How the other half blogs

If you want to find out about my other life blog, go here.

Fat-bottomed mice

From telegraph.co.uk

Having a large bottom could help protect against diabetes, claims study
Having a large behind and hips may actually have health benefits and protect against diabetes, according to a new study.


By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:57PM GMT 02 Jan 2009

Researchers believe the type of fat that accumulates around the hips and buttocks, rather than around your stomach, may offer some protection against developing the disease.

But fat that collects around the stomach, known as visceral fat and often resulting in a 'beer belly', can raise a person's risk of diabetes and heart disease.

That means people with pear-shaped bodies, with fat deposits in the buttocks and hips, are likely to be less prone to these disorders, concluded the research at Harvard Medical School.

Scientists believe that the more beneficial fat, called subcutaneous fat because it collects just under the skin, may help to improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels.

Dr Ronald Kahn, who led the research published in Cell Metabolism, said obesity in subcutaneous areas - the 'pear' shape - might decrease risks.

He carried out experiments by artificially switching the two types of fat around the body of mice and seeing what effect it had.

"The surprising thing was that it wasn't where the fat was located, it was the kind of fat that was the most important variable," he said:

"Even more surprising, it wasn't that abdominal fat was exerting negative effects, but that subcutaneous fat was producing a good effect.

"Animals with more subcutaneous fat didn't gain as much weight as they got older, had better insulin sensitivity, lower insulin levels and were improved all around."

Mice given subcutaneous fat transplanted into their bellies started to slim down after several weeks.

They also showed improved blood sugar and insulin levels compared to other mice.

Dr Kahn said this is an important result because it shows that not all fat is bad and could help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

The team are trying to find the substances produced in subcutaneous fat that provide the benefit as this could lead to the development of new drugs which mimic this effect.

There are more than 2.5 million people in Britain with diabetes and it is estimated another half a million have the condition but do not know it.

Funny, I couldn't find the citation for a "new study," just this one.

Mousy Mittens

For both all of my loyal readers...

A gift, handmade by Ms. Ether.

Keep those paws warm!!

Revenge of the Rodents

From arkansasmatters.com:

Mice Start Deadly Fire That Kills 100 Cats at Shelter

Reported by: RNS

Saturday, Dec 20, 2008 @11:25am CST

Canadian authorities say mice were responsible for starting a fire that killed about 100 cats at an animal shelter.

The "Toronto Star" reports the 250-thousand-dollar blaze is still under investigation, but preliminary reports suggest it began from mice chewing through electrical wires.

Several rabbits and rodents also died in the fire but firefighters were able to save nine dogs.

While many flooded the shelter's website with donations, some are questioning why the animals were left unattended overnight.

According to the shelter's manager, it can't afford an overnight staff.

The eternal struggle

Man's inhumanity to mouse, or what to do with too much time (and technology) on your hands.

http://www.baynesolutions.net/mouse/FirstContact.aspx

Note: Contains some four-letter words and depictions of violence against mice.

Gourmet Mice

Police have seized 2,010 rounds of Parmigiano-Reggiano valued at over $1,000,000 from a warehouse in Parma, Italy. The cheese, nearly 80 tons of it, is being evaluated to determine if it is fit for human consumption after an infestation of mice was discovered. At least 29 of the cheeses had mouse tooth marks.

Grate that on your pasta and eat it.

Sources: here, here, and here.

Glow in the Dark Mice

This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to scientists who took a fluorescent protein from jellyfish and developed a technique to tag proteins with it, "shedding light," so to speak, on countless biological processes. One of those scientists, Osamu Shimomura, writes here about the early days of that research, cutting up jellyfish and extracting the protein.

And here is an example of an application of that technique, with some surprising findings about stem cells: