What Causes Leprosy And Can It Be Cured?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to talk about an ancient disease which surprisingly is still around even today.

Leprosy is a highly infectious disease which causes severe disfiguring sores, in addition to damage to nerves, arms and legs. This disease has been around for decades, often surrounded by negative stigmas and tales of people getting shunned as outcasts. Outbreaks of leprosy have been heard about on every continent. The oldest civilizations in China, Egypt, and India greatly fear leprosy as an incurable, mutilating, and highly contagious disease.

But, contrary to popular belief, leprosy is not actually that contagious. You will only catch it if you come into close and regular contact with nose and mouth droplets by an individual that has untreated leprosy. Children are more likely to get this over adults.

Even today, approximately 180,000 people around the world have leprosy, states the World Health Organization, an mostly within Africa and Asia. Around 200 people are diagnosed within the U.S. yearly, mostly in California, Hawaii.

What is the Cause of Leprosy?

Leprosy is created by a type of bacteria known as Mycobacterium leprae. It is also referred to as Hansen's disease, after the scientist who first discovered it in 1873.

What Are the Symptoms?

Leprosy mainly affects the skin and nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It can also hit the eyes and tissue on the inside of the nose.

The main symptom is disfiguring sores, lumps, and bumps which will not go away even after many weeks or months. These are pale in color.

When Will There Be A Cure For Aids?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to find out more regarding the lethal disease aids.

Researchers are still hopeful they're going in the right direction to locating a cure for HIV and AIDS. Two babies that were treated when they were infants for HIV lived for several years without developing any symptoms of the virus. However, one is now positive for HIV again. However, the treatments held back the virus for a short while, and this can lead to changes with treatments for individuals only recently infected.

Where HIV is found

Usually, babies who could be HIV positive receive medication to stop the virus. Only when the two tests show positive are they then changed to drugs which treat HIV. By this time, an infant could be over 2 weeks old.

However, at times doctors use a different approach. An infant from Mississippi was given treatment just 30 hours after it was born, and another baby was treated when it was 4 hours old.

The second baby is still HIV-negative after nearly a year. The Mississippi one tested was HIV free for over 2 years, however, is now HIV positive once again. The baby's mother stopped giving the baby medication when it was 18 months old. Scientists thought that giving strong medications after birth would remove the HIV gene within the baby's body, or stop it from forming.

Having HIV is the same as AIDS

False

HIV is a virus which destroys a body's CD4 immune cells, these help fight against disease. With the proper medications, a person can have HIV for years without it progressing to full blown AIDS.

True

It is not possible to catch or spread HIV simply by hugging someone, sharing a towel, or the same glass. It's extremely rare to contract HIV from a blood transfusion, the U.S. blood supply carefully tests against this. But, you can spread the disease by having sex unprotected, sharing needles, or having a tattoo using unsterilised equipment.

Are Oysters Really An Aphrodisiac?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to find out if oysters really are a turn on.

Ever since Casanova spilled his secrets of seductive prowess over 200 years ago, lovers have consumed vast amounts of oysters in hopes of imitating the infamous lothario.

However, is there any scientific proof that eating oysters raises a person libido?

Despite ongoing news reports stating the contrary, right now there is very little evidence to proof oysters can spark desire.

Oysters are very high in zinc, this is very important to raising testosterone levels within men, even though it's highly unlikely any testosterone-raising is immediate. However oysters contain different levels of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter which stimulates the arousal part of a persons brain, this governs amongst other things, arousal, and this action may feasibly happen straight away.

When a person eats oysters, they actually increase the level of a certain chemical within our body. So there is the potential for men, that eating oysters will aid with sexual arousal. Perhaps when eaten in the the same amounts as Casanova, which was up to five dozen per day, there would be an effect.

Other aphrodisiacs

However, the real story behind certain foods which are famed for lifting libidos is much more complex. There are various factors which may contribute to a food's aphrodisiac potential. It's not only jut the food in itself, it is also the texture, shape, taste, and smell, in addition to the way it is eaten.

