These are physical, mental and behavioral
changes that follow an approximately 24-hour cycle, responding
primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. The
study of circadian rhythms is called chronobiology.
The master clock that controls circadian rhythms consists of a group
of nerve cells in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or
SCN. The SCN contains about 20,000 nerve cells and is located in the
hypothalamus, an area of the brain just above where the optic nerves
from the eyes cross. SCN controls the production of melatonin, a
hormone that makes us sleepy. When there is less light, like at
night, the SCN tells the brain to make more melatonin so we get
drowsy.
Circadian rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release,
body temperature, and other important bodily functions. They have
been linked to various sleep disorders, including insomnia. Abnormal
circadian rhythms have also been associated with obesity, diabetes,
depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.
Clock genes contain instructions for making clock proteins, whose
levels rise and fall in a regular cyclic pattern. This pattern in
turn regulates the activity of the genes.
Many of the clock genes and proteins are similar across species,
allowing researchers to make important findings about human
circadian processes by studying the clock components of other
organisms. They have identified genes that direct circadian rhythms
in people, fruit flies, mice, fungi, bread mold, plants, and several
other model organisms used for studying genetics.
Jet lag occurs when travelers suffer from disrupted circadian
rhythms. When you pass through different time zones, your body’s
clock will be different from your wristwatch. For example, if you
fly in an airplane from California to New York, you 'lose' 3 hours
of time. So when you wake up at 7:00 a.m., your body still thinks it
is 4:00 a.m., making you feel disoriented. Your body’s clock will
eventually reset itself, but this often takes a few days. My
circadian clock tells me this is a Happy Friday.
Dec 5, 2014
Bacon’s Blood Balancing Bounty
Several university and
medical center studies have shown that including bacon as a regular,
moderate part of one’s diet, naturally works to lower the body's
blood pressure and blood sugar levels, helping to prevent and / or
alleviate the effects of diabetes, as well as heart disease, and
stroke.
What's in a Name, Budapest
Óbuda united with Buda and Pest
in 1873. Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary.
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is separated from Buda by the Danube River. In colloquial Hungarian, "Pest" is often used for the whole capital of Budapest. Harry Houdini was from Pest
Buda is the former capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and the western part Budapest. Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's complete territory and is mostly wooded and hilly. Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, and was first completed in 1265.
Obuda means old Buda and it is located on the western side of the city. It has a sculpture in the town square of people waiting for the rain to stop.
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is separated from Buda by the Danube River. In colloquial Hungarian, "Pest" is often used for the whole capital of Budapest. Harry Houdini was from Pest
Buda is the former capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and the western part Budapest. Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's complete territory and is mostly wooded and hilly. Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, and was first completed in 1265.
Obuda means old Buda and it is located on the western side of the city. It has a sculpture in the town square of people waiting for the rain to stop.
Adware, Malware, Phishing, Spyware, Trojan Horse, Virus, and Warez
These terms show up often, especially during the
holidays when more people than ever are cruising the web for
bargains. Here are a few descriptions to help you understand the
lingo.
Adware is typically an application that shows users an excessive amount of advertising in return for providing a service of little value. There is a grey area from most anti-virus companies as to how to handle adware, because so many applications have begun to show ads.
Malware generally is an all-encompassing term used to describe any harmful program. This includes spyware, viruses, and phishing scams.
Phishing and spyware are closely related. They work by tricking users and sending user information to a third party. A phishing application or website will pretend to be from a trusted source to try and trick a person into entering personal information.
Spyware tries to hide itself from users. It is an application that reads user information and data without the user actually knowing it - and reporting it back to a third party. This includes keystroke loggers to steal passwords or credit card information.
A trojan horse is a specific type of virus. The app pretends to be something useful, or helpful, or fun while causing harm or stealing data. This term is often used to describe spyware and phishing attacks as well.
The term virus term has mostly been replaced by malware, although there is a subtle difference. Virus typically takes control of the operating system and either damages it, or uses it for its own purposes. An example might be sending emails to everyone in the email address book.
