speed and accuracy, we're just at the tip of the iceberg with what we can understand and control at these small length scales." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The original item was written by Lynn Yarris. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Brian Capozzi, Jianlong Xia, Olgun Adak, Emma J. Dell, Zhen-Fei Liu, Jeffrey C. Taylor, Jeffrey B. Neaton, Luis M. Campos, Latha Venkataraman. Single-molecule diodes with high rectification ratios through environmental control. Nature Nanotechnology, 2015; 10 (6): 522 DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2015.97

10 Benefits of Fasting That Will Surprise You

 

Health Lifestyle by Nathan Hewitt Starvation literally means starvation. It doesn’t mean skipping a meal or not eating for 24 hours. Or not eating for three days even. The belief that meal skipping or short-term fasting causes “starvation mode” is so completely ridiculous and absurd that it makes me want to jump out the window. – Martin Berkhan Is it a good thing to ‘starve’ yourself each day, or a few days of the week? Well, a tonne of evidence indicates that timed periods of fasting are a good thing. Fasting has become increasingly popular over the years, especially among the health community. Whilst most health practitioners are afraid to recommend eating less due to the stigma involved, it still doesn’t alleviate the incredible benefits of fasting when used sensibly. In this article, we’ll explore 10 benefits of fasting that will surprise you, and how you can incorporate them into your own life.   1. Fasting Helps Weight Loss Fasting can be a safe way to lose weight as many studies have shown that intermittent fasting – fasting that is controlled within a set number of hours – allows the body to burn through fat cells more effectively than just regular dieting. Intermittent fasting allows the body to use fat as it’s primary source of energy instead of sugar. Many athletes now use fasting as means to hitting low body fat percentages for competitions.   2. Fasting Improves Insulin Sensitivity Fasting has shown to have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, allowing you to tolerate carbohydrates (sugar) better than if you didn’t fast. A study showed that after periods of fasting, insulin becomes more effective in telling cells to take up glucose from blood. 3. Fasting Speeds Up The Metabolism Intermittent fasting gives your digestive system a rest, and this can energise your metabolism to burn through calories more efficiently. If your digestion is poor, this can effect your ability to metabolise food and burn fat. Intermittent fasts can regulate your digestion and promote healthy bowel function, thus improving your metabolic function.   4. Fasting Promotes Longevity Believe it or not, the less you eat the longer you will live. Studies have shown how the lifespan of people in certain cultures increased due to their diets. However, we don’t need to live amongst a foreign community to reap the benefits of fasting. One of the primary effects of ageing is a slower metabolism, the younger your body is, the faster and more efficient your metabolism. The less you eat, the less toll it takes on your digestive system.   5. Fasting Improves Hunger Just think about this, can you actually experience real hunger if you eat a meal every 3-4 hours? Of course you can’t. In fact, to experience the true nature of hunger, this would take anything from 12 to even 24 hours. Fasting helps to regulate the hormones in your body so that you experience what true hunger is. We know that obese individuals do not receive the correct signals to let them know they are full due excessive eating patterns. Think of fasting as a reset button: the longer you fast, the more your body can regulate itself to release the correct hormones, so that you can experience what real hunger is. Not to mention, when your hormones are working correctly, you get full quicker.   6. Fasting Improves Your Eating Patterns Fasting can be a helpful practice for those who suffer with binge eating disorders, and for those who find it difficult to establish a correct eating pattern due to work and other priorities. With intermittent fasting going all afternoon without a meal is okay and it can allow you to eat at a set time that fits your lifestyle. Also, for anyone who wants to prevent binge eating, you can establish a set time in where you allow yourself to eat your daily amount of calories in one sitting, and then not eat till the following day.   7. Fasting Improves Your Brain Function Fasting has shown to improve brain function, because it boosts the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF.) BDNF activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons, and triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health. This protein also protects your brain cells from changes associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.   8. Fasting Improves Your Immune System Intermittent fasting improves the immune system because it reduces free radical damage, regulates inflammatory conditions in the body and starves off cancer cell formation. In nature, when animals get sick they stop eating and instead focus on resting. This is a primal instinct to reduce stress on their internal system so their body can fight off infection. We humans are the only species who look for food when we are ill, even when we do not need it.   9. Fasting Contributes To Self-Enlightenment Fasting has helped many people feel more connected to life during the practices reading, meditation, yoga and martial arts etc. With no food in the digestive system, this makes room for more energy in the body – the digestive is one of the most energy absorbing systems in the body. Fasting for self-enlightenment, allows us to feel better both consciously and physically. With a lighter body and a clearer mind we become more aware and grateful for the things around us.   10. Fasting Helps Clear The Skin And Prevent Acne Fasting can help clear the skin because with the body temporarily freed from digestion, it’s able to focus its regenerative energies on other systems. Not eating anything for just one day has shown to help the body clean up the toxins and regulate the functioning of other organs of the body like liver, kidneys and other parts.