In these cases, parsley and truffles are effective for women who are looking for an aphrodisiac. These have an aroma which is similar to androsterone, a pheromone which is responsible for men's musky body smell, and is thought to influence a females desire.

The smell of ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper are also thought to stimulate the arousal sections within the brain, and garlic's anti-clotting attributes also affect libido by increasing the blood flow to the brain and organs.

More well known is the smooth texture of chocolate's in the mouth, combined with the effects of cocoa's serotonin, tryptophan, has long been said to be a reputed aphrodisiac.

Is There A Cure For Asthma?

Welcome back my fellow learners. Today we are going to find out if there is a natural cure for asthma.

With all the new methods regarding alternative medicine and natural remedies, some wonder if there’s one for asthma. Sadly, right at this moment there are no cure for asthma. In fact, it’s recommended that people suffering from it stay clear from any treatment or product, in material if it is natural or not.

Do Natural Remedies Help Manage Asthma?

Some natural therapies could help manage the symptoms of asthma. For example, a negative response to stress will bring on an asthma attack. Many natural relaxation techniques such as deep abdominal breathing, muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and biofeedback all can help reduce stress.

Others suggest diet does play a big role with alleviating asthma symptoms. For instance, it’s said that an omega 3 fatty acids which are found in fish like salmon, mackerel, or cod allow a persons body to create more enzymes which reduce inflammation. Whether this is beneficial to people that suffer with asthma still has to be proved.

Disadvantages and Advantages of Natural Asthma Remedies

When you begin to consider the different kinds of natural asthma remedies that are available today, it’s important to balance your desire to breathe, with the possible hazards of any such treatments, which could not be known. Never use a natural dietary supplement without first checking it out with your doctor, or asthma specialist. Some products, like bee pollen, could very well trigger an asthma attack, should you find you are allergic to that plant. Plus, never stop using your asthma medicine without first informing your doctor. The result of not adhering to your doctors advise with treating your asthma can be deadly.

What Will Happen When The Oil Runs Dry

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to learn what happens when oil resources run dry.

What will happen when we eventually run out of oil?

This is the big question, that is brought up daily in newspapers, and was raised recently by Gary Mason from the Mail and Globe. He stated that “should you believe that today's economy is structured in a way it needs to grow to be able to survive, then it could take an endless supply of energy in order to feed it, he carries on with, “how, will an economy continue to grow if the one thing it requires more than anything to survive is contracting with time?” Statements such as this, represent a misunderstanding of resource economics, growth and energy intensity of the today's economy.

Will we actually run out of oil? Surely it cannot be that simple, however, the plain fact is, it is that simple.

People can only pay for a barrel of oil so long as it performs valuable work, and as long as that work is not done more cost effectively using an alternative source of energy. The price is capped, not just by a product’s usefulness, but by its costs of alternative ones. There are always going to be barrels of oil that are simply too deep to extract, or never discovered because it’s not worth checking areas which are too expensive to develop given the current market for oil.

However, right now the boffins are experimenting with alternative fuel sources, which the hierarchy are back burning. And why is that I hear you ask, well the answer is as old as time itself, MONEY. Should people begin to use an alternative fuel source, the oil profiteers will stand to lose millions. So it is more cost effective for them to actually buy a persons invention and mothball it, than bring it to fruition. 

Are Fog And Clouds Made Up Of The Same Material?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to find out the differences between fog and clouds.

Both fog and clouds are created when water vapour condenses or to form minute droplets or crystals within the air. So why I hear you ask, are they so different? Well read on, and you will find the answer to your question.

Fog can only be created at low altitudes.

Clouds on the other hand can be created at any altitude. They can be seen as high as 12 miles rising above the sea level, or even as low as the ground. Fog is a type of cloud which creeps along the ground. Fog is formed when air close to the ground gets cool enough to turn to water vapour.

There are various different kinds of fog, also. Ice fog is created when air close to the ground gets cold enough to turn water in fog into ice. Ice fog is formed at extremely cold temperatures. And is a common sight in the likes of Canada and Alaska.

