Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Treating Jellyfish Stings and Man-o-War Stings
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2011/06/01/treating-jellyfish-stings-and-man-o-war-stings.htm
It's beach weather! The ocean is full of fun, but it's also full of wildlife, including jellyfish. Do you know what to do if you or someone with you sees a jellyfish or is stung by one? You should know the answer to these questions before you go to the beach, since an encounter with a jellyfish can be a painful or possibly lethal experience. As a matter of practical chemistry, your biggest risk from a jellyfish or man of war sting may come from improper first aid intended to deal with the venom, so pay attention...
Question: What should you do if you see a jellyfish?
Best Answer: Leave it alone.
If it's in the water, get away from it. If it's on the beach and you need to walk around it, walk above it (dune side) rather than below it (surf side), since it may be trailing tentacles. Keep in mind a jellyfish does not need to be alive in order to sting you. Detached tentacles are capable of stinging and releasing venom for several weeks.
My Actual Answer: It depends what kind of jellyfish it is.
I realize if it looks like floating jelly, it's considered a 'jellyfish', but there are different types of jellyfish and also animals that look like jellyfish but are something else entirely. Not all jellyfish can hurt you. The jellyball pictured above, for example, is common off the coast of South Carolina, where I live. What do you do when you see one? If you are a kid, you'll probably pick it up and throw it at another kid (unless it's alive and then you avoid it because they kind of hurt when the waves throws one at you). This is a non-venomous jellyfish. Most parts of the world have non-venomous jellyfish, which tend to be easy-to-spot. It's the jellyfish you don't see that present the biggest threat. Many jellyfish are transparent, like the one pictured below. You probably won't see them in the water, so if you are stung you won't know exactly what got you. If you see a jellyfish and don't know what type it is, treat it like a venomous species and get away from it.
Question: How do I treat a jellyfish sting?
Answer: Act quickly and calmly to remove the tentacles, stop the stinging, and deactivate any toxin.
Here is where people get confused, because the best steps to take depend on what type of animal caused the sting. Here's a good basic strategy, especially if you don't know what caused the sting:
1.Get out of the water. It's easier to deal with the sting and it takes drowning out of the equation.
2.Rinse the affected area with sea water. Do not use fresh water! Fresh water will cause any stinging cells that haven't fired (called nematocysts) to do so and release their venom, possibly worsening the situation. Do not rub sand on the area (same reason).
3.If you see any tentacles, carefully lift them off the skin and remove them with a stick, shell, credit card, or towel (just not your bare hand). They will stick to swimwear, so use caution touching clothing.
4.Keep an eye on the victim. If you see any signs of an allergic reaction, call 911 immediately. Symptoms could include difficulty breathing, nausea, or dizziness. Some redness and swelling is normal, but if it spreads outward from the sting or if you see hives on other parts of the body, that could indicate an allergic response. If you suspect a reaction, do not hesitate to seek medical attention!
5.Now... if you are sure the sting is from a jellyfish and not a Portuguese Man of War (shown below, the Man of War is not a true jellyfish) or any other animal, you can use chemistry to your advantage to inactivate the toxin, which is a protein. (Technically the venom tends to be a mixture of polypeptides and proteins including catecholamines, histamine, hyaluronidase, fibrolysins, kinins, phospholipases, and assorted toxins). How do you inactivate proteins? You can change the temperature or acidity by applying heat or an acid or base, such as vinegar or baking soda or diluted ammonia, or even an enzyme, such as the papain found in papaya and meat tenderizer. However, chemicals may cause the stinging cells to fire, which is bad news for someone allergic to jellyfish toxin or anyone stung by a Portuguese Man of War. If you do not know what caused the sting or if you suspect it is from a Man of War, do not apply fresh water or any chemical. Your best course of action is to apply heat to the affected area, since it penetrates the skin and inactivates the toxin without causing more venom to be injected. Also, heat quickly helps alleviate the pain of the sting. Hot seawater is great, but if you don't have that handy, use any warmed object.
6.Some people carry aloe vera gel, Benadryl cream, or hydrocortisone cream. I'm not sure how effective the aloe is, but Benadryl is an antihistamine, which may help limit an allergic response to the sting. Hydrocortisone can help reduce inflammation. If you seek medical attention and used Benadryl or hydrocortisone, be sure to alert the medical professionals. Acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen commonly are used to relieve pain.
