A Mouthwatering Dish of Cabbage and Beans

via drbenkim.com

Okay, this cabbage and beans recipe looks so good that I am almost licking my computer screen. I said almost!

But seriously, it looks so good that I am making it today. All it takes is beans (you can even used canned beans!), cabbage, tomato sauce, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, raisins, onion and garlic.

Those are pretty serious ingredients. I think I have all of them in my pantry. Of course the cabbage is in my fridge...

He serves it over rice or quiona, but any freshly cooked grain would do. I am rather favoring barley.

I think barley is under-rated. Seriously! I frequently put it in my homemade soups. Barley is cheap, high in nutrition, fiber-full and very filling. I always buy the pot barley because the pearl barley has been polished down to a smaller size and has lost lots of the outer nutritional layers.

Actually would taste good over any of the grains adopted from Indian Cuisine, such as any of the dahls.

Sore Throat Remedies - 6 Ways to Get Relief

Sore throats, while very common, can be painful and uncomfortable. Although most sore throats clear up on their own in several days without treatment, there are easy, natural remedies that may help to alleviate the pain.

Remedies for a Sore Throat

Herbal and other natural remedies can come in the form of teas, mouth rinses, throat sprays, and lozenges. Common remedies include:

via altmedicine.about.com

In our house, we stock a wide variety of herb teas for use in a wide variety of ways. When I feel I have been eating too much, I drink a few cups of herb tea over the course of a few days and it suppresses my appetite. I do put a drop or two of honey but other than that it is almost calorie-free.

Anytime one of my family members feels ill, whether it is a cold coming on or flu symptoms, herb tea always seems to fit the bill.

Herb tea also makes a nice relaxing right-before-bed night cap. When my youngest is acting hyper a cup of herb tea seems to settle and soothe him. He has grown quite fond of it. Maybe because he has to sip it slowly, it has a slowing-down effect on him.

I love my herb tea. We try to stock 15 or even 20 different flavors at any one time so that there are lots of choices. A few of them are our favorites and I try not to run out of those.

Two of the top favorites are rooibos orange spice and rooibos spiced plum.

And that's my cup a tea.

Artistry Nails: About Me

Check out this website I found at artistrynails.blogspot.com

Artistry Nails: A new design every week. That's pretty impressive! Especially when you realize how much work it is to re-do nails. That's something I have never really gotten much into.

I love the look and feel of long pretty nails, but I don't like anything about taking off old nail polish and putting on new. It bugs me to death when the nail polish gets on my cuticles or around the edge of my finger close to the nail.

It bugs me when the polish starts peeling off my nails at the tips and the corners. And for some reason, polish doesn't stay on my nails and looking decent for more than 1 or 2 days. I don't know why?

Yet other people I know can wear it for a week or even longer and it still looks flawless, except maybe for a little nail growth at the cuticle, which doesn't look bad at all, if the rest of the nail still looks great.

Oh well.

Three Most Important Determinants of Cardiovascular Health

via drbenkim.com

Well it's no surprise to us to find out what's good and bad for our heart health, and yet we are still continuing to do the things that are bad for our heart and we avoid the things that make our hearts healthier.

Do we not love ourselves enough? Or what is it then? How ironical, because it is widely assumed that love comes from the heart. Of course love can fill our whole body and soul.

I generally believe that we can make changes in our life whenever we want. We don't need to wait until the start of the new year. And yet so many people are almost looking for something to change to ring in the new year. So it doesn't hurt to take some measures towards good healthy change at the start of the new year.

The time to do it is always now.

Mushroom Pie Recipe | Simply Recipes

via simplyrecipes.com

What in the world could be better than mushroom pie? There is one pound of mushrooms in this pie!

Also added are real butter, garlic, cream and sour cream.

Because it is a type of quiche, there are also eggs and cheese.

Don't forget a dash of cardamom or nutmeg and some chopped fresh parsley.

Doesn't that make your mouth water just thinking of it? Just looking at it?

Oh my goodness! I have to leave the house now. Because I am going out to buy mushrooms, cream and sour cream. I have everything else... Just you wait! In an hour or so there will be people breaking down my door trying to get a piece of this luscious pie.

Divers Retrieve Prehistoric Wood from Lake Huron

ScienceDaily (Dec. 12, 2011) — Under the cold clear waters of Lake Huron, University of Michigan researchers have found a five-and-a-half foot-long, pole-shaped piece of wood that is 8,900 years old. The wood, which is tapered and beveled on one side in a way that looks deliberate, may provide important clues to a mysterious period in North American prehistory.

via sciencedaily.com

It's too bad there wasn't an accompanying picture to go with the news article. Maybe the flash of the camera was considered too risky for this old pole. It would be very interesting to see what they find out after studying this piece of wood that they think is almost 9,000 years old. That's pretty old.

Lake Huron is considered to be an ancient "drive lane" used by PaleoIndian hunters to drive caribou down to slaughter. This procedure is still used today by the Inuit peoples.

They are slowly but surely answering questions about this pole through their studies. They are finding clues about the environment where the pole was located before being submerged in the lake. They are finding flakes of stone and other substances embedded in the pole.

