Building social capital with social media.

Social capital is a means of bridging the gulf between people,places and events. Social media is a means of building social capital by providing a platform for effective networking, learning,e-commerce and partnerships. This platform can achieve much more by creation of community hubs,which will be micro environment influencing a set,then subset of a population thus creating a ripple effect of change in the communities,countries and world as a whole. Mark Zuckerberg says he wants Facebook users to start playing a similar role to pastors in churches, as he believes people can find a sense of purpose and support from Facebook.He recently announced a new mission for the social network, which is set to focus on growing groups and communities to “bring the world closer together”. He believes the site can be used to unite what he sees as a “divided” society, and make users feel like they are “part of something bigger”. more

Pets build social capital.

Pets build social capital. A recent research shows that having an animal companion can increase higher social capital. A cross-national study involving Perth, Australia, and three US cities has lent weight to the observation that pets help build social capital. A study to look at the relationship between pets and social capital, pet owners and non-owners were randomly surveyed in four cities (Perth, San Diego, Portland and Nashville – four cities reasonably comparable in size, urban density and climate). In all four cities, we found owning a pet was significantly associated with higher social capital compared with not owning a pet. How do pets help build social bonds? It is often assumed that the social benefits of pets are confined to social interactions that occur when people are out walking their dogs. Lots of dog owner anecdotes support this. In this large sample study, however, levels of social capital were higher among pet owners across the board. more

Cat's curiosity led to new type of plastic.

A cats curiosity has led to the discovery of a new type of plastic. Milk has a lot of uses such as 1)use in tea or on cereal.2) Whip it into a milkshake.3) Ferment it into yoghurt or cheese.4) bake with it. Milk can also be turned into plastic, this is possible because of casein the main protein found in milk. The Bavarian chemist Adolf Spitteler was experimenting with using formaldehyde to turn milk into a solid material, which could be cut or carved into all sorts of shapes. One night the cat knocked over a bottle of formaldehyde in the lab this dripped into the hapless animal’s dish of milk. In the morning, Spitteler discovered that the formaldehyde had curdled the milk into a solid, horn-like material, which set him off on a train of research and development. more

Cocoa and chocolate good for cognitive ability.

Cocoa and chocolate good for cognitive ability. This is another reason to be guilt-free when you get a treat of dark chocolate.Cocoa can be seen as a dietary supplement to protect human cognition and can counteract different types of cognitive decline according to new research. A recent review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Italian researchers examined the available literature for the effects of acute and chronic administration of cocoa flavanols on different cognitive domains. This means what happens to your brain up to a few hours after you eat cocoa flavanols, and what happens when such a level of cocoa flavanol enriched diet for a prolonged period of time. The result showed, among others, enhancements in working memory performance and improved visual information processing in participants after having had cocoa flavanols. In women, eating cocoa after a night of total sleep deprivation actually counteracted the cognitive impairment which is less accuracy in performing tasks that such a night brings,this is a Plus for people that suffer from chronic sleep deprivation or work shifts. The effects of relatively long-term ingestion of cocoa flavanols (ranging from 5 days up to 3 months) has generally been investigated in elderly individuals. It turns out that for them cognitive performance was improved by a daily intake of cocoa flavanols. Factors such as attention, processing speed, working memory, and verbal fluency were greatly affected. These effects were, however, most pronounced in older adults with a starting memory decline or other mild cognitive impairments. The result suggests the potential of cocoa flavanols to protect cognition in vulnerable populations over time by improving cognitive performance. The cocoa flavanols have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health and can increase cerebral blood volume in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, which is particularly affected by aging and therefore the potential source of age-related memory decline in humans.

Scientists have produced new drugs to beat superbugs.

Scientists have produced new drugs to beat superbugs. Scientists have produced new, effective and simplified forms of teixobactin , a new generation antibiotic which defeats multi-drug resistant infections such as MRSA as part of a pioneering research effort to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The team successfully produced a number of synthetic derivatives of the highly potent teixobactin named the'game-changer' in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.This new study which directly targets MRSA bacteria, overcomes a further barrier in the race to combat drug resistant bacteria. MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to many widely-used antibiotics, which means it is harder to treat than other infections. This 'superbug' mainly affects people who are staying in hospital and while they can usually be treated with certain antibiotics, concerns are growing around the world about the rate at which bacteria are developing resistance to existing drugs. It has been predicted that by 2050 an additional 10 million people will succumb to drug resistant infections each year. The development of new antibiotics which can be used as a last resort when other drugs are ineffective is therefore a crucial area of study for healthcare researchers around the world.more

Scientists work to develop heat-resistant 'cow of the future'.

Scientists work to develop heat-resistant 'cow of the future'. University of Florida scientists are working to breed the "cow of the future" by studying the more heat-tolerant Brangus cow ,which is a cross between an Angus and a Brahman. More than half the cattle in the world live in hot and humid environments, including about 40 percent of beef cows in the United States. By using genomic tools, researchers aim to produce an animal with superior ability to adapt to hot living conditions and produce top-quality beef. The scientists are tracking down DNA segments from the two breeds and then figure out which regions of the cow's DNA are important to regulate body temperature. The aim is to assist the cattle industry so as to increase tolerance of cattle to heat stress. The researchers believe this will increase efficiency of production, reproduction and meat quality thus increasing profit. The research also speaks to the challenge of climate change as the new breed of cattle will promote climate-smart production in an emerging hotter world.

A new leaf: Scientists turn carbon dioxide back into fuel.

A new leaf: Scientists turn carbon dioxide back into fuel. Researchers have found a way to convert carbon dioxide into a usable energy source. Carbon dioxide is produced by the burning of fossil fuels in power plants and car engines and it continues to accumulate in the atmosphere, warming the planet. The trees and other plants do slowly capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, converting it to sugars that store energy. Scientists and policymakers around the world try to combat the increasing rate of climate change, they have focused on the chief source which is carbon dioxide.In a new study from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at Chicago, researchers have found a similar way to convert carbon dioxide into a usable energy source using sunlight. more