2011年10月13日 星期四

Coeliac disease

What is coeliac disease?




Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.


In people with coeliac disease, the small intestine becomes inflamed when foods containing gluten are consumed. This inflammation damages the lining of the small intestine, which normally has tiny, finger-like projections called villi that are responsible for absorbing nutrients from food. When the villi are damaged, they may flatten out, making it much more difficult for you to absorb nutrients. 


Possible symptoms may include:

  1. Abdominal pains
  2. Bloating and gas
  3. Diarrhea
  4. Stools that may float or smell very bad
  5. Weight loss
  6. Poor growth or weight loss in children
  7. Anemia (low blood count)
 Other symptoms and signs (consequences) are:
  1. Feeling weak
  2. Fatigue
  3. Low vitamin levels - especially iron, calcium and folate
  4. Bone and joint pains
  5. Osteoporosis (bone thinning)
  6. A skin rash that lasts
  7. Infertility
  8. Neurological Deficits (neuropathy)
  9. Liver enzyme abnormalities

 Treatment for coeliac disease

There is no cure for coeliac disease, but it can be treated with a gluten-free diet. Most people find that once gluten is excluded from their diet, their symptoms improve dramatically because the inflammation in the small intestine resolves quickly, and any damage to its lining can heal. People with coeliac disease need to stick to the gluten-free diet for the rest of their lives to prevent further inflammation.
It’s important to note that you should not have started a gluten-free diet before being tested for coeliac disease, because this can alter your test results and make the diagnosis more difficult.
A dietitian or nutritionist can advise you on how to exclude gluten from your diet and suggest healthy eating alternatives. You will most likely become an expert in reading food labels and knowing which foods are best avoided.
A small number of people who have severely damaged small intestines don’t improve straight away with a gluten-free diet. These people may need medicines to help reduce the inflammation, such as corticosteroids. Some people may also need to be treated for nutritional deficiencies, usually with vitamin and mineral supplements.


2011年9月22日 星期四

Recycling of metals


What will happen to the world if there are no more metals?

If there are no more metals, the world will be backward and all tools will make of wood. The war will never start again unless you have to use wood weapon to fight.
And we use several different metals in our bodies for different functions. Calcium makes our bones stronger, for example, and iron is an important part of hemoglobin, which lets us distribute oxygen throughout our bodies. Potassium is important for providing ions in our central nervous system's electrical circuits and considering the core of the Earth consists of Nickel which is a metal. If there do not have metals, we do not have a planet.
So we cannot live without metal. It is impossible.

Is it important to recycle metal? Thus what are the reasons to recycle metals?

Obviously it makes more sense to make use of available resources, particularly when it is easy to do so, rather than to continually deplete the earth's natural resources. The main environmental benefits involved in recycling metal are as follows:

1.      Save energy, fuel and money

2.      Saves valuable finite natural mineral resources

3.      Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

4.      Reduce pollution of landfill, water and air

5.      Decrease environmental damage caused by mining

6.      Lowers waste

Isn’t it easier to obtain metals through its original form through extraction of metals?

It depends. The metals like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and aluminium are extracted by the process of electrolysis. Highly electro positive metals are extracted by electrolysis.. Metals which are higher in electrochemical series are extracted by electrolysis.
Generally speaking, the method of extraction depends on the metals position in the reactivity series
The reactivity series of metals can be presented to include two non-metals, carbon and hydrogen, to help predict which method could be used to extract the metal.



Ways to recycle

The recycling process for metal is similar to those of other materials. It is best described in four stages:
1.      Collection
2.      Processing
3.      Shredding
4.      Selling




1. Have the delivery company for your new appliance, take the old with them. These companies can either recycle the unit or properly dispose of it

2. Have a professional disassemble your appliance and take the appropriate materials to recyclers in your area

3. If the appliance is still working, sell it on online, donate it to ta charity or give it to a friend.

2011年9月15日 星期四

MTV

MTV is file format supposedly created to allow video playback capabilities on inexpensive Chinese-made portable MP4 players without increasing the cost of those players with the license royalties (and more processor power).
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.
MTV (Music Television) just celebrated its 10th birthday recently and in its decade of existence has experienced some problems. MTV started strong but then lost steam; however, currently it has revitalized itself.