Warez typically refers to pirated or unlicensed software. The files are stolen from the real developers.
Bottom line - Adware is aggravating, but not usually harmful. Phishing and trojan horses wear masks and steal data, while spyware hides itself and steals data. Malware is the new all-encompassing term, except for Warez. Malware aggravates or steals from us while Warez steals from developers.
Adware is typically an application that shows users an excessive amount of advertising in return for providing a service of little value. There is a grey area from most anti-virus companies as to how to handle adware, because so many applications have begun to show ads.
Malware generally is an all-encompassing term used to describe any harmful program. This includes spyware, viruses, and phishing scams.
Phishing and spyware are closely related. They work by tricking users and sending user information to a third party. A phishing application or website will pretend to be from a trusted source to try and trick a person into entering personal information.
Spyware tries to hide itself from users. It is an application that reads user information and data without the user actually knowing it - and reporting it back to a third party. This includes keystroke loggers to steal passwords or credit card information.
A trojan horse is a specific type of virus. The app pretends to be something useful, or helpful, or fun while causing harm or stealing data. This term is often used to describe spyware and phishing attacks as well.
The term virus term has mostly been replaced by malware, although there is a subtle difference. Virus typically takes control of the operating system and either damages it, or uses it for its own purposes. An example might be sending emails to everyone in the email address book.
Warez typically refers to pirated or unlicensed software. The files are stolen from the real developers.
Bottom line - Adware is aggravating, but not usually harmful. Phishing and trojan horses wear masks and steal data, while spyware hides itself and steals data. Malware is the new all-encompassing term, except for Warez. Malware aggravates or steals from us while Warez steals from developers.
Subway Restaurant Facts
There are currently 42,859 Subway
restaurants in 108 countries around the world. Subway has overtaken
McDonald’s in number of locations. Subway has plans to have 50,000
restaurants around the world by 2018, which means the company will
need to open more than six restaurants a day, every day, for the
next four years. Subway has opened, on average, more than two
restaurants per day since 1965.
Holiday Travel Tip
While traveling, carry-on bags, purses,
and wallets can be easily lost or stolen. This is an easy hack to
prevent potential headaches, especially for international travel.
Scan driver's license, passport, traveler's checks, credit card
number, and card help line phone numbers, or any other important
information, then e-mail the information to yourself. Now you can go
to any computer in the world and get a copy of your documents and
information.
Nov 28, 2014
Happy Friday
Happiness does not make us grateful, being grateful makes us happy.
I am grateful to be able to share with you a Happy Friday!
I am grateful to be able to share with you a Happy Friday!
Twelve Turkey Facts
Here are a few tidbits to digest along
with your turkey leftovers. Turkeys have been roaming North and
South America for over 10-million years.
Over short flights, a wild turkey can top out at about 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). Domestic turkeys cannot fly because they are too heavy.
The largest turkey on record weighed 86 pounds.
Turkeys (and many birds) ingest small stones that go into a part of their stomachs called the gizzard, which helps the turkey break down food. This process is necessary because turkeys, like all birds, don't have teeth.
Turkeys have two stomachs: the glandular stomach that softens the food with gastric juices and the gizzard that grinds it up for the intestines or the first stomach, if needed.
The feces of male turkeys are J-shaped, and also straighter and larger than a female's, which look more spiral shaped.
There is a festival honoring turkeys, the Eldon, Missouri Turkey Festival which is held each October. It includes a turkey egg toss, turkey calling seminars and a 5-K turkey trot.
Wild turkeys prefer to sleep in trees, because their eyesight is so poor.
The tops of male turkeys are not only colorful, but highly variable. Males normally have almost no feathers on their heads, but when it comes time to breed, the colors can change between red, white, and blue.
Male turkeys gobble, female turkeys do not gobble, they make a clicking noise.
Mature turkeys have about 3,500 feathers at maturity.
The red bumps on a turkey's head are called caruncles.
