A sleep-promoting circuit located deep in the primitive brainstem has revealed how we fall into deep sleep. Discovered by researchers at Harvard School of Medicine and the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, this is only the second “sleep node” identified in the mammalian brain whose activity appears to be both necessary and sufficient to produce deep sleep.
“To get the precision required for these experiments, we introduced a virus into the PZ that expressed a ‘designer’ receptor on GABA neurons only but didn’t otherwise alter brain function,” explains Patrick Fuller, assistant professor at Harvard and senior author on the paper. “When we turned on the GABA neurons in the PZ, the animals quickly fell into a deep sleep without the use of sedatives or sleep aids.”
How these neurons interact in the brain with other sleep and wake-promoting brain regions still need to be studied, the researchers say, but eventually these findings may translate into new medications for treating sleep disorders, including insomnia, and the development of better and safer anesthetics.
“We are at a truly transformative point in neuroscience,” says Bass, “where the use of designer genes gives us unprecedented ability to control the brain. We can now answer fundamental questions of brain function, which have traditionally been beyond our reach, including the ‘why’ of sleep, one of the more enduring mysteries in the neurosciences.”
Also, a gif of neurons:
The more we move into the ability to alter the function of the brain, the more awe inspiring and horrifying it gets.
good morning, science thread. today there's science news that isn't so much in-your-face awesome, but still one of those things that make you go "thanks, Science"
Children born to mothers exposed during pregnancy to higher levels of the chemicals, butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) had a 72 percent and 78 percent increase in risk of developing asthma between age 5 and 11, respectively, compared with children of mothers with lower levels of exposure, the researchers found.
“Our study presents evidence that these two phthalates are among a range of known risk factors for asthma,” adds Dr. Whyatt. Other risk factors include tobacco smoke, air pollution, obesity, and a history of allergies.
Phthalates are used in everything from synthetic fragrances to plastic food containers, vinyl flooring, insect repellent, shower curtains, even steering wheels and dashboards (“new car smell” contains phthalates). Since 2009, several phthalates—including BBzP and DnBP—have been banned from children’s toys and other childcare articles in the United States. However, no steps have been taken to protect the developing fetus by alerting pregnant women to potential exposures. In the U.S., phthalates are rarely listed as ingredients on products in which they are used.
God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs eat man...
Woman inherits the Earth.
sarukun on
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Captain Marcusnow arrives the hour of actionRegistered Userregular
Did you know that your body is full of CELL FIGHTS?
Right now, your immune system is fighting off hundreds if not thousands of incursions by bacteria and fungi. It is also doing its best to kill any cancers cells it finds (via "natural-killer" cells). When you get sick, it means that something particularly nasty has found its way in- and the supposedly "harmless" bacteria in your gut/skin/the air will eat you alive the instant your immune system breaks down: see the elderly with pneumonia and AIDS patients with fungi. They don't normally eat you because they don't have the right countermeasures to get around your immune system; the bacteria that make you sick do.
This is a white blood cell dragging E. coli bacteria in to be phagocytized, or "eaten".
This is a .gif of a white blood cell chasing a bacterium through blood (the circles are red blood cells) like a cat with a mouse.
The little mushrooms are fungal hyphae (the little threads that make up mushrooms). The big pink thing is a white blood cell that's eating them, ridding your body of a potential thrush infection.
But these little guys can't do it alone! Help them help you by eating fruits and vegetables, exercising, and getting enough sleep. And forget all the b.s. about "boosting your immune system" with magic pills from Mother Earth, if you "boost your immune system" you either end up with allergies (if it overreacts) or leukemia (if it makes too many white blood cells).
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
Don't fuck with white blood cells. They will ruin your day.
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
Etymology fun, the technical name for white blood cells is phagocyte. Cyte means cell, phage comes from the greek 'phagein' meaning 'to devour'. I argue it is probably the most badass name for a cell type that exists.
I may be wrong, but I think it's actually "Eater-cell", due to the ordering of the words. There are viruses that infect bacteria that are called Bacteriophages, which would be "Eater/Devourer of Bacteria".
Etymology fun, the technical name for white blood cells is phagocyte. Cyte means cell, phage comes from the greek 'phagein' meaning 'to devour'. I argue it is probably the most badass name for a cell type that exists.
Etymology fun, the technical name for white blood cells is phagocyte. Cyte means cell, phage comes from the greek 'phagein' meaning 'to devour'. I argue it is probably the most badass name for a cell type that exists.
The faces of all adults are home to microscopic eight-legged creatures, a new study suggests.
Face mites are just half a millimetre long and not visible to the human eye, CBC science columnist Torah Kachur told Gill Deacon, host of CBC's Here and Now. "They're semi-transparent, they have eight legs, they kind of look like a tiny, in a way, see-through caterpillar."
Until recently, scientists thought that only a small proportion of the population had face mites.
The study also found that human faces are home to two different species of the mites. The first is Demodex brevis, which burrows into our sweat glands.
"It's actually evolved the perfect shape to wiggle in the pores," Kachur said.
The other species, Demodex folliculorum, lives in hair follicles of our eyelashes, eyebrows and facial skin.
Before following any advice, opinions, or thoughts I may have expressed in the above post, be warned: I found Keven Costners "Waterworld" to be a very entertaining film.
I'd like to see some empirical evidence showing this increased quality in female homo sapiens in this region. Is Pat Green's hypothesis that due to regional climes and predators, women from the Texas region of North America have several adaptations which improve their qualities in other tangential areas?
Because he's making assertions here that he has not proven. He has failed to identify the traits that he purports to exist, and I'm nearly certain he has not actually controlled for external factors.