It also appears to have one rounded end and one beveled end, suggesting that these shapes were man-made and not just a coincidence of nature.

Study may help physicians determine how patients will respond to immunomodulator therapy for multiple myeloma

ScienceDaily (Dec. 11, 2011) — Research on the same protein that was a primary mediator of the birth defects caused by thalidomide now holds hope in the battle against multiple myeloma, says the study's senior investigator, Keith Stewart, M.B., Ch.B. of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Stewart presented the results at the 53rd annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in San Diego.

---

See Also:

Health & Medicine

• Cancer
• Leukemia
• Diseases and Conditions
• Birth Defects
• Multiple Sclerosis Research
• Pharmacology

Reference

• Bone marrow transplant
• Heat shock protein
• Transplant rejection
• Diabetes mellitus type 2

The drug thalidomide achieved infamy in the early 1960s as the cause of severe birth defects after being given to pregnant mothers for morning sickness. However, this drug, along with the highly related compounds lenalidomide and pomalidomide, also help to treat blood cancers, and are used worldwide as a cornerstone of therapy for the bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma. These drugs modulate the immune system and together are called immunomodulators or IMiDs.

The exact mechanisms and targets through which these therapies work to enhance immune response or kill cancer cells have been largely unknown. As a result, knowing which patients to treat and how to separate out the positive properties of these drugs from side effects has been impossible.

After recent research identified a protein known as cereblon as a primary mediator of the birth defects caused by thalidomide, researchers theorized that cereblon may also orchestrate the anti-tumor properties and be the primary therapeutic target for multiple myeloma.

via sciencedaily.com

Usually when I make a post I know exactly what I want to say. I know what my opinion is and how I want it said. But today this article caught my eye and I find myself very confused as to why I want to post about it.

Maybe it's because I was born in the early 1960s and I have seen many thalidomide babies, as they have come to be known. I know what these birth defects look like. What a tragedy it must have been for the parents when they discovered the horrible side-effects of the drug thalidomide.

Also, cancer itself is so devastating. If closely related compounds can help to treat blood cancers, then that is definitely good news. Being a chemist myself, I am very interested in compounds and how they interact with our physiologies. We need to be especially careful and tread with much caution when trying out new treatments.

Pepper History - The History of Peppercorns

Black pepper is such a common pantry item these days, it may be hard to believe it was once so valuable that it was used as currency. We take it for granted, but the vast majority of savory recipes include some form of black pepper as an ingredient.

Pepper is ranked the third most added ingredient to recipes, with water and salt leading the race. To get basic ground black pepper, one must begin with whole peppercorns, not as commonly used nowadays, but definitely a culinary experience extraordinaire.

Peppercorn History

Peppercorns are the seed berries of the Piper nigrum (piper being Latin for plant, and nigrum meaning black) vine, originating on the Malabar coast of India. Peppercorns are not only the oldest used spice, but also the most widely-used. Said to be found more than 4,000 years ago, peppercorns were cultivated as long ago as 1000 B.C.

Pepper was considered so valuable that unscrupulous suppliers often mixed in mustard husks, juniper berries, and even floor sweepings and ground charcoal to stretch its value. In 1875, the British Sale of Food and Drugs Law imposed restrictions against the selling of adulterated pepper.

Today, pepper, known as the King of Spices and the Master Spice, still accounts for one-fourth of the world's spice trade. Tunisians lead in pepper consumption with half a pound per person per year, whereas Americans consume about one-quarter pound per year.

Although always prized as a flavor-enhancing spice, the peppercorn first gained fame for medicinal purposes as a digestive stimulant and expectorant. Its hot and pungent flavor causes the membranes inside the nose and throat to exude a lubricating secretion, helpful to those in respiratory distress as an aid to cough up offending phlegm and mucus. Pepper was also used in an external ointment to relieve skin afflictions and hives.

Black pepper is also an effective deterrant to insects. A solution of one-half teaspoon freshly ground pepper to one quart of warm water sprayed on plants can be toxic to ants, potato bugs, silverfish, and even roaches and moths. A sprinkling of ground pepper will also deter insect paths in non-garden areas.

via homecooking.about.com

Oh Yum! Black pepper. How I love my black pepper. I rarely eat anything without it sprinkled liberally over top. You can keep the salt, just make sure you pass me the pepper.

Well I knew that salt was once used as a form of currency, but I had no idea that pepper used to be so valuable that it, too, was used as a form of currency.

Pepper is the oldest known used spice, and world-wide it is the most used. Today pepper makes up one fourth of the world's spice trade. Well, I never knew until today that pepper has the medicinal purposes of being a digestive stimulant, and also an expectorant! That's amazing. Pepper is nice and spicy, a little bit hot too.

The article also suggests that a black pepper and water solution can be sprayed on plants to deter bugs, ants and other annoying insects and pests. Hey, I like that idea!

