maternal immunosuppression, stolen doorknobs, Oktoberfest and St. Fridolin

i made the statement in lab a few days ago that pregnant women are slightly immunosuppressed; as reviewed in this article by the CDC, " An evolving model of pregnancy-associated immune changes suggests that the hormonal environment of pregnancy contributes to local suppression of cell-mediated immunity at the maternal-fetal interface while mediating a systemic change toward Th2 dominance. ... Systemic suppression of cell-mediated immunity may contribute to increased susceptibility to some intracellular pathogens—including viruses, bacteria, and parasites—during pregnancy.  ", so in pregnant ladies, the humoral (antibody-mediated) responses remain intact, but the immediate/non-specific innate response is likely suppressed (so as prevent the mother's body from rejecting paternally-derived antigens).

i laughed much harder at this image of a formerly stolen doorknob than i should have (originally seen on fb, but also covered in this huff post article).

Jack! Shoes! a little much, but appreciated.

This past weekend, a few friends and i attended Oktoberfest in New Glarus. The naming was throwing me for a loop; historically speaking, the first Oktoberfest was held in honor of the wedding of (then) Crown Prince Ludwig to Therese of Saxe-Hildbughausen (on October 12th, 1810), but has since been celebrated at the end of September due to better weather (according to wikipedia), with occasional cancellations due to cholera epidemics and war. Gleaned from the wikipedia article, " There are many problems every year with young people who overestimate their ability to handle large amounts of alcohol. Many forget that Oktoberfest beer has 5.8 to 6.3% alcohol and high sugar content (compared to an average of 5.2% of alcohol and low sugar content in German beer), and they pass out due to intoxication. These drunk patrons are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beer corpses"). ".  i find it fascinating that there is an actual term for folks who drink 'til they pass out. 

Anyway, the New Glarus festival was delightful, and Sunday included an antique tractor pull (Hannah and i were both immediately interested). Interestingly, New Glarus here is featured as a Swiss destination, named after the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland. A few of the shops feature what appears to be the sigil of a saint, and i had to track down whom; turns out, the Canton of Glarus was settled by St. Fridolin, an Irish missionary who was inspired by Saint Hilarius in a dream  to travel to an island on the Rhine and found a few churches. St. Fridolin traveled until he found an island that looked like the one in his dream. Interestingly, St. Fridolin converted a wealthy landowner named Urso, who left his land to St. Fridolin in his will. As wikipedia puts it " Urso's brother Landolf refused to accept the legitimacy of the gift and brought Fridolin before a court at Rankweil to prove his title. Fridolin did so by summoning Urso from the dead to confirm the gift in person, so terrifying Landolf that he gave his lands to Fridolin as well ". Wow. These lands eventually became the Canton of Glarus. Also, apparently when St. Fridolin first found the island that Hilarius showed him in his dream, "At last reaching the island of Säckingen in the Rhine, Fridolin recognized in it the island indicated in the dream, and prepared to build a church there. The inhabitants of the banks of the Rhine, however, who used the island as pasture for their cattle, mistook Fridolin for a cattle-robber and expelled him. ", but the inhabitants relented after being shown the deed.  And so a picture of Fridolin is now used on the coat of arms of the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland, and displayed in New Glarus, WI. 'Glarus' is derived from 'Hilarius'.

Pope's interview, beard song and championship, yoyos, and Kvothe memes

Pope Francis gave an interview to America Magazine in which he discusses how he became a Jesuit, some of his organizational methods, and how he views the church, etc., and it's a gorgeous and inspiring thing.

Regarding beards: i have a ukulele, and frequent the excellent Ukulele Hunter for various bits of uke news and chords, which lead to the discovery of Sophie Madeleine and the Beard Song. Please listen to that while looking at this album of the 2013 Beard and Mustache Championships by photographer Greg Anderson.

In a collision of photography, beards and pink camo (which i still don't understand), there was recently a Duck Dynasty photo shoot, of which a description and pictures can be found here.

Speaking of Championships, you really ought to watch this video of the gentleman who wan this year's World Yo-yo Contest. Holey smokes. i also super appreciate the fact that he's performing in neon blue socks, the fact that crowd is audibly wowed the entire time, and that Mr. Karancz seems a little embarrassed by the applause at the end. 2nd place and 3rd place are also completely worth watching.

i am a HUGE fan of Patrick Rothfuss' first two books of the Kingkiller Chronicles (the third isn't out out, *spoiler alert*), a fantasy series centered around a musician/scholar-alchemist/adventurer named Kvothe. While attempting to determine if there's any news regarding the publication date for the third book (not yet, sigh), i came across these terrific Kvothe memes (which google is terming 'advice'). My favorite? This one. Also good are this one, this one, and this one.

allergies developement, tyrosinases, 2 seperate rants, and hurling

In a delightful collision of two of my favoritest cultural references, here's a link to a Calvin and Hobbes and Dune smash-up tumblr (and props to Ryan for linking it). i'd initially described it as a pop-culture reference smash-up, but was called out on the 'pop' part. Fair enough.