Another type of fog is the freezing kind. Ice crystals are formed within the air when it gets cold enough, and particles such as smoke or dust within the air provide a type of seed for the crystals to be formed around. Sometimes it can get cold enough, however, the air has no particles in it. With this case, water within the air get supercooled. This supercooled water is in liquid form, however, it is colder than freezing point. When it comes into direct contact with other cold surfaces like sidewalks or roads, it immediately forms a hazardous icy top layer.

One of the worse types of fog is known as super fog. This is created when smoke being emitted from wildfires and water vapour clash to form a very dense fog. The smoke offers particles for water vapour to condense around. This combination is extremely dangerous. A super fog is so thick that a person cannot even see their own hand when placed in front of their face. Super fog create extreme driving conditions, so it is advisable to stay off the roads when this occurs.

The History Of Super Glue

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to separate fact from fiction regarding why super glue was invented, and for what.

Super Glue, also referred to as cyanoacrylate, was discovered by Dr. Harry Coover in 1942, who sadly passed away on March 26th, 2011. Harry was trying to create clear plastic gun sights to be used on guns by Allied soldiers in World War 2. One formulation he created didn’t work for gun sights, but worked as an quick bonding adhesive. Surprisingly, despite the potential of this product, Harry abandoned this completely, as it wasn’t suitable for his current project

Nine years passed, Harry now working at Eastman Kodak in 1951, was the supervisor of a project developing heat resistant acrylate polymer for canopies for jet. Fred Joyner was also on that project, and used the rediscovered Super Glue, and tested it by spreading ethyl cyanoacrylate in between 2 refractometer prisms. To his amazement, the prisms became stuck together. This time, Harry ran with his once abandoned project, and he realized the potential of such a product which quickly bonded various materials, and only required very little water to activate.

Super Glue was put on the market in 1958 by Eastman Kodak, and was then known as Eastman 910, however, they re-named it later as super glue. Eastman 910 was eventually licensed to Loctite, who in turn re-branded it to Loctite Quick Set 404. Although, at a later date they developed their own formula, naming it Super Bonder. By the time the 70s round around, several manufactures of cyanoacrylate glue had cropped up.

Now, to put to bed the urban legend that super glue was originally invented accidentally by soldiers in World War 2, who subsequently started using it to close battle wounds. This is completely false, it was discovered as stated above, and didn’t hit the market until after the war was over.

However, according to Dr. Harry Coover, Super Glue was actually used in the Vietnam to help seal wounds while soldiers were being taken to hospital.

How A Cat Sees The World

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to learn about how a cats eye works.

No one ever makes the statement about what the world would look like should you be a cat. Instead, we talk about a bird’s-eye view, and make use of fish-eye lenses to distort the way things look. However, we rarely think about how the Internet’s favourite animal sees the world the live in.

To begin with, a cats’ visual field is much wider than ours, spanning approximately 200 degrees instead of 180, and their visual acuity isn’t great. So, things people will see sharply, resolve at distances of 100-200 feet appear blurred to cats, which will see these objects at distances of 20 feet. That might not sound great, however, there’s always a trade-off.

Due to the various photoreceptors within a cats’ retina, they leave us standing when it comes to seeing clearly in dim light. Instead of the colour-resolving, and detail cone cells which are found in the center of a persons retinas, cats come with several more rod cells, these excel in dim light, and are responsible for a felines excellent night vision. The rod cells refresh quicker, this permits cats to see rapid movements, such as the rapidly shifting path a laser dot may trace.

Finally, cats see colours far differently than us, which is why cat versions of what we see are less vibrant than ours. Scientists originally though cats were dichromats, only able to see in two colour spectrum's, however, this is proved not to be the case. While a cats photoreceptors are sensitive to wavelengths found within the blue violet and green yellow ranges, it seems that they could also see some green also. In layman's terms, cats are nearly red and green colour blind, as are most of us.