tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86040464587138772272024-03-14T00:04:57.465-07:00Science FondantScience News for all. Even your grandma will get it! Até a tua avó vai entender!Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-91779765866637498632012-11-23T08:09:00.003-08:002012-11-23T08:29:22.805-08:00I'm back! Estou de volta!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am so sorry that I've been away but it was for a good reason. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">I got a new job!!!! (I left the bench but not science, don't worry :0)).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrCj1BTnPZO7gWxS0-k9jsgIJC8C54FjeVvLJ-cAJtSuQIoqsDn2-RcrMBPi6p0YfyJI5XGfWMT387DUoJBSQU9LAfHF-FuIzRgtiuu8YSTNl3GP1oiaiqcLHFTQxOPrfSSsbK3Vr35M/s1600/back+from+vacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrCj1BTnPZO7gWxS0-k9jsgIJC8C54FjeVvLJ-cAJtSuQIoqsDn2-RcrMBPi6p0YfyJI5XGfWMT387DUoJBSQU9LAfHF-FuIzRgtiuu8YSTNl3GP1oiaiqcLHFTQxOPrfSSsbK3Vr35M/s320/back+from+vacation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a while I was wondering if I should keep writing the blog but yesterday I was at a career event and a speaker, <a href="http://flavors.me/edyong" target="_blank">Ed Yong</a>, an amazing science writer, really motivated me and made me think why should I stop doing something that I really enjoy. Maybe I won't write the blog every day, or even have amazing stories to tell you every week, but I will definitely keep writing it and telling you cool 'sciency' stuff. So you just wait and see. Great things are about to happen :0)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, you can have a look at Ed's blog, that's called <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/" target="_blank">Not exactly rocket science</a>, there are some great stories there.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blog to you soon<span style="font-size: small;">!</span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Desculpem ter andando desaparecida mas foi por uma boa causa.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mudei de trabalho!!!! (mas <span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">não</span></span> se preocupem, <span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps alt-edited">só</span></span> deixei a bancada, <span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">não</span></span> deixei a <span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">ciência</span></span> :0)). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">Por um tempo ainda ponderei se devia continuar a escrever o </span><span class="hps">blog mas</span> <span class="hps">ontem fui a uma confer</span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">ê</span></span>ncia destas de promo</span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">ção</span></span> </span><span class="hps">de</span> <span class="hps">carreira e um dos oradores</span>, <a href="http://flavors.me/edyong" target="_blank">Ed Yong</a>, um <span class="hps">escritor de ciência</span> <span class="hps">incrível, </span><span class="hps">motivou-me</span> <span class="hps">bastante e </span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">fez</span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">-me</span></span> pensar</span> por que raz</span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">ão</span></span></span></span> <span class="hps">devia</span> eu <span class="hps">parar de fazer algo</span> <span class="hps">que realmente gost</span>o<span class="hps">.</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">Talvez não</span> <span class="hps">escreva o blog</span> <span class="hps">todos os dias,</span> <span class="hps">ou nem tenha</span><span class="hps"> histórias</span> <span class="hps">incríveis</span> <span class="hps">para vos contar</span> <span class="hps">todas as semana, mas</span> <span class="hps">com certeza vou</span> <span class="hps">continuar a escrever</span> e a contar-vos </span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">histórias </span></span>engraçadas</span> <span class="hps">da ciênci</span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt">a. <span class="hps">Esperem só</span> <span class="hps"> p'ra ver.</span> <span class="hps">Grandes coisas estão</span> <span class="hps">prestes a acontecer</span>:0)!!!<br /><br />Entretanto<span class="">, </span><span class="hps">podem dar uma olhadela</span> <span class="hps">no blog</span> <span class="hps">do Ed,</span> <span class="hps">que é chamado</span> </span><a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/" target="_blank">Not exactly rocket science</a><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">,</span> </span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">tem</span><span class="hps"> lá </span></span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="hps"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="pt"><span class="hps">histórias</span> porreiras</span>.</span></span><br /><span class="hps"></span></span>Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-24626297573963204112012-08-27T04:30:00.000-07:002012-08-27T04:30:16.622-07:00Mobility scooters, old ladies and cancer cells. WHAT???
