Chemist Thom Dunning--ScienceLives interview

 

Chemist Thom Dunning discusses his career and what inspired him to become a scientist.

Microwaves enable economical recycling of plastic-aluminum laminates

 

A commercial-scale plant to demonstrate a process for recovering metals from PAL packaging is now up and running in the UK (Image: Shutterstock) You may not know what they're called, but odds are you've eaten or drunk something from them. I'm referring to plastic-aluminum laminate (PAL) packaging, which has long been used for toothpaste tubes and in recent years has gained popularity as pouches for food, drink and pet food. Although it threatens to approach the ubiquity of the aluminum can or plastic bottle, PAL packaging lacks the familiar recyclable logo found on cans and bottles. But that could be set to change, with a process to recover the metals contained in PAL packaging, developed some 15 years ago by researchers at the University of Cambridge, now being demonstrated in a full commercial-scale plant. Despite currently not being recyclable, PAL packaging does tick many other environmental boxes and is still considered more environmentally friendly than other packaging options, such as glassware and cans, when a full life-cycle assessment is taken into consideration. This is because, very little energy goes into the production of the packaging and it is extremely light, cutting transport costs. These attributes, plus the fact it protects contents from light and air, make it attractive to manufacturers. "There is no real drive to replace them and their market use is increasing by about 10–15% every year," says Dr Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, a chemical engineer at Cambridge. "In the UK, roughly 160,000 tonnes (176,370 tons) of laminates are used per year for packaging, which means at least 16,000 tonnes (17,637 tons) of aluminum is going into the ground. Just imagine if we could routinely recycle this." The seeds for this idea were sown in 1997, when Ludlow-Palafox started his PhD course under the supervision of Professor Howard Chase. The two of them heard about a bacon roll that had been overcooked in a microwave, leaving a charred mass of carbon that glowed red-hot. The bacon roll had just been through a process known as microwave-induced pyrolysis, where organic material succumbs to thermochemical decomposition when exposed to high temperatures. This leaves a clean form of the metal contained within the material, which can then be recovered. The two researchers investigated further, starting by placing a pile of particulate carbon and some shredded laminate packaging inside a standard 1.2 kW kitchen microwave oven. They then replaced the air inside the oven with nitrogen and turned the oven on at full power until the temperature inside reached around 600° C (1,112° F). After two minutes, the laminated material had separated into impurity-free aluminum flakes and hydrocarbon gases and oil. Now, 15 years later, the process the researchers developed is being put to the test in a commercial-scale plant in Luton, UK. The plant was designed, built and operated by Enval Limited, a spin-out company of Cambridge University founded by Ludlow-Palafox and Chase and is intended to demonstrate the capabilities and economics of the technology to potential investors and waste handling companies. It relies on the same basic chemistry used with the kitchen microwave, but the power of the oven in the commercial-scale plant has been increased to 150 kW and is large enough to be housed in a 100 m2 (1,076 ft2) industrial unit. It takes three minutes to convert the packaging into aluminum for smelting and hydrocarbons for fuel, with no toxic emissions. The plant, which is partly funded by Nestlé and Kraft Foods/Mondelez International, is now fully commissioned and can recycle up to 2,000 tonnes (2,204 tons) of packaging annually and generates enough energy to run itself. Chase estimates that a plant similar to the demonstration plant would pay for itself within three years. Enval has already struck a deal with PAL packing manufacturers to recycle their industrial scrap at less than the cost of sending it to landfill. "It was a chicken and egg situation," said Ludlow-Palafox. "No one is going to buy this technology unless this type of waste is separated for recycling, but the waste wasn’t going to be separated because there has been no process to recycle it. We had to break that negative loop somehow. Now we have the commercial-scale plant, we can show waste handlers the benefits and encourage local authorities to implement a selective collecting system." But the researchers aren't stopping at PAL packaging, with Chase's group in Cambridge University's Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology examining the potential of microwave pyrolysis in recycling of different types of waste. "We’ve demonstrated that a lot of troublesome waste materials can be pyrolysed using our microwave technology but it’s not always economically sensible to do it; the challenge now is to identify which processes are likely to be commercially viable, and which of those will attract the necessary investment funding to bring them into commercial reality. This is a business sector that is comparatively unfamiliar to most investors who regularly commit to innovation in other areas. By demonstrating the societal and economic benefits of green technologies, we hope to secure the necessary investment to transform innovation into successful commercial practice."   Source: Cambridge University, Enval

