Posted: 17 Jul 2015 07:00 AM PDT
Deux adorables petits lionceaux ont été secourus d’un camps de réfugiés dans la région de la bande de Gaza. Après avoir vécu les deux premières semaines de leur vie dans le Zoo de Rafah détruit, ils ont été recueillis et achetés par un citoyen de Gaza. Pour des raisons de sécurité le groupe Four Paws les a pris en charge. Les deux fauves âgés de cinq mois ont symboliquement été prénommés « Shalom » et « Salaam ».
Posted: 17 Jul 2015 12:00 PM PDT
Le projet CanopyStair est un système d’escalier modulable, se fixant autour du tronc d’un arbre pour y grimper et profiter sans effort d’un repos à l’ombre des feuilles. Il est adaptable à tous les types de largeur et hauteur de tronc du fait qu’il s’installe marche par marche. De plus pour des questions de sécurité, il est pourvu d’une rampe.
Posted: 17 Jul 2015 01:30 PM PDT
Geoff Johnson est un photographe américain qui a décidé de mettre en images la situation des enfants grandissant avec un parent souffrant de syllogomanie, maladie compulsive qui pousse à accumuler des choses de manière très excessive. A travers sa série Behind the Door il s’inspire de l’expérience qu’il a alors lui-même vécue avec sa soeur. Des clichés dans lesquels il a désiré pointer du doigt ce quotidien difficile avec un point de vue enfantin.
Posted: 17 Jul 2015 02:30 PM PDT
La plage de Worthing, dans le Sud de l’Angleterre, a été le théâtre d’une installation bien particulière. L’entreprise locale ECE Architecture y a apposé une structure prenant la forme d’une petite maison, dont la façade est entièrement parée de miroirs. Le but de cette création est de créer de l’interaction et de susciter la curiosité des habitants.
| Fri, 07/17/2015 - 1:00pm Justin Pritchard, Associated Press
Google Inc. revealed Thursday that one of its self-driving car prototypes was involved in an injury accident for the first time. In the collision, a Lexus SUV that the tech giant outfitted with sensors and cameras was rear-ended in Google's home city of Mountain View, where more than 20 prototypes have been self-maneuvering through traffic. The three Google employees on board complained of minor whiplash, were checked out at a hospital and cleared to go back to work following the July 1 collision, Google said. The driver of the other car also complained of neck and back pain. In California, a person must be behind the wheel of a self-driving car being tested on public roads to take control in an emergency. Google typically sends another employee in the front passenger seat to record details of the ride on a laptop. In this case, there was also a back seat passenger. Google has invested heavily as a pioneer of self-driving cars, technology it believes will be safer and more efficient than human drivers. This was the 14th accident in six years and about 1.9 million miles of testing, according to the company. Google has said that its cars have not caused any of the collisions - though in 2011 an employee who took a car to run an errand rear-ended another vehicle while the Google car was out of self-driving mode. In 11 of the 14, Google said its car was rear-ended. In a blog posted Thursday, the head of Google's self-driving car program, Chris Urmson, wrote that his SUVs "are being hit surprisingly often" by distracted drivers, perhaps people looking at their phones. "The clear theme is human error and inattention," Urmson wrote. "We'll take all this as a signal that we're starting to compare favorably with human drivers." In a telephone interview, Urmson said his team was exploring whether its cars could do something to alert distracted drivers before a collision. Honking would be one possibility, but Urmson said he worried that could start to annoy residents of Mountain View. According to an accident report that Google filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles about the July 1 crash: Google's SUV was going about 15 mph in self-driving mode behind two other cars as the group approached an intersection with a green light. The first car slowed to a stop so as not to block the intersection - traffic on the far side was not moving. The Google car and the other car in front of it also stopped. Within about a second, a fourth vehicle rear-ended the Google car at about 17 mph. On-board sensors showed the other car did not brake. The driver of that car reported "minor neck and back pain." The SUV's rear bumper was slightly damaged, while the vehicle that struck it lost its front bumper. Mountain View police responded, but did not file an accident report. Source: Associated Press
