tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697Mon, 02 Sep 2024 08:34:57 +0000amygdalacurcuminfMRImemorysidednesstasteAlzheimer's diseaseBlack VultureBroca's areaCD36DMXB-ADrosophilaGTS-21MRIMRSANemerteanPLA2Parkinson's diseaseStaphylococcusThe Body Has a Mind of Its OwnTurkey Vulturealcoholbepharospasmbloodblood brain barrierbotulinum toxinbrain mappingcaffeinecalorieschickencholesteroldomoic aciddopamineepilepsyequine nigrapallidal encephalomalaciaeye twitchfatgasotransmitterhabenulahandednesshandwritinghippocampushoneyhormonehumorhydrogen sulfidelearningmedical-grade honeymirror neuronsmitochondrial DNAmotor functionmultiple sclerosismuscular dystrophymusicneuronopen accesspleasurepopcornreadingrubber hand illusionschizophreniasea lionstriatumsynaptic plasticitytoxic plantstumericupdatesyellow star thistlezebrafishzombiesRelates everyday events to current scientific reportshttp://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)Blogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-7657240462740783367Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:24:00 +00002010-08-26T01:24:41.913-07:00Black VultureTurkey VultureI just spent last few months trailing Turkey Vultures, looking for an elusive Black Vulture newcomer and writing about the topic (See SB Independent online Goleta Grapevine Column). During the process, I came across several interesting references (shown below). Many websites list fascinating facts. However, in some cases I had a hard time tracking down all the primary literature that backed themhttp://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2010/08/seeing-vultures-through-trees.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-5177584331386966323Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:46:00 +00002010-04-12T13:10:41.985-07:00musicBelow are some research articles relevant to my most recent Goleta Grapevine column, A Resonating Resource which ever-so-lightly touches on neurocognition and music. <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2010/04/resonating-references.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-3683495060089501968Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:31:00 +00002010-04-06T11:25:43.808-07:00updatesWhile I have been preoccupied with employment and parenthood, Stimulating Aliquot, the chickens, garden, compost, zombie novel, sourdough starter, surfing and the like have been somewhat neglected. Fortunately, in February I began contributing to the Goleta Grapevine, a column at the Santa Barbara Independent and, as a consequence, am reinvigorating the blog. Stimulating Aliquot will still relatehttp://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2010/04/lapses-and-invigorations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-5063457175772977692Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:00 +00002008-12-12T19:10:50.132-08:00mirror neuronszombiesIn the movie, Slither, alien zombies that look like giant pink slugs infect humans by wiggling through victim's open mouths.I know this sounds like it has nothing to do with “real” neuroscience but bear with me here, I've been on a zombie kick.The slug's first line of attack is through the brain, where necessary information relating to their species is disseminated, collectively linking all http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/12/collective.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-2574687524307292915Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:59:00 +00002008-11-26T12:29:26.454-08:00rubber hand illusionIf you sit at a table with one arm on the table's surface and the other on your knee, then place a rubber arm on the table, positioning it as though it was yours, you can trick yourself into thinking the fake hand is your own. To do this, have a friend rub the rubber hand while they also rub the one balanced on your knee (using a similar stroke pattern). After a short time, you will feel as http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/11/halloween-and-rubber-hand-illusion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-4845364452701772333Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:58:00 +00002008-10-15T11:55:32.415-07:00CD36fatpopcorntasteIt started with a conversation about popcorn. My husband and the neighbor share a love for it. But my husband has another gustatory indulgence, bacon. Combined with his tendency for wild exaggeration and his knack for persuasion, my husband convinced the neighbor that uniting the two foods occurred in kitchens routinely. “I pop it in bacon grease, doesn't everyone!” was what he told her.What http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/09/last-pop-stop-popcorn-fat-and-brain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-6589388722932597143Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:43:00 +00002008-10-14T22:16:36.421-07:00DrosophilaMRIThere were three bananas in the fruit basket before I left the house and when I got home there were none. “Where are the bananas,” I asked my husband. “He's a menace,” he replied motioning to the boy child. “I don't know, he was running around with them.”I found one in my backpack that night. Four days later, I found one outside. The last one may have been eaten and at least some of the peels http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/08/mri-for-fruit-fly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-6873810763370578552Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:15:00 +00002008-10-12T20:55:22.774-07:00Broca's areafMRIhandwritinglearningmotor functionreadingIn my recent endeavor to cut back on paper consumption, I've converted bank statements to digital versions, put a stop to mail catalogs, and have been doing most of my reading and writing online.Speaking of, I've also been writing for www.Miller-McCune.com including their blog Today in Mice--check it if you like the kind of stuff you're reading here. But I diverge, the real issue that I'm http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/07/hand-in-hand.