7 Of The Most Breathtakingly Beautiful Fox Species In The World

 

What type of fox do you love best? Here we identify 7 of the most beautiful fox species found around the world. Foxes live in vast habitats, in fact they can be found everywhere except Antarctica, because they are highly adaptive to different environments. The fox is considered one of the smallest members of the Canidae family, which also includes wolves, domestic dogs, and jackals. There are a number of different fox species worldwide. The most common type of fox is the red fox, although many other variations exist. Meet 7 of the most breathtakingly beautiful fox species found around the world. Red Fox The red fox is the most common and widespread type of fox, meaning many variations exist amongst red foxes. This breed can be found from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, as well as Asia and Central America. The red fox can survive in grasslands, suburban cities, mountains, deserts, forests and more thanks to their highly adaptable characteristics. Red foxes are great hunters due to their agile nature and jumping capabilities. Their big bushy tail helps them retain balance, as well as keep warm. Fennec Fox Fennec Foxes are native to the Sahara of North Africa. Recognized by their oversized ears, Fennec foxes have exceptional hearing and can even distinguish the sound of their next meal moving beneath the ground. Their large ears also help regulate body temperature, as does the light cream-colored coat these foxes have. Their kidneys are also highly adapted to help these unique looking foxes survive in some of the hottest desert environments. Arctic Fox  The Arctic fox is also known as the polar fox, snow fox, and white fox. The thick-fur associated with the breed keeps them from shivering in the Arctic Circle, where temperatures are known to dip down to -58 degrees Fahrenheit. The arctic fox has short legs and a short snout, both of which help retain heat. The arctic fox has a gorgeous white or blue-gray coat that helps them blend in perfectly with their natural surroundings. When the weather warms up, the arctic fox changes colors, growing in a brown or gray coat to help them maintain their excellent camouflage sans snow. For the most part foxes make their home with a small family, but the arctic fox sometimes lives alone. See more incredible photos of foxes living in the Arctic Circle. Gray Fox  The gray fox can be found in most parts of North America and southern Canada, and has been thriving for more than 3.6 million years. You can identify this type of fox by its black and white speckled coat and black-tipped tail. The gray fox is one of the only canids species with the skill to climb trees. Silver Fox This gorgeous fox species is technically the same species as the red fox the two just have different genetic pigmentations. This type of fox can range in color, from all black to a bluish-grey. Sadly, due to its gorgeous coat, the silver fox is farmed and killed for fur. In the wild, the silver fox does not discriminate based on color, and often mates with red foxes. Marble Fox  This beautiful breed has no direct connection to the arctic fox, but it is often referred to as the arctic marble Fox. The marble fox is not a naturally occurring coloration; instead this type of fox is breed by humans for their uniquely beautiful coloring. Cross Fox  The cross fox is most commonly found in North America. The cross fox is another color variation of the classic red fox; there are approximately 47 sub-species of the red fox. Next Up: These 22 photos will make you fall in love with foxes! Photo Credits: Francisco Mingorance, Roeselien Raimond, Kai Fagerström, Wenda Atkin, Roeselien Raimond, Ewald Mario, Variegated Vibes, John Pane, Shelley Evans, Matt Knoth, Daniel Parent, imgur.com, Einar Gudmann, William Doran, Cecilie Sonsteby, Ben Andrew, Ben Andrew Filed Under: Animals, Lists origene di questo articolo : www.earthporm.com

A Clear Vision

 

