Parenting can be very difficult. And when you become a new parent, people will give you hundreds and hundreds of books about how to be a good parent. But what they don’t tell you is that there are secrets to parenting that you will not find in any book, even one from a bookstore. These secrets have been handed down generation to generation, parent to parent for eons. I learned them from my mother and she learned them from her father, who learned them from his Great Aunt Larry. And so on and so on. Well, today, I would like…
The Science Creative Quarterly
From January, 2006
JOURNAL CLUB FIND: HMMMM… BEER… GOOD….
Xanthohumol REFERENCE: Xanthohumol and related prenylflavonoids from hops and beer: to your good health! (2004) Jan F. Stevens and Jonathan E. Page. Phytochemistry 65 (2004) 1317–1330 ABSTRACT: Xanthohumol (3’ -[3,3-dimethyl allyl]-2’ ,4’ ,4-trihydroxy-6’ -methoxychalcone) is the principal prenylated flavonoid of the female inflorescences of the hop plant (‘hops’), an ingredient of beer. Human exposure to xanthohumol and related prenylflavonoids, such as 8-prenylnaringenin and isoxanthohumol, is primarily through beer consumption. Xanthohumol has been characterized a ‘broad-spectrum’ cancer chemopreventive agent in in vitro studies, while 8-prenylnaringenin enjoys fame as the most potent phytoestrogen known to date. These biological activities suggest that prenylflavonoids…
THE THAMNOPHOBIA CRISIS
Because the deadly scourge of thamnophobia moves slowly, many of its social, political, and economic effects have yet to be understood. The impact is hard to overstate. But we must be up to the task. The other day, I was talking to a colleague, a highly educated and intelligent person who is usually capable of insightful logic, understatement, and restraint. When the topic turned to President G.W. Bush. Suddenly, the conversation began to sound like this: “That g@#$#$%&#$%^m@$n Bush #&$#&$%^ !!!! 2#$^@ damn 3 f$%^@k$%^@$%g neocons s#o$n%@of# b$%t@#c%h hitler!!!!! @#$%@$%^#$ Karl Rove a@s#$s%h@ #ol$%e hell in a handbasket !!!!!” What…
A COLEOPTERIST’S COLOUR-BY-NUMBER
(a hand tinted plate) Hand-tinted plate of Otiorhynchus ovatus. For hand-tinting, color each area in the drawing by the number in that area, using the following color code: 1: brown
BABY STUDIES BIO
Baby studies bio, and I study biochem. Baby studies bio, and I study biochem. She likes her bio buddies, But they don’t like me and I don’t like them. Baby studies organs, but I like to grind them up. I said Baby studies organs, but I like to grind them up. One gram of pure enzyme Is all I need to fill my cup. What’s the matter, Baby? Why you been in lab so long? I said what’s the matter, Baby? Why you been in lab so long? You shouldn’t waste your time Recording redwing blackbird songs. Baby studies bio,…
BITE BACK
And there it is again. The painful experience resulting from foul teeth and the dawning realisation that another undesired visit to the dentist becomes inevitable. In the reality of shrill drilling sounds, affected humans of all ages tend to make a promise to take better care of their ivories after this surgery. However, once the pain has subsided, this promise usually does not persist. Though it really should. Tooth decay is one of the most widespread diseases amongst humans, and is a result of a progressed invasion of the bacteria Streptococcus Mutans, a natural inhabitant of our oral cavity. Estimation…
THE CRAIGSLIST EUTHANIST THEORY
THEORY A public job listing for an animal euthanist will go over poorly. SCIENTIFIC STUDY 1:17 PM – The following is posted in the Jobs section of Craigslist: Seeking Experienced Euthanist for Animal Facility New Jersey animal science facility seeks an experienced Euthanist. You should be skilled in euthanizing not only standard test dogs and cats, but also horses, pigs, rabbits, monkeys and various rodentia, some birds. If you do not have this experience we will be willing to provide training to an individual with the right qualifications. This is a full-time job with health benefits. You should be prepared…
HUNGER IN THE MIDST OF HIV
New research suggests that British Columbians with HIV are more likely to be unsure of their next meal as compared to the rest of the Canadian population. This uncertainty is nearly 5 times higher than the general Canadian population, often leading to HIV- positive individuals not having access to adequate amounts of food. “We were not expecting this many people to be hungry,” says Lena Normén, from the Canadian HIV Trials Network at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC, and lead author of the new study. Wasting—loss of strength and weight in a person due to a chronic disease— from…
LIKE, “-OMIC” GOD!
Let us marvel at the proliferation of the term “ome”. First off – let’s define the term “-ome”. As near as I can tell, it means “whole” or “mass”. “-ome” takes into account the totality of a thing – it defines a field. Hence the “genome” is the sum of all genetic stuff and the first “-ome” I remember encountering – “biome” – is the complete collection of living and non-living components within a defined region. In addition, my thesis (as far as I understand it) deals in the realm of pharmacogenomics, a term that I think captures the striking…