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-9118649634753037404Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:49:00 +00002008-07-11T07:44:17.184-07:00open accessI ask every science writer I meet the same question.Trace science blog articles back to the primary literature and you'll notice a strikingly high proportion source from open access articles. This goes for many news headlines too. Especially freelance science writers are disabled when it comes to accessing journal articles.When I was a university employee, it was easy to take the library -the http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/07/filtered-science.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-8933261103693045529Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:55:00 +00002008-10-14T22:18:08.527-07:00domoic acidepilepsysea lionSince I frequent the same California beaches weekly, I can't help but keep tabs on the big things that wash up. The picture above is of a decaying sea lion. My friend pointed it out about a week before the photo was taken. At that point the animal was alive and exhibiting a behavior she called “the Stevie Wonder”. Swaying his head back and forth, it was clear the animal wasn't well.These days, http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/06/sea-lions-suffer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-5955629926293726934Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:03:00 +00002008-06-13T15:11:11.019-07:00gasotransmitterhydrogen sulfideThe other day I discovered our chicken's hidden nest with under the oak tree in the front yard. As someone with little chicken experience, I was inclined to immediately toss all twelve of them. The newest addition had to be at least a week old. For reasons I still don't understand, I was a bit squeamish about the whole thing. Determining that the feelings were irrational, I sent my four year old http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/06/rotten-eggs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-1892457810420093349Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:00 +00002008-05-29T20:50:58.957-07:00bloodmemoryPLA2I was two thirds of the way to the end of a 45 member circle at a workshop, hating my position in the line-up. The facilitator started an introduction exercise that involved reciting the names of preceding individuals -from the beginning. The room was filled with science types, many commenting on the cognitive process of memory. As the people before me went, I concentrated on the names, faces andhttp://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/05/your-memory-is-in-your-blood.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-7946224264310959538Wed, 14 May 2008 23:28:00 +00002008-05-14T22:36:03.498-07:00curcuminmuscular dystrophyPreparing meat with turmeric occurs in kitchens daily but using spices to treat muscle disease is not a common occurrence. New research from Nanjing University in China shows curcumin, the compound in turmeric responsible for its yellow hue, alleviates a mouse version of muscular dystrophy (mdx) when injected.Duchenne's muscular dystrophy is a muscle wasting disease that results in severe http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/05/spicing-up-mouse-muscles-potential.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-3097324291944213206Thu, 08 May 2008 06:16:00 +00002008-05-27T18:59:06.334-07:00hormonemultiple sclerosisThe MS solution, a book written by Kathryn R. Simpson, tells the gripping story about the author's own experience with multiple sclerosis (MS) and how she renders herself symptom free. Using hers and other case studies she illustrates the point: replacing hormones treats the disease. Written for people with MS, it guides the patient through the medical realm of neuroendocrinology.I have read http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/05/hormone-junkie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-6384914200586158864Wed, 07 May 2008 05:24:00 +00002008-05-07T00:33:28.636-07:00alcoholamygdalafMRIstriatumNeuroscientists have discovered -from the brain's perspective- what social drinkers already know: alcohol feels good, is relaxing, and you know how tipsy you are.Imaging activity in the brain while administering alcohol intravenously, researchers from Brown University and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, investigated how alcohol relates to emotion. Subjects underwent http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/05/beer-goggles-and-strobing-lights-what.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-104192105100588605Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:31:00 +00002008-04-29T09:24:47.179-07:00DMXB-AGTS-21NemerteanschizophreniaIn 2006, a drug promising cognitive enhancement to people with schizophrenia emerged from phase I clinical trials. Press releases, message boards, scientific meetings, and blog postings rang out.This month, the schizophrenia phase II clinical trial results were released (Am J Psychiatry, Freedman et al.). As far as I can tell, no editorials or reviews accompany the paper. No press releases or http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/04/worming-your-way-to-end-smart-drugs-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-5319598651184910057Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:09:00 +00002008-04-25T08:27:32.264-07:00medical-grade honeyIn a correspondence with Professor John E. Moore of Northern Ireland's Public Health Laboratory regarding his MRSA/honey publication, he mentioned two important factors to consider when using honey for wound