MTV has many ways to effect our youths. Sexual and violent has been used a lots in MTV. Since TV commercials use sex to get attention and link their product with pleasurable feelings; and since music videos are merely commercials, it comes as no surprise that MTV contains sex as well as violence. It is also no surprise that MTV, like many other media, has come under fire for its sex and violence. Not only are violence and sexual a major issue, but content foul language is a huge part of MTV's line up.

 I am not often to watch MTV, because I think some of them are no meaning inside the video, so I do not bother to watch no meaning MTV. But I love to watch a MTV with a story inside.

2011年8月12日 星期五

Trip to Vietnam



Depart:
 
 
 Return:
 
14:10 PMHanoi 0:35 AM (+1) Singapore  $160.85
 
 172.54+160.85=333.39
  

Asia Paradise Hotel

34B Hang Tre Hoan Kiem (map) - 0.36 km - Hotel
                   
                   Private Rooms: S$26-46
 
                   $20/day for meals
 
333.39 + 182(hotel-7days) + 140(meals-7days) = 655.39

Hotel cars
 
H anoi however is quite a bit further, and can take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour depending where you are staying. The cost here is considerably more between $ 24 - $60.
 
Alternative

Bicycles can be rented out for around $ 2 per day, they are a bit wobbly, but good fun and a great way of travelling around.
Motorbikes are between $5-9 a day, although I will let you decide whether insurance is included.
 
Shopping: 1344.61

2011年8月11日 星期四

Indigestion

Indigestion is also called an upset stomach or dyspepsia. 

It causes upper abdominal discomfort or pain, fullness, heartburn (acid reflux), belching, etc. Often because of chest tightness, early satiety, bloating, etc.  Occasionally, heartburn is one of the symptoms.


Common causes of indigestion:

Eating particular foods, drinking alcoholic or carbonated beverages, smoking
Eating too fast or too much
Eating fatty or spicy foods, drinking too much caffeine, or eating too much high-fiber foods.
Certain stomach problems, like gastritis (stomach inflammation) or an ulcer.
Antibiotics, Aspirin and Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) will also cause this problem.



Indigestion Prevention

Some people can eat anything and they never get upset stomachs. But other people are more sensitive to food and they might find certain ones just don't agree with them. If you discover one of these foods, it's best not to eat a lot of them or skip them entirely. 

  • Eating several small, low-fat meals throughout the day at a slow pace

  • As much as possible, avoid fatty, greasy foods, like fries and burgers.

  • Refraining from smoking

  • Eat slowly
  • Don't it too much  much chocolate
  • Getting enough rest
  • Abstaining from consuming coffee, carbonated beverages, and alcohol


       http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/indigestion/#what

2011年7月6日 星期三

Solving the mystery of chemical formulae


Modern chemical nomenclature started with Berzeluis, one of the so-called fathers of chemistry, back in the early 1800s. He said that chemicals should be named by what they are, not by where they came from. (After all, you can find malic acid elsewhere, like in cherries.) He created the system of 1-letter and 2-letter atomic symbols taught today in secondary school, with the letters taken from the Latin words for the element (hence "Pb" for plumbum; lead).
He proposed that compounds be described by chemical formulas based on their elemental composition.


There are two "rules" that can be used for learning the nomenclature of polyatomic ions.

First, when the prefix bi- is added to a name, a hydrogen is added to the ion's formula and its charge is increased by 1, the latter being a consequence of the hydrogen ion carrying a +1 charge. An alternate to the bi- prefix is to use the word hydrogen in its place: the anion derived from H+ + CO32, HCO3 can be called either bicarbonate or hydrogen carbonate.

Note that many of the common polyatomic anions are conjugate bases of acids derived from the oxides of non-metallic elements. For example the sulfate anion, SO42, is derived from H2SO4 which can be regarded as SO3 + H2O.

The second rule looks at the number of oxygens in an ion. 

First, think of the -ate ion as being the "base" name, in which case the addition of a per- prefix adds an oxygen. Changing the -ate suffix to -ite will reduce the oxygens by one, and keeping the suffix -ite and adding the prefix hypo- reduces the number of oxygens by two. In all situations, the charge is not affected. The naming pattern follows within many different oxyanion series based on a standard root for that particular series. The -ite has one less oxygen than the -ate, but different -ate anions might have different numbers of oxygen atoms.
These rules will not work with all polyatomic ions, but they do work with the most common ones (sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, chlorate).