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 The microneedle patch can dissolve in the skin, delivering the flu vaccine painlessly. Credit: Image courtesy of Prof. Shinsaku Nakagawa Flu vaccines delivered using microneedles that dissolve in the skin can protect people against infection even better than the standard needle-delivered vaccine, according to new research published in Biomaterials. The authors of the study, from Osaka University in Japan, say their dissolvable patch -- the only vaccination system of its kind -- could make vaccination easier, safer and less painful. According to the World Health Organization, immunization prevents an estimated 2-3 million deaths every year. The continued threat of pandemics such as H1N1 swine flu and emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola makes vaccine development and mass vaccination a priority for global healthcare. Most vaccines are injected under the skin or into the muscle using needles. While this is an effective delivery method, it requires medical personnel with technical skills and brings the risk of needle-related diseases and injuries. The new microneedle patch is made of dissolvable material, eliminating needle-related risks. It is also easy to use without the need for trained medical personnel, making it ideal for use in developing countries, where healthcare resources are limited. "Our novel transcutaneous vaccination using a dissolving microneedle patch is the only application vaccination system that is readily adaptable for widespread practical use," said Professor Shinsaku Nakagawa, one of the authors of the study from Osaka University. "Because the new patch is so easy to use, we believe it will be particularly effective in supporting vaccination in developing countries." The new microneedle patch -- MicroHyala -- is dissolvable in water. The tiny needles are made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance that cushions the joints. When the patch is applied like a plaster, the needles pierce the top layer of skin and dissolve into the body, taking the vaccine with them. The researchers compared the new system to traditional needle delivery by vaccinating two groups of people against three strains of influenza: A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B. None of the subjects had a bad reaction to the vaccine, showing that it is safe to use in humans. The patch was also effective: people given the vaccine using the microneedles had an immune reaction that was equal to or stronger than those given the vaccine by injection. "We were excited to see that our new microneedle patch is just as effective as the needle-delivered flu vaccines, and in some cases even more effective," said Professor Nakagawa. Previous research has evaluated the use of microneedles made of silicon or metal, but they were not shown to be safe. Microneedles made from these materials also run the risk of breaking off in the skin, leaving tiny fragments behind. The new dissolvable patch eliminates this risk, as the microneedles are designed to dissolve in the skin. "We have shown that the patch is safe and that it works well. Since it is also painless and very easy for non-trained people to use, we think it could bring about a major change in the way we administer vaccines globally," said Professor Nakagawa. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference:
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If you’re currently dating a nurse, congratulations! You’ll know the truth of each of these points. If you’re not, then perhaps after reading this you’ll want to visit the nearest hospital.
Here are 10 things to know before you date a nurse:
We are innately caring and loving. We should be because that’s our job. We take care of multiple patients on a daily basis, so taking care of you–a single person–is a day off for us. If you get sick, trust us when we say: “You’re in good hands.”
Knowledge, skills, and heart–my nursing days revolved around these three aspects. It’s not enough to be a smart cookie or ace the practical tests. Kindness and compassion are key values and among the necessary intangibles a good nurse provides patients. Rest assured, these qualities aren’t put on. It’s just who we are.
Stress is our frenemy. It’s a phenomenon we face daily. We can’t hide from it so we might as well befriend it. Several admissions, medication that’s due, feedings, emergencies–this all happens simultaneously. Did I mention demanding relatives and incomprehensible doctors’ orders on top of these?
So, what’s in it for you? No matter how stressful or demanding your life is, you’re dating someone who can handle it.
Our work may not be glamorous. And yes, it mostly involves blood, internal organs and a host of other undesirable things that can make even the strongest men squeamish. You won’t hear us say “Eew!”,”Yuck!”, or “That’s gross!” because we’ve seen worse.
