Nerdy Science Blog

This is a really cool ribcage sculpture with a heart card.  It is designed by Nathan R. Chrislip.  You can buy one for only $9 at etsy, and only 3 stocks left.

[via bioephemera]

Drinking may not be as bad as many people say it is.  According to a Japanese examination, light to moderate drinking with high socialization can actually help to lower the risk of ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease.

The examination studied the effect of social activity on drinking and risk of cardiovascular disease.  The study involved 19,356 men aged 40- to 69-year-old who enrolled in Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study.  The alcohol consumption was separated into seven categories, which are never, past, occasional, 1-149, 150-299, 300-449, > 450 grams/week.  Study showed that people with more social activity and less-to-moderate drinking behaviour had reduced risk of total stroke, ischemic stroke and total cardiovascular disease.  Takeshi Tanigawa, a professor in the department of public health at Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, suggested that low social support leads to mental stress, and mental stress activates neuro-endocrine components that will eventually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study will be published in June issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.  So when you go out for a drink with people, try to drink with those people who don’t stress you.  The less you drink the better health you will have.

(Image Credit: CartoonStock)

Professor Marek Urban and colleagues from the University of Southern Mississippi developed a polyurethane coating that is able to remove the scratches by self-healing through exposure to the sun.  The coating is made by chitosan, which can be found in the shells of crab and shrimp, and traditional polymer materials.  When the coating is damaged, ultraviolet light will cause the chitosan to react and the damaged chemical structure will re-bond and smooth the scratch.  The whole process only takes less than an hour.

Although the new coatings seem promising, the extent of the coatings has not been tested yet.  Besides, the polymer will be self-repairing for infinite times; it can only repair itself once in the same spot.  Professor Marek Urban said that the chance of two scratches in the same spot is low.

This self-repairing coatings technology can be used to produce scratch-free cars and other scratch-free products.  The team who developed the coating had published the study in the journal Science.  The team has patents pending and it is considering the opportunity to commercialize the material.  School teachers will definitely love this new product as their cars are always scratched by the students.

(news [pic])

It is not how fat you look that determines you risk of having a heart disease, but it is where your fat is located in your body that determines it.  People with trim waistline please don’t laugh too early as you are risk free from heart disease.

Research team of the Framingham Heart Study presented the thickness of a person’s neck can help to determine the heart risk at a meeting of American Heart Association.  This can give as many as or more information about the heart risk than waist measuring.  3,300 women and men over age 51 were studied by measuring their necks, the cholesterol level and blood glucose level.  The risk of getting heart disease is determined by the level of cholesterol and blood glucose.  The average circumferences of the neck for men are 40.5cm and 34.2cm for women.  People with fatter neck have lower good cholesterol, which is the high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and higher level of blood glucose.  The thickness of the neck does not influence the bad cholesterol, namely low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

People with 3cm wider neck have 2.2 mg decrease in good cholesterol per decilitre of blood (mg/dl), whereas women are 2.7mg/dl.  Human subjects with 3cm more neck size have increased blood glucose of 3.0mg/dl for men and 2.1 mg/dl for women.

(news [pic])

40 religious and non-religious people were asked to read phrase like “I believe God is with me throughout the day and watches over me”, “God is angry at human behaviour”, “There is no higher purpose”, etc. regardless they agreed or disagreed with the content they were reading.  The team at National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, then scan their brains with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).  From the brain scan, the team found that human brain responds to God as just another person.  There is no difference between the human brain subjects when God is mentioned regardless they are religious or non-religious.  The same part in the brain that is being activated when God is mentioned associated with deciphering the emotions and intentions of others.  The team suggested that religion may be a product of human evolution as human brain evolved, human became capable of handling complex social interactions, and religion is a social behaviour.

This study does not prove the existence of God.  It just tells how God works in our brain. It just tells how god-belief or belief in god(s) works in our brain.  The study will be published in the next issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the authors are Dimitrios Kapogiannis, Aron K. Barbey, Michael Su, Giovanna Zamboni, Frank Krueger, and Jordan Grafman.

