Deforestation of Kalimantan rainforest – in pictures (link)

http://joerobinsonyu.blogspot.com/2014/03/deforestation-of-kalimantan-rainforest.html

Why Should I Care About F-Gases?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_9kYoCkYh4&sns=gp

Brain process takes paper shape

Brain process takes paper shape
A paper-based device that mimics the electrochemical signalling in the human brain has been created by a group of researchers from China.

The thin-film transistor (TFT) has been designed to replicate the junction between two neurons, known as a biological synapse, and could become a key component in the development of artificial neural networks, which could be utilised in a range of fields from robotics to computer processing.

The TFT, which has been presented on 13 February, in IOP Publishing’s journal Nanotechnology, is the latest device to be fabricated on paper, making the electronics more flexible, cheaper to produce and environmentally friendly.

The artificial synaptic TFT consisted of indium zinc oxide (IZO), as both a channel and a gate electrode, separated by a 550-nanometre-thick film of nanogranular silicon dioxide electrolyte, which was fabricated using a process known as chemical vapour deposition.

The design was specific to that of a biological synapse—a small gap that exists between adjoining neurons over which chemical and electrical signals are passed. It is through these synapses that neurons are able to pass signals and messages around the brain.

All neurons are electrically excitable, and can generate a ‘spike’ when the neuron’s voltage changes by large enough amounts. These spikes cause signals to flow through the neurons which cause the first neuron to release chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, across the synapse, which are then received by the second neuron, passing the signal on.

Similar to these output spikes, the researchers applied a small voltage to the first electrode in their device which caused protons— acting as a neurotransmitter— from the silicon dioxide films to migrate towards the IZO channel opposite it.

As protons are positively charged, this caused negatively charged electrons to be attracted towards them in the IZO channel which subsequently allowed a current to flow through the channel, mimicking the passing on of a signal in a normal neuron.

As more and more neurotransmitters are passed across a synapse between two neurons in the brain, the connection between the two neurons becomes stronger and this forms the basis of how we learn and memorise things.

This phenomenon, known as synaptic plasticity, was demonstrated by the researchers in their own device. They found that when two short voltages were applied to the device in a short space of time, the second voltage was able to trigger a larger current in the IZO channel compared to the first applied voltage, as if it had ‘remembered’ the response from the first voltage.

Corresponding author of the study, Qing Wan, from the School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, said: "A paper-based synapse could be used to build lightweight and biologically friendly artificial neural networks, and, at the same time, with the advantages of flexibility and biocompatibility, could be used to create the perfect organism–machine interface for many biological applications."

Source:
http://iopscience.iop.org/0957-4484/25/9/094001/article

15 February = Galileo Galilei Day

15 February = Galileo Galilei Day
On this day in 1564, the physicist, astronomer, mathematician and philosopher Galileo Galilei was born. Here's a small fragment from The Assayer in honor of his birthday.
 
In Sarsi I seem to discern the firm belief that in philosophizing one must support oneself upon the opinion of some celebrated author, as if our minds ought to remain completely sterile and barren unless wedded to the reasoning of some other person. Possibly he thinks that philosophy is a book of fiction by some writer, like the Iliad or Orlando Furioso, productions in which the least important thing is whether what is written there is true.

Well, Sarsi, that is not how matters stand. Philosophy is written in this grand book, the universe, which stands continually open to our gaze. But the book cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and read the letters in which it is composed. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it; without these, one wanders about in a dark labyrinth.

Reference:
http://jraissati.com/PHIL201/Galileo_1623_TheAssayer.pdf

Ann Druyan Talks About Science, Religion, Wonder

Ann Druyan Talks About Science, Religion, Wonder,
Awe . . . and Carl Sagan
"Congress cut off federal funding for SETI years ago. I was with Carl when he went into Senator William Proxmire office after Proxmire had given the Golden Fleece Award to the SETI program. Carl sat down with him. I didn't say a word. I was just a witness. And I just watched Carl. I was inspired by him, by not only the breadth of his knowledge, but his patience, his lack of arrogance, his willingness to hear the other person out. Senator Proxmire did a complete turnabout as a result of that meeting.

And there were other instances of Carl’s remarkable persuasiveness. One was a great story of a so-called “creation scientist” who watched Carl testify at a hearing about creationism in schools. Carl testified for about four hours. It was somewhere in the South, I can't remember where. And six months later a letter came from the “creation scientist” expert who had also testified that day, saying that he had given up his daytime job and realized the error of what he was doing. It was only because Carl was so patient and so willing to hear the other person out. He did it with such kindness and then, very gently but without compromising, laid out all of the things that were wrong with what this guy thought was true. That is a lesson that I wish that all of us in our effort to promote skepticism could learn, because I know that very often the anger I feel when confronting this kind of thinking makes me want to start cutting off the other person. But to do so is to abandon all hope of changing minds.”

Full article:
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/ann_druyan_talks_about_science_religion/

Because ...

Because  ...

China's Rainbow Mountains

China's Rainbow Mountains
At first glance, you'd assume that these images couldn't possibly be real. Surprisingly, they are actual mountains in China’s Danxia Landform Geological Park. The incredible colours are the result of layers of sandstone and various minerals, which the mountain range its vivid patterns.

Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/31/rainbow-mountains-china-danxia-landform_n_3683840.html

What Makes Memories Last

What Makes Memories Last
Stowers researchers identify protein that initiates the formation of stable, long-term memories

Prions can be notoriously destructive, spurring proteins to misfold and interfere with cellular function as they spread without control. New research, published in the open access journal PLOS Biology on February 11 2014, from scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research reveals that certain prion-like proteins, however, can be precisely controlled so that they are generated only in a specific time and place. These prion-like proteins are not involved in disease processes; rather, they are essential for creating and maintaining long-term memories.

Source and further reading:
http://www.stowers.org/media/news/feb-12-2014
Reference:
http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001786

Image: Nicolle Rager Fuller, Sayo-Art
Fruit flies have co-opted a self-sustaining prion switch as a key mechanism for the persistence of memories. When TOB (shown in green) binds to Orb2A (shown in red), it triggers Orb2A conversion to a stable prion state (shown in yellow). Orb2A's activity is tightly controlled through its interaction with TOB, which is triggered by incoming nerve signals.

The Robot That Makes Virtual Sex Feel Real

The Robot That Makes Virtual Sex Feel Real
In the future, some people will choose to spend Valentine's Day alone, having virtual sex with a 3D avatar with the help of a fully responsive robotic assistant.