Most relationships end because of poor communication. If you’re dating a nurse, scratch that off your list. We are good listeners. Heck, we are great listeners! Every day we listen to our patients’ life stories, the life stories of their relatives, and the life stories of their friends’ friends. If we need more information from a patient, we are trained to draw it out of them. This is the circle of life for us.
So don’t worry about saying too much. Or too little, for that matter. For us, there’s no such thing.
We live on extremely busy schedules, so when it comes to food, we eat whatever’s edible. We don’t even have to reheat last night’s lasagna. We don’t give a fuss about what we eat on date night because we know you’re saving up for our future. Right?
The sound of children crying is completely normal for us. Tantrums? There’s nothing our “Patch Adams” like approach can’t handle. Go ahead and imagine our family together because you know you’re dating an awesome parent-to-be.
We don’t all have the time to jog outside or own a personal treadmill, but we do a lot of running and brisk walking in hospital corridors. Retracting internal organs for a three hour operation also helps strengthen our arms. We don’t get tired easily and we are great with graveyard shifts–long and sleepless nights are our specialty.
Sure, we’re good with kids. But did you know we’re also good with older individuals? We know the uncharted ways to get by with stubborn, older patients. All you have to do is introduce us to your parents and by the end of the day we’ll practically be best friends forever.
A simple ‘thank you’ means the world to us. That’s how appreciative we are for the little things. We give 200% percent every day to our patients and expect nothing in return. A kind gesture can make our day. You don’t have to buy us fancy gifts or take us on luxury dates; it’s the simple things matter to us.
To all those individuals we are currently dating or married to, thanks for appreciating how awesome it is to have a nurse as your better half. For those of you still looking for that special someone, maybe it’s time to fake an accident.
Featured photo credit: Sharp Healthcare via flickr.com
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Jane is a health, fitness & nutrition enthusiast, a registered nurse by profession and a writer by passion. Jane loves doing DIY and doesn't want to spend a cent on things she can do herself. "Wise not stingy" she often says. She has a soft spot for macadamia chocolates and anything green tea.
source : www.lifehack.org
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Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder -- and many who have it are men. If that surprises you, you're not alone. People often see eating disorders as a woman’s health concern. But guys get them too. About 40% of those with binge eating disorder are men. “Men absolutely do struggle with eating, food, and body image. That’s often assumed to not be the case,” says Tom Wooldridge, PsyD. He's the co-executive director of The National Association of Males with Eating Disorders. He’s also clinical psychologist who helps treat men. “With increased awareness, more and more men will get a correct diagnosis -- and that diagnosis is the first step into treatment,” he says. Binge Eating: Men vs. Women People don’t discuss this disorder in men as openly as for women, so many guys with the condition don't know they have it. Or they think it can’t, or shouldn’t, happen to them. Only about 1 in 10 men with an eating disorder seek care from a mental health provider. Doctors say this means the number of men with eating disorders might be higher than they think. If you have binge eating disorder, you’re likely to:
If you notice any of these signs, talk to your doctor or an eating disorders specialist. Treatment can help you learn why you binge and show you how to approach food in a healthier way. Why Men Binge EatThey do it for many of the same reasons that women do. Poor body image is one common trigger. Like women, many men are unhappy with the way they look. Women usually want to get thinner, like celebrities and models they see on TV. Men often want the toned, athletic body that society says is needed to make them more competitive in sports, work, and romantic relationships. This can drive some men to unhealthy eating habits, including binge eating. Men might also binge eat because they:
source :www.webmd.com
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Nanosponge decoy fights superbug infections Our first instinct with infection in the body is often to find it and get rid of it! But, engineer Liangfang Zhang had another idea. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Zhang and his team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), have created a nanosponge to combat drug-resistant infections, such as those caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Original air date: April 26, 2014
Credit: National Science Foundation (NSF)