Wed, 12/17/2014 - 9:29am Paul Livingstone For Karl Deisseroth, R&D Magazine’s Scientist of the Year, his two major scientific breakthroughs are just a means to an end: understanding the human brain. At his Stanford Univ. laboratory, Deisseroth leads a team of 30 or more researchers in projects involving both optogenetics and CLARITY-based techniques. Image: Stanford Univ. Around 400 BC, Hippocrates was among the first people in recorded history to postulate the brain as the seat of sensation and intelligence. Yet only in the last 100 years have we identified, and closely studied, its key building block: the neuron. A highly specialized cell found in all but the simplest animals, like sponges, the neuron is one of the keys to understanding the brain. Until recently, studies of the nearly 85 billion neurons in the adult human brain were dependent on imaging methods that either lacked enough optical resolution to study individual neurons, or required the use of dead, frozen, thinly sliced samples placed under the beams of electron microscopes. The results could be useful, but could never provide a comprehensive view of an intact mammalian neural system. Enter R&D Magazine’s Scientist of the Year, Karl Deisseroth. In 2005, just a year after establishing his first laboratory, the D.H. Chen Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford Univ. demonstrated success in applying a technique that allowed direct and precise optical control of individual neurons, which by 2007 he developed into methods applicable to the intact living brain. And in 2013, after spending years improving this first big breakthrough, dubbed “optogenetics”, he worked with his trainees in the lab to fulfill another long-time wish of brain researchers. Together with his expert team, he published the first method for turning brain tissue transparent while making its biomolecules accessible to labeling. Called CLARITY, it allows full brain imaging and molecular analysis, without disassembly, for the first time. These innovations have considerable merit on their own, but their importance will have more to do with the research they stimulate. Since the appearance of optogenetics, researchers in thousands of laboratories around the world have applied these techniques to answer a wide variety of questions in brain science. And in just over a year since his laboratory introduced CLARITY, the technique has been further refined and applied to formal research in hundreds of laboratories, with many resulting publications. The creation of these tools, coming at a time when brain research has taken center stage in biological research, has put Deisseroth in a unique position to contribute significantly to the future of neuroscience. A circuitous path “Very early on, I was definitely interested in understanding the brain. My father was a physician, an oncologist, and he understood the value of reduced systems and getting to the biochemical basis of things,” says Deisseroth. “I was genuinely interested in looking at the intact brain with cellular and molecular resolution.” He arrived at Stanford in the early 1990s eager to work with Richard Tsien, a prominent neuroscientist. Despite Tsien not having any laboratory space for another lab member, Deisseroth overcame his lack of experience to embark on a long-term effort to understand neuronal calcium channel signaling, a path that began with a spot in Stanford’s Medical Science Training Program. Clinical training was a part of that program. “The route I first envisioned, neurosurgery, was exciting. I loved the operating room, it was exciting for me,” he says. Neurons operate by transforming and sending electrical and chemical signals through a complex cellular process. The potential use of light to access and control this natural process was first suggested by Francis Crick, who theorized that light signals would have ideal properties to control the action potentials of specific cell types. “He proposed that if we could use light to control cell types, we could ascertain their function,” says Deisseroth. “A lot of people read that and started trying to work on it.” One of the key tools Deisseroth used in this research, microbial opsins, were actually discovered in 1971. The basic mechanism for neuronal firing is a series of rapid ion flow changes in response to neurochemical events. Microbial opsins also move ions, but in response to photons instead. But it wasn’t believed, nor was it suggested or conceived by Crick, that these proteins from ancient forms of bacteria, which respond to light in a way that is reminiscent of how neurons fire, could be repurposed to sense photons and create ion flow changes in behaving mammals. Sourced from such a remotely related organism, it was assumed these opsins wouldn’t express well and would likely require the addition of cofactors to establish control. As a result, other strategies not involving microbial opsins were attempted by several other researchers, such as Gero Miesenböck at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Robert Kramer at the Univ. of California, Berkeley. Deisseroth was more optimistic. He anticipated that opsins couldn’t only control neurons, they could do so in a temporally precise fashion. To do this, he initially experimented with an opsin called channelrhodopsin, sourced from algae. He explored how it accomplished the conversion of light into chemical signals through a phenomenon called the phototransduction cascade. Understanding this complex chemical chain of chemical activations and structural changes in molecules caused by photoexcitation is key to harnessing their power to activate neurons, and even after reaching competence in this domain Deisseroth struggled for years to achieve the results in his core domain, “behaving” mammals. But other methods not using microbial opsins hadn’t been practical or adopted by other labs either. The core goal remained to be solved. Deisseroth’s microbial opsin research came after he had concluded a decidedly different pursuit: a residency in clinical psychiatry. The draw to this discipline had motivated his desire to develop technologies, and to find a different way of understanding and possibly treating disorders of the brain. It was also, he explains, a valuable exposure to the variety of expressions