New research on adult neurogenesis shows that about 1,400 new brain cells are born every day, and about 80% of human brain cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus undergo renewal in adulthood

On By A.P.In 14C, adult neurogenesis, atomic bomb, brain, Cell, DNA, hippocampus, Kebmodee, Leonie Welberg, Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, NeuroscienceLeave a comment

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by Leonie Welberg

The question of whether adult neurogenesis occurs in the human hippocampus has been a hotly debated topic in neuroscience. In a study published in Cell, Frisén and colleagues now settle the debate by providing evidence that around 1,400 dentate gyrus cells are born in the human brain every day.

The authors made use of a birth-dating method that is based on the principle that 14C in the atmosphere is taken up by plants and — because humans eat plants and animals that eat plants — eventually also by humans. As 14C is incorporated into DNA during cell division, the 14C content of a cell is thought to reflect 14C levels in the atmosphere at the time of the birth of the cell. Importantly, atomic bomb testing in the 1950s and 1960s resulted in a spike in atmospheric 14C levels, and levels declined after 1963; this means that the level of 14C in cellular DNA can be used as a relatively precise marker of a cell’s birth date.

The authors applied the 14C birth-dating method to whole hippocampi dissected from post-mortem brains donated by individuals who were born in different years in the twentieth century. They separated neurons from non-neuronal hippocampal cells, purified the neuronal DNA and determined 14C levels. Neuronal 14C levels did not match atmospheric 14C levels in the individual’s birth year but were either higher (for people born before 1950) or lower (for people born after 1963), suggesting that at least some of the hippocampal cells were born after the year in which an individual was born.

Computer modelling of the data revealed that the best-fit model was one in which 35% of hippocampal cells showed such turnover, whereas the majority did not (that is, they were born during development). Assuming that, in humans, adult neurogenesis would take place in the dentate gyrus rather than in other hippocampal areas (as it does in rodents), and as the dentate gyrus contains about 44% of all hippocampal neurons, this model suggests that about 80% of human dentate gyrus cells undergo renewal in adulthood. This is in striking contrast to the scenario in mice, in which only ~10% of adult dentate gyrus neurons undergo renewal. The study further showed that there is very little decline in the level of hippocampal neurogenesis with ageing in humans, which is again in contrast to rodents.

It is now well established that adult-born neurons have a functional role in the mouse and rat dentate gyrus and olfactory bulb. A previous study using the same neuronal birth-dating method established that no adult neurogenesis takes place in the olfactory bulb and cortex in humans, but the new study has elegantly shown that the situation is different in the dentate gyrus. Whether the adult-born neurons have functional implications in humans remains a topic for future investigation.

http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v14/n8/full/nrn3548.html?WT.ec_id=NRN-201308

Thanks to Kebmodee for bringing this to the attention of the It’s Interesting community.

If The Sun Went Out, How Long Could Life On Earth Survive?

On By A.P.In California, California Institute of Technology, David Stevenson, Eric Blackman, Space and Time, The Sun, University of Rochester1 Comment

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If you put a steamy cup of coffee in the refrigerator, it wouldn’t immediately turn cold. Likewise, if the sun simply “turned off” (which is actually physically impossible), the Earth would stay warm—at least compared with the space surrounding it—for a few million years. But we surface dwellers would feel the chill much sooner than that.

Within a week, the average global surface temperature would drop below 0°F. In a year, it would dip to –100°. The top layers of the oceans would freeze over, but in an apocalyptic irony, that ice would insulate the deep water below and prevent the oceans from freezing solid for hundreds of thousands of years. Millions of years after that, our planet would reach a stable –400°, the temperature at which the heat radiating from the planet’s core would equal the heat that the Earth radiates into space, explains David Stevenson, a professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology.

Although some microorganisms living in the Earth’s crust would survive, the majority of life would enjoy only a brief post-sun existence. Photosynthesis would halt immediately, and most plants would die in a few weeks. Large trees, however, could survive for several decades, thanks to slow metabolism and substantial sugar stores. With the food chain’s bottom tier knocked out, most animals would die off quickly, but scavengers picking over the dead remains could last until the cold killed them.

Humans could live in submarines in the deepest and warmest parts of the ocean, but a more attractive option might be nuclear- or geothermal-powered habitats. One good place to camp out: Iceland. The island nation already heats 87 percent of its homes using geothermal energy, and, says astronomy professor Eric Blackman of the University of Rochester, people could continue harnessing volcanic heat for hundreds of years.