 A) Shelterin recruits accessory proteins to the telomeres that facilitate the complex process of telomere copying and maintenance associated with cell multiplication. B) Representative images of metaphase chromosomes of cells with functional telomeres (top) and dysfunctional telomeres that result in chromosomal fusions (bottom). Credit: CNIO Studying telomeres, the structures that protect the ends of chromosomes, has become a key issue in biology. In recent years, not only has their relation to ageing been confirmed; defective telomeres seem to be linked to more and more illnesses, including many types of cancer. The review published by Paula Martínez and María Blasco from the CNIO in Trends in Biochemical Sciences, stresses the importance of investigating these structures to improve diagnoses and develop possible treatments for many diseases. Telomeres, in the opinion of these researchers, will become increasingly important in clinical studies. The chromosomes in every single cell are made up of DNA and shaped like strands, with a kind of protective cap at the end of each strand of DNA. Without this end protective cap, the DNA strands would chemically bond to other strands, i.e. the chromosomes would merge and that would be lethal for the cell. The structures that prevent this catastrophe are the telomeres. They were discovered in the 1930s but decades elapsed before someone decided to study them in any depth and since the late 1990s they have always been on the cutting edge of biology research. Biologists are often surprised by their amazing and unexpected complexity, and their health-related significance. "The biology of telomeres is extremely complex and the more we discover the more we realise what remains to be discovered," says Paula Martínez from CNIO's Telomere and Telomerase Group. "What surprises me most is the high number of factors we are finding that are essential to the preservation of telomeres and, above all, the precise coordination that is required between them all." The fact that telomeres have been tightly preserved throughout the evolutionary tree -- in most eukaryotes: vertebrates, plants and even unicellular organisms such as yeast -- indicates their importance. In addition to preventing the merger of chromosomes, telomeres are needed to prevent the loss of genetic information each time a cell divides. Preventing Information Loss When a cell replicates, the molecular machinery in charge of duplicating the chromosomes -- so that each daughter cell has a copy -cannot reach the tip. This is inherently impossible due to the way the DNA replication machinery works, and it implies that any genetic material at the end of a chromosome with significant information for the cell would be lost. Telomeres prevent this from happening: they consist of a DNA sequence that does not contain genes and that is repeated numerous times- in humans and other species the sequence is TTAGGG; the letters correspond to three of the building blocks that make up the DNA: thymine, adenine and guanine. Consequently, the shortening of the DNA with every division is not significant. At least not until a certain limit is reached. When the telomeres become too short, we see the problems associated with ageing: cells reach a point where they interpret critically short telomeres as irreparable damage and react by no longer dividing, which prevents tissue from regenerating. This happens in healthy cells but not in cancer cells. There is an enzyme, telomerase, which is capable of lengthening the telomeres de novo. This enzyme is not present in most cells of an adult organism but it is active in tumour cells. By repairing the telomeres, the telomerase enables cancer cells to proliferate and become virtually immortal. This link to ageing and cancer, has led to the intense study of telomere-based strategies to combat cancer and diseases associated with ageing. Blasco's group has recently shown that it is possible to make cancer cells mortal by acting on the telomeres. Zooming in to the Tip of the Buffer The above-mentioned description of telomeres however is a simplified version of the story. We now know that there is a protective structure enveloping telomeric DNA consisting of six proteins known as shelterins, which are crucial. Another more recent discovery is that there are proteins that, although not in the telomeres themselves, interact with them at specific times to enable them to perform their functions. These proteins enable the telomeres to unwind, for example; because, the sequence repeated in telomeres, TTAGGG, ends in a single strand of DNA that curves forming a loop and connects to the original strand of the double chain forming a triple chain. "Yes, it is very complicated," admits Martínez. "Structures of up to four chains of DNA can form." When a cell divides, the telomeres are also replicated. This implies that the end loop must unwind first and then form again. This process also contributes to the shortening of telomeres and we now know that some of the shelterins as well as other associated proteins that interact with telomeres are key elements in this process. Telomere Syndromes According to Martínez, "there