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valhalla13013 Dark Shield Perceives the GodsRegistered Userregular
The faces of all adults are home to microscopic eight-legged creatures, a new study suggests.
Face mites are just half a millimetre long and not visible to the human eye, CBC science columnist Torah Kachur told Gill Deacon, host of CBC's Here and Now. "They're semi-transparent, they have eight legs, they kind of look like a tiny, in a way, see-through caterpillar."
Until recently, scientists thought that only a small proportion of the population had face mites.
The study also found that human faces are home to two different species of the mites. The first is Demodex brevis, which burrows into our sweat glands.
"It's actually evolved the perfect shape to wiggle in the pores," Kachur said.
The other species, Demodex folliculorum, lives in hair follicles of our eyelashes, eyebrows and facial skin.
I'd like to see some empirical evidence showing this increased quality in female homo sapiens in this region. Is Pat Green's hypothesis that due to regional climes and predators, women from the Texas region of North America have several adaptations which improve their qualities in other tangential areas?
Because he's making assertions here that he has not proven. He has failed to identify the traits that he purports to exist, and I'm nearly certain he has not actually controlled for external factors.
One thing is for sure, I am not going to Texas just to debunk his theory.
I'd like to see some empirical evidence showing this increased quality in female homo sapiens in this region. Is Pat Green's hypothesis that due to regional climes and predators, women from the Texas region of North America have several adaptations which improve their qualities in other tangential areas?
Because he's making assertions here that he has not proven. He has failed to identify the traits that he purports to exist, and I'm nearly certain he has not actually controlled for external factors.
One thing is for sure, I am not going to Texas just to debunk his theory.
We have PAX now! With that and SxSW it's almost like having culture!
I'd like to see some empirical evidence showing this increased quality in female homo sapiens in this region. Is Pat Green's hypothesis that due to regional climes and predators, women from the Texas region of North America have several adaptations which improve their qualities in other tangential areas?
Because he's making assertions here that he has not proven. He has failed to identify the traits that he purports to exist, and I'm nearly certain he has not actually controlled for external factors.
One thing is for sure, I am not going to Texas just to debunk his theory.
We have PAX now! With that and SxSW it's almost like having culture!
I'd like to see some empirical evidence showing this increased quality in female homo sapiens in this region. Is Pat Green's hypothesis that due to regional climes and predators, women from the Texas region of North America have several adaptations which improve their qualities in other tangential areas?
Because he's making assertions here that he has not proven. He has failed to identify the traits that he purports to exist, and I'm nearly certain he has not actually controlled for external factors.
One thing is for sure, I am not going to Texas just to debunk his theory.
I'm already here, and I can go ahead and lay this to rest. The women here aren't better, or worse, than anywhere else on Earth.
They're a hell of a lot better than those Moon women though
Posts
Need some stuff designed or printed? I can help with that.
The more we move into the ability to alter the function of the brain, the more awe inspiring and horrifying it gets.
Phthalates Heighten Risk for Childhood Asthma [Columbia University]
Dinosaurs eat man...
Woman inherits the Earth.
Right now, your immune system is fighting off hundreds if not thousands of incursions by bacteria and fungi. It is also doing its best to kill any cancers cells it finds (via "natural-killer" cells). When you get sick, it means that something particularly nasty has found its way in- and the supposedly "harmless" bacteria in your gut/skin/the air will eat you alive the instant your immune system breaks down: see the elderly with pneumonia and AIDS patients with fungi. They don't normally eat you because they don't have the right countermeasures to get around your immune system; the bacteria that make you sick do.
This is a white blood cell dragging E. coli bacteria in to be phagocytized, or "eaten".
This is a .gif of a white blood cell chasing a bacterium through blood (the circles are red blood cells) like a cat with a mouse.
The little mushrooms are fungal hyphae (the little threads that make up mushrooms). The big pink thing is a white blood cell that's eating them, ridding your body of a potential thrush infection.
But these little guys can't do it alone! Help them help you by eating fruits and vegetables, exercising, and getting enough sleep. And forget all the b.s. about "boosting your immune system" with magic pills from Mother Earth, if you "boost your immune system" you either end up with allergies (if it overreacts) or leukemia (if it makes too many white blood cells).
I may be wrong, but I think it's actually "Eater-cell", due to the ordering of the words. There are viruses that infect bacteria that are called Bacteriophages, which would be "Eater/Devourer of Bacteria".
Pedantry, I know, but this is the science thread!
Whenever I see the word 'phage' I think of this
*raises hand*
Ad infinitum
And those mites have face humans.
Gross.
I'd like to see some empirical evidence showing this increased quality in female homo sapiens in this region. Is Pat Green's hypothesis that due to regional climes and predators, women from the Texas region of North America have several adaptations which improve their qualities in other tangential areas?
Because he's making assertions here that he has not proven. He has failed to identify the traits that he purports to exist, and I'm nearly certain he has not actually controlled for external factors.
I'm glad it's catching on.
it's catchier than the signs that say Littering is unlAWFUL, that's for sure
Anyone else get a bit itchy after reading this?
what if we're all just mites, man?
Wow, you blew my mind
I just mite go crazy
Speak for yourself, I live in the internet
One thing is for sure, I am not going to Texas just to debunk his theory.
We have PAX now! With that and SxSW it's almost like having culture!
Oh, come on, Texas has plenty of culture.
I just don't wish to go anywhere near it, is all.
I'm already here, and I can go ahead and lay this to rest. The women here aren't better, or worse, than anywhere else on Earth.
They're a hell of a lot better than those Moon women though
Holy shit Chico
Shut it down. That's it, it's all over. Pack it up, let's go home.