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Vitamin Gene Treatment for Migraine

Queensland University of Technology plans to use genetic modifiers in vitamins as a treatment for migraine. This is problematic as health professionals do not really know what migraine is. Botox injections to the forehead has been used successfully to relieve the pain to date. It is quite a "quacky" area of medicine. About the only main factor about it is that it causes a feeling of nausea along with the pain and an aversion to light.

India is the test ground for the gene treatment. A migraine marker in the Parsi population is the target. If vitamins are useful per se, why is the ailment common in the West where we take too many of them? As a child and adolescent I suffered from it. In my opinion it was brought on when the eyes were overworked. Reading small text was a no no for me. As I grew older it faded and I can say I have not had a migraine for 20 years. Have I changed my diet or vitamin intake - not really.

Just how scientists make the link between genes and vitamins is unclear. But then, scientists are clever people. There are many categories of migraine, so pinning down particular genes is going to be difficult. Articles on genes vis-a-vis vitamins is a bit wishy-washy. Researchers are not very specific about how they will go about it.

✴ Genetics by Ty Buchanan ✴

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BAYER Signs Herbicide Development Deal with GRDC Australia

It is not only humans that are becoming resistant to drugs developed to fight disease, chemicals used by farmers to combat crop destroyers are also not working so well. The world's supply of grain is at risk.

Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) signs deal with BAYER

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in Australia is signing a deal with Bayer CropScience. This Herbicide Innovation Partnership aims to find more effective weed-fighting chemicals.

More than 40 Australian researchers will be taken on board at the Bayer’s global centre of excellence in Germany. Australian is a major grain producer and Bayer will target agriculture in this country. Benefits will spread to other countries.

Australian farmers spend $3.25 billion on weed control every year. This is the largest input cost, greater than fertilizer. Resistance to herbicides is pushing the cost higher as growers spray more to defeat weeds.

✴ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ✴

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Bill Shopf's WA Rocks are not Microfossils

The conclusion reached by Bill Schopf that tiny carbon-rich filaments in Pilbara rock of Western Australia show the presence of fossils is now proved to be incorrect. There has been debate about the issue since Bill Schopf made his announcement.

Bill William Shopf Pilbara Rocks Microfossils

Tests indicate that they are just rocks. Professor Martin Brasier first highlighted the problem in 2002, when he claimed that the rocks were part of a high-temperature thermal vein. In other words they were not sedimentary in nature.

New high-spacial resolution examination indicates stacks of clay-like mineral plates in the rocks' structure. Carbon has been absorbed into the worm-like chains giving the impression of cell walls. Carbon distribution was completely wrong for microfossils. The "mischievous" clay plates are the culprit in leading scientists astray in their findings.

Authentic microfossils just as old as the Shopf example have recently been found in Western Australia, so the claim for the oldest fossils still resides with WA.

✴ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ✴

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Body Rhythms are Set by Color as well as light

Light affects us in many ways. Nordic countries have light treatment for citizens who suffer from a depressive outlook due to lack of sunshine during winter. Their circadian rhythms are disrupted. Recently evidence points to the fact that color is important as well.

A study on mice indicates that color signals reaching the eyes are "stored" in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain. It was thought only sunlight was responsible for setting the body clock. This has been brought into question, however. The research controlled the brightness of artificial sky and also added color blended into the level of brightness.

With only dawn sunlight in the test room mice seemed confused and their body temperatures lagged behind the norm by 30 minutes. When orange and blue was added to the dawn light the mice were perfectly normal in behavior and temperature.

It seems the light/color information is stored in suprachiasmic neurons in a special way. Biopsies show a time lag in the firing of these neurons which ties into low body temperatures. Mammals have evolved in tune with this planet. The animal to Earth "bonding" seems to be very close indeed.

✴ Biology by Ty Buchanan ✴

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Australians Love Smart Phones but Still Use PCs

A survey on Australians has brought to light some very interesting results. While we are addicted to mobile phones the PC is not dead. Given a clear choice of having either a smart phone or PC, 61 per cent said they would prefer a mobile phone. This leaves a significant 39 per cent still choosing their PCs. The market for PCs is stable. With PCs lasting a long time and manufacturers selling new systems with old chip versions there is still profit in the long term.

Obviously, people would like to have their smart phones and computers. Significantly, 70 per cent of respondents said they would still choose their cars over smart phones. Car addiction is still paramount. In a choice between phones, desktops and tablets, 50 per cent said they preferred their smart phones while 34 per cent chose their computers. Tablets got 16 per cent.

