Diabetes breakthrough: Toronto scientists cure disease in mice

Dr. Dosch had concluded in a 1999 paper that there were surprising similarities between diabetes and multiple sclerosis, a central nervous system disease. His interest was also piqued by the presence around the insulin-producing islets of an "enormous" number of nerves, pain neurons primarily used to signal the brain that tissue has been damaged.

Suspecting a link between the nerves and diabetes, he and Dr. Salter used an old experimental trick -- injecting capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot chili peppers, to kill the pancreatic sensory nerves in mice that had an equivalent of Type 1 diabetes.
"Then we had the biggest shock of our lives," Dr. Dosch said. Almost immediately, the islets began producing insulin normally "It was a shock ? really out of left field, because nothing in the literature was saying anything about this."

It turns out the nerves secrete neuropeptides that are instrumental in the proper functioning of the islets. Further study by the team, which also involved the University of Calgary and the Jackson Laboratory in Maine, found that the nerves in diabetic mice were releasing too little of the neuropeptides, resulting in a "vicious cycle" of stress on the islets.

So next they injected the neuropeptide "substance P" in the pancreases of diabetic mice, a demanding task given the tiny size of the rodent organs. The results were dramatic.

The islet inflammation cleared up and the diabetes was gone. Some have remained in that state for as long as four months, with just one injection.

The Top Seven Signs that Someone is Lying to You

When it comes to finding out whether or not you're being lied to, Gepetto had it easy. All it took was one look at Pinocchios's growing schnoz and he knew. Of course, most of us don't have it that easy but could sure benefit if we did.

It seems that we're largely a nation of liars, with some estimates saying that most people lie to others one or twice a day, and in about 30 percent to 38 percent of our interactions in all.

Why we lie varies. Around the age of 4 or 5, when we start telling lies, it's done not maliciously, but rather to gain awareness and use the power of language, says Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist with New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Later on, we lie to get things we want, for personal gain or to stay out of trouble. We tell "white lies" to protect other's feelings, and then there are the pathological liars among us, the people who feel compelled to lie no matter what.

So, with liars all around us (don't lie -- we ALL lie at one point or another, even those "little white lies" count), it's imperative to know the signs that someone may be lying to you. Here are seven of the classic signs to watch out for ...

Seven Common Signs of Lying

1. No eye contact. Generally, if someone is lying they will not look you in the eye, at least during a certain part of the conversation. Normally, people make eye contact for at least half of a conversation, so anything less than this could be suspicious. One caveat: there are some people who will take great pains to make eye contact with you even if they're lying, simply to make you think they're not.

2. Change in voice. A change in the pitch of a person's tone, or a lot of stammering (umm, ah), or throat clearing could indicate a lie.

3. Unusual body language. If a person taps their foot a lot, fidgets with their hands, raises their shoulders, turns away from you or brings their hand to their face (to touch their chin or nose, etc.) -- in other words, if they act nervous or uncomfortable -- it could mean they're telling a lie. Also watch out for blushing (or becoming pale) and increased blinking.

4. Something sounds fishy. Making statements that contradict each other, are inconsistent or don't sound quite right are usually part of a lie.

5. Overly defensive. Sometimes when a person is lying they will become extremely defensive, refusing to answer any questions and even accusing you of lying. This may mean they have something to hide.

6. Changes subject easily. If someone is lying and you change the subject, chances are high that they'll go right along with it. A person telling the truth, however, will likely ask why you changed the subject and want to go back to it.

7. Humor or sarcasm. A guilty person will often try to change the subject using humor or sarcasm.

Of course, no one behavior can tell for sure whether or not someone is telling the truth or lying. While you should trust your instinct, if you're not sure it's best to try to get some evidence to back up your accusation. Rather than relying on a specific behavior, catching a liar in the act is best done by watching their normal behaviors. When those behaviors suddenly change, that's when a lie has likely been told.

Read the original article: http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/the_top_seven_signs_that_someone_is_lying_to_you.htm

Genetic Engineering Fuses Spider Silk and Silica

Bioengineers at Tufts University have created a new fusion protein that for the first time combines the toughness of spider silk with the intricate structure of silica. The resulting nanocomposite could be used in medical and industrial applications, such as growing bone tissue.

 

From the article:

 

Silica provides structural support to diatoms (single-celled organisms known for their remarkable nanostructural details) while silk proteins from spiders and silkworms are more flexible, stronger and able to self-assemble into readily defined structures. The Tufts researchers were able to design and clone genetic fusions of the encoding genes for these two proteins, and then generate these genetically engineered proteins into nanocomposites at ambient temperatures using only water. In contrast, high temperatures and harsh conditions are typically required by geochemical and industrial synthesis of silica in the laboratory.

 

http://www.physorg.com/news70608222.html

Nanowires Four Times Faster Than Silicon

Advances in nanowires have shown that they may be the future in cheap, high-performance electronics. Researchers at Harvard have shown that nanowire transistors are are least four times faster than existing silicon ones. These nanowires show promise in being able to be embedded in plastics, and could lead to devices such as flexible displays that process information in the screen itself

 

We will be able to live to 1,000

Life expectancy is increasing in the developed world. But Cambridge University geneticist Aubrey de Grey believes it will soon extend dramatically to 1,000. Here, he explains why

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4003063.stm

Top 10 Hybrid Animals

Editors of Hemmy, have created a list about the top 10 hybrid animals. Hybrid animals are cross-breds between animals of similar genetics. They mostly exist in captivity and are the result of human intervention

 

10. Liger/Tigon

 9. Wolf Dog

 8. Iron Age Pig
 7. Zebroid
 6. Cama

 5. Grolar, Pizzly
 4. Leopon
 3. Hybrid Pheasant
 2. Wolphin
 1. Ti-Liger, Ti-Tigon, Li-Tigon, Li-Liger

Check out yourself at http://www.hemmy.net/2006/06/19/top-10-hybrid-animals/

reflections: friends...They can sure change your life

Recently I read this story from one of Rakesh's blog. Very touchy.

reflections: friends...They can sure change your life