Over short flights, a wild turkey can top out at about 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). Domestic turkeys cannot fly because they are too heavy.
The largest turkey on record weighed 86 pounds.
Turkeys (and many birds) ingest small stones that go into a part of their stomachs called the gizzard, which helps the turkey break down food. This process is necessary because turkeys, like all birds, don't have teeth.
Turkeys have two stomachs: the glandular stomach that softens the food with gastric juices and the gizzard that grinds it up for the intestines or the first stomach, if needed.
The feces of male turkeys are J-shaped, and also straighter and larger than a female's, which look more spiral shaped.
There is a festival honoring turkeys, the Eldon, Missouri Turkey Festival which is held each October. It includes a turkey egg toss, turkey calling seminars and a 5-K turkey trot.
Wild turkeys prefer to sleep in trees, because their eyesight is so poor.
The tops of male turkeys are not only colorful, but highly variable. Males normally have almost no feathers on their heads, but when it comes time to breed, the colors can change between red, white, and blue.
Male turkeys gobble, female turkeys do not gobble, they make a clicking noise.
Mature turkeys have about 3,500 feathers at maturity.
The red bumps on a turkey's head are called caruncles.
Laughing Exercise
Laughing 100 times is equivalent to 15
minutes of exercise on a stationary bicycle.
Snurfing and Snowboards
Sherman Poppen from
Muskegon, Michigan took two 36-inch skis that had a little leather
strap over the top of them that kids could slide their shoes into.
He added a couple of cross pieces across them about five of six
inches apart. The cross pieces were actually molding so you could
put your feet up against it. His wife called it the 'snurfer'.
He kept improving the design, patented it as a "surf-type snow ski," and sold it to Brunswick. By 1970, almost a million of the boards had been sold.
Jake Burton Carpenter had a competing product he called the 'Burton Board'. Carpenter's Burton Snowboards would go on to become one of the largest snowboard brands in the world.
Snowboarders might be riding "snurfboards" today, if Poppen hadn't been so possessive of his trademark. When he got started and Burton was calling his board Snurfboards, and his was a Snurfer. He did not like his name being used so he hired an attorney to protect his trademark. The sport became snowboarding because Carpenter could not use the word Snurfer or Snurf.
He kept improving the design, patented it as a "surf-type snow ski," and sold it to Brunswick. By 1970, almost a million of the boards had been sold.
Jake Burton Carpenter had a competing product he called the 'Burton Board'. Carpenter's Burton Snowboards would go on to become one of the largest snowboard brands in the world.
Snowboarders might be riding "snurfboards" today, if Poppen hadn't been so possessive of his trademark. When he got started and Burton was calling his board Snurfboards, and his was a Snurfer. He did not like his name being used so he hired an attorney to protect his trademark. The sport became snowboarding because Carpenter could not use the word Snurfer or Snurf.
More Egg Facts
Eggs contain very little saturated fat (1.5
grams per large egg) and no trans fat. A medium egg contains about
63 calories and a large about 74 calories.
The
nutrients in eggs can play a role in weight management, muscle
strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health, and more.
Egg
yolks are a great source of choline, an essential nutrient. Two
eggs provide about 250 milligrams of choline. Choline also aids
the brain function by maintaining the structure of brain cell
membranes, and is a key component of the neuro-transmitter that
helps relay messages from the brain through nerves to the muscles.
Lutein
and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in egg yolks, help prevent
macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness and
may even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Eggs
have the highest nutritional quality protein of all food sources.
Protein is a source of energy, but its main role in the body is
growth and repair. It helps in the formation of muscles, hair,
nails, skin and organs, such as the heart, kidneys and liver.