So i was conversing with my 5 months pregnant friend Katherine this afternoon, and the topic of conversation came around to how she has a beloved cat (Artemis Turkey), and is vaguely concerned that her child may have a cat allergy (as her mom and brother do). Based on various studies (reviewed slightly here), i made the statement that her having a cat while the child's immune system is developing is a great thing to prevent future allergies from occurring (and really, if she could drag the kid around to places with a lot of animals while it's still under the protection of her own antibodies/breast feeding, that would be even better). However, the fact that her kid's born in January means there's not a lot of easily accessible wildlife... So that brought around me musing as to whether or not there's a correlation between the month/season in which a child is born and subsequent allergy issues. Cue the google search. Turns out, there's some interesting data regarding food allergies and season in which a child is born (kids born in November/December tend to have greater food allergies than those born in the spring/summer, as illustrated in this Japanese study). i also turned up some interesting German studies stating that increased exposure to pollen in one's first 6 months might increase the risk for asthma and hayfever. Long story short, while there might be some trends, the exact causes are not known yet.

Mini-rant: as a fairly ardent runner, i get a lot of running spam (mostly gear discounts/sales and upcoming event notifications). In my inbox this morning, i had a notice for something called a 'skirt chaser 5k'. "Surely that can't be what i think is meant by 'skirt chaser'", i thought, and read the little description. It is; 'Skirts' (women is explicitly stated) are started in a first wave, and 'Chasers' (men are stated) are started in a wave after them. If you're single 'and looking for love', you wear a sign saying so. I am surprised by how super-offended i am by this whole concept. i have no problem with people finding creative ways to meet other people, but this is everything i hate about the gym culture; people only showing up (dressed in a fashion in which they wouldn't typically work out) with the intent of picking up a significant other, AND gender stereotyping much, anyone? Also, for those who aren't female runners, running skirts are basically skorts made of technical material. (i don't understand them, but i'm not the most girly of females.) At least everyone is exercising?

The wikipedia page for skorts references the Irish sport camogie, in which the "rules are almost identical to hurling ". That's not something i usually encounter; to my untrained eyes, it sort of looks like golf mixed with basketball, played on a football field? Cracked has a humorous and informative article here.

Apple browning is caused by a tyrosinase (an oxidation enzyme), specifically one called catechol oxidase. Basically, two hydroxyl groups attached to a benzene ring are oxidized, resulting in the formation of water and a yellow compound called benzoquinone. This substance, when further oxidized, form plant melanin; the reaction is similar to that used in mammals (though other starting materials are used). As we all know, catechol oxidase can be inhibited with a dilute solution of acid as it denatures the enzyme (also, if i taught this to middle school kids, i'd totally use this cool project).

Finally, this rant regarding the fb group 'i f#cking love science', has been making the rounds. It has valid points; if people really love science so much, can they please make it a point to petition the US government to stop cutting funding for basic research (research focused on gaining fundamental knowledge)? Private industry rarely funds it, as it's not directly profitable, but frequently, amazing things come from it that we would otherwise never find out (which then have direct application).

Open Letter To Bill Nye Regarding Dancing (shirtless) with The Stars

An open letter to Bill Nye, concerning a recent discussion about going shirtless on Dancing With The Stars.

Dear Mr. Nye;

Recently, USA Today published a statement saying that you are "aiming to whip (your) shirt off" in an upcoming episode of Dancing with the Stars.

Sir, with all due respect, you do not need to do this. You do not need to make a ratings grab by appearing partially clothed on television.

It is not that you are not in good physical condition, nor is this any sort of commentary on your attractiveness. You are a role model for millions of young (and not-so-young) nerds across the nation, many of us who grew up watching hours upon hours of "Bill Nye The Science Guy", have stood in ridiculously long lines and waited hours to hear you speak, and subsequently mob you for pictures. (Err..) You are beloved and so *incredibly* cool for promoting science, and standing up for what you feel your viewers need to hear. You deserve more than having to resort to removing garments to gain attention for yourself.