Prostate cancer is five different diseases, experts say

 

Cancer Research UK scientists have for the first time identified that there are five distinct types of prostate cancer and found a way to distinguish between them, according to a landmark study* published today in EBioMedicine. The findings could have important implications for how doctors treat prostate cancer in the future, by identifying tumours that are more likely to grow and spread aggressively through the body. The researchers, from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and Addenbrooke's Hospital, studied samples of healthy and cancerous prostate tissue from more than 250 men. By looking for abnormal chromosomes and measuring the activity of 100 different genes linked to the disease they were able to group the tumours into five distinct types, each with a characteristic genetic fingerprint. This analysis was better at predicting which cancers were likely to be the most aggressive than the tests currently used by doctors -- including the PSA test** and Gleason score. But, the findings need to be confirmed in clinical trials with larger groups of men. Study author Dr Alastair Lamb, from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: "Our exciting results show that prostate cancer can be classified into five genetically-different types. These findings could help doctors decide on the best course of treatment for each individual patient, based on the characteristics of their tumour. "The next step is to confirm these results in bigger studies and drill down into the molecular 'nuts and bolts' of each specific prostate cancer type. By carrying out more research into how the different diseases behave we might be able to develop more effective ways to treat prostate cancer patients in the future, saving more lives." Professor Malcolm Mason, Cancer Research UK's prostate cancer expert, said: "The challenge in treating prostate cancer is that it can either behave like a pussycat -- growing slowly and unlikely to cause problems in a man's lifetime -- or a tiger -- spreading aggressively and requiring urgent treatment. But at the moment we have no reliable way to distinguish them. This means that some men may get treatment they don't need, causing unnecessary side effects, while others might benefit from more intensive treatment. "This research could be game-changing if the results hold up in larger clinical trials and could give us better information to guide each man's treatment -- even helping us to choose between treatments for men with aggressive cancers. Ultimately this could mean more effective treatment for the men who need it, helping to save more lives and improve the quality of life for many thousands of men with prostate cancer." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Cancer Research UK. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: H. Ross-Adams, A.D. Lamb, M.J. Dunning, S. Halim, J. Lindberg, C.M. Massie, L.A. Egevad, R. Russell, A. Ramos-Montoya, S.L. Vowler, N.L. Sharma, J. Kay, H. Whitaker, J. Clark, R. Hurst, V.J. Gnanapragasam, N.C. Shah, A.Y. Warren, C.S. Cooper, A.G. Lynch, R. Stark, I.G. Mills, H. Grönberg, D.E. Neal. Integration of copy number and transcriptomics provides risk stratification in prostate cancer: A discovery and validation cohort study. EBioMedicine, 2015; DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2015.07.017

Promising progress for new treatment of type 1 diabetes

 