World's oldest living animal discovered after he is pictured in 1900 photograph - Telegraph

via telegraph.co.uk

Maybe this is a lesson for all of us. Slow down a little bit and live longer. Are we always rushing off to do this or that? What about taking time to smell the roses? Or taking time to watch the turtles? Or taking time to get enough sleep? Or taking time to make the day for someone else?

If we just took the time to take some time...Quit rushing and rushing. Get enough sleep. Get some fresh air. Get some exercise. The turtles have it all figured out!

Climate change may happen more quickly than expected

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — As global temperatures continue to rise at an accelerated rate due to deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, natural stores of carbon in the Arctic are cause for serious concern, researchers say.

See Also:

Earth & Climate

• Global Warming
• Climate
• Environmental Issues
• Air Quality
• Forest
• Tundra

Reference

• Carbon cycle
• Consensus of scientists regarding global warming
• Tundra
• Seedbank

In an article scheduled to be published Dec. 1 in the journal Nature, a survey of 41 international experts led by University of Florida ecologist Edward Schuur shows models created to estimate global warming may have underestimated the magnitude of carbon emissions from permafrost over the next century. Its effect on climate change is projected to be 2.5 times greater than models predicted, partly because of the amount of methane released in permafrost, or frozen soil.

"We're talking about carbon that's in soil, just like in your garden where there's compost containing carbon slowly breaking down, but in permafrost it's almost stopped because the soil is frozen," Schuur said. "As that soil warms up, that carbon can be broken down by bacteria and fungi, and as they metabolize, they are releasing carbon and methane, greenhouse gases that cause warmer temperatures."

As a result of plant and animal remains decomposing for thousands of years, organic carbon in the permafrost zone is distributed across 11.7 million square miles of land, an amount that is more than three times larger than previously estimated. The new number is mainly based on evidence the carbon is stored much deeper as the result of observations, soil measurements and experiments.

"We know the models are not yet giving us the right answer -- it's going to take time and development to make those better, and that process is not finished yet," Schuur said. "It's an interesting exercise in watching how scientists, who are very cautious in their training, make hypotheses about what our future will look like. The numbers are significant, and they appear like they are plausible and they are large enough for significant concern, because if climate change goes 20 or 30 percent faster that we had predicted already, that's a pretty big boost."

The survey, which was completed following a National Science Foundation-funded Permafrost Carbon Network workshop about six months ago, proposed four warming scenarios until 2040, 2100 and 2300. Researchers were asked to predict the amount of permafrost likely to thaw, how much carbon would be released, and what amount would be methane, which has much more warming potential than carbon dioxide.

The occurrence of carbon in northern soils is natural and the chemical does not have an effect on climate if it remains underground, but when released as a greenhouse gas it can add to climate warming. However, humans could slow warming temperatures as the result of greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, which are what speed up the process of permafrost thaw.

"Even though we're talking about a place that is very far away and seems to be out of our control, we actually have influence over what happens based on the overall trajectory of warming. If we followed a lower trajectory of warming based on controlling emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, it has the effect of slowing the whole process down and keeping a lot more carbon in the ground," Schuur said. "Just by addressing the source of emissions that are from humans, we have this potential to just keep everything closer to its current state, frozen in permafrost, rather than going into the atmosphere."

The survey shows that by 2100, experts believe the amount of carbon released will be 1.7 to 5.2 times greater than previous models predict, under scenarios where Arctic temperatures rise 13.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Some predicted effects of global warming include sea level rise, loss of biodiversity as some organisms are unable to migrate as quickly as the climate shifts and more extreme weather events that could affect food supply and water resources.

"This new research shows that the unmanaged part of the biosphere has a major role in determining the future trajectory of climate change," said Stanford University biology professor Christopher Field, who was not involved in the study. "The implication is sobering. Whatever target we set for atmospheric CO2, this new research means we will need to work harder to reach it. But of course, limiting the amount of climate change also decreases the climate damage from permafrost melting."

When carbon is released from the ground as a result of thawing permafrost, there is no way of trapping the gases at the source, so action to slow its effect must be taken beforehand.

"If you think about fossil fuel and deforestation, those are things people are doing, so presumably if you had enough will, you could change your laws and adjust your society to slow some of that down," Schuur said. "But when carbon starts being emitted from the permafrost, you can't immediately say, 'OK, we've had enough of this, let's just stop doing it,' because it's a natural cycle emitting carbon whether you like it or not. Once we start pushing it, it's going to be releasing under its own dynamic."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Florida. The original article was written by Danielle Torrent.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

1. Edward A. G. Schuur, Benjamin Abbott. Climate change: High risk of permafrost thaw. Nature, 2011; 480 (7375): 32 DOI: 10.1038/480032a

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

via sciencedaily.com

Wow! I never thought of this before. Climate change is kind of like an unstoppable cycle. Our pollution causes warming, which causes frozen arctic soil to warm, which releases carbon and methane into the atmosphere, which causes more climate warming.

Now they are predicting that the effect of this released methane on climate change is 2.5 times greater than was previously predicted by models. That is a drastic increase!