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<h3>
<span lang="EN-GB">How can a nice old lady riding a mobility
scooter be compared to a ruthless cancer cell? You may not know now but you
will by the end of my story.</span></h3>
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<br />
Today I am going to post a piece that I've written a few months ago for a writing competition talking about what I do.<br />
<br />
It has a fun side of my writing and since I've enjoyed so much writing it, I've decided to share it with you and see what you think about it. Have I gone to far?<br />
<br />
Here it goes:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRhU4FVbxFEfr45YyoPdqZ3hEZvqTOeBPl6UJ1w_nsgO_mftGUpsBf19whe13TD1LZ3mNDrdPLvJg-mQe8p-REtnnA-72g0kvSds0W14G59WQ_wDyqiafivki0go-FOqVUrtnuoDbORI/s1600/mad_scientist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRhU4FVbxFEfr45YyoPdqZ3hEZvqTOeBPl6UJ1w_nsgO_mftGUpsBf19whe13TD1LZ3mNDrdPLvJg-mQe8p-REtnnA-72g0kvSds0W14G59WQ_wDyqiafivki0go-FOqVUrtnuoDbORI/s320/mad_scientist.jpg" width="232" /></a><br />
If you are a scientist, you know exactly what
I’m talking about when I say that I have to answer over and over again the
question “what is it again that you do?” And even if you’re not, but if you
know one, you know how hard it is to explain those weird things that we do in
the lab.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>After spending some sleepless nights thinking
about my problem (well, not exactly because of this but yes, science can give
you insomnia, believe me) I’ve come up with this:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I study a type of proteins called chaperones.
Basically what they do is to keep an eye on other proteins’ function, to be
sure that everything is in order in a normal cell, a bit like a guardian. The
reason why I’m interested in studying them is because cancer cells take
advantage of this guardian function to grow and survive, exactly the same way
old ladies take advantage of those mobility scooters available on high streets (with
all due respect to old ladies, are you starting to see where I’m going with
this? Not yet? Don’t worry, you will).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB">By using the chaperones, cancer cells also
become more dependent on them and in our lab we are trying to develop drugs
that will inhibit the chaperones specifically being used by the cancer cells,
while sparing normal cells. This might still be tricky to appreciate but
hopefully with my example you will understand it better.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAfXjSkDKl6oJhWR5I3apOXhssygemc_gd61kByKTeNLyAyyb1Ra7sVZsJ8djgYvKhPdEZIsY_eTENq7MQRHIqvE52Tm7dir7EkclQWJNVcGEHqxMXdeWiP6ntrNK47KfZxJGiPwr8mQ/s1600/boxing+day+sales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAfXjSkDKl6oJhWR5I3apOXhssygemc_gd61kByKTeNLyAyyb1Ra7sVZsJ8djgYvKhPdEZIsY_eTENq7MQRHIqvE52Tm7dir7EkclQWJNVcGEHqxMXdeWiP6ntrNK47KfZxJGiPwr8mQ/s320/boxing+day+sales.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>Let’s picture this situation: it’s the Boxing
Day sales, Mary has finally decided to buy that designer bag she’s been wanting
for ages (or the latest gadget if you’re a boy - boys don’t really want
designer bags, do they?). Ready, set, go! She takes the tube, then the bus, she
walks 3/4 of the street and then she sees them... The army of nice old ladies on
their mobility scooters, trolleying down the street, and they pass her, but
that’s fine. They would never buy that bag. Would they? And then, suddenly, they
get inside that store, yes, that designer store. Mary speeds up the pace (not
as fast as a scooter but she does her best), gets inside the store, hair in her
face, breathless, her heart pumping at 150b/minute and then... Oh nooo, they
bought the bag. Nooooo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Ok. That’s enough. Let’s get serious and talk
about science. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
My point is that in this story Mary was like
normal cells, growing, dividing, and dying (how does that relate to shopping on
Boxing Day? Just think that Mary really wanted that bag, like normal cells want
to grow). But cancer cells (our old ladies) do that way faster and just grow
and divide and grow and divide, forming tumours. They use chaperones (the
mobility scooters) to grow faster. And use them all the time. However by doing
that, they also forget how to ‘use their legs’ and become dependent on their ‘scooters’.