Credit: Kailash Singh A representative image of islets from diabetic mice, which did not receive IL-35 (left) and received IL-35 (right). The brown color represent insulin producing beta cells. New research from Uppsala University shows promising progress in the use of anti-inflammatory cytokine for treatment of type 1 diabetes. The study, published in the open access journal Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group), reveals that administration of interleukin-35 (a protein made by immune cells) to mice with type 1 diabetes, reverses or cures the disease by maintaining a normal blood glucose level and the immune tolerance. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease, which for the patients leads to a life-long dependence of daily injections of insulin. In Sweden approximately 2 new cases of the disease are diagnosed every day. Insulin is a hormone, which is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin is required to prevent a harmful rise in the blood glucose level. The exact cause of T1D is not yet known, however, it is considered as an autoimmune disease. A condition that occurs when our own immune system by mistake attack and destroy healthy cells. In T1D, an infection and/or unknown factors probably triggers the immune cell attack, which ultimately leads to an insufficient insulin production. In the new study, Dr. Kailash Singh, a PhD student in professor Stellan Sandler's research group at the Department of Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University, studied so-called immune regulatory T cells' actions in T1D mouse models. The study shows that the immune regulatory T cells alter their function by producing pro-inflammatory destructive proteins instead of protective anti-inflammatory proteins such as interleukin-35 (IL-35) under T1D conditions. "This suggests that the good guys have gone bad in early development of Type 1 diabetes and therefore our immune cells destroy the beta cell," says Dr. Kailash Singh. Furthermore, the concentration of IL-35 was lower in T1D patients compared to healthy individuals. These findings may suggest that IL-35 could play a crucial role in human T1D. In addition, the researchers have found a novel mechanism that explains how the immune regulatory T cells are changing their destiny under a T1D condition. Professor Sandler's research team tested whether or not IL-35 could also suppress development of T1D and reverse established T1D. To induce T1D in mice they injected a chemical compound called streptozotocin. These mice developed signs of TID and increasing blood glucose levels similar as in human T1D. IL-35 injections given after disease induction prevented from development of T1D. Strikingly, IL-35 injections to mice, which were diabetic for two consecutive days, normalized blood glucose concentrations. The research team also successfully investigated IL-35 in another model of T1D called non-obese diabetic mouse (NOD). The interruption of IL-35 treatment did not result in return of diabetes in any of the mouse models. The findings encourage further research on the use of IL-35 for treatment of T1D and offer new clues as to why immune regulatory T cells fail in counteracting T1D. "To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to show that IL-35 can reverse established Type 1 diabetes in two different mouse models and that the concentration of the particular cytokine is lower in Type 1 diabetes patients than in healthy individuals. Also, we are providing an insight into a novel mechanism: how immune regulatory T cells change their fate under autoimmune conditions," says Dr. Kailash Singh. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Uppsala Universitet. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Kailash Singh, Erik Kadesjö, Julia Lindroos, Marcus Hjort, Marcus Lundberg, Daniel Espes, Per-Ola Carlsson, Stellan Sandler, Lina Thorvaldson. Interleukin-35 administration counteracts established murine type 1 diabetes – possible involvement of regulatory T cells. Scientific Reports, 2015; 5: 12633 DOI: 10.1038/srep12633 :

26 photos qui vont vous convaincre d'aller visiter la Norvège en 2015

 

24 décembre 2014

La nature dans toute sa splendeur, à l'état pur et sauvage. La Norvège recèle des trésors inestimables de forêts, de côtes aux eaux limpides, de précipices gigantesques...C'est le pays qu'il faut visiter en 2015 ! La preuve avec ces 26 photographies incroyables, où l'on perçoit la beauté de ce pays pas si lointain. 

Reinefjorden, Lofoten

Torghatten

Atlantic Road

Senja Islands

Preikestolen

Ramberg

Stavkirke de Borgund

Vaeroy

Senja

Senja

Lyseveien

Lofoten Islands

Renndølsetra

Lofoten à l'automne

Trollstigen

Geirangerfjord

Un matin quelque part dans le coin

Les îles Lofoten

Bleik

Troltunga

Røros

Reine

 

Reinebringen

Høyvika Beach On Andøya, Vesteråle

Quality Standards for Pharma

 