Ite at the end of an ion means that the compound has 2 oxygen and -ate means there is 3 oxygen.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyatomic_ion

2011年5月2日 星期一

Global Warming


What is Global Warming?
Global Warming is the increase of Earth's average surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect.

For the past few decades, scientists have observed that the cause of global warming has been due to the increase of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The higher the concentration of these greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, ozone in the atmosphere, the more heat is reflected back to the earth.

Stage1




The earth receives heat from the sun. not all the heat from the sun is absorbed into the earth’s surface.

Stage2


Most of the sunlight is radiated back into the atmosphere before going into space. The earth’s atmosphere becomes warm.  

Stage3


The radiated sunlight is reflected back to Earth because of these greenhouse gases. This process where heat is reflected back by the atmosphere is called greenhouse.


The Consequences of Global Warming


As the concentration of greenhouse gases grows, more heat is trapped in the atmosphere and less escapes back into space. This increase in trapped heat changes the climate and alters weather patterns, which may hasten species extinction, influence the length of seasons, cause coastal flooding, and lead to more frequent and severe storms.

  http://haildubyus.com/2006/02/21/apologies-to-stephen-colbert-but-todays-topic-is-bears/


It also cause polar ice caps melting
The ice caps melting is a four-pronged danger.
First, it will raise sea levels. There are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if all glaciers melted today the seas would rise about 230 feet. Luckily, that’s not going to happen all in one go! But sea levels will rise.
Second, melting ice caps will throw the global ecosystem out of balance. The ice caps are fresh water, and when they melt they will desalinate the ocean, or in plain English - make it less salty. The desalinization of the gulf current will "screw up" ocean currents, which regulate temperatures. The stream shutdown or irregularity would cool the area around north-east America and Western Europe. Luckily, that will slow some of the other effects of global warming in that area!
Third, temperature rises and changing landscapes in the artic circle will endanger several species of animals. Only the most adaptable will survive.
Fourth, global warming could snowball with the ice caps gone. Ice caps are white, and reflect sunlight, much of which is relected back into space, further cooling Earth. If the ice caps melt, the only reflector is the ocean. Darker colors absorb sunlight, further warming the Earth.



Human Activities and Greenhouse Gases


Human activities also add significantly to the level of naturally occurring greenhouse gases:
  • Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by the burning of solid waste, wood and wood products, and fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal).

  • Nitrous oxide emissions occur during various agricultural and industrial processes, and when solid waste or fossil fuels are burned.

  • Methane is emitted when organic waste decomposes, whether in landfills or in connection with livestock farming. Methane emissions also occur during the production and transport of fossil fuels.



How to stop global warming?



There are the some easy ways to prevent global warming. Everyone can do it!

1) Turn off lights when they are not in use. Although the light bulb itself does not emit gases, the power plants that are powering it.
2) Whenever possible, use a fan instead of air conditioning.
3) Keep a car tuned up. When it is running properly, it emits fewer harmful gases.
4) Walk or ride a bike when it's possible.
5) Recycle. Un-recycled garbage ends up in a landfill, which produces methane. In addition, recycled goods require less energy to produce than products made from scratch.
6) Plant trees and other plant life whenever possible. Plants take carbon dioxide out of the air and release oxygen.
7) Don't burn garbage. This releases carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons into the atmosphere.

We can use the poster, flyers and give seminar talks to educate the people.
 We also can hold some school activity about global warming.


Source :http://www.nmsea.org/Curriculum/Primer/Global_Warming/fossil_fuels_and_global_warming.htm
http://www.sirusti.com/surya/eco/globalwarmingintro.html

Article is for reference only.

2011年4月21日 星期四

Javan rhinoceros


Common Name: Javan rhinoceros, lesser one-horned rhino
Scientific Name: Rhinoceros sondaicus
Range States: Indonesia, Vietnam
Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Location: Western Indonesia, Eastern Indochina
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
CITES: Appendix I
Population: 40-60 in Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia; no more than 8 in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam




http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=zh-TW&tab=ii

Javan Rhinoceros Range

 
The Javan Rhinoceros (Sunda Rhinoceros to be more precise) or Lesser One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It belongs to the same genus as the Indian Rhinoceros, and has similar mosaicked skin which resembles armor, but at 3.1–3.2 m (10–10.5 feet) in length and 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.8 ft) in height, it is smaller than the Indian Rhinoceros, and is closer in size to the Black Rhinoceros. Its horn is usually less than 25 cm (10 inches), smaller than those of the other rhino species.