Vitamins and minerals in eggs include:
Biotin - helps cell metabolism and the utilization of fats, proteins and carbohydrates
Calcium - for building and maintain bones and teeth
Cephalin - a phosphorus-containing lipid found in tissues
Folate - for growth
Iodine - to ensure proper function of the thyroid gland
Iron - to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen around our bodies maintenance of healthy cells
Lecithin - contains acetylcholine which has been proven to help brain function
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5 ) - releases energy from our food for our body to use
Phosphorous - helps build strong bones and teeth
Selenium - antioxidant that protects our body and immune system
Thiamine - to turn carbohydrates into energy our body can use
Vitamin A (retinal) - for growth and eye health
Vitamin B12 (riboflavin) - for brain and nervous system functions and blood formation
Vitamin D - important in bone health.
Vitamin E - antioxidant to protect our bodies against disease
Zinc - helps in growth, wound healing, blood formation and maintenance of tissues.
Vitamins and minerals in eggs include:
Biotin - helps cell metabolism and the utilization of fats, proteins and carbohydrates
Calcium - for building and maintain bones and teeth
Cephalin - a phosphorus-containing lipid found in tissues
Folate - for growth
Iodine - to ensure proper function of the thyroid gland
Iron - to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen around our bodies maintenance of healthy cells
Lecithin - contains acetylcholine which has been proven to help brain function
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5 ) - releases energy from our food for our body to use
Phosphorous - helps build strong bones and teeth
Selenium - antioxidant that protects our body and immune system
Thiamine - to turn carbohydrates into energy our body can use
Vitamin A (retinal) - for growth and eye health
Vitamin B12 (riboflavin) - for brain and nervous system functions and blood formation
Vitamin D - important in bone health.
Vitamin E - antioxidant to protect our bodies against disease
Zinc - helps in growth, wound healing, blood formation and maintenance of tissues.
Eliminating
eggs from your diet because you are concerned about cholesterol is
of no value and you lose the dietary benefits. Harvard Medical
School and Mayo clinic agree that even though yolks contain
cholesterol, very little of it actually makes it into your
bloodstream, where it matters.
Pig Squeals
Experts have determined that the average pig
squeals at a level of 100-115 decibels. A jet’s engine only
reaches about 112 decibels at takeoff. Bacon does not squeal,
it sizzles.
XPRIZE Blood Test Prize
On November 10, 2014, the XPRIZE
Foundation announced the winner of the Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE, the
global competition aimed at accelerating the availability of
hardware sensors and software sensing technology as a means to
smarter digital health solutions.
The winning device, called the Reusable Handheld Electrolyte and Lab Technology for Humans (rHEALTH) system, can potentially run hundreds or even thousands of lab tests using a single drop of blood, and those tests, in turn, can be used to diagnose a range of diseases.
Along with a number of distinguished awards, the $525,000 grand prize was presented to Eugene Chan, founder and CEO of the device’s maker, DNA Medicine Institute (DMI), at Singularity University’s Exponential Medicine conference.
The rHEALTH system reacts to a sample of blood, about 1,500 times less than is usually required, with a series of nanostrips. These strips are a bit like pH test strips, but they are on the scale of blood cells. The system reacts to the blood sample with tens of thousands of nanostrips, each running a different test, then shines a laser on them in rapid succession.
The whole process yields results in about two minutes and currently runs about 22 lab tests, ranging from vitamin D to HIV.
The winning device, called the Reusable Handheld Electrolyte and Lab Technology for Humans (rHEALTH) system, can potentially run hundreds or even thousands of lab tests using a single drop of blood, and those tests, in turn, can be used to diagnose a range of diseases.
Along with a number of distinguished awards, the $525,000 grand prize was presented to Eugene Chan, founder and CEO of the device’s maker, DNA Medicine Institute (DMI), at Singularity University’s Exponential Medicine conference.
The rHEALTH system reacts to a sample of blood, about 1,500 times less than is usually required, with a series of nanostrips. These strips are a bit like pH test strips, but they are on the scale of blood cells. The system reacts to the blood sample with tens of thousands of nanostrips, each running a different test, then shines a laser on them in rapid succession.
The whole process yields results in about two minutes and currently runs about 22 lab tests, ranging from vitamin D to HIV.
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