One of our main goals, like I told you before, is to develop drugs that will
block the chaperones used by cancer cells, like pinching the scooters’ wheels
or blocking their electric system.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
So far, we have found that two co-chaperones
(there are several chaperones and co-chaperones working together in a cell,
like the different parts of a scooter) are involved in the growth and survival
of sarcomas and prostate cancer. We showed that if we block them at the same
time, we kill part of the cancer cells, making them more sensitive to treatment
with the standard chemotherapy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXJveFM8baXdhv1SHDBiiUdJGDL5xY2lzwKkxx7xUZZag_mfRPBUFzEyuXH0TubHkDN0432ynckq9GZZv6wQH0oWYeWzLzxv1AZ3DqvpMVjBKVaIvnSccUw3fIGt0EHtsm-gHnY3xzHI/s1600/mobility-scooter-insurance-driver1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXJveFM8baXdhv1SHDBiiUdJGDL5xY2lzwKkxx7xUZZag_mfRPBUFzEyuXH0TubHkDN0432ynckq9GZZv6wQH0oWYeWzLzxv1AZ3DqvpMVjBKVaIvnSccUw3fIGt0EHtsm-gHnY3xzHI/s400/mobility-scooter-insurance-driver1.jpg" width="400" /></a><span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
We are very excited with these results. Given
these two co-chaperones are present in many other cancer types, these findings
have a real medical implication and this approach could be used broadly.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<u>In summary:</u> cancer cells are essentially
normal cells that have overcome their control systems, surpassing their own ‘suicide’
checkpoints and just growing and dividing. The idea of targeting the mechanisms
by which they do this is a very efficient way to block cancer development. With
this project we aim to design drugs that will efficiently kill cancer cells,
leaving normal cells mostly unaffected, reducing the unwanted side effects of current
cancer treatment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB"> </span>Before I finish, I would like to thank all
old ladies with mobility problems (including my sweet sweet grandmother) for
being such an inspiration. Even
though I compare you to ruthless cancer cells, it is only for the benefit of
science!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB"> </span>So please, the next time you ask a scientist ‚”what
is it again that you do?”, pay attention, they might have actually come up with
a decent story to tell you! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
<b>Lets give this a thought, shall we?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt;">
SO?? what do you think about it? Do you know now what I do? </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-36841294154627119842012-07-09T04:01:00.000-07:002012-07-10T02:18:19.574-07:00Higgs or God? Both? None?<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> What is this all about “God’s particle”?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Last week
CERN* has announced that they have</span> found strong evidences to prove the
existence of the Higgs boson. This is a subatomic particle that is important to
the understanding of space, time and matter that the physicist Leon Lederman
nicknamed "the God particle."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This particle was first proposed in the 1960s by the English
physicist Peter Higgs. Since then, efforts to find it have taken decades. Several
experiments have been done by independent teams to ensure accuracy and finally there
are some evidences that prove Higgs hypothesis.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">But why is
this so important? After all it is a tinny particle visible for only a fraction
of a second! It is believed that </span>the Higgs boson would help explain how
we, and the rest of the universe, exist. It would explain why the matter created
in the Big Bang has mass. Because without it, the other particles in
the universe wouldn't have mass and would all continue to travel at the speed
of light. That's it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhB0F2CCgS-JZ6YBou-O8Wt3IPaQe8jwysBe__zUEkdqXpV1Iz8baND4qJSXd4c-qrRyMvJpHSlB5fMfItXmkSNDa5qgTiVp3BVOUY6UGzMK1nEVicWGmNiAa1GHg_bmd-mdi2rGkwwg/s1600/Tevatron_2265219b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhB0F2CCgS-JZ6YBou-O8Wt3IPaQe8jwysBe__zUEkdqXpV1Iz8baND4qJSXd4c-qrRyMvJpHSlB5fMfItXmkSNDa5qgTiVp3BVOUY6UGzMK1nEVicWGmNiAa1GHg_bmd-mdi2rGkwwg/s320/Tevatron_2265219b.jpg" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But better than
me, have a look at this video explaining it in a simple way.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2012/jul/03/what-is-a-higgs-boson-video" target="_blank">what-is-a-higgs-boson-video</a> </span></div>
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More work will be needed to be certain that what scientists
have seen is a Higgs, however.<span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And if you are really keen to learn why we should really care about this, have a look a this link:</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/allenstjohn/2012/07/08/higgs-boson-why-you-should-care-about-the-god-particle-and-sadly-why-you-dont/" target="_blank">higgs-boson-why-you-should-care-about-the-god-particle-and-sadly-why-you-dont/</a></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB">If you want
to explain what the Higgs is to someone else, have a look at this link that will give you some hints and tips regarding the person you would be explaing it:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/shortcuts/2012/jul/04/how-explain-higgs-boson-discovery" target="_blank">how-explain-higgs-boson-discovery</a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">And if you
want to read CERN’s press release, here is the link too.</span></div>