If you DO plan on appearing only partially clothed and cannot be dissuaded from this, you might make the choice to offer initiative/ inspire youth to get in shape and take better care of themselves, as that same article reports that you are also working with a personal trainer and perhaps making healthier nutritional choices. As a current graduate student in a biology lab, i know many career scientists who are notable athletes (runners, cyclists, triathletes, dancers, hockey players, fencers, the whole athletic spectrum); being a nerd is no longer nearly the stereotype it once was, and you yourself are also a pioneer in and example of this. However, unless you directly plan on stating that fitness is important to human health, your actions might only disappoint your fans who feel you are being a little exploited/manipulated/over-sensationalized.

Regardless, thank you again for being a role model for budding scientists world-wide. Break a leg (in the theatrical-well-wishing sense) on Dancing With The Stars this season.

All the best,

jess C

Patriot(s) Day, Ylvis and Elvis

Yesterday was 9/11, which is the anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks (and probably the defining American moment in my lifetime, possibly along with the first Obama election). Subsequently, it as been established as Patriot Day. My labmate mentioned this to me, and i was utterly baffled, 'Wait, isn't that in April? The Boston Marathon is on Patriots' Day.' Turns out, this is a holiday where punctuation matters. Patriot Day (the singular) commemorates 9/11/01. Patriots' Day, celebrated on April 19 or thereabouts in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and as Patriot's Day in Maine, commemorates the first battles in the American Revolutionary war (those at Concorde and Lexington). The Boston Marathon is indeed always held on Patriots' Day. Sheesh, America. Also, more random information that i know because of running.

From the photography perspective; this guy's instagram account features pictures of his girlfriend dragging him around various exotic locations. As described here, Murad Osmann travels a lot for work, and sometimes is able to take in the locales with his girlfriend. Common to most photographers, who won't stop with the picture-taking already, his girl " became annoyed that Osmann was so occupied with his camera and started pulling him by the hand… but it didn’t stop Osmann from snagging a shot. That shot would spark a project ", and now we have a really interesting perspective of his travels. i can think of several fellow shutterbugs who's family and friends feel the same.

Finally, in the recent theme of foxes which my blog/brain has been plagued, there's a musical group, Ylvis (is this pronounced 'Elvis'?), who released a trippy musical video inquiring as to the specifics of the vocalizations of Foxes. Shirt.woot had a supercute tribute shirt today. Also, listening to the song a second time, i realized that the drop-beat sounds a lot like that of LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem (somewhere around 2 minutes in), enough to have a strange overlap in my brain's playlist. The group Ylvis also released another song inquiring as to the origins of Stonehenge (not entirely safe-for-work), also worth a watch (and an article from Slate has hand-picked even more songs). They're very inquisitive.

 me:  also, you think it's pronounced 'Elvis'?

 Ryan:  yes

it is

 me:  nice.

in honor of the man or the race?

and was Elvis so named in honor of the race?

(and perhaps that's why he did so well for himself, he had the blessing of the elves?)

(also, i should stop reading so much fiction)

Short answer, the group's name is a truncation of their last name, Ylvisåker and i don't speak Norwegian. Google translations are also not helping here. Anyway, interesting coincidence. On the topic of the name Elvis, wikipedia reports that it is an Anglicization of the name of Saint Ailbe of Emly, a 6th century Irish Bishop. Hmm.

non-human mayors and pearl coloration.

So my labmate linked the sad news today that the mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, who happens to be a cat, was badly injured in a dog attack last Saturday; he's receiving vet care and we all send him well-wishes for his recovery (of course, standard jokes regarding the dog not appreciating his politics notwithstanding). As usual, this raised the rather curious question of how common are non-human mayors? Wikipedia to the rescue; there have been a broad range of non-human mayors and other electoral candidates beginning with a horse of the Roman Emperor Caligula. Cats, dogs, goats, and primates seem to be super common. There have also been inanimate electoral candidates; Pulvapies ('footpowder'), an Ecuadorian footpowder, won a mayor election in 1967 by reportedly a large margin, and a Canadian sock puppet named Ed represented the Fed-Up party in 2011. (Sidenote, Ed is is listed as a 'fictional sock puppet'. i polled a small population of highly educated people [my good-sport labmates] regarding whether a sock puppet could be non-fictional, and the general consensus was that sock puppets are fictional when they're impersonating a non-fictional character, or do not actually physically exist [for instance, are only a cartoon of a sock puppet]. They exist when they are an actual modified sock, accomplishing various tasks, like running for mayor. Anyway). Apparently, there is an actual 'Inanimate Objects (political) Party' at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; the party figure is a 7 foot tall inflatable whale named Arthur Galpin who runs for the highest student-elected office on campus (Grand Marshal). (As the proud alumni of an institution where the highest ranking member of the oldest student organization on campus is a dog who can adjourn classes, i can respect that.)