Of course, the sun doesn’t merely heat the Earth; it also keeps the planet in orbit. If its mass suddenly disappeared (this is equally impossible, by the way), the planet would fly off, like a ball swung on a string and suddenly let go.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-07/if-sun-went-out-how-long-could-life-earth-survive?cmpid=obinsite

Brazilian man killed in his bed by falling cow

On By A.P.In Brazil, Caratinga, Cow, falling cow, Joao Maria de SouzaLeave a comment

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The one-tonne cow was grazing on a hill behind the small house, in the town of Caratinga, when it stepped onto the asbestos roof, which collapsed under its weight.

Joao Maria de Souza, 45, was lying in bed when the animal fell on him.

He was taken to hospital and died the day after, reportedly of internal bleeding.

Mr Souza was conscious and appeared to be in a good condition, but he had to wait too long to be seen by a doctor, relatives said.

Local media says this is the third such incident in the region in the past three years.

There were no casualties in the two previous incidents.

In the first occasion, there was no one inside the house when the cow fell through the roof.

In the second incident, a baby and a small child were sleeping next to the spot where the animal fell, in what was described at time as a miraculous escape.

Caratinga is in a hilly area of Minas Gerais, a Brazilian state traditionally known as a cattle raising and dairy producing region.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23303998

Vampire graveyard found in Poland?

On By A.P.In archeology, burial, Dr Jacek Pierzak, Gliwice, Masovia, Poland, skeleton, Stare Mierzwice, vampireLeave a comment

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Archaeologists in Gliwice, southern Poland have discovered a burial ground where the dead were laid to rest in accordance with practices for alleged vampires.

Four skeletons were found at the site, where mandatory digs were being carried out prior to the construction of a ring road.

In each case, the deceased had been buried with the head between the legs.

According to folk beliefs, this prevented a possible vampire from finding his or her way back to the land of the living.

There was no trace at the burial ground of any earthly possessions, such as jewellery, belts or buckles.

“It’s very difficult to tell when these burials were carried out,” archaeologist Dr Jacek Pierzak told the Dziennik Zachodni newspaper.

However, it is believed that they took place in the early modern period.

Tests are due to me made, so as to determine exact dates.

Archaeologists believe that the burials may have been done in such a fashion so as to protect locals from vampire attacks. Another theory is that the skeletons were the victims of cholera epidemic. Further research will be undertaken.

The last recorded instance of a vampire burial within current Polish borders was in the village of Stare Mierzwice, Masovia, in 1914. A corpse was dug up in the village, and the head was cut off and placed between the person’s legs.

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/141129,Vampire-graveyard-found-in-Poland

Teachers in Siavonga frightened of witchcraft and invisible sex

On By A.P.In Chief Sinadambwe, Nashongo and Makaba primary schools, Siavonga, Tonga, witch, witchcraftLeave a comment

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Teachers at Nashongo and Makaba primary schools in Siavonga have threatened to abandon the schools for fear of witchcraft.

The teachers have packed their belongings in readiness for departure if the wizards and witches continue with their acts.

Chief Sinadambwe of the Tonga-speaking people confirmed this yesterday.

The traditional leader said the teachers have complained of sleepless nights and bad dreams allegedly caused by wizards and witches.

“The male teachers complained that they have been having sex with women they cannot see. This has been happening to them for about three weeks,” he said.

Chief Sinadambwe said the same incidents were being experienced by female teachers.

“I received a complaint from a female teacher of Makaba Primary School who told me what had happened to her on Friday.

“She said while sleeping next to her husband, an invisible man undressed her and had sex with her,” he said.

He said when she woke up, she found herself naked and her nightdress and underwear were on the floor.

Chief Sinadambwe said when the woman asked her husband if he had intercourse with her late in the night, he expressed ignorance.

“The husband started wondering who could have done that to his wife,” he said.

The chief, however, advised the teachers to drop their intentions to leave the schools and assured them that the problem would be resolved.

Chief Sinadambwe called on Government to help resolve the matter.

http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/breaking-news/16387

New urine-powered phone chargers

On By A.P.In Bristol Robotics Laboratory, Cell Phone, England, Ioannis Ieropoulos, microbial fuel power stack, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry, Technology, University of Bristol, UrineLeave a comment

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British scientists said they have harnessed the power of urine and are able to charge a mobile phone with enough electricity to send texts and surf the Internet.