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<a href="http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2012/PR17.12E.html" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" target="_blank">CERNPressReleases/Higgs</a><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Now that
scientists are starting to find evidences of how “all has started”, what do you
think about the creationist theory? </span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-GB">Let’s give
this a thought shall we?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*CERN, the European
Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for
particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva and houses scientist from
all over the world. If you have read Dan Browns’ Angels and Demons book, it was
where the anti-matter was stolen from. </span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></div>Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-67102407961100630072012-05-29T07:25:00.000-07:002012-05-29T07:25:05.334-07:00Is “Social Jetlag” making you fat?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you love
sleeping until noon over the weekends you might want to re-think your habits
once you read this blog...</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">According
to a study published this month in the journal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Current Biology</i>, researchers from the Universities of Munich and Groningen
have shown that </span>people with different sleep schedules on working days
and free days (what <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">the
researchers called Social Jetlag</span>) had triple the chances of being
overweight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Social jetlag is "the discrepancy between what our body
clock wants us to do and what our social clock wants us to do," says Till
Roenneberg, a professor at the University of Munich's Institute of Medical
Psychology, in Germany. "It almost looks as if people on a Friday evening
fly from Paris to New York, and on Monday morning they fly back again.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQiHlowFbR2o9oGl8qjOV4I9bqDm56mdHqxifON_9rjLbavVF84Dsfj_M6vXzzh1n4ekaC-VtoJHdxsAZJNi_rOqCrecsWafs8p_QiUgkBhLDC0va5p9EUOtH9t_848WHe2sM79VQIWU/s1600/sleep1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQiHlowFbR2o9oGl8qjOV4I9bqDm56mdHqxifON_9rjLbavVF84Dsfj_M6vXzzh1n4ekaC-VtoJHdxsAZJNi_rOqCrecsWafs8p_QiUgkBhLDC0va5p9EUOtH9t_848WHe2sM79VQIWU/s320/sleep1.jpg" width="320" /></a>Roenneberg and colleagues have surveyed the sleep habits of
more than 65.000 European participants, comparing their sleep duration, sleep
timings and patterns over working days and free days. They have found out that
the Body Mass Index (BMI) of overweight people tended to be higher in those
with a bigger discrepancy of sleep between their biological and social clocks (sleep
discrepancy did not explain variations in body mass among those with a normal
BMI).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These results confirmed previous data that linked higher BMI
to sleep deprivation and irregular sleep schedules. Particularly, various
studies have found an increased risk of obesity, as well as chronic diseases
such as diabetes, among shift workers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of the proposed explanations for the link between shift
work and obesity, such as irregular meal times and metabolism disruptions, may
help explain these social jetlag findings as well, Roenneberg says. "With
social jetlag, we're forced to eat at times when the body doesn't want to eat,
or isn't prepared for digesting food properly," he says. "All these
things coming together might influence the way you digest food and how you
incorporate it into your body fat. The result is that you become overweight or
obese."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This study also explained why “teenagers show the largest
discrepancy in sleep duration between free days and workdays”. Amongst other
obvious reasons (such as playing computer games until late or chatting on their
computers/mobiles :0)) this is because developmental changes in their circadian
clock are not matched by the school start timings, changes particularly evident
and fundamental at this phase.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgSzhyphenhyphenY-sL0WQyzuDa0qqqlg2TgOodP_uodh1P7B3Hnps-kdgbh8XOEQhwouKK2ilkBANjX4DVvf1aOx1ms2RGLxXNL9t0760x6HRq6T99WotMK0dd22qsDUtU-boCdsRj7Mte1qRlko/s1600/people_sleeping_everywhere_640_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgSzhyphenhyphenY-sL0WQyzuDa0qqqlg2TgOodP_uodh1P7B3Hnps-kdgbh8XOEQhwouKK2ilkBANjX4DVvf1aOx1ms2RGLxXNL9t0760x6HRq6T99WotMK0dd22qsDUtU-boCdsRj7Mte1qRlko/s320/people_sleeping_everywhere_640_15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what can we do?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adjusting our sleeping patterns isn’t easy. We just can’t
simply rely on our biological clocks to wake up, we have work schedules to keep
up to but paying more attention to our body clocks may be good start.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And here goes a link if you want to do a check-up to your sleep</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-disorders-health-check/default.htm">http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-disorders-health-check/default.htm</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Let's give this a thought, shall we? </b></div>Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-21823854276300735572012-04-24T12:08:00.000-07:002012-04-24T12:08:17.985-07:00Even the coolest ones can loose it<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<h3>
Have you
ever had one of those moments when your brain just blanks out? Was it a
stressful situation? Was it maybe during an exam? Or when you were supposed to
remember someone’s birthday and all you could think of was ... nothing ... Just