Tenga is a Japanese manufacturer of disposable male sex toys, they're also promoting a jerry-rigged amalgam of software and robotics that's easily the closest you can come to having physical sex with a video game.
At a tech conference last fall, Tenga unveiled a crude contraption that allowed volunteers to participate in a simulation wherein they received sexual favors from an anime character through virtual reality goggles. Since then, they've updated the software and the graphics of the simulator, and are continuing to promote robot-assisted virtual sex.

Watch video:
VR TENGA DEMO (1): Oculus Rift＋Novint Falcon＋TENGA
Full story:
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/real-sex-virtual-reality-oculus-rift-tenga

TAL effector

TAL effector
TAL (transcription activator-like) effectors (often referred to as TALEs) are proteins secreted by Xanthomonas bacteria when entering a plant cell. They manipulate the host cell by switching on certain genes that make the plant cell more susceptible to infection.  TALE subunits bind to the nucleotides of DNA in a 1:1 ratio, and each subunit has a pair of amino acids that is specific to a single DNA base.  This enables the TALEs to recognize specific DNA sequences and activate them.

These proteins are interesting to researchers both for their role in disease of important crop species and the relative ease of retargeting them to bind new DNA sequences.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TAL_effector
Animation rendered from PDB file 3UGM with qutemol.
http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/explore/explore.do?structureId=3UGM
http://qutemol.sourceforge.net/

Falling in love is like getting hit by a truck and yet not being mortally wounded, just sick to your stomach, high...

Falling in love is like getting hit by a truck and yet not being mortally wounded, just sick to your stomach, high one minute, low the next. Starving hungry but unable to eat. Hot, cold, forever horny, full of hope and enthusiasm, with momentary depressions that wipe you out.
It is also not being able to remove the smile from your face, loving life with a mad passionate intensity, and feeling ten years younger.  ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHbtNosWr_I

Scientists discover a new pathway for fear deep within the brain

Scientists discover a new pathway for fear deep within the brain
Fear is primal. In the wild, it serves as a protective mechanism, allowing animals to avoid predators or other perceived threats. For humans, fear is much more complex. A normal amount keeps us safe from danger. But in extreme cases, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), too much fear can prevent people from living healthy, productive lives.

Researchers are actively working to understand how the brain translates fear into action. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) announce the discovery of a new neural circuit in the brain that directly links the site of fear memory with an area of the brainstem that controls behavior.

How does the brain convert an emotion into a behavioral response? For years, researchers have known that fear memories are learned and stored in a small structure in the brain known as the amygdala. Any disturbing event activates neurons in the lateral and then central portions of the amygdala. The signals are then communicated internally, passing from one group of neurons to the next. From there, they reach neurons in the brainstem, the action center for fear responses.

In work published in The Journal of Neuroscience, Li and his team identify a group of long-range neurons that extend from the central amygdala. These neurons project to an area of the brainstem, known as the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), that controls the fear response.

Li and his colleagues explored how these long-range neurons participate in fear conditioning. They trained animals to associate a particular sound with a shock, conditioning the animals to fear the sound. In these animals, the activity of the long-range projection neurons in the central amygdala became enhanced.

“This study not only establishes a novel pathway for fear learning, but also identifies neurons that actively participate in fear conditioning,” says Li. “This new pathway can mediate the effect of the central amygdala directly, rather than signaling through other neurons, as traditionally thought.”

The next step for these researchers is to apply this knowledge to models of PTSD. “We are working to find out how these circuits behave in anxiety disorders, so that we can hopefully learn to control fear in diseases such as PTSD,” says Li.

Source:
http://www.cshl.edu/Article-Li/scientists-discover-a-new-pathway-for-fear-deep-within-the-brain
Journal article: Fear Conditioning Potentiates Synaptic Transmission onto Long-Range Projection Neurons in the Lateral Subdivision of Central Amygdala. Journal of Neuroscience, 2014. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4166-13.2014
Image by Alex Grey

This image of a heart was sequenced by a Revolution CT scanner, which can take a complete 3-D scan of a heart in one...

This image of a heart was sequenced by a Revolution CT scanner, which can take a complete 3-D scan of a heart in one beat.

http://www3.gehealthcare.com/en/Products/Categories/Computed_Tomography/Revolution_CT

50 Shades of Pope

50 Shades of Pope
Well, since is Valentine's Day today, let's take a look at the  most popular book of the 15th century. ;)
The Tale of The Two Lovers (Historia de duobus amantibus) was an erotic romance novel written by Aeneas Slyvius Piccolomini in 1444.
It is one of the earliest examples of an epistolary novel, full of erotic imagery. The first printed edition was published by Ulrich Zel in Cologne between 1467 and 1470.

The novel is set in Siena, and centers around the love story of Lucretia, a married woman, and Euryalus, one of the men waiting on the Duke of Austria. After an uncertain beginning, in which each is in love but unaware that it is reciprocated, they begin a correspondence, which takes up much of the rest of the novel.
In 1458 Piccolomini was elected to the Papacy, becoming Pope Pius II.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Two_Lovers

Acupuncture is not that weird.

Acupuncture is not that weird. Caffeine enemas are very weird. But sticking a coffee jar and sewing needles in your rectum - that’s just plain crazy!

Image:
Lateral x-ray of the pelvis demonstrates a large instant coffee jar in the rectum. There appears to be a number of pins stuck in the rubber inside of the lid. 

Source:
http://radiopaedia.org/cases/rectal-foreign-body-instant-coffee-jar

Mathematical beauty activates same brain region as great art or music

Mathematical beauty activates same brain region as great art or music
People who appreciate the beauty of mathematics activate the same part of their brain when they look at aesthetically pleasing formula as others do when appreciating art or music, suggesting that there is a neurobiological basis to beauty.

In a new paper published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to image the brain activity of 15 mathematicians when they viewed mathematical formulae that they had previously rated as beautiful, neutral or ugly. 
The results showed that the experience of mathematical beauty correlates with activity in the same part of the emotional brain – namely the medial orbito-frontal cortex – as the experience of beauty derived from art or music.

In the study, each subject was given 60 mathematical formulae to review at leisure and rate on a scale of -5 (ugly) to +5 (beautiful) according to how beautiful they experienced them to be. Two weeks later they were asked to re-rate them while in an fMRI scanner.

The formulae most consistently rated as beautiful (both before and during the scans) were Leonhard Euler’s identity, the Pythagorean identity and the Cauchy-Riemann equations. Leonhard Euler’s identity links five fundamental mathematical constants with three basic arithmetic operations each occurring once and the beauty of this equation has been likened to that of the soliloquy in Hamlet.
Mathematicians judged Srinivasa Ramanujan’s infinite series and Riemann’s functional equation as the ugliest.