Organic carbon in the permafrost zone exists in high quantities, due to plant and animal remains decomposing for thousands of years. But with the cold temperatures, it is not fully metabolized or broken down. As that soil warms up, bacteria and fungi will feed off of it and release carbon and methane into the atmosphere. These are the greenhouse gases associated with global warming.

This is a formidable situation. Once started, can you reverse it? Can you go back? I don't think so. The only answer is to slow it down as much as possible. Who's going to start? You or me? We all have to, and we have to do it now if we didn't yesterday. Let's get with it!

Smart phones power consumption cut by more than 70 percent

ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2011) — Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have designed a network proxy that can cut the power consumption of 3G smart phones up to 74 percent. This device enhances performance and significantly reduces power usage by serving as a middleman for mobile devices to connect to the Internet and handling the majority of the data transfer for the smart phone. Historically, the high energy requirements of mobile phones have slowed the adoption of mobile Internet services in developing countries.

See Also:

Matter & Energy

• Technology
• Electricity
• Solar Energy

Computers & Math

• Mobile Computing
• Internet
• Communications

Reference

• Mobile phone
• Voice over IP
• Cyber-bullying
• Instant messaging

-- This new solution is particularly valuable in developing countries because it provides significantly more effective Internet access to a much larger number of people. At the moment, only a small percent can access the Internet from a wired connection, but 90 percent of the African population lives in areas with mobile phone network coverage. Mobile phone usage is increasing rapidly, however the use of mobile Internet services is hindered by users not having access to the power grid to recharge their phones," says Professor Jukka Manner from Aalto University.

The case study conducted at Aalto University examined Internet usage in three East African countries: Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. Researchers developed energy-saving solutions for smart phones that could be easily deployed across a mobile network and in particular in areas without reliable sources of electricity. In addition to the new, optimized proxy solution, the researchers found that the power consumption of smart phones could also be significantly reduced by mobile optimized websites, HTTP compression and more efficient use of data caching.

The study was published at the scientific conference Africomm 2011. The research began in the Future Internet research program of TIVIT and funded by Tekes -- the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. The work has been continued in the ECEWA project funded by Tekes, with partners from European Communications Engineering Ltd, Efore Plc, Ericsson, Aalto University and Tampere University of Technology.

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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

via sciencedaily.com

That's an amazing development - the ability to cut the power consumptions that smart phones require to connect to the internet, by a whopping 70%. That is a real step forward especially for developing countries.

This will make it a lot more effective to bring internet access via smart phones to a much larger number of people. Surprisingly, 90 percent of the population in Africa live in areas that do have mobile phone networking coverage. This means that it doesn't even require more hardware to bring the internet to many more people.

This new solution is a proxy solution, and is connected with having mobile-optimized websites, something that all website owners could take some responsibility in doing.

Synthetic RNA lessens severity of fatal disease

via sciencedaily.com

This article on "Synthetic RNA Lessens Severity of Fatal Disease" is very interesting. The fatal disease they mention is spinal muscular atrophy, and is the leading genetic cause of infantile death in the world. I have never heard of it before.

Apparently it affects one in 6,000 children. They often die very young, and there is no cure. They are missing a gene which produces a protein that directs nerves in the spine to give commands to muscles.

This new technology could mean a big change in the death rate from this disease. Apparently the synthetic RNA works in mice that carry the genes responsible for SMA, and the significance of the disease is significantly lowered when it is in place.

New research on body parts' sensitivity to environmental changes

via sciencedaily.com

Well this is interesting, some body parts are more sensitive to changes in the environment than other body parts are. Somehow that information can lead to better ways of treating some diseases, among them type 2 diabetes.

Studies show that despite malnutrition, peoples' brains grow to near full size, and despite other environmental factors as well. I'm not sure how they will tie this in to a cure for type 2 diabetes, but they will.

Apparently the way fruit flies have some body parts more sensitive to environmental changes is similar to the process humans use, so they can test hypotheses on fruit flies. Interesting.

Cosmetic Dentist in Clifton | Best Cosmetic Dentists in New Jersey

via bestcosmeticdentistsnewjersey.com

New Jersey is a beautiful state. It would be wonderful to live there. I have a good friend who is a cosmetic dentist. He gives people a new lease on life. Sometimes people think that only the functionality of teeth is important and looks are not. Well maybe I used to think that way too.

But now I look at it a whole different way. That's because in my own little world I never realized the state that some people's teeth are in, whether they grew in that way or it is a result of an accident.

It wouldn't be fun to grow up being scared to smile because people might make fun of your teeth. Everyone deserves the confidence that a great smile can bring.

What bacteria don't know can hurt them

via sciencedaily.com

Wow this article is extremely interesting! We have known for a long time that sometimes bacteria become very resistant to antibiotics. Scientific researchers have long been looking for ways to battle this resistance in our quest to kill bacterial infections in our bodies.

It seems that when bacteria enter a starvation state, they also trigger a resistance that does not allow our antibiotics to have any kind of significant effect. Now scientists are looking at the triggers for this starvation state.

If they can determine what happens at the time the cells are triggered to go into the starvation state, they can use that information to target the cells and kill them before they become ultra resistant.

It is worth reading the whole article, to find out the progress they have made.