of brain activity dysfunction. His residency, simultaneous with a fellowship under Prof. Robert Malenka at Stanford, had exposed him not only to psychiatric theory, but also to real people who demonstrated disorders of the brain daily without any real hope of improvement. He grew to appreciate the vastness of the divide between neuroscience and clinical psychiatry. “That was really transformative for me, to get that experience of seeing and treating people with different psychiatric diseases. To witness their suffering and to see how different their reality was, it showed me how vast was the set of unknowns,” says Deisseroth. Unlike much of his work in the laboratory and in the operating room, psychiatry doesn’t easily create an approachable path, he says. “There’s a lot of mystery there. Inadequate treatments are common, and there’s no way of getting into the complex structures of the human brain.” But what psychiatry did do was give Deisseroth extra drive in his opsin research. In 2004, he formed the Deisseroth Lab with the intention of making microbial opsins useful in neuroscience. He enlisted several talented graduate students to his group, including Feng Zhang, who has since gone on to further fame with his discovery of genome editing with the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In a flurry of work over the next year, Deisseroth’s team achieved a breakthrough that resulted in a 2005 paper published in Nature Neuroscience. Deisseroth had, the previous year, found that microbial opsins could be safely expressed and functional in the cellular membranes of mammalian neurons in culture. This major step was made possible by learning how to leverage gene delivery methods—basically infecting brain cell cultures—to effectively express opsins and place them in a position to stimulate mammalian neurons using high-speed photoswitching. In 2013, Deisseroth’s team published a paper that described the first successful effort to remove lipids from brain tissue, leaving neurons and proteins intact for 3-D fluorescent imaging. Image: Stanford Univ.Not long after, Deisseroth and his team did just that, delivering flashes of blue light to cultured rodent neurons in a petri dish. The team was surprised at how well it worked when all of the required elements were brought together, including molecular, viral, optical and electrophysiological methods. But this was only in a dish, and was not “optogenetics” yet, as Deisseroth would soon call control of specified events in defined cells in behaving animals with millisecond precision. As with any new method, says Deisseroth, a number of bugs had to be ironed out. “We had to overcome about five or six major challenges to really make optogenetics work,” says Deisseroth. “The goal with the early research was slow to be achieved, to show that light sensitivity can be conferred, by microbial opsins, to defined cells in behaving mammals via a robust, practical approach.” In 2010, Deisseroth’s team eventually solved the key problems of opsin targeting, expression in mammals and deep brain light delivery. Optogenetics gained traction in research settings as more robust opsins were developed. “Now, we’ve gotten even better at guiding light,” says Deisseroth. Today, clones of effective opsins are sent to thousands of laboratories, and development of better tools continues. Tissue transformation As optogenetics developments continued, Deisseroth tackled another longstanding problem: visualizing structural detail throughout the entire intact brain. High-resolution information about complex biological systems is difficult to obtain. Optical solutions rarely penetrate more than a few tenths of a millimeter in living samples, and special sample preparation techniques are required with seemingly inevitable sample damage. Deisseroth’s dream was to do what had been thought impossible—creating transparent tissue without disrupting it or losing information. He recruited to his laboratory, as a postdoctoral fellow, Kwanghun Chung, a chemical engineer by training. With the help of Chung and other colleagues, Deisseroth’s team converted fully intact brain tissue into an optically transparent form, supported by a nanoporous and macromolecule-permeable hydrogel. Cross-linked to 3-D network of hydrophilic polymers, this transformed tissue retains almost of all of the brain’s original neural wiring information and biomolecules, including neurotransmitters, nucleic acids and subcellular structures. His 2013 paper describing the method goes on to describe the use of lightsheet microscopy to image the transformed samples, as well detail potential clinical tissue applications. Although developed more than 100 years ago, lightsheet microscopy had not been widely adopted in biology until a few years ago. Because CLARITY removes lipids, it allows the “sheet” of laser light to scan through the sample with far less scattering. “One of the issues that we faced early on in developing CLARITY was the fact that commercially available light-sheet systems were engineered to analyze samples at about 10- to 20-µm resolution. For neuroscience, we needed to study individual axons, which meant an order of magnitude increase in resolution, so we had to build our own system an order-of-magnitude better,” says Deisseroth, and this achievement became known as “CLARITY-optimized lightsheet microscopy”. Compared with his work to develop to optogenetics tools, the pace of development for CLARITY has been far more rapid and more quickly applied by others. He credits this progress in part to the availability of better instrumentation, but also with the effectiveness of the team he brought together to make it happen. Deisseroth is quick to stress that neither technology represents a treatment in its own right, even when they do enter clinical settings. But the potential, in fundamental research and commercial domains, is considerable. In 2013, the U.S. government committed hundreds of millions of federal dollars to map the tens of billions of neurons in the human brain. One of the BRAIN Initiative’s top advocates, Deisseroth is now one of the 15 advisory committee members. Innovations like CLARITY and optogenetics tools will likely contribute significantly to progress in this effort. Origene di questo articolo : www.rdmag.com