The Javan rhino prefers tall grass and reed beds in lowland rain forests with a good supply of water and plentiful mud wallows. Formerly, it generally preferred low-lying areas. Although it now occupies hilly areas up to 2000 m (6550'), this likely is a result of being driven into suboptimal upland habitats due to the pressure of human settlement in lowland areas. In Vietnam it occurs on very steep hills covered with thick bamboo and rattan stands. The Javan rhino is primarily a browser. Its diet consists of shoots, twigs, young foliage and fallen fruit. It is diurnal and nocturnal. It remains near water and enjoys bathing and wallowing in mud. Javan rhinos are mostly solitary except for mating pairs and mothers with young. The male is probably territorial, marking his territory with dung piles and urine pools. He encounters potential mates at suitable muddy wallows.

There are two major reasons for the Javan rhino's decline.  The first one is poaching of the rhino for its horn.  Rhino horn is valued highly for use in Oriental medicine (as a drug to reduce fever), and in Yemen horns are carved to make traditional dagger handles. The second reason is habitat loss due to clearing of lowland forest. The most critical threat to the Javan rhinos in Vietnam is the continued conversion of forestland into agricultural land.

People have to stop their hunting and damage to the environment. Placing them in protected areas and to help them breed.


In 1998, WWF created the Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy (AREAS) in recognition of the fact that conservation success will only be possible through a wide-ranging approach that goes beyond protecting isolated areas and addresses issues of land-use practices.

Through AREAS, WWF is working with law-makers and law-enforcement agencies to actively patrol rhino habitats to prevent poaching, and to pursue, capture, and prosecute any currently active poachers.
WWF also works with communities to reduce human-rhino conflict, protect forested corridors used by rhinos and other species to move between habitats, and create buffer zones around protected areas and between forests and human settlements and farms.

FOOD CHAIN

Javan rhino: shoots, twigs, young foliage, fallen fruit, and branches from saplings

As the previous answer indicates, rhinos are seldom preyed upon by other organisms due to their sheer size and power. However baby rhinos do occasionally fall victim to carnivorous predators, but again this is rare. This means that rhinos are the primary consumers in the food chain and are the top of their food chain.

Source :

      



2011年2月17日 星期四

The differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells


The differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells

Prokaryotic cell is much smaller than Eukaryotic cell.
Eukaryotic cell-, where eu means true (true), karyon means nuclear, that is a complete nuclear envelope as the boundary of the nucleus
Prokaryotic cells -, where pro means before (before), which evolved before the complete nucleus. Its nucleus is not complete, that no nuclear membrane as the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the sub-boundaries.
Eukaryotic cells have a true nucleus but Prokaryotic cells have no nucleus.
DNA of prokaryotic cells with little protein but the organization of eukaryotic cells whose DNA contains a lot of complex structure of protein and both are used for the synthesis of ribosomal proteins are not the same size and composition.
Prokaryotic cells have a single strand of DNA, Eukaryotic cells are double-stranded DNA. Some of prokaryotic cells genetic information stored in the RNA, the genetic information of eukaryotic cells all stored in the DNA.






Eukaryotic Cell
  Prokaryotic Cell

Mitochondria
Present
Absent

Chloroplasts
Present (in plants)
Absent

Plasma membrane with steriod
Yes
Usually no

Flagella
Microscopic in size; membrane bound; usually arranged as nine doublets surrounding two singlets
Submicroscopic in size, composed of only one fiber

Lysosomes and peroxisomes
Present
Absent

Microtubules
Present
Absent or rare

Nucleolus
Present
Absent

Mitosis Occurs
Yes
No

Gentic Recombination
Meitosis and fusion gametes
Partial, undirectional transfers DNA

Number of chromozones
More than one
One

DNA complexed histones
Yes
No

True Membrane bound Nucluas
Present
Absent

Cell wall
Chemically simpler
Usually chemically complexed

Golgi apparatus
Present
Absent

Endoplasmi reticulum
Present
Absent

Differentation
Tissue and organs
Radimentary

Ribosomes
80S expecially in Mitchindia and chloroplast
70S

Cytoskeleton
Present
May be absent


From:
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Eukaryotic_Cell_vs_Prokaryotic_Cell




 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ASXK6RG_f0&feature=player_embedded