(news [journal]

Dr. Yoshihiro Shimazaki and his colleagues from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, found that regular green tea consumption helps in healthy teeth and gums promotion.  940 men aged from 49 to 59 with three indicators of periodontal disease were analyzed in this study.  The three indicators were periodontal pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL) of gum tissue, and bleeding on probing (BOP) of gum tissue.  The human subjects who were given a cup of green tea per day showed a significant reduce and improvement in periodontal disease compared to those who had less green tea.  Researchers believed that antioxidant catechin in the green tea which was previously proved having ability to reduce inflammation was responsible in promoting periodontal health as periodontal disease is chronic inflammatory diseases affecting gums and bones supporting the teeth.  Periodontal disease often linked with other diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The study is published in the latest issue of American Academy of Periodontology’s (AAP) official publication, Journal of Periodontology.  Green tea is also beneficial in weight loss, heart health and cancer prevention.

(news [pic])

Jock itch (Tinea Cruris) is a superficial fungal infection of the groin area. It can be caused by different microorganisms, the most common being Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. It is characterized by the development of well-marginated, erythematous, half-moon-shaped plaques in those folds that spread to the upper thighs. The border of the lesion is well defined, usually present itself with fine scaling or vesicular eruptions. The lesions are usually bilateral and do not include scrotum or penis but has the ability to migrate to other places of the body like to the perineum, perianal area, and even onto buttocks in chronic cases.

There are few risks factors that could promote the growth of Tinea Cruris. These include increased sweating during summer, wearing wet clothes, wearing multiple layers of clothing, depressed immune response (for people with AIDS or atopy) and obesity. Fungal grow and reproduce when the conditions allow them to. Wet and moist surface promote such possibility and even thou tinea cruris response well to medication, it is best to prevent it from happening at all.

The cause of such infection is usually due to patient’s own tinea pedis (Athlete’s foot). Thus, it is quite common for both of the condition to present in one patient. Patients who scratch their foot when it is itchy due to tinea pedis, bring the fungal up to their groin where the spores stay on their hands. Thus, if you are having tinea pedis, avoid scratching them too much and always wash your hands!

At first, the patient might not have any complains as the lesions could be asymptomatic. This causes patients to pay less attention on the lesion. But when time goes by, the lesions are often itchy or pruritic. Acute condition such as sudden inflamation of that area may result from wearing occlusive clothing. Itch usually causes patient to scratch the affected area, thus result in an ecazematous reddish appearance. If topical steroids are applied, it may alter the appearance of the lesion, causing a more extensive eruption with irregular border, thus making the diagnosing process harder and more challenging.

Usually, fungal culture will be use to help diagnose this condition. The fungus will be taken from the affected area of the patient and will be grow in laboratory condition using Sabouraud’s dextrose agar or by using dermatophyte test medium. Another faster method is the potassium hydroxide preparation of skin scrapings from the border of the lesions. It will shows translucen, branching, rod-shaped hyphae which is characteristic for Trichophyton rubrum. Both of these methods are based on skin biopsies. Finding hyphae in epidermis is the best way to confirm the diagnosis.

It is important to differentiate jock itch with other conditions that could present with the same sign and symptoms.

Intertrigo – This is an inflamatory process of moist opposed skin folds. Usually the causes of such infection include bacteria, yeast and fungi. The main difference of Intertrigo and jock itch is patients with Intertrigo has a characteristic painful longitudinal fissures which occurs in creases of skin fold.

Erythrasma – This is a diffuse brown, scaly, noninflammatory plaque with irregular borders which often involve the groin. The cause of such lesion is usually bacteria – Corynebacterium minutissimum. With the examination of Wood’s lamp, the lesion fluoresces in a coral-red colour.

Other conditions that you should rule out are Seborrheic dermatitis, Psoriasis of groin, Candidiasis of groin and Acanthosis nigricans.

General measures can be adapted to help to prevent jock itch. Avoid predisposing conditions that could increase the moisture of the skin. Avoid hot baths and tight-fitting clothing that usually could trap a lot of moist in areas, especially the groin. Try wearing boxer shorts instead of briefs. Try to keep the area as dry as possible by using talcum powder. These powder absorb moisture effectively, slowing down the reproduction and growth of the fungi. Topical steroid should not be use as it might promote another condition called Tinea incognito. Besides such measures, there are no restrictions on diet and activity. Exercises can be maintain but always remember to keep your body dry and aired. Go for loose clothings and stick to the talcum powder and you would be alright. Talcum powder can also be applied to the feet to prevent tinea pedis. It is best to prevent both conditions at the same time as they are always associated with each other. During summer, if you sweat a lot, try to change your clothings more often. Changing into fresh clothings could dry up those wet area of your body. Try not to wear multiple layers of clothing, especially during summer.