The Portuguese Man of War (Physalia physalis) looks a lot like a jellyfish, but it is a different animal. While the blue or pink sail cannot harm you, the trailing tentacles pack a potentially-lethal sting. The tentacles can sting you even if the animal is dead.
It's beach weather! The ocean is full of fun, but it's also full of wildlife, including jellyfish. Do you know what to do if you or someone with you sees a jellyfish or is stung by one? You should know the answer to these questions before you go to the beach, since an encounter with a jellyfish can be a painful or possibly lethal experience. As a matter of practical chemistry, your biggest risk from a jellyfish or man of war sting may come from improper first aid intended to deal with the venom, so pay attention...
Question: What should you do if you see a jellyfish?
Best Answer: Leave it alone.
If it's in the water, get away from it. If it's on the beach and you need to walk around it, walk above it (dune side) rather than below it (surf side), since it may be trailing tentacles. Keep in mind a jellyfish does not need to be alive in order to sting you. Detached tentacles are capable of stinging and releasing venom for several weeks.
My Actual Answer: It depends what kind of jellyfish it is.
I realize if it looks like floating jelly, it's considered a 'jellyfish', but there are different types of jellyfish and also animals that look like jellyfish but are something else entirely. Not all jellyfish can hurt you. The jellyball pictured above, for example, is common off the coast of South Carolina, where I live. What do you do when you see one? If you are a kid, you'll probably pick it up and throw it at another kid (unless it's alive and then you avoid it because they kind of hurt when the waves throws one at you). This is a non-venomous jellyfish. Most parts of the world have non-venomous jellyfish, which tend to be easy-to-spot. It's the jellyfish you don't see that present the biggest threat. Many jellyfish are transparent, like the one pictured below. You probably won't see them in the water, so if you are stung you won't know exactly what got you. If you see a jellyfish and don't know what type it is, treat it like a venomous species and get away from it.
Question: How do I treat a jellyfish sting?
Answer: Act quickly and calmly to remove the tentacles, stop the stinging, and deactivate any toxin.
Here is where people get confused, because the best steps to take depend on what type of animal caused the sting. Here's a good basic strategy, especially if you don't know what caused the sting:
1.Get out of the water. It's easier to deal with the sting and it takes drowning out of the equation.
2.Rinse the affected area with sea water. Do not use fresh water! Fresh water will cause any stinging cells that haven't fired (called nematocysts) to do so and release their venom, possibly worsening the situation. Do not rub sand on the area (same reason).
3.If you see any tentacles, carefully lift them off the skin and remove them with a stick, shell, credit card, or towel (just not your bare hand). They will stick to swimwear, so use caution touching clothing.
4.Keep an eye on the victim. If you see any signs of an allergic reaction, call 911 immediately. Symptoms could include difficulty breathing, nausea, or dizziness. Some redness and swelling is normal, but if it spreads outward from the sting or if you see hives on other parts of the body, that could indicate an allergic response. If you suspect a reaction, do not hesitate to seek medical attention!
5.Now... if you are sure the sting is from a jellyfish and not a Portuguese Man of War (shown below, the Man of War is not a true jellyfish) or any other animal, you can use chemistry to your advantage to inactivate the toxin, which is a protein. (Technically the venom tends to be a mixture of polypeptides and proteins including catecholamines, histamine, hyaluronidase, fibrolysins, kinins, phospholipases, and assorted toxins). How do you inactivate proteins? You can change the temperature or acidity by applying heat or an acid or base, such as vinegar or baking soda or diluted ammonia, or even an enzyme, such as the papain found in papaya and meat tenderizer. However, chemicals may cause the stinging cells to fire, which is bad news for someone allergic to jellyfish toxin or anyone stung by a Portuguese Man of War. If you do not know what caused the sting or if you suspect it is from a Man of War, do not apply fresh water or any chemical. Your best course of action is to apply heat to the affected area, since it penetrates the skin and inactivates the toxin without causing more venom to be injected. Also, heat quickly helps alleviate the pain of the sting. Hot seawater is great, but if you don't have that handy, use any warmed object.
6.Some people carry aloe vera gel, Benadryl cream, or hydrocortisone cream. I'm not sure how effective the aloe is, but Benadryl is an antihistamine, which may help limit an allergic response to the sting. Hydrocortisone can help reduce inflammation. If you seek medical attention and used Benadryl or hydrocortisone, be sure to alert the medical professionals. Acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen commonly are used to relieve pain.