Cougar bolsters its gaming keyboard lineup with the membrane-based, anti-ghosting 500K

 

The 500K features a membrane design with full anti-ghosting – a rarity among gaming keyboards The Cougar 500K gaming keyboard may look a lot like the company’s high-end, mechanical 700K offering, but it actually makes use of lower-cost membrane tech. However, this won’t impact functionality as you might expect, with the 500K offering full N-Key Rollover – also known as anti-ghosting. A membrane keyboard is the most common design you’ll find in peripherals today, largely due to its low cost nature. Keyboards with this setup register key strokes through a layer of plastic that stretches across the entire device, beneath the visible keys. Mechanical keyboards on the other hand, make use of individual keyswitch mechanisms rather than sharing a membrane. Other than providing a noticeably different typing experience, mechanical keyboards will often allow the user to press any number of keys at once without one command interrupting another – something that’s known as N-Key Rollover (NKRO) or anti-ghosting. We’ve seen membrane keyboards providing key rollover in the past (for example, the Razer DeathStalker can handle up to ten simultaneous key presses), but the 500K’s unlimited NKRO makes it stand out. Aside from the rare NKRO membrane setup, the 500K offers the same layout as the pricier 700K, with a detachable palm rest, six customizable keys, and dedicated macro keys for mouse profile switching and game recording. Cougar includes its own UIX Device Management System software to allow users to easily configure this. You might well ask why, if you’re looking for a capable high-end gaming keyboard, would you opt for a membrane design over mechanical keys? Well, Cougar believes that the device is perfect for two very specific types of consumer – either those looking for a lower cost option that still offers comprehensive anti-ghosting, or those used to the feel of a membrane keyboard. There’s no word yet on pricing or availability. Source: Cougar

New Year’s resolutions: The Penn State way

 