BBC News - India's love affair with flowers

via bbc.co.uk

Now this is a story I am happy to share! So nice to find a good-news type of story these days. This article is all about India's love affair with flowers. There is a really cool slide show that shows lots of flowers and also beautiful garlands made up of flowers.

That's so cool that so many people are crazy over flowers and fresh ones are delivered from producers every day to keep up with the demand. I really don't know what the festivals are all about that are briefly mentioned in this article.

The article states that during festival season, millions of flowers are purchased each morning from the local flower vendors. Anyway, really cute pictures accompany this story and it gives just a little taste of life, culture and traditional clothing in India.

Cosmetic Dentist in Clifton | Best Cosmetic Dentists in New Jersey

via bestcosmeticdentistsnewjersey.com

The best cosmetic dentist in Clifton, New Jersey will give you a free consultation about the issues you feel you face with the look and functionality of your teeth. It is especially important that the front teeth look attractive, as this gives you confidence in your smile.

Cosmetic dentistry uses all the new technology available in dentistry today. This has come a long way from the dentistry practiced in ancient times. Fortunately for us!

Cosmetic dentistry may involve implants, bleaching of the front teeth for a whiter look, crowns, veneers, etc. Each procedure will be fully explained by your cosmetic dentist.

You will look forward to an amazing smile!

Dentists in Lauderhill | Writing away with Blog.com

All general dentists can assume the role of cosmetic dentists in Lauderhill.  Some of the techniques performed by cosmetic dentists in Lauderhill require the proper credentials to be recognized by the American Dental Association. This credentialing requires a rigorous program which can be completed after graduating from dental school, and normally requires a minimum of 2 to 3 years’ time. The specialties that can be certified by the American Dental Association are prosthodontics and orthodontics. There are other groups who offer dental procedure certifications, but don’t necessarily lead to approval by the American Dental Associations. Some of these groups include the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists (AACD); it is the largest international organization for dentists in the world. It was founded in 1984 and has over 7,000 members internationally. Another dental organization is the American Board of Cosmetic Dentistry (ABCD) which focuses on the testing, analyzing and evaluation of services that dentists and laboratory technicians offer. This group does certification in cosmetic dentistry.

The state of Florida experiences a wide variety of weather phenomenon including very hot weather (109F or 43C), hurricanes, lightning, high average precipitation, tornadoes and thunderstorms. It’s not very well known that Florida has more lightning strikes than any other state. It also experiences the highest precipitation. There is also a record number of hurricanes and tornados in this state, with the tornados rarely reaching epic proportions, but the hurricanes can often be very severe. These weather disturbances are somewhat tempered by the fact that Florida is the sunshine state, enjoying anywhere from 2800 to 3200 hours of sunshine annually, depending on what part of the state is being measured.

Many types of animals make Florida their home. Some of these animals are fairly well known and others are indigenous only to the Florida state. This is a list of a few such animals. For marine mammals there is the Bottlenose Dolphin, the North Atlantic Right Whale and the West Indian Manatee. A manatee is also known as a sea cow. They are large, herbivorous creatures that are fully aquatic freshwater mammals. Some more well-known inhabitants are the American Alligator and Crocodile, the Eastern Diamondback snake and Leatherback Sea Turtles. Land mammals include the majestic Florida panther, Northern River Otter, Mink, and a large variety of rabbits, raccoons, skunks and squirrels. The list of birds indigenous to Florida is long and includes such wonderful species as the Bald Eagle, Osprey, Whooping Cranes and Florida Scrub Jay.

What could a smile makeover do for you?  Cosmetic dentists in Lauderhill can give you an awesome answer to that question. A beautiful smile can make you feel more confident and generally change your outlook on life. It has been shown that people who are not afraid to smile tend to experience more career advancement than those who are embarrassed about the look of their teeth and as a result, don’t smile as often. Teeth that are cracked, discolored and misaligned or the wrong size can make a person feel self-conscious. This is especially true when it is the front teeth that don’t look appealing. In contrast, when the front teeth are attractive this tends to result in more smiling, which makes the person seem friendlier and more inviting. Cosmetic dentists in Lauderhill can help you get that winning smile.

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via coloredravendxyzwhatever.blog.com

I really liked this article. It's nice to read something that is easy to read and it doesn't feel like someone is constantly trying to sell you something. Gosh there's nothing more annoying than that! But in this article it starts out by talking about general dentists and a little bit about how they are certified.

Then it kind of breaks the monotony by talking about the state of Florida. They have really nice weather, but I'm not too keen on the weather phenomenon they quite often experience, like hurricanes and other kinds of storms.

Still, Florida would be a great place to visit, and especially Lauderhill, Florida. Apparently there are some real expert cosmetic dentists in Lauderhill, so when I do get down there, I am going to check some of them out.

I have one space in my mouth where a tooth had to be extracted. I would love to get it filled with an implant. I also have a few fillings and a couple root canals that could use with a nice crown. In fact what I really need to do is save up a bunch of money so that I can afford to get this dental work done.