embarrassment... </h3>
<h3>
<br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Well,
don’t worry, science has proven that stress is the reason why you blank out.</span></h3>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
month’s Scientific American has published a review article that explains how
stressful situations can trigger signals in our brain, leading to a loss of
control over its ‘executive functions’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvsJlfVuk4VFamL_nknBmwit2cm0PttDT7O8sMLvqFot_FLIfxIXK3gZ972hJFdwB99XSBd4KRtqoADuEZAbDSIicaMwt1gf2wMztPZfSsFIAgaIj1DeXJ2b7vIKH1cShyphenhyphenLkaDG2mV8A/s1600/stress2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvsJlfVuk4VFamL_nknBmwit2cm0PttDT7O8sMLvqFot_FLIfxIXK3gZ972hJFdwB99XSBd4KRtqoADuEZAbDSIicaMwt1gf2wMztPZfSsFIAgaIj1DeXJ2b7vIKH1cShyphenhyphenLkaDG2mV8A/s320/stress2.jpg" width="212" /></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">According
to the authors “when things are going well, the prefrontal cortex acts as
control centre that keeps our baser emotions and impulses in check. (...)
Acute, uncontrollable stress sets off a series of chemical events that weaken
the influence of the prefrontal cortex while strengthening the dominance of the
older parts of the brain”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Essentially,
stress is giving control over thought and emotion to the so-called ancient
structures of the brain - hypothalamus and other earlier evolved structures -
the areas responsible for more basic functions as eating or having fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“The
growing understanding that acute stress can severely compromise the function of
higher “executive” areas in the human brain has drawn the interest of
investigators. They are now not just trying to understand what happens in your
head when you freeze but also developing behavioural and pharmacological
interventions to help you keep your composure”, said the authors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And now
some interesting science bit and bobs. Why does this happen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The
prefrontal cortex is so <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sensitive to
stress</b> because it makes up a full third of the human cortex; it <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">matures more slowly</b> than other brain
areas (only reaches full maturity after the teen years have passed); it houses
the neural circuits for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">abstract
thoughts</b> and allow us to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">concentrate
and stay focused</b> on task, while storing information and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">making memories</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmDVSCpgterVyZqKhYy-ZnDL3jM0p6mCZ0XGjsS6UEx9FdKN2dxBAi-_tQfxlQ6G2ZBmwh2CRwcXG9YYrrdNSk-sgwiUf4X1Cl7uowpik8j06KhJKC2Fm8XMs5dHF0bKq6atPa02p0D8/s1600/stres1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmDVSCpgterVyZqKhYy-ZnDL3jM0p6mCZ0XGjsS6UEx9FdKN2dxBAi-_tQfxlQ6G2ZBmwh2CRwcXG9YYrrdNSk-sgwiUf4X1Cl7uowpik8j06KhJKC2Fm8XMs5dHF0bKq6atPa02p0D8/s1600/stres1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Under
normal circumstances the prefrontal cortex <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">controls
our emotions, desires and habits</b>. However, under stress, the brain is
flooded with chemicals such as adrenaline or dopamine, which are released by
neurons, and the prefrontal cortex is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">shut
down</b>, passing the control over to deeper, ancient areas of the brain, such
as the hypothalamus or the amygdala.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Recent
studies have shown that some people may be more vulnerable than others to
stress because of their <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">genetic makeup</b>
or because of a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">previous exposure to
stress</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under normal
situations, after hormones like adrenaline or dopamine </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">switch off circuits in the prefrontal area, enzymes
chew up these neurotransmitters so that the shutdown does not persist. In this
way, we can return to our baseline when stress abates. Certain forms of a gene
can weaken these enzymes, making people <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">more
vulnerable to stress</b> and, in some cases, mental illness. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">John
Morrison of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and his colleagues have shown </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">chronic stress</b> appears to </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">expand
the intricate web of connections in our lower emotional centers, whereas the areas
in our prefrontal cortex actually <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">shrink</b>.
They have shown that prefrontal dendrites can <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">regrow if the stress disappears</b>, but this ability to rebound <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">may vanish</b> if the stress is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">especially severe</b>. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This chain of molecular events makes us more
vulnerable to subsequent stress and most likely contributes to depression,
addiction and anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Gender</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> appears to
be a factor in determining how we react to stress. In women, the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">hormone estrogen may amplify sensitivity</b>.