The Portuguese Man of War (Physalia physalis) looks a lot like a jellyfish, but it is a different animal. While the blue or pink sail cannot harm you, the trailing tentacles pack a potentially-lethal sting. The tentacles can sting you even if the animal is dead.
Why do smart kids grow up to be heavier drinkers?
http://theweek.com/article/index/208561/why-do-smart-kids-grow-up-to-be-heavier-drinkers
Best Opinion: Psychology Today, Food & Wine Blog, The Frisky
Don't worry, all that excessive drinking is just a sign of your intelligence. According to two long-term studies — one American, one British — there's a correlation between smarts and a thirst for alcohol. The "more intelligent children in both studies grew up to drink alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities than less intelligent children," says Liz Day at Discover. Why might this be the case?
It's all about evolution: Drinking alcohol was "unintentional, accidental, and haphazard until about 10,000 years ago," says Satoshi Kanazawaat at Psychology Today. Smart people are generally early adopters and, in the context of human history, "the substance [alcohol] and the method of consumption are both evolutionarily novel."
"Why intelligent people drink more alcohol"
Alcohol makes up for boring early years: "I'm surprised" by the findings, says Joanne Hinkel at The Frisky, so "here’s my pop-psychology theory" to explain it: "All that studying in childhood repressed kids so much that they’re still trying to compensate well into adulthood for all that fun they missed." Granted, that's just a theory.
"Brain types booze more — are you surprised?"
Drinking is the only way to deal with morons: Smart people "booze so we can tolerate everyone else," says Greg at Food & Wine Blog. When sober, we tend to "take people’s responses at literal face value." But after a few drinks, "we can relax a bit, stop being so anal with semantics and let comments slide a bit."
Best Opinion: Psychology Today, Food & Wine Blog, The Frisky
Don't worry, all that excessive drinking is just a sign of your intelligence. According to two long-term studies — one American, one British — there's a correlation between smarts and a thirst for alcohol. The "more intelligent children in both studies grew up to drink alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities than less intelligent children," says Liz Day at Discover. Why might this be the case?
It's all about evolution: Drinking alcohol was "unintentional, accidental, and haphazard until about 10,000 years ago," says Satoshi Kanazawaat at Psychology Today. Smart people are generally early adopters and, in the context of human history, "the substance [alcohol] and the method of consumption are both evolutionarily novel."
"Why intelligent people drink more alcohol"
Alcohol makes up for boring early years: "I'm surprised" by the findings, says Joanne Hinkel at The Frisky, so "here’s my pop-psychology theory" to explain it: "All that studying in childhood repressed kids so much that they’re still trying to compensate well into adulthood for all that fun they missed." Granted, that's just a theory.
"Brain types booze more — are you surprised?"
Drinking is the only way to deal with morons: Smart people "booze so we can tolerate everyone else," says Greg at Food & Wine Blog. When sober, we tend to "take people’s responses at literal face value." But after a few drinks, "we can relax a bit, stop being so anal with semantics and let comments slide a bit."
Australian volcanoes overdue an eruption warn scientists
The people of Australia have been warned that volcanoes in Western Victoria and South Australia are overdue for eruptions potentially affecting thousands of people.
A team from the University of Melbourne's School of Earth Sciences and the Melbourne School of Engineering used the latest techniques to date small volcanoes and have found that eruptions should occur once every 2,000 years.
That means, that Mount Gambier, which last erupted over 5,000 years ago, is long overdue a blow-out.
"Although the volcanoes in the region don't erupt on a regular sequence, the likelihood of an eruption is high given the average gap in the past has been 2,000 years," Professor Joyce said.
"These are small eruptions and very localised but depending on the type of eruption, they could cause devastation to thousands of people," he said.
The volcanoes in Western Victoria and adjacent south-eastern South Australia are young monogenetic (single short-lived activity) volcanoes and this type of volcano is also found in northeast Queensland.
They offer several threats to populations said Professor Joyce.
"Among the hazards which may need to be prepared for in this closely-settled region are the localised effects of cone building leading to lava flows which run downhill towards the coast.
"The long lasting and often extensive lava flows can travel for tens of kilometres, and so would be hazardous to modern infrastructure such as bridges, roads and railways, power lines and pipelines, as well as being a major fire hazard on the dry grassland plains of summer in Western Victoria."
"In some cases rising magma can meet ground water and cause steam explosions. This can form wide craters and produce a lot of ash."