My smile is really nice from the front, so I don't have to worry too much about that. But I would sure love to get the back work done. It would look and feel so much better.

cosmetic dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is a common procedure these days, certainly improving in technological advancements over the past few centuries. The first article that talks about the history of cosmetic dentistry can be found here http://www.streetarticles.com/dental-care/history-of-cosmetic-dentistry this is important because when you consider how important our teeth are, reading the history behind the procedure becomes very interesting. It has never been a lot of fun for me to visit the dentist, perhaps because I never had my first filling until the age of 21. Therefore I was not used to seeing the dentist at all or having any dental work done at all.

I am sure glad that there have been a lot of advances in cosmetic dentistry. Another article which talks about this is http://www.streetarticles.com/dental-care/cosmetic-dentistry what makes this so important? Well partly reading about the scientific knowledge and advancements of our time is interesting, and partly because so many people go much farther than just repairing broken or missing teeth these days. It has almost become an obsession of looks. It's more than just celebrities who go as far as they can to look perfect. I have nothing against looking your best, I just think that you need to be careful about going overboard. Like some people do with botox and/or plastic surgery. That is just plain ridiculous in most cases.

However, fixing teeth that don't give you confidence when you smile is a very good thing. It is important for everybody to be able to smile whenever they want without feeling like they should have to hide their teeth. Nothing beats a big, bright white smile such as http://www.streetarticles.com/dental-care/cosmetic-dentists this article describes. If you were an employer and had two prospective employees of comparable skills and experience; one smiled and brightened up the room and the other was afraid to open their mouth, or always hid behind their hand. Who would you hire? I think the answer is pretty straight forward.

Therefore my conclusion is that while some people may go overboard with anything that improves their appearance, whether cosmetic dentistry or something else, it is a good thing to do what you can in moderation to improve your smile and your look. If it brings you increased confidence it is a good thing. If cosmetic dentistry gives someone a new lease on life and increased happiness because of the great look it can bring to your teeth, especially your front teeth that everyone can see, then it should be done.

How to Get Rid of Mice

via howtogetridofstuff.com

Yes, I know he's cute. I will be the first to admit that. In fact we have pet hamsters that look very similar to this cute little mouse. Problem is, he's dirty and carries diseases. We pick up, pet and even kiss our pet hamsters. But there's no way I want one of these dirty mice anywhere in my house!

Unfortunately, we seem to get a few mice coming into our basement every single fall, just when the weather is starting to turn from warm to cold, especially the cold nights.

We still haven't been able to find exactly where they are getting in, so we wonder about that, but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that they are getting in.

The mice always seem to find their way into my daughter's basement bedroom. She is not too impressed. Sometimes they go into the pantry, but because I basically have all my food snapped tight in rubbermaid bins now, there's not too much they can get into.

So, we have caught 3 so far and we think there's still 1 left. We need to catch it soon. Ewwwww! They are cute but so dirty. Maybe that's where the phrase "dirty vermin" came from.

Top Cosmetic Dentistry

The top cosmetic dentistry takes many things into account. First of all, residents in Florida would be looking for a cosmetic dentist lauderhill for tooth repair and whitening that is available in their local area. Patients can get a free consultation, and find out from a professional exactly what the procedures would be and what they would cost to get their teeth looking like they have a winning smile. This gives so much confidence that it is incredible. Everyone deserves a beautiful smile. Sometimes crowns and bridges may be required to fill in gaps, or there is also tooth whitening that can be done. Implants make missing teeth look new again and changing silver fillings to white makes it look like there was never any tooth decay to begin with.

The Best Cosmetic Dentists

These are three of the best new sites about Best Cosmetic Dentists in Florida, Best Cosmetic Dentists in Minnesota, and the Best Cosmetic Dentists in New Jersey. These sites are shaping up to be informative, appealing and very helpful for people looking for the best service in cosmetic dentistry. Keep an eye on these sites, and follow their progress because they will become the top sites in this niche. Cosmetic Dentistry allows people to enjoy the smile of their dreams. Not everyone is born with straight teeth, and some people experience staining or shifting of the teeth. These problems can all be fixed. You wouldn't believe the new lease on life that a beautiful smile can give you!

It has been shown that a winning smile contributes toward job advancement, confidence, and better happiness in life overall. It would be nice to give a big smile and show off your pearly whites instead of hiding behind teeth that you are afraid to show off. It's worth it and you deserve it!

WWF - Press Release - On a Finite Planet, How Can We Feed a Growing Population?

via worldwildlife.org

I think that the earth can sustain us and all of our inhabitants. I think it's more a matter of how the food is distributed to the people rather than are there too many people for the amount of food.

It's a case of evening out the waste and the want. In other words, some of the people on the planet live in abundance, and it is not appreciated to the extent that it is used well. In fact much is wasted. Contrast that to areas of the world where they live in want, or in other words they don't have enough.

There needs to be a better balance.

Best Cosmetic Dentists in New Jersey | You deserve a beautiful smile!

via bestcosmeticdentistsnewjersey.com

Wow a new cosmetic dentists site. How cool is that! It will be very interesting to watch this one grow into a big beautiful site. Cosmetic dentistry is such a popular thing these days. It used to be for movie stars and politicians but with the advances in technology and the lowering of prices, many people are able to beautify their smile with some fancy dentistry.