is now more evidence about relationship between telomere maintenance and several illnesses." Telomere syndromes, or telomeropathies, have been identified in patients with mutations of the telomerase enzyme. This group includes, for example, pulmonary fibrosis and problems related to the malfunction of the bone marrow. A direct relationship between telomere dysfunctions and many types of cancer has also been found. More recently, we have also discovered that mutations of the proteins that protect telomeric DNA, the shelterins, and those that interact with the telomeres, are linked to various diseases, such as dyskeratosis congenita, Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome or Revesz syndrome. "These discoveries underline the plethora of components and pathways that control telomere functions," write the authors in the paper. "In the future, research will bring to light more unknown factors that will improve our understanding of the mechanisms governing cancer and syndromes linked to the shortening of telomeres. We hope that this knowledge will be transferred to the clinic in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas (CNIO). Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference:
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Getty ImagesDoença mental: o Mal de Alzheimer afeta partes do cérebro relacionadas à memória Nova York -- Após décadas de pesquisas sobre o Mal de Alzheimer que não tiveram resultados persistentes, incluindo 123 drogas que fracassaram no tratamento da doença, os principais pesquisadores da área disseram agora estar mais confiantes sobre a chegada de um tratamento efetivo. O otimismo tem se espalhado antes da Conferência Internacional da Associação de Alzheimer (CIAA), que começa neste sábado em Washington, nos Estados Unidos. Novas drogas experimentais das empresas Eli Lilly e Biogen se mostraram promissoras em reduzir a progressão da doença que afeta o cérebro, atraindo a atenção de investidores e pacientes. Os medicamentos estão nas fases iniciais de desenvolvimento e podem vir a ser ineficazes, assim como substâncias anteriores. Mas os pesquisadores da área adquiriram um vasto conhecimento sobre as transformações do cérebro afetado pelo Alzheimer, e possuem um entendimento melhor sobre como e quando intervir com remédios. "O chavão constante, que tem se repetido desde sempre, é: 'uau, estamos a cinco anos de um tratamento realmente efetivo'", disse Steven Ferris, que dirige o programa de testes clínicos sobre Alzheimer no Centro Médico Langone da Universidade de Nova York (NYU, na sigla em inglês). "Seria prematuro dizer que tivemos um avanço decisivo, mas existem muitas coisas em andamento que são bastante promissoras”, acrescentou Ferris, que está envolvido com os testes há mais de 40 anos. As drogas da Lilly e da Biogen bloqueiam a beta-amilóide, proteína que causa placas cerebrais tóxicas características da doença mental progressiva. . Fonte : www.exame.abril.com.br
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| Researchers working with underrepresented groups to study the ecological impact of climate change and to craft citizen science tools, aim to explore pressing scientific questions while recruiting a new generation of ecology researchers
Shaliek Morgan, an REU student from Shaw University, checks on an ant colony. July 17, 2015 Biologists in North Carolina are trying to get a glimpse of the future through a project designed to shed light on how rising temperatures will affect the insects and microbial life that play critical roles in the environment. But the researchers are also hoping to shape the future, working with college students from underrepresented groups and designing citizen science tools to give middle-school students everywhere the chance to be involved in scientific discovery. The research revolves around a patch of forest in North Carolina. Scattered among the trees are a dozen rooms with neither roofs nor floors. Ringed with plastic ductwork that pumps warm air, these "warming chambers" allow the researchers to manipulate the temperature of small sections of forest. And for the past five years, with support from National Science Foundation's (NSF) Dimensions of Biodiversity program, researchers have been studying those patches of forest to see how life has responded to slight increases in temperature. The goal of the study was to get insights into how forest ecosystems will change as a result of global climate change. And in 2014, the researchers took on a new goal: to help shape the future of ecology research itself. Rob Dunn, a professor at North Carolina (NC) State University and primary investigator on the project, worked with two postdoctoral researchers in his lab to get a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant from NSF. NC State undergraduates were already involved in the warming chambers research project, but the REU was designed to be a collaboration between NC State and Shaw University--a historically black university in Raleigh, N.C.