Professor Semir Zeki, lead author of the paper from the Wellcome Laboratory of Neurobiology at UCL, said: "We have found that, as with the experience of visual or musical beauty, the activity in the brain is strongly related to how intense people declare their experience of beauty to be – even in this example where the source of beauty is extremely abstract. This answers a critical question in the study of aesthetics, one which has been debated since classical times, namely whether aesthetic experiences can be quantified."

Link to the paper:
http://www.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00068/abstract
Reference:
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=138907&CultureCode=en
Image via Wikimedia Commons

Because math love ...

Because math love ...

mathani creation

Ganymede

Ganymede
Jupiter’s moon Ganymede with a geologic map superimposed over a color mosaic, assembled from imagery collected by NASA’s Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and Galileo space probes.
 
References:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=pia17902
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganymede_(moon)

Children in an iron lung before the advent of the polio vaccination..

Children in an iron lung before the advent of the polio vaccination.. 
 In 1952, more than 21,000 Americans contracted a paralyzing form of polio, and 3,000 died from it. Once infected, there was no treatment besides time and tending to the symptoms.  

Unable to breathe, patients entered iron lungs, which made use of negative pressure ventilation - a continual displacing and replacing the air inside of the machine - to compress and depress the chest, simulating respiration. Although the patient could breathe in the machine, he could do little else besides look up at a mirror reflecting the room behind him (upside-down and backwards, of course). Typically, the children would spend two weeks inside while recovering.

Remember this next time you're against vaccination! ;)

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_pressure_ventilator
Image via National Museum of Health and Medicine

Placebo sleep? Simply thinking you slept well improves brain function, says study

Placebo sleep? Simply thinking you slept well improves brain function, says study
The placebo effect is known far and wide. Give somebody a sugar pill, tell them it’s aspirin, and they'll feel better. What’s less well-known is that there’s evidence of the placebo effect in domains that go beyond the commonly known medical scenarios.

One study  found that hotel maids who were told their work was good exercise later scored higher than a control group on a range of health indicators. Another study found that when participants were told athletes had excellent vision, they demonstrated better vision when doing a more-athletic activity relative to a less-athletic activity. Many studies have also shown that placebo caffeine can have an impact. In one experiment caffeine placebos improved cognitive performance among participants who were in the midst of 28 hours of sleep deprivation.

Given that caffeine placebos can mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation, Christina Draganich and Kristi Erdal of Colorado College decided to take the logical next step and investigate whether the effects of sleep deprivation could be influenced by perceptions about sleep quality. In other words, could making people think their sleep quality was better or worse influence the cognitive effects of sleep?

In an initial experiment participants were given brief lesson on the relationship between sleep quality and cognitive functioning, and told the normal proportion of REM sleep was between 20% and 25%. Participants were then hooked up to a machine and told it would measure their pulse, heart rate, and brain frequency, after which a program would use the data to calculate the amount of REM sleep they had had the night before. (Very few participants reported having suspicions about the machine.) Some participants were told they got 16.2% REM sleep (below average sleep quality) and some were told they got 28.7% REM sleep (above average sleep quality.)

After being told what the machine said, participants self-reported their own perception of their sleep quality. Finally, participants were administered the “Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test” (PASAT), a cognitive exercised that required adding many numbers together.

Draganich and Erdal found that participants who were told they had below average sleep quality performed significantly worse on the PASAT. At the same time, self-reported sleep quality was unrelated to PASAT performance. A follow-up experiment that included additional controls and three other cognitive tests largely confirmed the initial findings. In addition, the performance of participants on a verbal fluency test called the COWAT showed that not only does telling people they had below average sleep quality lead to inferior performance, telling them they had above average sleep can lead to superior performance.

Given the global importance of getting a good night’s rest the idea of placebo sleep seems potentially far-reaching. For example, you always hear that you should get a lot of sleep before a big test or interview, but that grandmotherly piece advice becomes even more important if the knowledge that you got too little sleep can harm your performance in a way that goes beyond the direct negative impact of not getting enough sleep.

The sleep placebo also suggests that finding a way to improve your sleep may be more important than you think. If you're able to convince yourself that your bedtime routine is working,  whether it’s reading, exercising, or eating honey — you might see the cognitive benefits of improved sleep even on nights when you don't actually sleep better.

References:
http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/3196007/Langer_ExcersisePlaceboEffect.pdf?sequence=1
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20483844
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2007-12100-003
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2014-01016-001/
Story via Eric Horowitz
Image: Flaming June, by Fredrick Lord Leighton

The Sand Bubbler Crab (Scopimera inflata) is found in regions of the tropical indo-pacific. They are significantly...

The Sand Bubbler Crab (Scopimera inflata) is found in regions of the tropical indo-pacific. They are significantly tiny, usually around 1 cm in size. Sand bubblers sieve detritus from the sand, regurgitating unwanted particles in the form of tiny balls deposited all over the beach.

Sand Bubblers live in burrows in the sand where they remain during the high tide. At low tide they feed, forming inflated pallets all over then sand. The crab feeds on material of very low organic matter concentration which is able to be increased by the egestion of indigestible material.

Watch video:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2c7_1379877460
References:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/factfiles/crustaceans/sand_bubbler_crab_bg.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_bubbler_crab

Because ...

Because ...

That was absolutely fantastic! Congrats!!

That was absolutely fantastic! Congrats!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO7Z3jHrjyY

Special glasses help surgeons 'see' cancer​​​​​​​​

Special glasses help surgeons 'see' cancer​​​​​​​​
High-tech glasses developed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis may help surgeons visualize cancer cells, which glow blue when viewed through the eyewear.

Cancer cells are notoriously difficult to see, even under high-powered magnification. The glasses are designed to make it easier for surgeons to distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells, helping to ensure that no stray tumor cells are left behind during surgery.

Source and further reading:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140210184257.htm

Image:
Still image from a video of the lymph node removal, as seen by Margenthaler as she wore the eyewear. A florescent marker injected into the patient and special lighting made cancer cells glow blue when viewed with the technology. The lighter the shade of blue, the more concentrated the cancer cells are.
Photo by Robert Boston / Image courtesy of Washington University School of Medicine

Disclaimer: I am arrogant, impatient and moody...I also like bad jokes!

Disclaimer: I am arrogant, impatient and moody...I also like bad jokes!
If you don't like it feel free to get lost!

Ultraviolet and infrared images from Cassini spacecraft and Hubble Space Telescope revealed active auroras at...

Ultraviolet and infrared images from Cassini spacecraft and Hubble Space Telescope revealed active auroras at Saturn’s north and south poles.