Tue, 07/28/2015 - 2:30pm Lindsay Hock, Editor Image: Charles River Laboratories When you go to your local Walmart, CVS or Wallgreens to pick up cold medicine (or any other health product), do you ever think of the quality of the product? More than likely you grab the product off the shelf and hurry home to remedy your illness or whatever health ailment you might face. Little do we think of the testing behind the medications prescribed to us that improve the quality of our lives. Yet, stringent testing is needed for any pharmaceutical or health care product to hit the shelves of your local convenience store. Why is quality control testing so important for pharmaceutical and health care applications? The short answer: Any product of inferior quality can have negative outcomes for patients. For this reason, quality control testing is one critical safeguard used to prevent products that don’t meet exacting specifications from reaching patients, protecting public health. “Additionally, manufacturers use the feedback gained from quality control testing results to continuously improve manufacturing process in an effort to reduce errors and deliver quality products more efficiently,” says Carl Craig, PhD,  Corporate VP, Charles River Laboratories. Quality control for pharmaceuticals For the quality control testing of pharmaceutical and health care products, The United States Phamocopeial Convention (USP) establishes, through the use of expert committees, uniform quality standards that are enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These standards are similar to those of the Japanese Pharmacopeia and the European Pharmacopeia. The quality standards are documented as Compendial Tests, and every pharmaceutical product is subjected to the appropriate Compendial Test as a way to demonstrate product quality, efficacy, potency and so forth. By its nature, the regulated pharmaceutical products market is conservative and slow to adopt change in quality control testing. “After all, if the regulatory bodies, such as the USP and FDA, have determined existing quality tests are working to protect public health, any change could potentially have a negative impact on the public,” says Craig.   However, rapid testing is now at a place where it can meet the same quality specifications of traditional testing methods, only faster. “In many cases, rapid tests deliver results hours and even days before traditional methods,” says Craig. “This has obvious economic benefits for business; it expedites product release.” Rapid tests also allow for products to be reliably tested and released based on the quality control data, whereas with traditional methods the products may be released and used “at risk”, only to receive the quality testing results after the product’s release and use. “With that said, the industry has struggled to validate these rapid test methods,” says Craig. This is mainly due to this industry’s reluctance to change traditional quality control procedures that have protected human and public health for decades. And since rapid methods are considered “alternative methods” by regulators, and must be independently validated according to specific guidance outlined in the respective pharmacopoeias, manufacturers of rapid methods must appeal to regulators for approval. This slows the adoption of these methods, and ultimately the time pharmaceutical and health care manufacturers can get products to market. The endotoxin way Endotoxin testing is a rapid quality control test method that takes hours versus days to reach results. And, according to Craig, endotoxin testing has clearly demonstrated improvements over the previous “compendial rabbit pyrogen method of quality control.” Technology based on limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL)—a key ingredient in horseshoe crab blood that reacts in the presence of gram-negative bacteria—has progressed to the point where rapid cartridge-based systems now enable companies to rapidly measure endotoxins. The technology works like this: Precise amounts of LAL reagent, chromagenic substrate and control endotoxin are pre-loaded onto a four-channel cartridge, at which point the cartridge is placed in a handheld reader that serves as an incubator (that heats the cartridge to 37 C), a pumping system (that mixes the sample with each of the reagents applied to the cartridge) and spectrophotometer. The LAL method provides results in about 15 min. The most recent advances in LAL technology include a multi-cartridge system and a fully automated, robotic system suitable for high-volume water testing. “Since the advent of mandatory endotoxin testing for drugs, biologics and medical devices in the early 1980s, there hasn’t been a single incident of a product recall due to endotoxin contamination from a failure of an endotoxin assay that has been properly performed,” says Craig. And, with the advent and FDA approval of Charles Rivers Laboratories’ Endosafe-PTS method of rapid endotoxin testing in 2006, the company has seen a successful decrease—days to minutes—in test time that demonstrates successful adoption of simpler, less-invasive, more reliable rapid methods that don’t compromise public health. “We hope the successful adoption of rapid endotoxin testing can be a blueprint for adoption of other rapid methods in the future,” says Craig. The future of quality control testing What does the future hold for pharmaceutical and health care product quality control testing? Technological improvements combined with cost improvements will be at the forefront of future methods and technologies. “Technological improvements, alongside the significant and often unnecessary cost of having products sit and wait for testing to be completed before the product is release or moved to the next step, has strengthened the case for quality control testing that’s simpler, faster and more automated,” says Craig. There’s also a movement within the pharmaceutical industry to bring quality decisions closer to the manufacturing floor. With this trend, there’s an opportunity to develop easy-to-use and rapid quality control methods that can be decentralized from the quality lab and used by technicians in manufacturing without compromising testing quality or public health. “This allows for more timely and accurate decision to be made regarding the release of regulated products,” says Craig. source : www.rdmag.com

NASA's Spitzer Confirms Closest Rocky Exoplanet

 

July 30, 2015

This artist's concept shows the silhouette of a rocky planet, dubbed HD 219134b. At 21 light-years away, the planet is the closest outside of our solar system that can be seen crossing, or transiting, its star.

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have confirmed the discovery of the nearest rocky planet outside our solar system, larger than Earth and a potential gold mine of science data.

Dubbed HD 219134b, this exoplanet, which orbits too close to its star to sustain life, is a mere 21 light-years away. While the planet itself can't be seen directly, even by telescopes, the star it orbits is visible to the naked eye in dark skies in the Cassiopeia constellation, near the North Star.

HD 219134b is also the closest exoplanet to Earth to be detected transiting, or crossing in front of, its star and, therefore, perfect for extensive research.

"Transiting exoplanets are worth their weight in gold because they can be extensively characterized," said Michael Werner, the project scientist for the Spitzer mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. "This exoplanet will be one of the most studied for decades to come."

The planet, initially discovered using HARPS-North instrument on the Italian 3.6-meter Galileo National Telescope in the Canary Islands, is the subject of a study accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Study lead author Ati Motalebi of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland said she believes the planet is the ideal target for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in 2018.

