Science and Technology - Style and Classic Forever

He claimed to cure AIDS through bee stings

On September 11, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

A 55 year old man, a beekeeper by profession, has been sentenced by the court to six months in jail for illegally practicing medicine. He claimed he could cure people with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis or AIDS, using bee stings.

Bernard Nicollet, 55, is a beekeeper. But he prefers to define itself as an "apitherapeute or apipuncteur" which earned him a conviction. Indeed, he was convicted in Justice unauthorized practice of medicine. It will thus pay a symbolic euro in damages to the College of Physicians who had a civil party in the trial, explains the AFP.

The man had a website where he could be seen wearing a white coat and stethoscope, then taking the image that everyone is a doctor. Bernard explained Nicollet and practice of acupuncture using bee stings to treat serious diseases such as AIDS, disease Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis. In addition, its website also had an online store offering products from its hive products that had been spotted by the French Agency for Sanitary Safety of Health Products (AFSSAPS), who was then, accused the prosecution.

If any customer of the beekeeper has complained, the Criminal Court of Roanne still follow the prosecution case, which has qualified for Bernard Nicollet "quack” And of “physician self-taught, self-proclaimed, who played Russian roulette with the health of his patients". Nicollet Bernard had a hundred customers and notably produced a turnover of 50,000 euros in 2007 and was the news agency.

Tagged with: AIDS

Breast cancer: fat cells modified cancer cells

On September 7, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

A new study to be presented this week at the Congress of the American Association of Cancer suggests that fat cells may affect breast cancer cells by making them more aggressive.

Weight gain could be the cause of relapse breast cancer if you believe a recent study on the subject. Thus, according to new research from the very moment when a woman earns more than 10% of their weight, their risk of relapse of breast cancer may increase by 14% compared to patients who maintain a stable weight or identical. Blame the fat cells, called adipocytes, which then promotes the spread of cancer cells, explains Sciences et Avenir.

Philippe Vallet and Catherine Muller, University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, were grown breast cancer cells and adipocytes. They have observed that adipocytes secrete many proteins, which when in contact with the breast cancer cells, interacted with them and thereby facilitate their dissemination. The coexistence of these cells would then result in allowing cancer cells to be more aggressive.

Furthermore, after a test on mice, researchers have also observed that the combination of cancer cells and fat caused the formation of metastases. Today, researchers still need to examine the mechanisms that cause fat cells to make cancer cells more aggressive. Interleukin-6, inflammation protein secreted by adipocytes may play an important role.

Tagged with: Breast cancer • cancer cells • fat cells

Human hearts developed in the laboratory

On September 1, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

For the first time, American researchers have managed to recreate in the laboratory of human hearts. They hope to see them beat a few weeks.

This is a first. Researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis were able to develop laboratory human hearts. In 2008, they had recreated the hearts of rat and pig using stem cells and muscle cells from the heart of the animal. A successful experiment that they decided to start again, this time use human cells. As for animals, hearts were very well developed.

In the case of the animal experiment, organs were fully functional and had begun to beat. They were, however, remained too puny to be grafted. Similarly, human hearts cannot be transplanted. But the team hopes "they will show signs of beating in the coming weeks “As stated by Dr. Doris Taylor, an expert in regenerative medicine who led the research.

If successful, it will be possible in future to transplant hearts from patients’ own cells. A technique that would avoid among other things, releases may occur and treatments normally required when the body transplanted from another person. However, the task is difficult, as explained in Sunday Times Dr. Taylor: "There are many obstacles to overcome to generate a fully functional heart, but I predict it might be possible to grow whole organs for transplantation".

Tagged with: Human hearts • laboratory

Space X unveils high-powered rocket

On August 29, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

The U.S. Company Space X Falcon Heavy presented the most powerful rocket in the world since the Apollo era and whose launch is expected by 2013.

Dubbed "Falcon 9-Heavy", the machine is so heavy version of the previous launcher Falcon 9. This was explained by Elon Musk, CEO of U.S. Company Space X, Which unveiled yesterday its new launcher. Measuring nearly 70 meters high, the Falcon 9 Heavy will be under-Space X, the most powerful rocket ever created since the craft Saturn V Apollo program. Indeed, it would be capable of putting into orbit a few kilometers from the Earth up to 53 tons of payload, or "more than Boeing 737 charged with 136 passengers, baggage and fuel, "Said Elon Musk. Ability that “opens a horizon of possibilities for government and commercial customers" Said the CEO at a conference at the National Press Club in Washington.

Last year, Space X has become the first company to a capsule orbited Living and able to return. This flight was part of a series of demonstrations to prove the reliability and security of its technology. For now, the Falcon Heavy has not flown. But it will be shipped in late 2012 at the Space Launch Complex X based at Vandenberg in California, before making a first demonstration launch. Another flight is planned for late 2013 or 2014 of the base of Cape Canaveral in Florida.

