The Fount of Useless Information
Your place for useless information that just might possibly be interesting.
Diet and exercise not enough, obesity experts say
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/diet-exercise-treatment-for-obese-patients/
There is increasing evidenced that many chronically obese people are that way because of the gut flora (e.g.), so if this is a medically treatable condition, what distinguishes it …
Missing Mouse Mojo
Cracking the case of laboratory mice that suddenly stopped reproducing involved a little chemical sleuthing
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/41943/title/Missing-Mouse-Mojo/
The abstract from the article:
…Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are antimicrobial disinfectants commonly used in commercial and household settings. Extensive
’22 fraudulent clinical trials’ on FDA radar ‘hidden from journals and public’
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289167.php
…A trawl of internal documents held by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed official action due to “significant departures from good clinical practice” against
Does getting ‘expensive’ drug affect how much patient benefits?
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-01/aaon-dg012215.php
Since I talk about the placebo effect from time to time I figure this might be interesting to my reader(s)…
…For the study, 12 people with Parkinson’s disease were told
Crystals Reveal Early Earth Wasn’t as ‘Hellish’ as Previously Thought
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/17192/20140916/crystals-reveal-early-earth-wasnt-hellish-previously-thought.htm
It is increasingly being held that there was water on the surface of the early Earth, possibly even before the impact that created the moon. During the late …
Next Generation: Blood-Cleansing Device
An external device that mimics the structure of a spleen can cleanse the blood of rats with acute sepsis, ridding the fluid of pathogens and toxins.
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/40979/title/Next-Generation–Blood-Cleansing-Device/
A cool idea, but an interesting caveat:
…Fink cautioned
Light Detector has Unprecedented Performance
http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2014/09/light-detector-has-unprecedented-performance
Really interesting concept, being able to cheaply detect terahertz rays (below heat but above microwaves). These rays tend to pass through the surface of most materials and are reflected from deeper within, so once …
Our fear of fat is melting
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/06/opinion/teicholz-fear-of-dietary-fat-melting/index.html?hpt=hp_c4
It has been a long time coming, but it seems that the establishment has finally started to accept that high carbohydrate diets (otherwise known as low-fat diets) are bad for you. I speak …
I have been thinking the last week or so that for all the appearance of our rapidly escalating technology, we really haven’t invented anything since the middle of the last century. I view the last real invention as the Laser …
Pregnancy Stress Spans Generations
The stressors a female rat experiences during pregnancy can have repercussions for her granddaughters, a study shows.
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/40716/title/Pregnancy-Stress-Spans-Generations/
Kind of scary: that something even your parents have no control over can have a dramatic impact on …