dressings:Patients should use only medical-grade and not honey plucked off the shelf in their nearest food store. This is not a tactic to boost Big Pharma profits, but a very necessary step http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/04/honey-dressing-wound-care-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-2439814499653849099Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:46:00 +00002009-02-25T21:26:15.705-08:00honeyMRSAStaphylococcusThe threat of hospital and community associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has clinicians, parents, and the infirmed panicky. New research, not to mention ancient practices, suggest that a medication-free solution may be sitting in our cupboards.Two weeks ago, I watched my two year old son play in a mound of worms and rolly pollies located in our back yard dirt pile. Had Ihttp://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/04/honey-dressing-treating-methicillin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-8328268187857060774Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:37:00 +00002008-04-19T22:05:29.669-07:00caloriesdopaminepleasuretasteThat the brain has the ability to appreciate calories hedonistically without input from the tongue is a momentous report. A new study, using mice incapable of tasting sweetness, determined that the brain's pleasure system is activated when sugar is consumed independent of taste.When the mice consumed sugar -whether they could taste it or not- dopamine levels increased suggesting that the mice http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/04/sweet-pleasure-calories-register-reward.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-5747890633399178244Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:05:00 +00002008-04-28T19:48:42.524-07:00Alzheimer's diseaseblood brain barriercaffeinecholesterolA new study suggests that you can have your cake and eat it too -or at least, have your caffeine and protect your brain from damaging dietary cholesterol.The report shows that caffeine counters the negative influences that high cholesterol can have on the brain without changing the blood cholesterol levels. Giving rabbits a high cholesterol diet in addition to caffeine (equivalent to one cup of http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/04/do-you-need-another-reason-to-drink.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-3010944527949324605Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:38:00 +00002008-04-08T08:30:51.211-07:00habenulaneuronsidednesszebrafishOne of our fish has an unnaturally long fin on its left side. I call him Flag Fin. Our tank houses ten zebrafish: small, cheap and hearty. Our fish were intended for conditioning the tank -to prepare the environment for more sophisticated creatures- but we never got around to flushing and replacing them so here they are, swimming.Most things have direction in life -with reference sidedness, not http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/04/fishy-brain-cells-take-sides.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-9033982191099284707Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:56:00 +00002008-04-04T00:00:40.714-07:00amygdalahumorEvery year on April first, I play a small prank on my husband. The jokes are not incredibly funny but we (well, I) manage to get a chuckle. Since I have a hard time keeping a straight face, I usually set up an ambush -think, bath towel laced with glitter dust.What makes silly jokes funny?One year when I was a grad student frantically pulling together a journal club presentation, I came across http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/04/nutty-brain-humor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-1920497548739964050Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:20:00 +00002008-04-02T11:43:50.794-07:00curcuminhippocampusmemorysynaptic plasticitytumericI love a good curry. But what I really love is a good curry that provides brain power. A study published in the March 24th JBC Papers in Press suggests that curcumin (a component found in the spice turmeric) stimulates the generation of brain cells.What is interesting about this study is not just that curcumin is an antioxidant or protective to neurons in culture (cells grown in petri dishes) http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/03/yellow-spice-brightens-wit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-3372838742880620569Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:05:00 +00002008-05-23T09:20:09.022-07:00brain mappingThe Body Has a Mind of Its OwnMy son's tendency to run full throttle, regardless of height or hazard, has given me opportunity to experience two new physical phenomena. Every time I see him stumble, I experience a falling sensation. Not a little yikes but a full blown stomach plunging I'm dropping feeling. Second is my surprising ability to catch him.After reading The Body Has a Mind of Its Own by Sandra Blakeslee and Matthewhttp://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/03/falling-without-falling.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1076234155224206697.post-4890746562846805048Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:11:00 +00002008-03-30T23:13:53.877-07:00bepharospasmbotulinum toxineye twitchParkinson's diseaseWell, it's happening again. My right eye just below the brow is twitching. In 2001 I had an eye twitch that lasted for three weeks! When you're constantly feeling your eye quiver, three weeks is a long time. I fear an eternal twitch.As someone who spent years looking at muscle under the microscope, I can visualize the long slender striated cells glowing red with umpteen blue dots -many nuclei. http://stimulatingaliquot.blogspot.com/2008/03/dancing-eyelid.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Conti)0