It has actually been proven that life stress poses a greater risk for
depression in women than men and is more likely to reduce abstinence from
certain addictive behaviors, such as smoking, for women as compared with men.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Why the brain has built-in mechanisms
to weaken its highest cognitive functions, making it “dumber” at key
life-decision moments, is still a very intriguing question. Researchers are
investing greatly to bring insight in to this matter. In the meantime, the next
time you are taking a test or speaking in public and your mind goes blank, say
to yourself: “This is just my brain loosing its grip, hold on, just calm down!”.
It maybe not give you the correct answer, but it might bring you a comforting
smile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: MillerDailyOne-Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Let's give this a thought, shall we?</b></span></h3>
<!--EndFragment-->Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-57123131058691494922012-04-07T11:32:00.001-07:002012-04-07T11:32:36.320-07:00A sweet treat for Easter!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Does eating
chocolate regularly make you thinner? Not really but don’t loose all your hope
because…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Scientists from the
University of California believe that there is a link between regular chocolate
consumption and a lower body mass index (BMI*).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQliuBMhIkuSjmtd2kElwO6Rw4kI4u5Q-2GSLzeEUEEiCnYNpUR-_15vSjCf5CfxxLXwUj0Knr9dL1V2t1tKLxaPJDeRsR3r4-AvQVj0SdMWNVha6zl64lwOn9YqaPjoDP7KWlInHNXg/s1600/choco2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQliuBMhIkuSjmtd2kElwO6Rw4kI4u5Q-2GSLzeEUEEiCnYNpUR-_15vSjCf5CfxxLXwUj0Knr9dL1V2t1tKLxaPJDeRsR3r4-AvQVj0SdMWNVha6zl64lwOn9YqaPjoDP7KWlInHNXg/s1600/choco2.jpg" /></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a recent
study published in the journal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Archives
of Internal Medicine</i> (March 26<sup>th</sup>), Dr. Beatrice Golomb and
colleagues analysed the diet, exercise and mood levels of about 1000 healthy US
individuals and found that those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on
average, slimmer than those who ate it occasionally.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This link
remained even when other factors were taken into account, such as the calorie
intake (frequent chocolate consumption was actually linked to more overall
calories), the frequency of exercise or the mood levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">According to the
authors, it is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">how often</b> you eat
chocolate that is important rather than <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">how
much</b> you eat (they found no link between the quantity of chocolate consumed
and the BMI).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Previous studies
have shown that chocolate consumption has other metabolic benefits, such as
insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. To Dr. Golomb and
her team, this study “now extends the favourable associations of chocolate to
metabolic factors”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“Chocolate
products are often rich in sugar and fat, contributing to assumptions that
chocolate boots BMI”, says the team in this report. Nonetheless, one possible
explanation for these findings is that the antioxidants present in chocolate
(called catechins) contribute to lean muscle mass and reduce weight, as shown
previously in studies in rodents. The team suggests that a clinical trial in
humans is now needed to see if this is indeed the case.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXW6HnA-Hv6Sp2vFyLTj-ZDUJZ5t5fMAbau16VC0DEzzqCFrVhBZuff3YKIyrDB4sVIedqfuqvsjH-ix2cPErweZ_oQDXgt0S0M_3E3a-f0bRemxR4SHriswhajIZYsJk1WGfzKUwQ7s/s1600/choco1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXW6HnA-Hv6Sp2vFyLTj-ZDUJZ5t5fMAbau16VC0DEzzqCFrVhBZuff3YKIyrDB4sVIedqfuqvsjH-ix2cPErweZ_oQDXgt0S0M_3E3a-f0bRemxR4SHriswhajIZYsJk1WGfzKUwQ7s/s1600/choco1.jpg" /></span></a><u><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Study
details:<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<u><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1) The study
analysed data from 1018 healthy men and women aged 20 to 85 years old (average
57). 972 patients had their BMI calculated (average 28) and 975 answered the
food frequency questionnaire.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2) Data was
collected regarding chocolate consumption, calorie intake, saturated fat
intake, fruit and vegetables consumption (used as controls), exercise and mood
levels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3) Results have
shown that on average the individuals ate chocolate 2 times/week and exercised
3.6 times/week. Chocolate consumption frequency was linked to greater calorie
and saturated fat intake and higher mood scales. It was not linked to greater
activity but to lower BMI. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In conclusion,
before you reach for a chocolate bar next time, think that it is, to a great
extent, your <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">diet composition</b> that
will influence your BMI, rather than solely the quantity of what you eat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But, hey, it is
Easter, so give yourself a treat (preferably dark chocolate that has
antioxidants that fight free radicals ;0) )!!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Let's give this a thought, shall we?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">* BMI is a
reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for
weight categories that may lead to health problems. It is calculated by
dividing one’s weight by the square value of one’s height. Normal values range
from 18.5 to 24.9. Bellow that those values a person is considered underweight.