"Webb and future large, ground-based observatories are sure to point at it and examine it in detail,” Motalebi said.

Only a small fraction of exoplanets can be detected transiting their stars due to their relative orientation to Earth. When the orientation is just right, the planet’s orbit places it between its star and Earth, dimming the detectable light of its star. It’s this dimming of the star that is actually captured by observatories such as Spitzer, and can reveal not only the size of the planet but also clues about its composition.

"Most of the known planets are hundreds of light-years away. This one is practically a next-door neighbor," said astronomer and study co-author Lars A. Buchhave of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For reference, the closest known planet is GJ674b at 14.8 light-years away; its composition is unknown.

HD 219134b was first sighted by the HARPS-North instrument and a method called the radial velocity technique, in which a planet's mass and orbit can be measured by the tug it exerts on its host star. The planet was determined to have a mass 4.5 times that of Earth, and a speedy three-day orbit around its star.

Spitzer followed up on the finding, discovering the planet transits its star. Infrared measurements from Spitzer revealed the planet's size, about 1.6 times that of Earth. Combining the size and mass gives it a density of 3.5 ounces per cubic inch (six grams per cubic centimeter) -- confirming HD 219134b is a rocky planet.

Now that astronomers know HD 219134b transits its star, scientists will be scrambling to observe it from the ground and space. The goal is to tease chemical information out of the dimming starlight as the planet passes before it. If the planet has an atmosphere, chemicals in it can imprint patterns in the observed starlight.

Rocky planets such as this one, with bigger-than-Earth proportions, belong to a growing class of planets termed super-Earths.

"Thanks to NASA's Kepler mission, we know super-Earths are ubiquitous in our galaxy, but we still know very little about them," said co-author Michael Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium, lead scientist for the Spitzer detection of the transit. "Now we have a local specimen to study in greater detail. It can be considered a kind of Rosetta Stone for the study of super-Earths."

Further observations with HARPS-North also revealed three more planets in the same star system, farther than HD 219134b. Two are relatively small and not too far from the star. Small, tightly packed multi-planet systems are completely different from our own solar system, but, like super-Earths, are being found in increasing numbers.

JPL manages the Spitzer mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena. Spacecraft operations are based at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive, housed at Caltech’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.

For more information about NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spitzer

A Daddy’s Letter to His Little Girl (About Her Future Husband)

 

Photo Credit: patrick_bird via Compfight cc Dear Cutie-Pie, Recently, your mother and I were searching for an answer on Google. Halfway through entering the question, Google returned a list of the most popular searches in the world. Perched at the top of the list was “How to keep him interested.” It startled me. I scanned several of the countless articles about how to be sexy and sexual, when to bring him a beer versus a sandwich, and the ways to make him feel smart and superior. And I got angry. Little One, it is not, has never been, and never will be your job to “keep him interested.” Little One, your only task is to know deeply in your soul—in that unshakeable place that isn’t rattled by rejection and loss and ego—that you are worthy of interest. (If you can remember that everyone else is worthy of interest also, the battle of your life will be mostly won. But that is a letter for another day.) If you can trust your worth in this way, you will be attractive in the most important sense of the word: you will attract a boy who is both capable of interest and who wants to spend his one life investing all of his interest in you. Little One, I want to tell you about the boy who doesn’t need to be kept interested, because he knows you are interesting: I don’t care if he puts his elbows on the dinner table—as long as he puts his eyes on the way your nose scrunches when you smile. And then can’t stop looking. I don’t care if he can’t play a bit of golf with me—as long as he can play with the children you give him and revel in all the glorious and frustrating ways they are just like you. I don’t care if he doesn’t follow his wallet—as long as he follows his heart and it always leads him back to you. I don’t care if he is strong—as long as he gives you the space to exercise the strength that is in your heart. I couldn’t care less how he votes—as long as he wakes up every morning and daily elects you to a place of honor in your home and a place of reverence in his heart. I don’t care about the color of his skin—as long as he paints the canvas of your lives with brushstrokes of patience, and sacrifice, and vulnerability, and tenderness. I don’t care if he was raised in this religion or that religion or no religion—as long as he was raised to value the sacred and to know every moment of life, and every moment of life with you, is deeply sacred. In the end, Little One, if you stumble across a man like that and he and I have nothing else in common, we will have the most important thing in common: You. Because in the end, Little One, the only thing you should have to do to “keep him interested” is to be you. Your eternally interested guy, Daddy ——— This post is, of course, dedicated to my daughter, my Cutie-Pie. But I also want to dedicate it beyond her. I wrote it for my wife, who has courageously held on to her sense of worth and has always held me accountable to being that kind of “boy.” I wrote it for every grown woman I have met inside and outside of my therapy office—the women who have never known this voice of a Daddy. And I wrote it for the generation of boys-becoming-men who need to be reminded of what is really important—my little girl finding a loving, lifelong companion is dependent upon at least one of you figuring this out. I’m praying for you. ———