In addition to its large capacity, the rocket would be significantly lower launch costs. At least that’s said Elon Musk indicating they had priced at 1,400 euros per kilo. Thus, the tasks of Falcon Heavy cost between 50 and 90 million euros, a world record, according to AFP. Funded in part by the Nasa, Space X has already more than 1.7 billion euros in launch orders for the coming years on his latest missile.

Tagged with: high-powered rocket • Space X

Smartphones and social networks: the next targets of cyber attacks

On August 21, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

Social networks and mobile phones will be the next target for cybercriminals according to the annual analysis prepared by the company Symantec.

Users of social networks and smartphones owners are cautioned. They will be the next target for cybercriminals. The software company antivirus and data protection in Symantec’s new report reveals that Facebook, Twitter and Google Operating System Android is under threat from hackers. Indeed, increased vulnerabilities of these programs are 163% in 2010. However, the spread of viruses through these channels is reduced compared to those that circulate by e-mail.

Symantec is including in its report several Android flaws that could allow the intrusion of malware. For now, six programs of this type have been discovered in distributed applications through a download service in China. Orla Cox, director of security operations at Symantec told CNN : "This software shows that we see recently on a small scale allow cybercriminals to perform a series of operations ranging from intercepting messages to the call number".

On Facebook and Twitter, threats relate primarily to the links sent by known shippers. Although difficult to implement, these traps are more effective for hackers. Indeed, users of social networks are more likely to click on links sent easily through their contacts and then promote the intrusion of malicious programs that can steal personal data.

Currently, cyber attacks are increasing alarmingly. Their rate increased by 93% between 2009 and 2010 through the use of URL shortcuts. These addresses do very little evidence to enable us to identify the source, and are therefore easily distinguishable from viable links.

Tagged with: cyber attacks • Smartphones • social networks • the next targets

Have a Seat on a Bench Made from 5,000 Recycled Metrocards

On August 5, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

In New York’s subways, you see a lot of discarded Metrocards. It’s sad, not only because most people drop them on the floor rather than in a trash can, but because the cards are rechargeable, and there’s no good reason to dispose of them in the first place. But NYC-based artist and designer Stephen Shaheen has come up with a unique way to recycle old cards, or at least 5,000 of them: he’s made a one of a kind bench.

Measuring 48" x 18" x 18" and made of the cards, various types of glue, and an armature of 1/8" steel, the aptly-named Metrobench is an homage to the Big Apple’s public transportation system and an outstanding example of how everyday objects can be recycled instead of thrown away. To collect the cards, Shaheen used Craigslist to assemble a team to help him; they had all 5,000 in just a week. Of his work, Shaheen says:

I was inspired to use these discarded objects–at once very personal and expendable–in a way that reflects the manner in which mass transit joins many diverse lives into a single moment or path together.

And as New York begins to introduce smart, contact-less cards to replace the Metrocards (which are swiped), Shaheen will have a lot more raw material to produce more benches.

Tagged with: 000 Recycled Metrocards • 5 • Bench Made

Sir Richard Branson’s Deep-Sea Submarine to Found Out Ocean’s Unknown Depths

On July 28, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

Our ocean, particularly Deep Ocean, is one of the least explored places on earth. We know just a fraction of what plants and animals live under the waves, and barely understand the complexity of ocean ecosystems. One part of this is because we haven’t spent as much time designing and building the sophisticated tools required for diving into the deepest parts of the sea as we have building space ships. That needs to change, and Sir Richard Branson wants to be a leading figure in that change. He has unveiled the Virgin Oceanic submarine, capable of diving into even the Mariana Trench. But this will be just one of five incredible trenches the submarine is set to explore.

VIrgin Oceanic is a five-journey proposal, which includes the Mariana Trench, the Puerto Rico Trench, the Diamantina Trench, the South Sandwich Trench and the Molloy Deep in the Arctic Ocean.

The team will be Sir Richard Branson and Chris Welsh, an American explorer, and they’ll be working in conjunction with Scripps Institution of Oceanography as well as other top marine science programs. And the submarine is designed by Graham Hawks. The craft will be able to dive 37,000 feet, or about 7 miles deep (about as terrifying a trip as orbiting the moon) and will be made of carbon fiber and titanium to resist the extraordinary pressure. Also, the craft will be able to dive at a rate of 350 feet per minute, which seems quite fast and a round-trip venture to the bottom of the Mariana Trench would take about five hours.

Of course, the features of the submarine that make it an exploration vessel are just as important, and it will have sensors and cameras for recording the voyages and taking measurements for scientists. Here’s a video of the concept:

Tagged with: Deep-Sea Submarine Out Ocean's Unknown Depths • Sir Richard Branson

A new technology for old photographs

On June 12, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

A Canadian student at Concordia University has developed a computer program for old photographs more accurately and efficiently, and thus predicts the future appearance of a person. A breakthrough could be extremely useful when searching for missing persons or fugitives.