Between 25 and 29.9 a person is overweight and above 30 a person is obese. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-27120655459439199212012-04-01T13:52:00.001-07:002012-04-01T14:16:18.888-07:00Muddy Kids<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To all overprotective parents: it is official,
early exposure to germs is beneficial for your kids. So let them go outside and
play in the mud!!!!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">In a study published last week in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Science</i> journal (on the 22<sup>nd</sup>
of March)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, </i>researchers have shown in
mice that exposure to microbes during childhood </span>protect children from
developing asthma and other diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.<span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgzD82VATSjnA31hwBJVuG0Ky9bVJ3FmVR8gQ-9fAgmDpdUmM7cZeDVHqj64ssisKlzOhxuXDWvlGgkQznoWb3c6C3ge2tatonYvvHST88LooFjo77FsPAxQ-C6kZr7DsqlvLh-tdfmo/s1600/muddy+kids.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgzD82VATSjnA31hwBJVuG0Ky9bVJ3FmVR8gQ-9fAgmDpdUmM7cZeDVHqj64ssisKlzOhxuXDWvlGgkQznoWb3c6C3ge2tatonYvvHST88LooFjo77FsPAxQ-C6kZr7DsqlvLh-tdfmo/s400/muddy+kids.png" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Immunologists
think that children’s susceptibility to allergies and other autoimmune
disorders may be due to the lack of exposure to germs. They consider an early
exposure to bacteria and microbes <span style="color: #262626;">as an important feature for the
healthy development of youngsters’ immune system, which in turn shields them
against asthma and other allergies in later life. </span><span lang="EN-GB">This theory is called the ‘Hygiene Hypothesis’
and it has now gotten stronger with last week’s findings. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;">Dr. Richard
Blumberg, co-author of the study says, "We have co-evolved with microbes
for millions of years. There is a very beneficial role for microbes in health.
What our study now shows is the critical importance of those microbes in the
earliest periods of life."</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Details
about the study:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">For this study the scientists
developed two groups of mice – one germ-free raised under sterile conditions and
another one </span><span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;">raised under normal laboratory
conditions. They found that the animals exposed to germs had a stronger disease
fighting immune system. The animals raised in sterile conditions were sicker
and had inflammation in their lungs and colon (similar to asthma and bowel
problems in humans). The researchers found that this was due to an increase of
activity of a special immune cell type called invariant natural killer T cell
(iNKT). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;">Animals exposed to germs in the first weeks of their lives were
less vulnerable to infections. Adults didn’t show these beneficial effects.
Lack of exposure in early life could not be compensated later on.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">3)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;">The researchers have found that the levels of a protein called
CXCL16 were higher in the colon and lung tissues of the sterile mice than in
the normal mice and that by blocking that protein they could reduce the number
of iNKT and the amount of inflammation in those tissues.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: #262626; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiYT7t2cb127T992-twLsMg3_Vos_zZ7YtALyD5idxTE5aTadfWIEXF3ErIygASjhUbO3JmwVYBcc_92NCc6E3POc0uKZGhp04iMZ3l3Drler1UHRxBHTixDh-pIuZJ65vH762O81578/s1600/germs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiYT7t2cb127T992-twLsMg3_Vos_zZ7YtALyD5idxTE5aTadfWIEXF3ErIygASjhUbO3JmwVYBcc_92NCc6E3POc0uKZGhp04iMZ3l3Drler1UHRxBHTixDh-pIuZJ65vH762O81578/s1600/germs.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even thought
this study has been made in mice and no humans can ever be that germ-free, it
is still extremely important as it opens up a lot of questions about how long
this early-exposure window lasts and which microbes are involved. Also, it
brings light into a possible mechanism involving the protein CXCL16 and the
activity of iNKT, helping immunologist to understand and treat asthma and other
autoimmune diseases. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, before I finish, I would like to make a quick
remark:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When letting your kids going out there and ‘eating of dirt
and playing in the mud’, you will always have to be a little bit cautious. If
you live in the city, your playgrounds may contain high levels of lead and even
if you live in a rural area, you might live near fields that have been treated
with soil amendments containing toxic
pollutants and antibiotic resistant pathogens. So be cautions, ok? I’m not
telling you to just let them loose.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let’s give this a thought, shall we?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(and by the way, this is NOT an April Fools' prank :0) )</span></span></div>Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-34381228551688593422012-03-26T13:20:00.000-07:002012-03-26T13:20:19.738-07:00Why Science Fondant?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 17px;">Before I start blogging about science and all the