i was asked today what contributes to the color variation in pearls. i couldn't remember whether it's water temperature, mineral availability, or oyster species. Upon researching this further, it seems to be mostly oyster species and water temperature; warmer water seems to give darker coloration.

bullriding, dogies, cow tipping and chupacabras, personal moons

i was hanging out yesterday evening with a friend, and the topic of bull riding came up; specifically, the Professional Bull Rider bucking bull called Bushwacker. Bushwacker was, for 3 years, unridable; he had a 100% buckoff rate, meaning no one could stay on him for the full 8 seconds required for a successful ride. This 56-ride long streak was broken on August 17th by a bull rider named J.B. Mauney (who'd actually attempted it several times before, at various points), and here's a clip of the qualifying ride. Why is 8 seconds the length of a qualified ride in bullriding? Ask.com's Rodeo section reports that "The 8 second length of a qualified ride was devised purely for the safety and well-being of the animals involved. After 8 seconds the horse or bulls bucking ability decreases because of fatigue, adrenaline loss, etc. ". Other sources state that before the 8 second rule was set, that bulls were rode until they stopped bucking. The NBR handbook doesn't give any reasoning.

Another facet of that conversation involved why cattle are referred to as 'doggies' on occasion. i guessed that was because of their stature from the back of a horse, they might sort of look like dogs. The internet has several potential answers. One is that it's a corruption of the African word kidogo, or 'something small'. Another possibility mentions that orphaned calves, due to poor nutrition (in some instances, the orphan calves were fed a mixture of flour and water?!), were called 'dough-guts', which got shortened to 'dogies'. i favor the latter explanation.

In interesting synchronicity (as typically happens), a link to this highly informative article regarding cow-tipping showed up on the twitter feed of the highly enjoyable Daily Coyote's Shreve. (i was once subjected to hilarious rant from my mother where she, after hearing about it for the first time 3 or 4 years ago, went off on why cow tipping is impossible as well as the dumbest thing she's ever heard of.) Mentioned within that article was how the urban legend of cow-tipping is along the same vein as snipe hunting.The south Texas version, basically a reason to go stomping around outside after dark and scaring your friends, is Chupacabra hunting. It's a lot of fun, actually. Humorously, there's a pretty deadpan wiki how-to article on how to 'properly' hunt chupas (note; the outings i've been on have never involved blood nor guns. Perhaps that explains our 0% success rate).

So there's a Russian artist, Leonid Tishkov, who has a man-made crescent moon light-up sculpture thing which he takes various places; a recent interview explains it as, " Like a character out of some ancient fairy tale, Russian artist Leonid Tishkov can't seem to go anywhere without a human-sized crescent moon by his side.". And the work is lovely.

As posted on Flavorwire, a collection of the last words of 15 different writers. i appreciate the Bukowski one, "Don't Try."

plurality of virus, ballet dancers, Ghost Shark, and a rouge cuddling fox.

As a budding virologist (ah HA!) talking today with peers, the question emerged: what's the appropriate plural form of the word 'virus'?
To the google! Basically, 'virus' used within the context of being self-replicating, (eventually) infectious genetic material in a protein shell (to paraphrase the esteemed Peter Medawar's timeless quote; "a piece of bad news wrapped in a protein coat") or a bit of self-propagating computer code, is a Latin loanword. In the original Latin, it meant "poison", and there was no need to to make that plural. However, while virus might mean an amount of virions (the accepted singular form, meaning a single particle of protein-covered RNA or DNA ), there can be a collection of several different sorts, thus the need to pluraize. The most common, and turns out correct, pluralization is to add an '-es' suffix, making it viruses. Occasionally, the terms 'viri' or 'virii' are used; these have been defined/documented as incorrect; it's a second declension (entry in a pattern of grammatical inflection based on use) of an irregular Latin word, so things get a little complicated.'Vira' might be semi-accurate, though not used.So. 'Viruses' is it.


Is it just me or has photography of ballet dancers in-real-life become a thing lately? i've come across mentions of Jordan Matter's work in a couple different places. Also bearing mention is the work of Benjamin Von Wong.

In keeping with a recent shark cinema theme, the SyFy channel recently released Ghost Shark, the OTHER mega blockbuster theatrical masterpiece. This was recently reviewed (including GIFS) in highly entertaining fashion here (warning, spoilers). Also, a toss in google indicates that there might be a sequel in the works.

Having been talked down from catching a young fox to keep as a pet, i was delighted to read account of one sneaking in a cat door and snuggling with an English guy while he was asleep. Upon realizing it wasn't his girlfriend nuzzling his neck, the guy was pretty startled and even got a picture before the fox left. See? They WOULD make good pets!