Watch video:
Dance of Saturn's Auroras

Water does not resist.

Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that...remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.

Size does matter: Scientists discover gene linking gray matter to intelligence

Size does matter: Scientists discover gene linking gray matter to intelligence
Scientists have found a gene that links thickness of the brain’s gray matter and intelligence. The find could open the door to understanding why some people have learning problems – and even give an insight into psychiatric disorders.

Researchers at King’s College London have discovered a gene that draws a link between the thickness of gray matter in the brain and a person’s level of intelligence. The findings of the research were published in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry on Tuesday.

The gray matter itself plays an important role in perceptual awareness, language and consciousness. Prior to this study, scientists had already found a correlation between the thickness of gray matter and an individual’s intelligence, but no genes had been discovered.

The scientists examined brain scans from over 1,500 14- year -olds, looking closely at the outermost layer of the brain, the cerebral cortex. They also took samples of participants’ DNA and then tested their levels of verbal and non-verbal intelligence.

“We wanted to find out how structural differences in the brain relate to differences in the intellectual ability,” said Sylvane Desrivieres, lead author of the study. “The genetic variation we identified is linked to synaptic plasticity, how neurons communicate.”

After looking at over 54,000 genetic variations associated with the make-up of the brain, they discovered that participants carrying a particular gene were more likely to have a thinner cortex in the left cerebral hemisphere. These participants did not perform as well in the intellectual tests as those who had thicker cerebral cortexes.

The scientists identified the gene encoding a protein that affects how brain cells communicate as the NPTN gene. Researchers confirmed the gene’s effect by testing it on a mouse and human brain cells in the lab, where they observed different levels of activity in the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Desrivieres said that the research did not amount to a discovery of “a gene for intelligence.”

“The gene we identified only explains a tiny proportion of the differences in intellectual ability," she said.

The new discoveries will be invaluable, however, in understanding the biology that leads to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism.

"This may help us understand what happens at a neuronal level in certain forms of intellectual impairments, where the ability of the neurons to communicate effectively is somehow compromised,” Desrivieres said.

References:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140211084051.htm
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/iop/news/records/2014/February/Scientists-identify-gene-linking-brain-structure-to-intelligence.aspx

Journal article:
http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/mp2013197a.html
Image via Oregon University

12 February = Charles Darwin Day

12 February = Charles Darwin Day
On this day Charles Darwin is born. A revolutionary scientist and extraordinary thinker, Darwin's theory of evolution had a profound influence on our understanding of  the natural world.

Today is time to play pin the tail on the sparrow, partake of “phylum feasts” (potluck dinners where the ingredients come from many different species), and generally give a thumbs-up to evolution’s godfather, Charles Darwin, on his 205th birthday ;)

More about Darwin:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml

Sentinels of the Arctic

Sentinels of the Arctic
Niccolò Bonfadini captured images of snow covered landscape in Finnish Lapland during winter where temperatures ranging from - 40 to –15C can completely engulf trees in solid ice.

More of his work:
http://www.niccolobonfadini.com/

2013 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge

2013 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge

First Place—Illustration “Cortex in Metallic Pastels” In a stylized section of cerebral cortex, axons, dendrites, and other features create a scene reminiscent of a copse of silver birch at twilight. Thinning out the forest of cells reveals their delicate branching structure. The image was created by blowing pigments across the canvas and highlighting some cells in gold and palladium.

Honorable Mention—Photography  “Stellate Leaf Hairs on Deutzia scabra" These exuberant starbursts shoot from the leaves of Deutzia scabra, a shrub sometimes known as “Pride of Rochester.” Polarized light microscopy highlights the tiny hairs, tipped by stars a quarter-millimeter across; filtering the light through a crystal of selenite (calcium sulfate) adds the blue cast.

People’s Choice—Illustration  “Human Hand Controlling Bacterial Biofilms” A photograph of a1.5-meter-high human hand sculpted by British artist Francis Hewlett was the starting point for this illustration of the power of microbes. The artist overlaid the photo with micrographs of cultured biofilms, stained with molecular probes to indicate their resistance to antimicrobial treatment.


People’s Choice—Photography  “Polymer Micro-structure Self-assembly” Digitally enhanced micrographs reveal the microstructure of a 2-millimeter-long fragment of self-assembled polymers, which researchers are using to build miniature “lab-on-a-chip” devices for diagnostic applications. Processing combinations of polymers at various temperatures or humidities creates a variety of textures, which can help control the movement and proliferation of cells.


First Place—Photography  “Invisible Coral Flows” Water swirls in a vortex above two millimeter-sized coral polyps. To highlight the flow, scientists tracked suspended particles by video and superimposed successive frames. The vortex, driven by the polyps’ wafting cilia, helps the coral draw in nutrients and sweep away waste products.

Source:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140206-pictures-coral-plants-passwords-visualization-science/

Wearable Power describes a collaborative research project that seeks to develop wearable energy storage to power...

Wearable Power describes a collaborative research project that seeks to develop wearable energy storage to power future generations of electronic clothing. By combining expertise in Materials Science and Engineering with cutting edge Fashion Design techniques, energy storing yarns (strings) can be developed in the nanomaterials laboratory and then transformed into fabrics in a state- of -the -art 3D computerized knitting facility.

Source:
http://drexel.edu/excite/

Orcus is a plutino, locked in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune, making two revolutions around the Sun, while Neptune...

Orcus is a plutino, locked in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune, making two revolutions around the Sun, while Neptune makes three. This is much like Pluto, except that it is constrained to always be in the opposite phase of its orbit from Pluto: Orcus is at aphelion when Pluto is at perihelion and vice versa.

Because of this, along with its large moon Vanth that recalls Pluto's large moon Charon, Orcus has been seen as the anti-Pluto. This was a major consideration in selecting its name, as the deity Orcus was the Etruscan equivalent of the Roman Pluto, and later became an alternate name for Pluto.

This animation shows: the orbital resonances of Orcus and Pluto in a rotating frame with a period equal to Neptune's orbital period. (Neptune is held stationary.)
Pluto is grey and Orcus is red. Neptune is the white (stationary) dot at 5 o'clock. Uranus is blue, Saturn yellow, and Jupiter red.
There are 41 frames each having 3*164.8 years (3 times Neptunes orbital period).

Frames generated with Gravity Simulator
Credit: frankuitaalst
Reference:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090325.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/90482_Orcus

Gunshot Wounds - First Aid

Gunshot Wounds - First Aid
Collaboration - post with Zack Blackwell 
Gunshot wounds are one of the most traumatic injuries you can suffer.
The best option for most bullet wounds is to get the victim to a hospital as soon as possible.