things I find interesting about it, let me explain you the concept and purpose
of <b>Science Fondant</b>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">The word “fondant” means different things to different
people but the one I am thinking about here is the French word that means
melting and it has the same root as “foundry” in English.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">So, how did it all started? When I was thinking about
possible names for this blog I considered things that I both liked and that
could also be catchy names and then suddenly the lightning struck! Chocolate
Fondant - Science Fondant (my sweet tooth)!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">As I told you yesterday, the purpose of this blog is
to discuss interesting science discoveries whilst stripping down all the
scientific terms and tons of data (all of those things we scientists think are
really really interesting but I am sure that they are not at all interesting to
the non-scientific community) and explaining them in a clear and simple way to
the public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS2amiCPnsEVMLgglNy8KTa4M5izDeFewz4OR_XGhvf4rR1HXXK_HSHjQd69_cW5PGSoyKnEHRC5ti0Pr-XnLXU0f-4R7ceXTcCA78fekeP2U2QpuNORa_8iaaWw_RlhK0Xv2ejUnXLs/s1600/fondant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS2amiCPnsEVMLgglNy8KTa4M5izDeFewz4OR_XGhvf4rR1HXXK_HSHjQd69_cW5PGSoyKnEHRC5ti0Pr-XnLXU0f-4R7ceXTcCA78fekeP2U2QpuNORa_8iaaWw_RlhK0Xv2ejUnXLs/s320/fondant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; clear: left; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">The concept of the blog is to get rid of all of those extra pieces of information that surround the practical aspects of an important finding (what often makes it extremely hard to understand the aim of such studies), keeping only the core essential information, exactly in the same way I snap my awesome chocolate fondant desert reaching to the gooey melting core!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">By doing so, I will (hopefully!) write about the
practical side of science and it's experimental investigations. I will, in few
words, summarise the relevant aspects of recent research breakthroughs, helping
you making some sense out of science and it's achievements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">And, to finish...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">Today I read an article about the importance of
scientists to blog their research. I would like to add "and also blog
about their fellow scientists research". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;">In my opinion, it is vital that we learn how to talk
about each other’s work in clear and simple words so that the largest possible
audience will perceive our achievements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;"><b>Let's give
this a thought shall we?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Courier; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Courier;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8604046458713877227.post-47585589292524814022012-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:002012-03-25T12:16:21.496-07:00The First One!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Greetings all!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is my first blog entry and let me start by telling you a bit about me and this blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a scientist, working in cancer research. I love science, the breakthroughs, and talking about it, especially to the lay public. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been thinking about starting a blog for some time (actually it was one of my 2012 new year's resolutions) but I've postponed it until now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've always been told that I'm good at explaining my science so I'm going to give it a try and blog about different scientific endeavors and see how it goes. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This blog will be an outlet for my love for science, general curiosity and passion for writing. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you might guess from it's name, "<b>Science Fondant</b>" will be basically about breaking down "tricky-hard sciency" concepts into simple and easy to understand ideas. It will cover the latest science discoveries in any field that interests me and any other news I might find interesting to talk about.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you will find this blog interesting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-dJftPEtvprmpcinND6Kz0ZIZIEtMUH1SghPnv-9k-4Z9fBXFYhP4Llio1kiXqYpqZcZfb5laFxV3IahRz-aAiJtCix8SnFFVuqiKHPSJALA-Vh25VaOIcXEMqH0KsTxf2g8HOMpw8c/s1600/analab.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-dJftPEtvprmpcinND6Kz0ZIZIEtMUH1SghPnv-9k-4Z9fBXFYhP4Llio1kiXqYpqZcZfb5laFxV3IahRz-aAiJtCix8SnFFVuqiKHPSJALA-Vh25VaOIcXEMqH0KsTxf2g8HOMpw8c/s320/analab.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Ana Sofia Martins-Kaczorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08671054181919639151noreply@blogger.com1