At Penn State, resources abound to help resolutions stick Chris Koleno December 16, 2014 It’s almost that time of year again when individuals vow to turn over a new leaf and shed old habits -- and sometimes some pounds. We call these pseudo-promises New Year’s resolutions, and many focus on embracing new routines to improve our health and well-being. The good news is that resources abound in the Penn State community to help faculty, staff and students stick with these New Year’s resolutions. Fitness facilities, healthy eating options, programs to help shed bad habits and even in-house experts on diets are available. “Be realistic about diets, try to think about what you can sustain because continuing to disappoint yourself is not good at all.” --Barbara J. Rolls, professor and the Helen A. Guthrie Chair of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State “Be realistic about diets, try to think about what you can sustain because continuing to disappoint yourself is not good at all,” said Barbara J. Rolls, professor and the Helen A. Guthrie Chair of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State. "If you do decide you want to lose weight, choose something you can do consistently, because research shows that doing something regularly -- not giving yourself weekends off -- is what tends to work best. So opt for an approach that's sustainable, consistent and perhaps not too ambitious, because you really want to succeed." Rolls has written three books based on her decades of research on diet and nutrition, which shows that lowering the calorie density of food can help people feel full while eating fewer calories. Her latest book, “The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet,” offers tips for incorporating fruits and vegetables into recipes without sacrificing taste. The book continues to be among the best diet books according to U.S. News & World Report’s rankings -- only Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and government-sponsored type diets rank higher. The healthy eating that Rolls advocates is easy to find on campus. “There are plenty of choices around here, now,” said Rolls. “Gosh, so many more each year that it’s doable and it’s affordable. A lot of healthy choices don’t have to be expensive, so look around you and figure out how this will fit into your Penn State environment.” “We see a huge increase in fitness participants beginning just after the new year when everyone has a lot of time and enthusiasm. Conversely, as a general rule, our first major drop off in fitness participation comes just after Super Bowl Sunday, when there is less free time and life tends to get in the way of good intentions.” -- Jill Garrigan, fitness coordinator at Penn State The other resolution that goes hand-in-hand with eating healthier and losing weight is getting fit. Penn State is at the forefront in that category as well with four fitness centers and almost 60,000 square feet of workout space. These facilities lead to 1 million visits per year, with 23,000 yearly fitness memberships, 210 weekly fitness classes, 800 pieces of equipment and over 18,000 pounds of weights. The University was recently listed among the healthiest colleges in a number of different rankings, including Greatist’s ranking http://news.psu.edu/story/324366/2014/08/28/campus-life/penn-state-named... Despite good intentions, one annual event oftentimes derails the best-laid plans. “We see a huge increase in fitness participants beginning just after the new year when everyone has a lot of time and enthusiasm,” said Jill Garrigan, fitness coordinator at Penn State. “Conversely, as a general rule, our first major drop off in fitness participation comes just after Super Bowl Sunday, when there is less free time and life tends to get in the way of good intentions.” Jill Garrigan leading an exercise class at Penn State's White Building. Garrigan, echoing Rolls’ sentiment to be realistic with your goals, offered another strategy for keeping resolutions. “Sign up for a challenge, such as a fun run, walk or other contest to help keep yourself engaged," she said. “This also will help hold you accountable for a long-term goal. Pick an event that is several months away and work toward it.” For information on Penn State’s fitness opportunities or to sign up for a membership, go to http://www.athletics.psu.edu/fitness/ In addition to classes available for employees and students, there are opportunities for employees to workout exclusively with other employees. Other resources are available at Penn State to help individuals embrace a healthier lifestyle in 2015. Stop tobacco use -- Through the Employee Assistant Program’s Health Advocate employees have access to a free tobacco cessation assistance. -- Highmark also has a tobacco cessation program for benefits-enrolled employees and dependents at 1-888-258-3428 Nutrition/weight management -- Highmark offers Personal Nutrition Coaching or other Wellness Coaching. -- A reduced-rate membership to Weight Watchers is available to benefits-eligible employees. Fitness -- Highmark members can obtain a fitness membership at a reduced rate. The bottom line for those in the Penn State community who want to lead a healthier lifestyle and are looking for assistance keeping those resolutions: help is all around you. Origine di questo articolo : PennState News.

Fragile bones of modern humans result from reduced physical activity

 

By A'ndrea Elyse Messer December 22, 2014 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The comparatively light bone structure of modern humans compared to early human species and other modern primates may be due to the modern abandonment of the constant physical activity that was inherent in the life of early hunter gathers, according to an international team of researchers. This knowledge may aid in prevention of osteoporosis and hip fracture in the elderly. "We set out to test three potential explanations for modern human gracility and any one of them would have been interesting," said Timothy M. Ryan, associate professor of anthropology and information science and technology, Penn State. "What we found was the most interesting." The most plausible explanation, he said, is that a lack of constant physical activity causes the bone in the head of the femur -- the long bone in the thigh -- to become thinner and lighter than that found in more mobile populations or modern primates such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. The other two possible explanations, that humans and nonhuman primates have different bone structure because of genetics, with humans evolving to a lighter, more gracile structure, or that the large joint surfaces required for upright, two-legged movement decrease the strain on bone and therefore the development of strong bones, do not appear to be true. Go to video Ancient hunters show better bone robustness over farmers of the same era It has been proven that there are many similarities in the bone structures of early humans and primates. Over time, the skeletal frames of humans have become noticeably more frail than our primate relatives and many researchers seek to find out why. Dr. Timothy Ryan, a biological anthropologist, is examining ancient bones of foragers and farmers in hopes of explaining the disparity. Ryan, working with Colin N. Shaw of the University of Cambridge, UK, looked at the hip joint to determine which of the three possible explanations was likely. They compared these joints in samples from foraging populations, early agriculturalists and comparably sized nonhuman primates. The human bones came from two agricultural groups and two foraging groups that once lived in what is now Illinois. The nonhuman bones came mostly from wild specimens in collections. The researchers used noninvasive microcomputed tomography to scan the hip joint ends of the femurs. In all, the study included 59 adult humans and 229 nonhuman primates. Ryan and Shaw compared the trabecular bone -- the honeycomb-like bone that fills joint ends -- among the three groups. "The results of the present study indicate that human populations with divergent activity patterns display significantly different trabecular bone structural characteristics in the proximal femur," the researchers report online today (Dec 22) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers found that the agriculturalists had significantly lower bone mass than the foragers. However, the bone characteristics of the more mobile foragers overlapped with those of the nonhuman primates. "There are other things that could account for some of the differences between early agriculturalists and foragers," said Ryan. "The amount of cultivated grains in the diet of the agriculturalists, in this case maize, as well as possible deficiencies in dietary calcium may also contribute to lower bone mass. It does seem, however, that the biomechanical aspects of foraging play a large part." "The findings of the present study have significant implications for understanding human skeletal form and its relationship to age-related bone loss in contemporary human populations," the researchers report. "We need to understand the difference in bone structure caused by diet, behavior and evolution," said Ryan. "However, I think the key appears to be higher physical activity and mobility from a very young age that makes the bones of nonhuman primates and human foragers stronger." The National Science Foundation supported this work. origin of this article : PennState News