Before we start, it is import to note that you have personal protective equipment with you at all times (i.e. latex or nitrile gloves and pocket rescue mask at minimum) This may seem hard to do but gloves can be very compact-able and you can also find rescue mask that are compact-able as well (the size of a credit card).  

What you can do to stabilize the victim?
First of all make sure you're safe, you're not going to help anyone if you also get shot ;). If you carry a pair of latex or nitrile gloves, protect yourself. After confirming that your scene is safe and you are out of harms way, call out to the victim and let them know who you are before approaching. You do not know if they are armed as well. In situations like these, the victim is scared and may try to harm you in an attempt to protect themselves. CALL FOR HELP! remember that you are limited in the treatment that you will be able to provide. Calling 9-1-1 will alert emergency response teams to your location. In situations as these, law enforcement and EMS will be responding to your location. Be sure to provide your location and your name and BRIEFLY describe what you see to the 9-1-1 operator.

It's important to not move the victim unless you must do so to keep him safe or to access care. Try to maintain calm and act quickly, victims who reach medical facilities during the "Golden Hour" have a much better likelihood of surviving.

Check:
☛ Airway: If the person is talking, their airway is probably clear. If the person is unconscious, check to make sure that his airway is not obstructed. Turn the victim's head to the side to facilitate better breathing and get the tongue out of the way. If the victim's mouth is filled with blood, try to help them remove it by coughing or quickly sop it up with a rag or piece of clothing. Use extreme caution not to obstruct the victim's airway with any rags or clothing you use to remove blood from the victims mouth. 

☛ Breathing: Is the victim taking regular breaths? Can you see his or her chest rising and falling? If the chest is rising and falling, does the chest rise seem symmetrical with each breath (Further on this later). If the victim is not breathing, sweep his or her mouth for obstructions and start rescue breathing immediately (Note: you will be possibly exposing yourself to pathogens. If you carry a rescue pocket mask, use it!) 

If you do not know how to do that:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-do-rescue-breathing-Red-Cross/

☛ Circulation: apply pressure to any bleeding, then check the victim's pulse at the wrist. If you do not feel a pulse at the wrist, check for a pulse at the neck. If you find a pulse at the neck but none at the wrist, then this is sign that the victim is deteriorating rapidly into shock. If the victim has no pulse at the wrist or neck, begin CPR. Control any major bleeding. Do not spend more than 10-15 seconds checking for a pulse. 

☛ Disability: check to see if the victim can move hands and feet. If not, there may be an injury to the spinal cord. Look for obvious fractures, dislocations, or anything that looks out of place or unnatural. These injuries can be worsened by moving the victim.

Control Bleeding: is most important thing you can do to save a gunshot victim's life.

☛ Applying direct pressure is the best way to control most wounds. Use a pad over the wound and apply pressure directly to the wound. If you have nothing available, even your hand or fingers can be used to control bleeding. Add new bandages over the old; do not remove bandages when they become soaked. Elevate if an extremity is involved.

☛ Use pressure points in the arm (between the elbow and armpit), groin (along the bikini line), or behind the knee to control bleeding in the arm, thigh, or lower leg, respectively.

☛ There is little that can be done with conventional methods if the wound involves the torso, but chemical hemostats (QuickClot, Celox, etc.) have been proven to be very effective on all major bleeds. Ensure that you follow the instructions on the package for application, though it is usually as simple as holding the wound open, pouring in the powder or inserting the powder packet/sponge/applicator, and applying strong pressure for five minutes.

Gunshot wounds frequently lead to shock, a condition caused by trauma or loss of blood that leads to reduced blood flow throughout the body. There are 3 stages to shock, compensative shock, deteriorating shock, irreversible shock.
Early signs of shock include a rapid pulse (Heart rate above 100 beats per min), pale skin, and rapid breathing.
Deteriorating shock includes a drop in blood pressure with rapid heart rate (Pulse may not be felt at wrist but at more central locations such as the neck or thigh) increased breathing, and pale skin.
Irreversible shock is more obvious with pale skin, SLOW pulse (if able to feel), and an even further decrease in blood pressure.

Victim will show signs of shock  treat it accordingly by making sure the victim's body temperature is as normal as possible – cover him up if his skin feels cold, or remove clothing and fan him if he's burning up. However, do not elevate the legs if the gunshot wound is to the torso, as this will increase bleeding and make it more difficult for the victim to breathe. 

If the victim was shot in the:

☛ Head: gunshot wounds to the head are frequently fatal. Keep the head elevated and get the victim to a trauma center as soon as possible. If obvious brain tissue is present, the gunshot was fatal. (Note: Try to continue treatment until emergency personal arrive on scene)

☛ Face & Neck: these wounds typically bleed severely. Use direct pressure to control bleeding and keep the victim upright. Be careful not to obstruct breathing while controlling bleeding. With injuries to the neck, be careful that blood flow to the carotid arteries isn't disrupted, as this can reduce blood flow to the brain.

☛ Chest & Back: apply direct pressure to control bleeding; it may be difficult to control chest bleeding because the ribs make it difficult to compress the structures that are bleeding. Gunshots to the chest can cause what is known as a "sucking chest wound." These happen when air travels in and out of the wound with each breath. You may see an asymmetrical (uneven) rise and fall of the chest when a victim is breathing. 

Treat these as follows: 
 - Seal wound with hand or airtight material ( plastic film)
 - Apply an airtight bandage on three sides of the wound ( Do NOT close the bandage on the fourth side). This will allow the chest to achieve its usual negative pressure state. Air will escape through the valve during inhalation. This may be difficult to do with large amounts of blood. Clear the area as best as possible before applying an airtight material to seal the sucking chest wound. 

☛ Abdomen: apply direct pressure to the injury site. As with the chest, controlling bleeding in these cases can be quite difficult. Injuries to the abdomen can be very dangerous for a victim in the long run. Gastrointestinal fluids may spill or leak causing infection. 

☛ Arm or Leg: use direct pressure to control bleeding. If you have a length of fabric or string on hand (or can tear one off clothing), make a tourniquet. Arm and leg injuries from gunshots can be elevated above the heart to help control bleeding. Use pressure points in the arm, groin, or behind the knee if direct pressure does not control bleeding.

☛ Do not forget to look for exit wounds or lack thereof. Exit wounds will appear much larger than the entrance wound. Exit wound will produce massive damage depending several factors. The type of weapon fired, the ammunition used, and distance. When bullets enter the body, they will produce massive cavitation through the body. If bones are in the path, fragments of bone will also cause further damage. Always try to immobilize extremities and try to move them as little as possible. Further movement of broken bones may lacerate local blood vessels causing further bleeding.   