Researchers from the University of Bristol and Bristol Robotics Laboratory in south west England said they had created a fuel cell that uses bacteria to break down urine to generate electricity, in a study published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.

“No one has harnessed power from urine to do this so it’s an exciting discovery,” said engineer Ioannis Ieropoulos Tuesday.

“The beauty of this fuel source is that we are not relying on the erratic nature of the wind or the sun; we are actually reusing waste to create energy.

“One product that we can be sure of an unending supply is our own urine,” he added.

The team grew bacteria on carbon fibre anodes and placed them inside ceramic cylinders.

The bacteria broke down chemicals in urine passed through the cylinders, building up a small amount of electrical charge which was stored on a capacitor.

Ieropoulos hoped that the cell, which is currently the size of a car battery, could be developed for many applications.

“Our aim is to have something that can be carried around easily,” he explained.

“So far the microbial fuel power stack (MFC) that we have developed generates enough power to enable SMS messaging, web browsing and to make a brief phone call.

“The concept has been tested and it works – it’s now for us to develop and refine the process so that we can develop MFCs to fully charge a battery.”

They hope the technology will eventually be used to power domestic devices.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/17/scientists-power-mobile-phone-using-urine/#ixzz2ZJII394D

Paypal accidentally gives man $92 quadrillion

On By A.P.In Chris Reynolds, PaypalLeave a comment

paypal

When Chris Reynolds opened his June PayPal e-mail statement, something was off.

The Pennsylvania PR executive’s account balance had swelled to a whopping $92,233,720,368,547,800.

That’s $92 QUADRILLION (and change).

Money that’d make Reynolds — who also sells auto parts on Ebay in his spare time — the richest man in the world by a long shot.

Rich, as in more than a million times richer than Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim. and he’s worth $67 billion!

Oh, if only.

“It’s a curious thing, I don’t know maybe someone was having fun,” Reynolds said.

So he logged online — and reality bit back.

His account balance read $0. The correct amount.

PayPal admitted the error and offered to donate an unspecified amount of money to a cause of Reynolds’ choice.

“This is obviously an error and we appreciate that Mr. Reynolds understood this was the case,” PayPal said in a statement.

So what would the newly minted quadrillionaire have done with the cash?

“I probably would have paid down the national debt,” he said.

Before this incident, the most Reynolds ever made on PayPal was “a little over $1,000” selling a set of vintage BMW tires on eBay.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/17/tech/paypal-error/

For hire: Professional liars for job seekers

On By A.P.In CareerExcuse.com, David Edmondson, Fake Your Job, Forest Lake, Minnesota, Morgan Lewis & Bockius' Labor and Employment practice, Paladin Deception Services, Paul Evans, Reference Store, Scott Thompson, Timothy Green, William SchmidtLeave a comment

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Timothy Green, a 59-year-old former private detective, claims to run a company in Forest Lake, Minn., that will lie to anyone about anything.

Its name is Paladin Deception Services, and it advertises its services for $54 per month.

Green says customers run the gamut — from cheating spouses in need of alibis to people playing hooky from work. But the real demand comes from job seekers, making up more than 60% of what he says are its 250 to 300 monthly clients.

“We can replace a supervisor with a fictitious one, alter your work history, provide you with a positive employment reputation, and give you the glowing reference that you need,” Paladin’s website states.

Could this be real?

I tested out the company’s services myself by asking if someone could get me out of work for a few days. Claiming to be my mother, a Paladin employee called my boss on a Wednesday and said she had planned a surprise visit to New York and that I would be out of the office for the rest of the week. While the call raised some suspicions, especially given how rude and abrupt my “mother” was, my boss ultimately bought it.

I also spoke with a woman who said she hired Paladin to impersonate a former boss when she was applying for a restaurant job (because she and her real boss had a falling out), and that she wouldn’t have gotten the job without it. But if that sounds too good to be true, it is. I ended up tracing her phone number back to Green, who admitted he had “pulled a prank” on me by creating a fake customer.
The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota said it had never heard of Paladin Deception Services and will be “keeping an eye on them going forward.” The company isn’t registered in the state of Minnesota. Green claims it is registered in China instead and he declined to share any tax forms to prove the company’s legitimacy. Meanwhile, Facebook pulled Paladin’s ads from its site in May because it deemed the company inappropriate and misleading.