Best Cosmetic Dentists in Minnesota | Just another WordPress site

via bestcosmeticdentistsminnesota.com

The best cosmetic dentists in Minnesota! Great new website! You can tell it's very new and not completely filled out yet, but that's okay. It will be fun to follow along and see the progress that's made when this new site continues to be filled out and grows with more content. It is interesting to see that there has also been some interesting facts posted about the state of Minnesota. I did not know most of these! It's worth the read just to find out these juicy tidbits.

Best Cosmetic Dentists in Florida | You deserve a beautiful smile!

via bestcosmeticdentistsflorida.com

A new website about the best cosmetic dentists in Florida. That's something very interesting. No doubt it's a brand new website, as it is not all decked out with information yet. But I imagine it will be all filled out soon, including great pictures and all the bells and whistles. It's pretty exciting to see a new website in the making and watch it as it progresses through all the stages.

Hawaii-born surfer attacked by Great White off Oregon | KHON2 Hawaii's News Leader

via khon2.com

A Hawaii born surfer gets attacked by a great white shark while surfing off the Oregon Coast. His friend witnessed the attach. The great white chomped off a 2-foot chunk off the end of the board and gobbled it down. Fortunately for the surfer, he escaped and made it to shore. That must have been the scare of a lifetime. Apparently he is an awesome short-board surfer but isn't too sure he will ever surf again.

His wife and 5 children must be really counting their lucky stars right now.

NewsDaily: Mosquito lab handles "world's most dangerous animals"

via newsdaily.com

This article is very interesting! The research scientists deem the malaria-carrying mosquito to be the world's most dangerous animal based on how many humans it kills per year. It works out to be one child death per 45 seconds in Africa. That is astounding, and in a bad way of course.

It is estimated that malaria costs Africa's economy $12 billion per year. The cost of human lives of course is a heavier burden. It would be wonderful to completely eradicate malaria.

Preventing cancer development inside the cell cycle

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) — Researchers from the NYU Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated cancer center at NYU Langone Medical Center, have identified a cell cycle-regulated mechanism behind the transformation of normal cells into cancerous cells. The study shows the significant role that protein networks can play in a cell leading to the development of cancer. The study results, published in the October 21 issue of the journal Molecular Cell, suggest that inhibition of the CK1 enzyme may be a new therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer cells formed as a result of a malfunction in the cell's mTOR signaling pathway.

See Also:

Health & Medicine

• Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Lymphoma
• Brain Tumor
• Stem Cells
• Ovarian Cancer

Reference

• Heat shock protein
• Tumor suppressor gene
• Metastasis
• Epstein-Barr virus

In the study, NYU Cancer Institute researchers examined certain multi-protein complexes and protein regulators in cancer cells. Researchers identified a major role for the multi-protein complex called SCF^βTrCP. It assists in the removal from cancer cells the recently discovered protein DEPTOR, an inhibitor of the mTOR pathway. SCF (Skp1, Cullin1, F-box protein) ubiquitin ligase complexes are responsible for the removal of unnecessary proteins from a cell. This degradation of proteins by the cell's ubiquitin system controls cell growth and prevents malignant cell transformation. Researchers show that inhibiting the ability of SCF^βTrCPto degrade DEPTOR in cells can result in blocking the proliferation of cancer cells. In addition, researchers discovered that the activity of CK1 (Casein Kinase 1), a protein that regulates signaling pathways in most cells, is needed for SCF^βTrCP to successfully promote the degradation of DEPTOR.

"Low levels of DEPTOR and high levels of mTOR activity are found in many cancers, including cancers of the breast, prostate, and lung," said senior study author Michele Pagano, MD, the May Ellen and Gerald Jay Ritter Professor of Oncology and Professor of Pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. "It is critical for researchers to better understand how the protein DEPTOR is regulated.Our study shows it would be advantageous to increase the levels of DEPTOR in many types of cancer cells to inhibit mTOR and prevent cell proliferation."

The mTOR pathway (mammalian Target Of Rapamycin) regulates the growth, proliferation, and survival of a cell, and its proper regulation is essential to prevent the formation of cancer cells. DEPTOR interrupts the mTOR pathway by binding to mTOR protein complexes and blocking their enzymatic activities, restraining cell growth. This helps support the proliferation and survival of cancer cells.

Study experiments showed that a reduction of SCF^βTrCP and CK1 proteins in cells resulted in accumulation of DEPTOR. Also, DEPTOR was destroyed in cells only when SCF^βTrCP and CK1 were both present. Thus, inhibition of SCF^βTrCP or CK1 represents a novel and promising way to inhibit the mTOR pathway. A pharmacologic inhibitor of CK1 was tested by researchers and shown to successfully stabilize DEPTOR in cells, while other pharmacological agents had no effect.