☛ After providing care to the victim and the victim is alert enough to answer questions, ask them about any medical conditions they may have and any medications they may be taking. Certain medications may complicate treatment such beta-blockers which slow the heart rate and may mask the signs of shock. The victim may know the type of weapon that they were assaulted or injured with. If the victim knows, ask them what type. How close was the victim when the firearm was fired? 

☛ Providing comfort and emotional support for the victim should not be overlooked. Many victims are in extreme pain and emotional shock from the situation. Be careful of what you say around the victim and provide as much emotional support as possible.  

Watch video:
Gunshot Wound First Aid DVD Title2

References:
Nancy Caroline's emergency care in the streets
NAEMT-PHTLS
http://www.practicaltrauma.com/gsw.shtml
http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/quickcpr.html
Infographic via Surgical Department /Medical College of Wisconsin  

#trauma   #gunshotwounds   #firstaid   #cpr

“False memories” - the hidden side of our good memory

“False memories” - the hidden side of our good memory
Humans are well-known for their good memories, but new research in the Journal of International Neuropsychological Society has found a downside to this good memory. Scientists at the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language found that our good memories are also what make us so prone to false memories.

When we hear words spoken, our brain compares these words to ones we have already learned to try and come up with a match. It's not a bad strategy, but it's also not 100% correct, as we can believe we've heard a word or even met a person before, when in reality, we haven't.

The researchers showed that young children and adults with schizophrenia are much less prone to making these types of errors than neurotypical adults. This could be because many adults have automated this memory process, whereas children have not. It gives adults an advantage when it comes to overall memory capacity, but this automation also means that adults are more likely to form false memories, the researchers say. These results will help scientists better understand the strengths and weaknesses of human memory.

Source:
http://www.basqueresearch.com/berria_irakurri.asp?Berri_Kod=4907&hizk=I#.Uvp4qWKSz_G
Journal article: Age Differences in Hippocampus-Cortex Connectivity during True and False Memory Retrieval. Journal of International Neuropsychological Society, 2013. doi: 10.1017/S1355617713001069
Story via Neuroscience Research Techniques

Tetralogy of Fallot ( TOF)

Tetralogy of Fallot ( TOF)
TOF is a congenital heart defect. A congenital heart defect is a problem with the heart's structure that's present at birth. This type of heart defect changes the normal flow of blood through the heart.
Tetralogy of Fallot is a rare, complex heart defect that occurs in about 5 out of every 10,000 babies. It affects boys and girls equally.

Tetralogy of Fallot involves four heart defects:

☛ Ventricular Septal Defect
The heart has a wall that separates the two chambers on its left side from the two chambers on its right side. This wall is called a septum. The septum prevents blood from mixing between the two sides of the heart.
A VSD is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart. The hole allows oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricle to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle.

☛ Pulmonary Stenosis
This defect is a narrowing of the pulmonary valve and the passage through which blood flows from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery.
Normally, oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle flows through the pulmonary valve, into the pulmonary artery, and out to the lungs to pick up oxygen. In pulmonary stenosis, the heart has to work harder than normal to pump blood, and not enough blood reaches the lungs.

☛ Right Ventricular Hypertrophy
This defect occurs if the right ventricle thickens because the heart has to pump harder than it should to move blood through the narrowed pulmonary valve.

☛ Overriding Aorta
This is a defect in the aorta, the main artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the body. In a healthy heart, the aorta is attached to the left ventricle. This allows only oxygen-rich blood to flow to the body.

In tetralogy of Fallot, the aorta is between the left and right ventricles, directly over the VSD. As a result, oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle flows directly into the aorta instead of into the pulmonary artery to the lungs.

Together, these four defects mean that not enough blood is able to reach the lungs to get oxygen, and oxygen-poor blood flows out to the body.

Signs - clubbing, loud ejection systolic murmur (radiates to back), cyanosis, tet spells ( a tet spell occurs when the oxygen level in the blood suddenly drops. This causes the baby to become very blue.)

Surgery to repair tetralogy of Fallot is done to improve blood flow to the lungs and to make sure that oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood flows to the right places. 

Surgeon will:
1. Widen the narrowed pulmonary blood vessels. The pulmonary valve is widened or replaced, and the passage from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery is enlarged. These procedures improve blood flow to the lungs. This allows the blood to get enough oxygen to meet the body's needs.

2. Close the ventricular septal defect (VSD). A patch is used to cover the hole in the septum. This patch stops oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood from mixing between the ventricles.

Fixing these two defects resolves problems caused by the other two defects. When the right ventricle no longer has to work so hard to pump blood to the lungs, it will return to a normal thickness. Fixing the VSD means that only oxygen-rich blood will flow out of the left ventricle into the aorta.

References:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/AboutCongenitalHeartDefects/Tetralogy-of-Fallot_UCM_307038_Article.jsp
https://circ.ahajournals.org/content/100/suppl_2/II-157.full
http://surgery.ucsf.edu/conditions--procedures/tetralogy-of-fallot.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetralogy_of_Fallot
Image: comparison between normal heart and heart with TOF via UCSF

Spacewalkers

Spacewalkers
Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy performed a six-hour spacewalk on 27 Jan. in support of assembly and maintenance on the International Space Station.

More photos:
http://www.space.com/24425-spacewalk-photos-space-station-cosmonauts-january-27-2014.html

Binary Star

Binary Star
A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star or secondary.

Binary stars are often detected optically, in which case they are called visual binaries. Many visual binaries have long orbital periods of several centuries or millennia and therefore have orbits which are uncertain or poorly known. They may also be detected by indirect techniques, such as spectroscopy (spectroscopic binaries) or astrometry (astrometric binaries).

If a binary star happens to orbit in a plane along our line of sight, its components will eclipse and transit each other; these pairs are called eclipsing binaries, or, as they are detected by their changes in brightness during eclipses and transits, photometric binaries.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectroscopic_binary#Visual_binaries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_of_mass

GIF:  artist's impression of an eclipsing binary star system. As the two stars orbit each other they pass in front of one another and their combined brightness, seen from a distance, decreases
Story via spaceplasma

Mesocyclone is a vortex of air within a convective storm.

Mesocyclone is a vortex of air within a convective storm. That means air that rises and rotates around a vertical axis, usually in the same direction as low pressure systems in a given hemisphere. They are most often cyclonic, associated with a localized low-pressure region within a severe thunderstorm. Such thunderstorms can feature strong surface winds and severe hail. Mesocyclones often occur together with updrafts in supercells, where tornadoes may form.