"Depending on where the eruption occurs, ash can cause huge damage to people who are down wind, clogging up streams, road and rail transport and perhaps affecting local air travel," he said.
The Australian tectonic plate is on the move say the scientists.
"The plate is hitting up against PNG, lifting the southern margin upwards. This allows magma to move upwards towards the surface," Professor Joyce said.
He is concerned that no plans are in place to deal with eruptions or seismic activity.
The research was presented by Professor Joyce at the XXV International Congress of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) yesterday
A team from the University of Melbourne's School of Earth Sciences and the Melbourne School of Engineering used the latest techniques to date small volcanoes and have found that eruptions should occur once every 2,000 years.
That means, that Mount Gambier, which last erupted over 5,000 years ago, is long overdue a blow-out.
"Although the volcanoes in the region don't erupt on a regular sequence, the likelihood of an eruption is high given the average gap in the past has been 2,000 years," Professor Joyce said.
"These are small eruptions and very localised but depending on the type of eruption, they could cause devastation to thousands of people," he said.
The volcanoes in Western Victoria and adjacent south-eastern South Australia are young monogenetic (single short-lived activity) volcanoes and this type of volcano is also found in northeast Queensland.
They offer several threats to populations said Professor Joyce.
"Among the hazards which may need to be prepared for in this closely-settled region are the localised effects of cone building leading to lava flows which run downhill towards the coast.
"The long lasting and often extensive lava flows can travel for tens of kilometres, and so would be hazardous to modern infrastructure such as bridges, roads and railways, power lines and pipelines, as well as being a major fire hazard on the dry grassland plains of summer in Western Victoria."
"In some cases rising magma can meet ground water and cause steam explosions. This can form wide craters and produce a lot of ash."
"Depending on where the eruption occurs, ash can cause huge damage to people who are down wind, clogging up streams, road and rail transport and perhaps affecting local air travel," he said.
The Australian tectonic plate is on the move say the scientists.
"The plate is hitting up against PNG, lifting the southern margin upwards. This allows magma to move upwards towards the surface," Professor Joyce said.
He is concerned that no plans are in place to deal with eruptions or seismic activity.
The research was presented by Professor Joyce at the XXV International Congress of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) yesterday
How do fish get into volcanic lakes?
After a volcanic eruption and the cooling process, the crater fills with water. And at some undetermined time, someone discovers this new lake. And finds it has fish in it. How did they get there?
I looked for recorded examples and found out that after the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's volcano, the lake below was filled by the avalanche of debris. There is no way any fish could have survived the eruption or the period afterwards when the lake was depleted of oxygen by bacteria. But fish were later found here. It's likely that fish could have survived in the ice covered waters near to the lake and were washed down into the lake to re-colonize it with fish. Perhaps this is how fish end up in volcanic lakes - they are washed in from another area of water. If the lake is fed by a stream then this could be an explanation, but where rain appears to be the only source of water, it is harder to explain. It is also a possibility that the lakes are illegally stocked with fish by keen fishers, although this is unlikely. Who wants to climb a volcano just for a spot of fishing?
A more interesting explanation could be that twisters or whirlwinds pick up fish from one lake and carry them to another. This may seem a little far fetched but there are plenty of examples of where it has literally rained fish. Obviously it would have to be a pretty strong whirlwind to carry a fully grown salmon-sized fish (it would really hurt if one of these dropped out of the sky onto you!) but smaller fish are more easily picked up by the wind. During thunderstorms small whirlwinds and mini-tornados are formed easily and when they move across water they pick up small debris such as fish, fish roe and frogs. The little creatures can be carried for miles before the clouds open and rain brings them back to Earth.
Another method of transportation could be via birds. After a picking up a tasty snack in a lake, Mr Bird proudly carries it home to show his kids but unfortunately is caught in a freak gust of wind and the slippery fishy manages to wriggle out of his beak and falls to Earth to populate a previously uninhabited lake. Or maybe the birds spread the fish roe between lakes. Lets see what Charles Darwin has to say on the matter in his 'Origin of the Species':
"When ducks suddenly emerge from a pond covered with duck-weed, I have twice seen these little plants adhering to their backs; and it has happened to me, in removing a little duck-weed from one aquarium to another, that I have unintentionally stocked the one with fresh-water shells from the other. But another agency is perhaps more effectual: I suspended the feet of a duck in an aquarium, where many ova of fresh-water shells were hatching; and I found that numbers of the extremely minute and just-hatched shells crawled on the feet, and clung to them so firmly that when taken out of the water they could not be jarred off, though at a somewhat more advanced age they would voluntarily drop off. These just-hatched mollusks, though aquatic in their nature, survived on the duck's feet, in damp air, from twelve to twenty hours; and in this length of time a duck or heron might fly at least six or seven hundred miles, and if blown across the sea to an oceanic island, or to any other distant point, would be sure to alight on a pool or rivulet."