--for the express purpose of engaging African-American undergrads in ecological research. The funding, which supplemented the original biodiversity grant, allowed the NC State research team to support two Shaw undergraduates to do fieldwork on the warming chambers project during the summer of 2014. The REU focused on a specific research question: what impact do warming temperatures have on ant immune function? The goal was to determine how insect-disease interactions may change as a result of climate change. "We found that behavioral aspects of immunity in ants did change in warmer environments," says Mary Jane Epps, one of the postdoctoral researchers in Dunn's lab who collaborated on the REU. "For example, we found that ants spent more time grooming themselves and each other at higher temperatures. There are two papers coming out of that 2014 REU, and each of the students will be a co-author on one of them." But the results of that REU extend beyond the scientific findings. "One of the reasons I pursued this REU is because African Americans are not well represented in the field of ecology--which is ironic, since it's a field that studies diversity," says DeAnna Beasley, another of the Dunn's postdocs who collaborated on the REU. "Many students have a very narrow view of what science is; they think it's something you only do in a laboratory," Beasley says. "We were able to expose these students to wildlife ecology, and now one of them is considering graduate studies in ecology--based on his experiences with us and with Eric Butler, his mentor at Shaw." The project was so successful that Dunn, Beasley and Epps were awarded a new REU for 2015, this time focusing on how insect pathogens respond to warmer temperatures. Specifically, the researchers are evaluating soil samples from the warming chambers to determine the presence and prevalence of fungal pathogens that attack insects and how that prevalence changes based on environmental temperatures. "One Shaw student from 2014 returned this summer, and we're working with a new Shaw student as well," Epps says. The researchers also plan to extend the REU project into the fall semester so that another Shaw student can be involved. "It's important to note that these projects are not only about giving students from underrepresented groups a chance to get hands-on experience, or to get them excited about science. These projects are also about addressing significant questions about our environment." "And we expect to get another paper out of this summer's work," Beasley says. In addition, Beasley, Dunn and the Shaw students will be working with three middle school teachers who are part of NC State's Kenan Fellows Program to use the insect pathogens project as the basis for new teaching tools. The teachers are working with Beasley and the Shaw students in field and lab research looking at ant immunity and insect pathogens at both urban and forest sites. Based on this experience, the teachers will develop a project-based science lesson plan to engage middle school students in authentic scientific research. "We'll work together throughout the school year to refine the curriculum, and next summer the teachers will teach the new lesson plan to 40 teachers at a professional development workshop hosted by NC State's Friday Institute for Educational Innovation," Beasley says. This work, which is funded by a grant from NSF's Division of Research on Learning, will allow middle school teachers and students anywhere in the country (or abroad) to collect and analyze soil samples for pathogens that harm insects. Ultimately, the goal is for those middle school classrooms to plug their findings into a national database that can track the diversity of pathogens in different environments. "This project is not only creating opportunities for the undergrads at Shaw, but giving middle school students everywhere the chance to be part of a meaningful scientific inquiry," Beasley says. "We're talking about contributing to our understanding of the world around us, and hopefully inspiring future scientists while we're at it." Research Experiences for Undergraduates projects take place each summer at universities around the country. Students interested in learning more about the program can find information on the REU website. Matt Shipman, North Carolina State University
Investigators Related Institutions/Organizations Locations Related Programs Related Awards Years Research Conducted Total Grants Related Websites source : National Science Foundation – www.nsf.gov
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In this May 13, 2015, file photo, Google's self-driving Lexus car drives along street during a demonstration at Google campus in Mountain View, Calif. Google says that one of its self-driving cars has been involved in an injury accident for the first time. The tech giant disclosed Thursday, July 16, 2015, that one of its SUVs was rear-ended in its home city of Mountain View, and the three people on board complained of minor whiplash. All were released from the hospital soon after the July 1 collision. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar) 