Researchers create method that recovers high value metals for industries while protecting the environment

 

Researchers at the University of Guanajuato (UGTO), in middle Mexico, developed an extraction column which recovers metals companies use in their production processes; and thus avoid environmental pollution and lessen economic losses. The column operates under the principles of liquid-liquid extraction which seeks to recover metals with high added value. The technology is already at laboratory prototype stage and in the process of obtaining a patent. Carlos Benito Martínez Pérez, PhD student of Science in Chemical Engineering at UGTO and project participant, explains: the process begins with the extraction; the influent enters the top of the column, makes contact with an organic formulation containing the extracting agent that is highly selective for the metal it seeks to recover. When leaving the column, the effluent will be virtually free of metal. "We do this verification through an atomic absorption equipment. When the metal is in organic phase we de- extract and accumulates in another aqueous phase solution." The technology may be employed by any company or industry if their production processes use some type of metal, because the extraction column for the recovery of metals with high added value will avoid economic losses and pollution. The concentrated metal in the solution is the one highly valued by the UGTO, which is why it is called of added value because the metal in the solution could be incorporated back into a production process or sold to other companies, with no waste. Within the state of Guanajuato, many companies in their production processes were releasing metals and, thus, generating some pollution;that is why this process is attractive for companies because they will have a product that can be reused and, with it, stop polluting. Using this process, companies fines would be avoided and a better status in the enterprise market achieved with waste treatment. Companies, which may be interested in this technology, are focused on the production of automotive parts, electronics, tannery and painting, among others. Basically, anyone that uses metal in their processes. Research on the extraction column for the recovery of metals with high added value was advised by Zeferino Arroyo Gamin, and won the VII Prize of the Council of Science and Technology of the State of Guanajuato (CONCYTEG) 2014. (Agencia ID) Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by Investigación y Desarrollo. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Aging: What to expect

 