It’s part of his memory Khoa Luu, Ph.D., Department ofcomputer and Software Engineering Concordia, working on new methods to assess the age and predict the future appearance more accurately. "We have developed an innovative technique that combines two existing approaches, models and active appearance demotion support vector. This combination has greatly improved the accuracy of age estimation. In tests, our method achieved the best results of all published research, “enthusiastic student, and whose remarks were reported by the research site Planet-techno-science.

Today the work of aging images is mostly done by forensic artists who, if trained anatomy and geometry of the face, cannot provide estimates truly scientific and accurate. For a single person photographed, predictions and artists can be very different from each other.

The computer program developed by Khoa Luu "also relies on a combination of existing technologies"Said he."The human face is changing in different ways throughout life. During growth and development, the physical structure of the face lengthens and widens. In the adult phase of aging, the main changes affects the facial soft tissues. Wrinkles and lines are formed, and the muscles begin to lose their tone"Said he. All these data must be integrated into a computer algorithm, and two functions of aging have been developed to take into account these two different periods of aging at which the faces evolve quite distinct.

Search for missing children or adults, national security investigations, search for fugitives: This technology could prove very useful in many areas, even in the cosmetics industry, "said Khoa Luu.

Tagged with: A new technology • old photographs

New Survey Indicates Electronics Hampering Progress for Energy Efficient Homes

On May 31, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

For 30 years, Americans have invested their money into making their homes more energy efficient. For example, Energy Star has built an entire market of electricity-saving appliances and equipment. More recently, the push to weatherize residential units has been made to reduce the need for power. But a new survey from the Energy Information Agency, a statistical & analytical agency of the U.S. Dept of Energy, shows these measures are not doing enough to improved performance. Why? The short answer is electronics…the more correct and real answer is much more complex.

In the late 1970′s, homes in the US were using about 10.6 quadrillion BTUs every year. Today that number is practically the same. It shouldn’t be. If you look at different types of systems used in houses, you can easily find options that consume less natural gas, electricity and other fuels. Heating systems have greatly improved during the last three decades. The same can be said for air-conditioners, furnaces, boilers and other devices. But homes are bigger, meaning they have more interior space and thereby take more energy to run. Another contributing factor is that more people today have access to things such as central cooling and air-conditioning in general. According to the survey, energy consumed by air-conditioners has multiplied more than 250 percent. This is also because of where homes are being built – namely a huge jump in construction of residential units in the South where it is warmer more often throughout the year.

That’s not to say homes today use more energy. In fact, comparing the average residential units from the 1978 to 2005, you will find they use less. Though the overall amount of energy used is relatively the same, the actual number of homes has increased by many million during the same time period. In 1978, there were 76.6 million while in 2005 that number had grown to more than 111 million. For example, most people have installed such innovations as double or triple-pane energy-efficient windows – 80 percent of all new houses have them as the standard window type. Likewise, consumption of energy for heating has decline during the same period of time because of efficiencies in boilers, furnaces and heat pumps. This is a sign that measures to make residential units more energy efficient is working…to a point. For the same reason the amount of energy for cooling as increase has contributed to the decrease of heating – people are moving to warmer climates. That’s not the only reason for the stagnate levels of energy consumed.

Tagged with: Electronics Hampering Progress • Energy Efficient Homes • New Survey

A clay tablet reveals the oldest text in Europe

On May 25, 2011, In Science and Technology, By Michelle

A plate of clay aged 3000 years was found on a hill Iklena, southwest of Athens. The object is the oldest written text and readable in Europe.

The oldest text in Europe is inscribed on the plate of clay dating back over 3000 years. Michael Cosmopoulos, lecturer at the University of Missouri, directs the operation of the excavations that led to the discovery. Contacted by the AFP reflects on the extraordinary discovery found in an olive grove to 300 kilometers southwest of Athens.

Of all the objects found during the search, the small clay tablet is the oldest of about a century. The professor says: "This is the oldest discovered in Greece wafer, so the oldest in Europe". Archaeologists believe that this is a document created between 1450 and 1350 BC

According National Geographic, the entries noted were made by a scribe in the language of the Mycenaeans of the Bronze Age. The type of writing used is the Linear B signs, each comprising 87 refer to a syllable. This writing was usually used for economic texts. Sur one side of the wafer contained names and numbers and the other a verb tense that refers to making" Said Michael Cosmopoulos.

The fire was allowed to keep the tablet over time

This type of document, usually done for a single budget year, was not meant to be preserved. The tablets were generally either baked or sun-dried and were therefore extremely fragile. If the artifact to have through the ages is probably due to exposure to the fire that helped cook the earth and solidify it. Archaeologists assume that someone at the time would have thrown the tablet in a pit before burning his garbage.

Although the plate has one of the oldest writing styles in Europe, across the world other writings are much older. Inscriptions found in China, Mesopotamia and Egypt are seen to this day as the oldest traces of writing. They are dated to about 3000 BC.

Tagged with: A clay tablet • the oldest text in Europe

Style and Classic Forever

All about style and classic, retain your beauty forever!