Watch video:
Formation of a Mesocyclone in a Supercell
References:
http://w1.weather.gov/glossary/index.php?word=mesocyclone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesocyclone

Nanomotors are controlled, for the first time, inside living cells.

Nanomotors are controlled, for the first time, inside living cells.
"For the first time, a team of chemists and engineers at Penn State University have placed tiny synthetic motors inside live human cells, propelled them with ultrasonic waves and steered them magnetically.

Source and further reading:
http://phys.org/news/2014-02-nanomotors-cells-video.html
Gif showing image of a HeLa cell containing several gold-ruthenium nanomotors. Near the center of the image, a spindle of several nanomotors is spinning. 
Credit: Mallouk lab, Penn State University

Cuddling literally kills depression, relieves anxiety and strengthen the immune system ;)

Cuddling literally kills depression, relieves anxiety and strengthen the immune system ;)

Rob Gonsalves & Magic Realism

Rob Gonsalves & Magic Realism
Artist Rob Gonsalves was born in Toronto, Canada in 1959. During his childhood, he developed an interest in drawing from imagination using various media.  By age twelve, his awareness of architecture grew as he learned perspective techniques and began to do his first paintings and renderings of imagined buildings.

Watch video:
Rob Gonsalves: Surrealist Painter (Short Documentary)

Images: http://www.sapergalleries.com/Gonsalves.html

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.
Plato

Originally shared by Derya Unutmaz

“Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.”
~ Ludwig van Beethoven 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ_fkw5j-t0&feature=share

Because I can't stop watching this ....

Because I can't stop watching this ....

mathani creation

Helmet Jelly - Periphylla periphylla

Helmet Jelly - Periphylla periphylla
The umbrella is usually higher than wide. It may reach a height of 35 cm and a diameter of 25cm. The tip is pointed or dome-shaped. The large, red or orange stomach occupies the upper part of the umbrella. The 12 thick, orange tentacles can be more than 50 cm long.

This is a common deep sea species. At locations dominated by strong tidal currents, forcing water from 200 metres or more up towards the surface, they can be encountered at any depth.
The helmet jelly is a cosmopolitan and widespread in the Atlantic Ocean, except in the Arctic. The Trondheim Fjord seems to be north of the "official" distribution area, but the helmet jelly does not know that.

Source:
http://www.seawater.no/fauna/cnidaria/periphylla.html

Because abortion...and omelette ;)

Because abortion...and omelette  ;)

What is pulmonary angiography?

What is pulmonary angiography?
Pulmonary angiography is a procedure that uses a special dye (contrast material) and x-rays to see how blood flows through the lungs.
Angiography is an imaging test that uses x-rays and a special dye to see inside the arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.

Why the Test is Performed?
The test is used to detect blood clots (pulmonary embolism) and other blockages in the blood flow in the lung.

Pulmonary angiography may also be used to help your doctor diagnose:
- AV malformations of the lung
- Congenital (present from bith) narrowing of the pulmonary vessels
- Pulmonary artery aneurysms
- Pulmonary hypertension - high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs

How the Test is Performed
This test is done in a special unit of a hospital. You will be asked to lie on an x-ray table.
Before the test starts, you will be given a mild sedative to help you relax.
- An area of your body, usually the arm or groin, is cleaned and numbed with a local numbing medicine (anesthetic).
- The radiologist inserts a needle or makes a small cut in a vein in the area that has been cleaned, and inserts a catheter.
- The catheter is placed through the vein and carefully moved up into and through the right-sided heart chambers and into the pulmonary artery, which leads to the lungs. The doctor can see live x-ray images of the area on a TV-like monitor, and uses them as a guide.
- Once the catheter is in place, dye is injected into the catheter. X-ray images are taken to see how the dye moves through the lungs' arteries. The dye helps detect any blockages to blood flow.

Your pulse, blood pressure, and breathing are monitored during the procedure. Electrocardiogram (ECG) leads are taped to your arms and legs to monitor your heart.

After the x-rays are taken, the needle and catheter are removed.
Pressure is immediately applied to the puncture site for 20-45 minutes to stop the bleeding. After that time the area is checked and a tight bandage is applied. The leg should be kept straight for 6 hours after the procedure.
Rarely, this test can be used to deliver medications to the lungs when a blood clot has been found.

Considerations
CT (computed tomography) angiography of the chest has largely replaced this test.

Watch video:
Pulmonary Angiography of a PE Model AP
References:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/pulmonary/pulmonary_angiogram_92,P07758/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonary_angiography
http://www.webmd.com/lung/angiogram-of-the-lung
Image: pulmonary MR angiography via Wikimedia Commons

Cold blooded snipers

Cold blooded snipers
Chameleons have cool tongues. But they are not unique. There are salamanders (Hydromantes spp.) that do a very similar thing. (the mechanism differs).

They capture prey using the most extreme tongue projection among salamanders, and can shoot the tongue a distance of 80% of body length in less than 20msec. The tongue skeleton is projected from the body via an elastic-recoil mechanism that decouples muscle contraction from tongue projection, amplifying muscle power tenfold.

For example the giant palm salamander of Central America (Bolitoglossa dofleini) captures fast-moving bugs with an explosive tongue thrust that releases over 18,000 watts of power per kilogram of muscle. Pretty cool..huh?

watch video:
The longest tongue of any amphibian

References:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070309-salamander.html

http://www.academia.edu/1057227/Cold-blooded_snipers_thermal_independence_of_ballistic_tongue_projection_in_the_salamander_Hydromantes_platycephalus

If we come from the water, I conclude that we come from different kinds of it.

If we come from the water, I conclude that we come from different kinds of it. I will meet a person and in his eyes see an ocean, deep and never ending; then I will meet another person and feel as though I have stepped into a shallow puddle on the street, there is nothing in it. Or maybe some of us come from the water, and some of us come from somewhere else; then it's all a matter of finding those who are the same as us.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker’s pocket surgical kit

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker’s pocket surgical kit
Dr. Walker was the first female surgeon in the U.S. Army, serving during the Civil War.

She was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1865 by President Johnson, and remains the only woman to have ever won it, to this date. Interestingly, this high honor was awarded to her (and even had a bill passed in order to make her eligible) in order to recognize her service to the country…while making sure that she didn’t receive an army commission in retirement.

Indeed, she made less as a pensioner than the widows of most officers did, but she saw the greater honor of her Medal, wearing it every day until her death in 1917.

Walker also campaigned as an abolitionist (prior to the war), prohibitionist, and an advocate for dress reform, citing women’s clothing as “immodest and unwieldy”. She was arrested several times in the late 1800s for “impersonating a man”, because of her trousers and top hat.