Wonder what's considered a normal part of the aging process? Here's what to expect as you get older — and what to do about it. You know that aging will likely cause you to develop wrinkles and gray hair. But do you know how the aging process will affect your teeth, heart and sexuality? Find out what kind of changes you can expect in your body as you continue aging — and what you can do to promote good health at any age. Your cardiovascular system What's happening As you age, your heart rate becomes slightly slower and your heart might become bigger. Your blood vessels and your arteries also become stiffer, causing your heart to work harder to pump blood through them. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems. What you can do To promote heart health: Include physical activity in your daily routine. Try walking, swimming or other activities you enjoy. Regular moderate physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, lower blood pressure and lessen the extent of arterial stiffening. Eat a healthy diet. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein, such as fish. Limit foods high in saturated fat and sodium. A healthy diet can help you keep your heart and arteries healthy. Don't smoke. Smoking contributes to the hardening of your arteries and increases your blood pressure and heart rate. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit. Manage stress. Stress can take a toll on your heart. Take steps to reduce stress — or learn to deal with stress in healthy ways. Your bones, joints and muscles What's happening With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density — which weakens them and makes them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength and flexibility, and you might become less coordinated or have trouble balancing. What you can do To promote bone, joint and muscle health: Get adequate amounts of calcium. For adults ages 19 to 50 and men ages 51 to 70, the Institute of Medicine recommends 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day. The recommendation increases to 1,200 mg a day for women age 51 and older and men age 71 and older. Dietary sources of calcium include diary products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines and soy products, such as tofu. If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, ask your doctor about calcium supplements. Get adequate amounts of vitamin D. For adults ages 19 to 70, the Institute of Medicine recommends 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day. The recommendation increases to 800 IU a day for adults age 71 and older. Although many people get adequate amounts of vitamin D from sunlight, this might not be a good source for everyone. Other sources of vitamin D include oily fish, such as tuna and sardines, egg yolks, fortified milk, and vitamin D supplements. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, tennis and climbing stairs, and strength training can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Avoid substance abuse. Avoid smoking and don't drink more than two alcoholic drinks a day. Your digestive system What's happening Constipation is more common in older adults. Many factors can contribute to constipation, including a low-fiber diet, not drinking enough fluids and lack of exercise. Medications — such as diuretics and iron supplements — and certain medical conditions — such as diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome — also might contribute to constipation. What you can do To prevent constipation: Eat a healthy diet. Make sure your diet includes high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Limit meats that are high in fat, dairy products and sweets, which might cause constipation. Drink plenty of water and other fluids. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Regular physical activity can help prevent constipation and is important for your overall health. Don't ignore the urge to have a bowel movement. Holding in a bowel movement for too long can cause constipation. Your bladder and urinary tract What's happening Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence) is common with aging. Medical conditions, such as diabetes, might contribute to incontinence — as can menopause, for women, and an enlarged prostate, for men. What you can do To promote bladder and urinary tract health: Go to the bathroom regularly. Consider urinating on a regular schedule, such as every hour. Slowly, extend the amount of time between your bathroom trips. Maintain a healthy weight. If you're overweight, lose excess pounds. Don't smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit. Do Kegel exercises. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for five seconds, and then relax for five seconds. Try it four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. Your memory What's happening Memory tends to becomes less efficient with age. It might take longer to learn new things or remember familiar words or names. What you can do To keep your memory sharp: Eat a healthy diet. A heart healthy diet might benefit your brain. Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, lean meat and skinless poultry. What you drink counts, too. Too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain. This might help keep your memory sharp. Stay mentally active. Mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape — and might keep memory loss at bay. Do crossword puzzles. Take alternate routes when driving. Learn to play a musical instrument. Be social. Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, which can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to get together with loved ones, friends and others. If you're concerned about memory loss, consult your doctor.  source : www.mayoclinic.org

The key to weight loss: Make a mental shift

 

The internal dialogue you have with yourself can make or break your weight-loss success. Watch out for these negative thinking patterns. Sure, you want to lose weight, but are you in the right mindset to make it happen? Stop sabotaging your efforts with a self-defeating outlook and stay motivated to reach your goals with these effective techniques. Negative beliefs and self-talk The internal dialogue you have with yourself influences your actions. Thoughts such as “I’ll never lose weight” or “I’m no good at exercising” can weaken your self-esteem and stall your progress. Replace these thoughts with positive statements. Instead of: “I can’t stick with an exercise program,” tell yourself: “I can meet one realistic goal today.” Unrealistic expectations Many people imagine that losing weight will solve all their problems. Your life will likely change with weight loss — but probably not in all the ways you imagine. Losing weight doesn’t guarantee a better social life or more satisfying job. Keep your expectations focused on those very real benefits like more energy and higher self-esteem. Inflexibility Words such as always, never or must place undue pressure on you. Telling yourself you’ll never eat chocolate again or you must walk two miles a day can lead to guilt-ridden lapses. Instead, treat yourself now and then in ways that make sense — when you’re out to dinner with friends, not when you’re feeling sad. All-or-nothing thinking One setback doesn’t mean failure. If you eat too much one day, you haven’t blown your plan. Counteract this kind of thinking with moderation — no “good” and “bad” foods, for example, and it’s OK to have dessert once in a while. Remind yourself you can get back on track tomorrow. Be flexible on your weight-loss journey. Don’t expect perfection. If you have a slip-up, learn from it and move on. s: www.mayoclinic.org