"Our study findings demonstrate that DEPTOR is regulated by the SCF^βTrCPprotein complex in cells reentering the cell cycle, and deregulation of this event could contribute to the aberrant activation of the mTOR pathway in cancer," said lead author Shanshan Duan, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Pathology at NYU School of Medicine in Dr. Pagano's Laboratory. "This study suggests a novel approach to stop the deregulation of the mTOR pathway in cancer cells with promising small molecule inhibitors of CK1.This study is another step forward in the translation of laboratory findings into more effective approaches to cancer prevention and treatment."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine.

Note: ScienceDaily reserves the right to edit materials for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal References:

1. Shanshan Duan, Jeffrey R. Skaar, Shafi Kuchay, Alfredo Toschi, Naama Kanarek, Yinon Ben-Neriah, Michele Pagano. mTOR Generates an Auto-Amplification Loop by Triggering the βTrCP- and CK1α-Dependent Degradation of DEPTOR. Molecular Cell, 2011; 44 (2): 317-324 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2011.09.005
2. Shanshan Duan, Jeffrey R. Skaar, Shafi Kuchay, Alfredo Toschi, Naama Kanarek, Yinon Ben-Neriah, Michele Pagano. mTOR Generates an Auto-Amplification Loop by Triggering the βTrCP- and CK1α-Dependent Degradation of DEPTOR. Molecular Cell, 21 October 2011; 44(2) pp. 317 - 324 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2011.09.005

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

via sciencedaily.com

Even though this article is written with a lot of technical terms in it, at the same time it gives hope in new research understanding cancer development. Cancers of many kinds are leading causes of death in the developed world.

The more we understand about how cancer develops in the cell and how those first steps of development can be prevented, the closer we will be to eradicating cancer all together. It is very exciting.

The Official Site of THE X FACTOR USA

via thexfactorusa.com

The X Factor. It has been quite a wild ride so far for some of the contestants. It is so interesting to follow along and see all the different personalities they all have. The struggles and the dreams. There is so much more to each one of them than just the voice.

Some of them have a voice that just speaks for itself, and others have to rely on their personality to supplement their voice.

But it's a fun show to watch and follow along with. The baseball games have been conflicting with X Factor air times, but I'm sure they will figure it out.

Help me Organize!

Oh my goodness! My bedroom and office area have become a teetering tower of papers! In this age of technology you would think that I wouldn't have such a love for paper. But I have to admit it, there isn't anything quite like writing notes on paper. Even writing random little doodles on paper. Really, I need to give up this sweet addiction. Problem is, I grew up in the age of paper.

I have been trying though. I do recycle as much as possible, I do utilize all the sides of the paper I can. I do try to use my planner as much as possible to avoid piles of random little paper scraps floating around with Dr. appointments, phone messages, reminders, etc. scribbled onto them.

But somehow I still find myself surrounded by paper. What bugs me the most is those important letters you receive in the mail. You know the ones: credit card or bank account statements that haven't gone electronic yet. Problem with those is I know I need to keep them and I have a file to keep them in but I absolutely HATE opening and filing them when they first arrive. So they find their way into the teetering tower.

I really need to get my space- and my life!- more organized today.

Ah what the heck, I'll do it tomorrow...

You can wash away your troubles, with soap

via sciencedaily.com

This article is titled, "You Can Wash Away Your Troubles, With Soap". What makes it so interesting is that it is based on a psychological presumption that washing your hands can also have the psychological effect of washing away guilt.

So when you hear the saying "I have washed my hands of it", the person is using a psychological tool to try to dissuade feelings of guilt or remorse.

I was surprised to find such an article in Science Daily, because they are usually about scientific rather than psychological subjects. Where science can be based more solidly in fact, psychologically-based theories have more room for individual interpretation.

Very interesting article. Well worth the time to read it.

Pale people may need vitamin D supplements

via sciencedaily.com

We have been eating so many more greens lately, and we all feel better! We have always been somewhat of a veggie family anyway, but now we are making more of a concerted effort to fit even more fresh vegetables into our daily diets. I am convinced that's one of the biggest contributing factors to my grandma's old age and healthy state into her mid 90's. If it hadn't been for the post-polio syndrome that popped up and eventually claimed her life, I think she would have lived even longer and retained good health right to the end.

The science daily article is actually about how pale-skinned people may need vitamin D supplements because they might be unable to spend enough time in the sun to make sufficient vitamin D for their bodies needs.

On the move « Quick Indian Cooking

via quickindiancooking.com

This looks exquisite. And found on the same morning I said to my children, I'm so sick of having the same foods for breakfast all the time, aren't you? Let's look for some dishes from other countries that we can try for a change for breakfast. Who's game? Well, I only asked 2 of my 6 children this question, and they were both quite game for it. It's a couple of the younger ones I will have my doubts about. I don't think they're quite game for any kind of change in breakfast food.

While cold cereal is a stranger to our table, especially in the winter, it does make for a nice change once in a while. It's trying to find a healthy one on sale that becomes the tricky part.

So, I guess it's back to oatmeal or red river cereal, toast or a homemade muffin, and scrambled eggs. (And maybe a little Dim Begun for the older ones!)