So fish's eggs could potentially get stuck to birds who have recently visited one lake and be deposited in the next. Well traveled little fish!
I looked for recorded examples and found out that after the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's volcano, the lake below was filled by the avalanche of debris. There is no way any fish could have survived the eruption or the period afterwards when the lake was depleted of oxygen by bacteria. But fish were later found here. It's likely that fish could have survived in the ice covered waters near to the lake and were washed down into the lake to re-colonize it with fish. Perhaps this is how fish end up in volcanic lakes - they are washed in from another area of water. If the lake is fed by a stream then this could be an explanation, but where rain appears to be the only source of water, it is harder to explain. It is also a possibility that the lakes are illegally stocked with fish by keen fishers, although this is unlikely. Who wants to climb a volcano just for a spot of fishing?
A more interesting explanation could be that twisters or whirlwinds pick up fish from one lake and carry them to another. This may seem a little far fetched but there are plenty of examples of where it has literally rained fish. Obviously it would have to be a pretty strong whirlwind to carry a fully grown salmon-sized fish (it would really hurt if one of these dropped out of the sky onto you!) but smaller fish are more easily picked up by the wind. During thunderstorms small whirlwinds and mini-tornados are formed easily and when they move across water they pick up small debris such as fish, fish roe and frogs. The little creatures can be carried for miles before the clouds open and rain brings them back to Earth.
Another method of transportation could be via birds. After a picking up a tasty snack in a lake, Mr Bird proudly carries it home to show his kids but unfortunately is caught in a freak gust of wind and the slippery fishy manages to wriggle out of his beak and falls to Earth to populate a previously uninhabited lake. Or maybe the birds spread the fish roe between lakes. Lets see what Charles Darwin has to say on the matter in his 'Origin of the Species':
"When ducks suddenly emerge from a pond covered with duck-weed, I have twice seen these little plants adhering to their backs; and it has happened to me, in removing a little duck-weed from one aquarium to another, that I have unintentionally stocked the one with fresh-water shells from the other. But another agency is perhaps more effectual: I suspended the feet of a duck in an aquarium, where many ova of fresh-water shells were hatching; and I found that numbers of the extremely minute and just-hatched shells crawled on the feet, and clung to them so firmly that when taken out of the water they could not be jarred off, though at a somewhat more advanced age they would voluntarily drop off. These just-hatched mollusks, though aquatic in their nature, survived on the duck's feet, in damp air, from twelve to twenty hours; and in this length of time a duck or heron might fly at least six or seven hundred miles, and if blown across the sea to an oceanic island, or to any other distant point, would be sure to alight on a pool or rivulet."
So fish's eggs could potentially get stuck to birds who have recently visited one lake and be deposited in the next. Well traveled little fish!
http://www.tripadvisor.com/InfoCenter-a_ctr.palaces__5F__en
http://www.tripadvisor.com/InfoCenter-a_ctr.palaces__5F__en
2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/lamborghini/2012-lamborghini-aventador-lp700-4-ar100112.html
The 9/11 rescue dogs: Portraits of the last surviving animals who scoured Ground Zero one decade on
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2033628/Surviving-9-11-rescue-dogs-scoured-Ground-Zero-bodies-commemorated-decade-difficult-mission.html
GAJAH PUTIH VILLA
http://www.balivillaworldwide.com/bali_villa/bali_villa_perarea/Canggu/bali_villa_gajah_putih.htm
CATALOG TV: D.I.Y. Series, Nebula-inspired Jeans [HQ]
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150276980514302&oid=120508340762&comments
Rothschild Is Now In TBTF Plunge Protection Business
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/rothschild-now-tbtf-plunge-protection-business
Yoga for Dogs
http://in.news.yahoo.com/photos/yoga-for-dogs-1313919102-slideshow/instructor-suzette-ackermann-takes-part-yoga-session-snowball-photo-105932592.html
New Drug Cures Multiple Viruses in Human Cells
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/08/110822-drug-virus-common-cold-flu-science-health/
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