But here’s an example of how Green says the company’s services works: A man hires Paladin to serve as a fictitious reference for a job at a bakery. He doesn’t want the bakery to know that he was fired from his last job, so he lists a fake company as a previous employer on his resume — along with the fictitious reference that Paladin creates. For legal reasons, Paladin refuses to impersonate a real person or company, so the reference must be made up.

Before the lie is carried out, the customer goes through an initial phone consultation with a professional liar to explain their situation, and fills out a form with details about the job they are applying for and their qualifications, skills and work history. Then a dedicated phone number and e-mail address are created for the fake reference.

When the bakery calls, a member of Paladin’s team answers the phone and speaks highly of the applicant. Green employs five full and several part-time liars — many of whom are actors he recruits from websites like Craigslist. Impersonation skills range from fluent Spanish to southern drawls.

A transcript of the call is then sent to the client. Green said most job seekers are in their 40s and 50s and looking for high-paying management positions, but it varies — there was even someone who wanted to join a cult and hired a professional liar to tell the cult leaders that he was well-versed in specific rituals.

Controversial deception: Green is adamant that nothing his company does is illegal. And despite the controversial nature of his work, he says it’s unfair to judge him.

“When someone asks me how I can live with myself, I say, ‘May I ask you a question? Have you told a lie this week? Do you think you may tell a lie next week? Would you never tell a lie? Are your lies more sanctified than my lies?'”

And Paladin isn’t alone. CareerExcuse.com also offers fake references for job seekers starting at $65 a pop. William Schmidt, the company’s owner, said this service has become increasingly popular for applicants who have only held part-time jobs in recent years. The Reference Store and Fake Your Job advertise fake job references, too.

But the lies these companies pitch could have serious ramifications for a job seeker, said Paul Evans, a partner at law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius’ Labor and Employment practice.

Many hiring departments already take additional steps to verify references listed by applicants. And even if a fibber does get hired, it’s hard to keep up the act. Coworkers find out the truth or a boss realizes that the employee’s skills don’t match the qualifications that the fictitious reference raved about. And while it’s unlikely the employee would face legal action if they are discovered, they can pretty much count on being fired.

This happens more frequently than you might think. Former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson and RadioShack CEO David Edmondson are among a handful of executives who have resigned or were given the boot over resume fabrications.

“Anyone who does this is going to spend their entire career looking over their shoulder,” said Evans.

Plus, there are certain state laws prohibiting the impersonation of others or the interference in an employee-employer contract that could enable an employer — or anyone who was duped by a company like Paladin — to bring charges against the company, said Evans.

But Green is convinced that his work is helping people.

“Most people have gaps in their work history or worked for a boss who begrudges [them] for moving ahead or for personal issues,” said Green. “For personal or economic reasons, it’s always been necessary for individuals to need that fictitious reference, that alibi, or that little white lie.”

http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/17/pf/professional-liars/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Indonesian province bans female secretaries

On By A.P.In adultery, Gorontalo province, Human Behavior, Indonesia, Relationship, Rusli Habibie, sexuality, Sulawesi islandLeave a comment

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The governor of an Indonesian province on Saturday said he had ordered his top staff to replace their female secretaries with men following a string of extra-marital affairs.

“I received inputs that many government office heads here are involved in extra-marital affairs with their female secretaries,” Rusli Habibie, the governor of Gorontalo province on northern Sulawesi island told AFP.

“They treat them much better than their own wives. They bring them presents from official trips like perfumes or branded bags while their poor wives get nothing,” he said.

“For these reasons, I ordered them to replace their female secretaries with male assistants or with old women who are no longer attractive,” he added.

Habibie is convinced that his subordinates will follow his instructions, though there won’t be any punishment for those who don’t comply.

“This is a moral sanction. I’m pretty sure they will follow my order, and all of them will get a male secretary soon,” he said, adding that there were about 50 senior officials in the province who had hired female secretaries.

Last year, the Gorontalo administration demanded 3,200 male civil servants to transfer their monthly pay to their wives’ bank accounts in order to limit the number of affairs.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hkavDGNrcbneY8gTy2YdEurJgX4w?docId=CNG.b53b41d86d76651582a424aa0515be61.481