Google's Project Loon balloons to cover Sri Lanka with internet access

 

Project Loon balloons like this are set to bring universal internet access to all of Sri Lanka Bringing internet to remote regions by sending internet-enabled balloons into the stratosphere sure sounds like a wild idea, but it's about to become a reality for the resident of Sri Lanka. The government of the island nation has just announced a partnership with Google that will bring affordable high-speed internet access to every inch of the country using the company's Project Loon balloons. Project Loon wouldn't really be at home anywhere other than the Google X lab, the company's secretive research arm from which all manner of left-field ideas have emerged, including glucose-monitoring contact lenses, delivery drones, Lego-like displays and a little venture known as Google Glass. It's not always easy to tell how serious Google is about some of these ambitious concepts, but it seems determined to make Project Loon a reality. The company's vision is for a network of balloons floating in the stratosphere at around 20 km (12.4 mi) above the Earth's surface. The balloons are equipped with solar panels and carry a box of electronics and communications gear underneath that provides LTE internet connectivity to an area on the ground around 40 km (25 mi) in diameter. The announcement by the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry this week of the partnership with Google will see Sri Lanka, which boasts an area of 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq mi), become the first country in the world to boast universal internet access via the high altitude balloons. Deployment of the balloons is set to begin in the coming months, with the launches expected to be completed by March, 2016. Source: Sri Lankan Government

Bionicon's e-ram mountain bike motor is light and low-profile

 

The e-ram motor is integrated into Bionicon's crankset (Credit: Bionicon) While hub motors may be quite common on commuter e-bikes, they’re not so popular on full-suspension electric mountain bikes. That’s because they add unsprung weight, which nobody wants. Various companies have responded by developing motors that are located in the middle of the bike, near the bottom bracket. These solve part of the problem, although they have to actually be built into the frame. That’s why Germany’s Bionicon has created the e-ram – it’s reportedly the world’s lightest mid-mount motor, and it could potentially be installed on existing mountain bikes. The e-ram is incorporated into a crankset, which is standard equipment on the company’s new Edison Evo mountain bike. Depending on the size of their bottom bracket, that crankset might also work on other bikes. The folks at Bionicon hope that once the e-ram is in production, other manufacturers will make a point of making sure that their bikes are compatible with it. The 250-watt, 48-volt brushless DC motor has a maximum torque of 60 Nm, and tips the scales at 1.45 kg (3.2 lb). It should be noted that its 48-volt 5.8-Ah Samsung battery pack is carried by the rider in a backpack, and is hard-wired to the motor via a magnetic socket mounted on the bike’s top tube (which releases easily in the event of a wipe-out). That battery weighs 2.4 kg (5.3 lb), and looks like it would probably make the wearing of a hydration pack rather challenging. On the plus side, however, it has an outlet that can be used to boost a smartphone’s battery in a pinch. There’s currently no word on range. While it’s in place and plugged in, the e-ram augments the rider’s own pedalling power to help them climb hills, keep up with stronger riders, or just go farther with less effort. The Edison Evo can still be pedalled normally when the e-ram is turned off, however, so riders won’t be stuck with a non-functioning bike if the battery runs out on them. In fact, for rides where they know that the motor won’t be needed, it can be removed from the crankset. Using a custom app, riders can monitor battery status and other parameters, although the system still works without it. Bionicon is currently raising production funds for the e-ram and Edison Evo, on Kickstarter. If you want to take a chance on the e-ram fitting your existing bike (a 73-mm BSA bottom bracket is required), you can get one along with a battery for a pledge of €1,750 (about US$1,923). To get a complete e-ram-equipped Edison Evo, you’ll need to fork out €4,850 ($5,328). The bike is equipped mainly with SRAM and Magura components, has 27.5-inch wheels, and tips the scales at around 14 kg (31 lb) – motor not included. Delivery is scheduled for next February, assuming all goes according to plans. Sources: Bionicon, Kickstarter