Australians do take their mobile phones everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Going to bed with a mobile is common as is taking it to the loo. People would have their smart phones on board when leaving the house on any trip. The figure of 34 per cent of users having the mobile as their main phone is really not that high. Note that a broadband connection needs a landline and most Australians still leave their household phone connected.

To do shopping, the majority said the mobile was not good on the Internet. The PC was more efficient and faster. A whopping nine out of ten said they had purchased goods on a PC. The tablet was also quite handy with seven out of ten buying online.

Despite companies pushing personalization of ads, a third of those surveyed said that did not like personal ads on their mobile. This is a dream option as ads provide the funding for the Internet generally. Like with free apps the ads are a nuisance but necessary.

Technology by Ty Buchanan

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New Software for Mining Research

Environmental researchers do not have to take the kitchen sink with them on field trips any more. They can leave GPS camera and notepad behind as they do their work. New software makes this possible.

A single device linked to the Internet now has everything an investigator requires. This is especially so in mining. The Northern Territory has adopted the new system and it is doing all it promises. As farming takes up new technology it would be expected that researchers would do the same.

Capturing information is now very easy indeed with reports being done automatically. Photographs are coordinated with Google Earth maps. Relevant data is also stored. In depth analysis is now possible with the extra time on hand for investigators.

A researchers movement around a site is recorded. This makes monitoring of tasks much easier. The software is a significant step forward. Hours of tedious labor has been reduced. With a solid data bank in hand, looking back on work done previously is now a matter of course.

Technology by Ty Buchanan

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Australian Scientists Reverse Aging

Australian scientists attempt to understand the aging process. In a partnership with Harvard University, the University of New South Wales has found a way to stop aging. Though it has been achieved on mice it has already been applied to humans.

Young youthful genes are turned on while older ones are turned off. Done in the right way, the process can halt and even reverse aging. The triggers are naturally occurring molecules and proteins. Change is made in the muscles and improvement begins in a week.

Hopefully, drugs containing the triggers can be developed. At least this is what the researchers are planning. Tests on humans have shown great promise so far. An extra plus for the "treatment" is that it is anti-inflammatory. Such diseases as inflammatory bowel disease could be sent into remission.

It makes one wonder, however, why findings aren't applied generally much sooner. Leader of the project, Professor David Sinclair a specialist in the field, has been taking the red wine molecule resveratrol for ten years. Why isn't this available for use by the general public?

Health by Ty Buchanan

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Chasm Between Universitis and Industry is Still Wide

Scientists at universities (but not in industry) are jumping up and down welcoming the Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) saying it will breed market culture in science. The odd thing is this isn't the market in operation. It is managed interference in free scientific operations. Why should scientific research be managed at all?

Another thing is, it will be chaired by the Prime Minister Tony Abbott. What does the PM know about science? The truth is he knows no more than the average person. He is not trained in science. The body will give advice. And you know what they say about advice - it is best ignored.

The CSC will not improve the chasm between universities and industry. Academia has a good bond with industry in the US. Just why we cannot do the same in Australia is a mystery. A new referee in the ring like the CSC will not improve the boxing match. Industry and academia remain at odds. The blame really lies on the university side. They still live in their ivory towers being paid huge sums in separation from reality.

CSIRO does the industry-university joint operation well. It points the way to how things should be done. Universities should just copy what CSIRO does. It is as simple as that. There is nothing difficult to it. First though, universities need to get down from their high horses and be in partnership with business - they always want to run the show.

Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan

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Water Diving is Scientifically Unsubstantiated

Water dousing is not a scientifically proven method of finding minerals. CSIRO's chief executive officer has suggested that dousing be put to the test scientifically. Over the years it has been put to the test and found wanting.

Personal experience has highlighted this when a water bore contractor used the system and did not find water. He said that he would have to drill deeper and I would pay for it. I waved the contract at him and said there is no mention of a surcharge in this - you guaranteed to find water.

The claim of 80 per cent accuracy is not true. It is based on heresay and after the fact selection of results. It is like ghosts and life after death. There is no scientific proof that these are real.

The main use of divining is to locate water. As former chief of CSIRO Land and Water John Williams says, “We know where the water is. The trouble is there isn’t much of it." Dr Larry Marshall is a trained scientist. He should know better suggesting dousing. Does he believe that the moon is made of cheese?

Science by Ty Buchanan

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