If the lesion is already out and showing its signs and symptoms, you could try some topical azole antifungal compounds. Econazole or ketoconazole can be applied 2 times per day for 2 or 3 weeks. Terbinafaine can be applied once daily for 1-2 weeks. Butenafine is also very effective. Using any of the aboved mention antifungal cream should relief your symptoms fast enough. Fungal infection usually responce well to such antifungal cream. Oral antifungal agents are effective but are not indicated in uncomplicated tinea cruris. If the condition is still progressing, please consult your dermatologist as it is possible that you diagnosed yourself wrongly. The prognosis of jock itch is excellent with therapy. Remember to continue applying any of these antifungal cream even when the lesion has subside and you are feeling a lot better. It usually take few weeks to fully remove the fungi. Sticking to the 2 or 3 weeks regime will usually confirm that you are clear from the infection.

For some people, such lesion would usually trigger an allergic responce to the fungal infection. If the itch is unbearable even thou you have used the antifungal cream, try using some oral antihistamine to ease the itch. Using both of these agents at the same time is safe and proved to be quite effective in relieving symptoms.

[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]

Oxidant pollutants have pro-inflammatory effects and lead to cellular oxidative stress, hence causing asthma.  Researchers at University of California, Los Angeles, showed that broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables (like cabbage) help in mediating respiratory inflammation, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Sulforaphane, a compound in these vegetables, appears to have a potent biologic effect in the stimulation of antioxidant response in humans.  The study involved 65 volunteers.  They were given either broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts.  Alfalfa sprouts do not contain any sulforaphane, so they are used as placebo.  Researchers found that those who consumed broccoli sprouts had two to three fold increases of antioxidant enzymes in upper airway of human.  Maximum dosage of broccoli sprouts yielded 101% increase of the antioxidant enzyme GSTP1 and 199% increase of enzyme NQo1 in the nasal airway cells of human subjects.  The result is published in the latest journal Clinical Immunology.  Authors are Riedl MA, Saxon A, and Diaz-Sanchez D.

(news [journal][pic])

Blanca Huertas, butterfly curator at Natural History Museum in London had discovered a new species among the three million butterfly specimens.  The museum has nine million specimens of butterflies and moths.  The new specimen has a hairy mouthparts (looks like moustache), which is the same as Splendeuptychia ackeryi (a.k.a. Magdalena valley ringlet) that Blanca and two colleagues discovered at dry Magdalena valleys of Colombia back in 2005.  The entomologists did not realize those are new species back then.  The butterfly specimen was in the museum collection since 1920.  Blanca Huertas said that there are only 20,000 known butterfly species and 40% of them are in South America.

Two other colleagues of Blanca Huertas are Jean François Le Crom and Cristóbal Ríos M.  The new discovery is published in the latest Zootaxa.

(Photo Credit: Copyright NHM)

(news [journal])

Recent studies showed that a protein called kainate receptors response to certain antidepressants, and the protein also involved in depression and suicidal thought.

Scientists at Rockefeller University examined one of the five subunits of kainate receptors, KA1 in rats and the result may help to explain the mechanism of the protein reshaping the brain in response to stress.  Researchers at Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at Rockefeller University studied the impact of stress and steroid on rats.  They induce stress to the rats by restraining them 6 hours per day for over three weeks.  The production of KA1 in these rats increased in certain parts of hippocampus under the instruction sent by messenger RNA.  Hippocampus involved in learning and memory functions.  Scientists also tried to inject hormone called corticosteroids into the unstressed rats.  Low dose of corticosteroids increased KA1 production but high dose did not.

Fortunately the brains will replace the retracted neurons once the stress is removed.  The study was published in the journal PLos ONE.  The authors were Richard G. Hunter, Rudy Bellani, Erik Bloss, Ana Costa, Katharine McCarthy, and Bruce S. McEwen.

(news [journal][pic])