Reference:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_325.html
http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/walker.htm
Images via National Museum of Health and Medicine

Spitting cobras use venom spray as a defense mechanism, and not for catching their prey.

Spitting cobras use venom spray as a defense mechanism, and not for catching their prey. They aim at the eyes and will hold the venom until the face moves. It will not harm the skin, however, if it comes in contact with the eyes it can cause temporary or permanent blindness, along with severe pain. If the venom falls on open wounds, it can be fatal.

Watch video:
Spitting Cobra Takes On Lion
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitting_cobra

Here a line of fixed length is moved along the edge of an ellipse, tracing out a collection of new shapes.

Here a line of fixed length is moved along the edge of an ellipse, tracing out a collection of new shapes. Consider the area of the shape traced by a point p units from one end of the line and q from the other. Holditch’s theorem, regarded as a milestone in the history of maths, tells us this area is less than the area of the ellipse by at least π×p×q. Curiously, this formula holds not just for an ellipse, but any closed curve.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holditch's_theorem
Story and animation via  Matthew Henderson

A new comet was seen in the NASA STEREO images!

A new comet was seen in the NASA STEREO images! 
A non-sungrazer, this comet, named C/2014 C2, is moving quickly in the upper-right of the image, just above the solar wind outflow.

@SungrazerComets’ tweet mentions the parameters needed to view the comet video in the STEREO camera.
https://twitter.com/SungrazerComets/status/431878535477592064
http://secchi.nrl.navy.mil/index.php?p=js_secchi_day

#C2014C2

Here is a detailed image of a Leopard Geckos' eye on constricted mode.

Here is a detailed image of a Leopard Geckos' eye on constricted mode. As you can see here, the right half of the pupil did not form 100%. This a genetic trait passed on from the parents, most likely caused by ruby-eyed gene.

Photo credit: Gid Ferrer

Amputee Feels in Real-Time with Bionic Hand

Amputee Feels in Real-Time with Bionic Hand

Nine years after an accident caused the loss of his left hand, Dennis Aabo Sørensen from Denmark became the first amputee in the world to feel – in real-time – with a sensory-enhanced prosthetic hand that was surgically wired to nerves in his upper arm. Silvestro Micera and his team at EPFL Center for Neuroprosthetics and SSSA (Italy) developed the revolutionary sensory feedback that allowed Sørensen to feel again while handling objects. A prototype of this bionic technology was tested in February 2013 during a clinical trial in Rome under the supervision of Paolo Maria Rossini at Gemelli Hospital (Italy). The study is published in the February 5, 2014 edition of Science Translational Medicine, and represents a collaboration called Lifehand 2 between several European universities and hospitals.

“The sensory feedback was incredible,” reports the 36 year-old amputee from Denmark. “I could feel things that I hadn’t been able to feel in over nine years.” In a laboratory setting wearing a blindfold and earplugs, Sørensen was able to detect how strongly he was grasping, as well as the shape and consistency of different objects he picked up with his prosthetic. “When I held an object, I could feel if it was soft or hard, round or square.”

From Electrical Signal to Nerve Impulse
Micera and his team enhanced the artificial hand with sensors that detect information about touch. This was done by measuring the tension in artificial tendons that control finger movement and turning this measurement into an electrical current. But this electrical signal is too coarse to be understood by the nervous system. Using computer algorithms, the scientists transformed the electrical signal into an impulse that sensory nerves can interpret. The sense of touch was achieved by sending the digitally refined signal through wires into four electrodes that were surgically implanted into what remains of Sørensen’s upper arm nerves.

“This is the first time in neuroprosthetics that sensory feedback has been restored and used by an amputee in real-time to control an artificial limb,” says Micera.

“We were worried about reduced sensitivity in Dennis’ nerves since they hadn’t been used in over nine years,” says Stanisa Raspopovic, first author and scientist at EPFL and SSSA. These concerns faded away as the scientists successfully reactivated Sørensen’s sense of touch.

Connecting Electrodes to Nerves

On January 26, 2013, Sørensen underwent surgery in Rome at Gemelli Hospital. A specialized group of surgeons and neurologists, led by Paolo Maria Rossini, implanted so-called transneural electrodes into the ulnar and median nerves of Sørensen’s left arm. After 19 days of preliminary tests, Micera and his team connected their prosthetic to the electrodes – and to Sørensen – every day for an entire week.

The ultra-thin, ultra-precise electrodes, developed by Thomas Stieglitz’s research group at Freiburg University (Germany), made it possible to relay extremely weak electrical signals directly into the nervous system. A tremendous amount of preliminary research was done to ensure that the electrodes would continue to work even after the formation of post-surgery scar tissue. It is also the first time that such electrodes have been transversally implanted into the peripheral nervous system of an amputee.

The First Sensory-Enhanced Artificial Limb
The clinical study provides the first step towards a bionic hand, although a sensory-enhanced prosthetic is years away from being commercially available and the bionic hand of science fiction movies is even further away.

The next step involves miniaturizing the sensory feedback electronics for a portable prosthetic. In addition, the scientists will fine-tune the sensory technology for better touch resolution and increased awareness about the angular movement of fingers.

The electrodes were removed from Sørensen’s arm after one month due to safety restrictions imposed on clinical trials, although the scientists are optimistic that they could remain implanted and functional without damage to the nervous system for many years.

Psychological Strength an Asset
Sørensen’s psychological strength was an asset for the clinical study. He says, “I was more than happy to volunteer for the clinical trial, not only for myself, but to help other amputees as well.” Now he faces the challenge of having experienced touch again for only a short period of time. 

Sørensen lost his left hand while handling fireworks during a family holiday. He was rushed to the hospital where his hand was immediately amputated. Since then, he has been wearing a commercial prosthetic that detects muscle movement in his stump, allowing him to open and close his hand, and hold onto objects.

“It works like a brake on a motorbike,” explains Sørensen about the conventional prosthetic he usually wears. “When you squeeze the brake, the hand closes. When you relax, the hand opens.” Without sensory information being fed back into the nervous system, though, Sørensen cannot feel what he’s trying to grasp and must constantly watch his prosthetic to avoid crushing the object.

Just after the amputation, Sørensen recounts what the doctor told him. “There are two ways you can view this. You can sit in the corner and feel sorry for yourself. Or, you can get up and feel grateful for what you have. I believe you’ll adopt the second view.”

“He was right,” says Sørensen.

Watch video:
Amputee Feels in Real-Time with Bionic Hand

Reference:
http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/6/222/222ra19
Source:
http://actu.epfl.ch/news/amputee-feels-in-real-time-with-bionic-hand/