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Auxin

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Posts posted by Auxin

  3. Posted

    This went against the usual trend, I got a few seeds marked bridgesii and got a cuzco in the mix (as well as a few noticeably different bridgies, I smell Karel :wink: )

    Centrals start fat and straw colored at the base and dark at the tip, maturing to lighter tips with a dark base and a insertion thats flared and slightly kinked downward. Even the mature radials are flared at the insertion.

    post-146-0-49902500-1412886506_thumb.jpg

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    100_6515.JPG

    • Like 1

  5. Posted

    This one surprised me. Lonicera japonica is a asian medicine used to fight the flu and pneumonia and do other stuff like reduce blood pressure. An antiviral microRNA was found in it that not only survives boiling, but survives digestion too and makes its way into cells. Far out.

    In a new study, Chen-Yu Zhang's group at Nanjing University present an extremely novel finding that a plant microRNA, MIR2911, which is enriched in honeysuckle, directly targets influenza A viruses (IAV) including H1N1, H5N1 and H7N9. Drinking of honeysuckle soup can prevent IAV infection and reduce H5N1-induced mice death.

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of 19-24 nucleotide non-coding RNAs that do not encode for proteins. MiRNAs bind to target messenger RNAs to inhibit protein translation. In previous studies, the same group has demonstrated that stable miRNAs in mammalian serum and plasma are actively secreted from tissues and cells and can serve as a novel class of biomarkers for disease and act as signaling molecules in intercellular communication. They have also reported that plant miRNAs can enter into the host blood and tissues via the route of food-intake. More importantly, once inside the host, the food-derived exogenous miRNAs can regulate host physiology by regulating host "target" genes.

    Here, they report a surprising finding that MIR2911 from a Chinese herb honeysuckle can suppress IAV infection. Firstly, MIR2911 was found to be selectively retained in the boiled decoction of honeysuckle, and to be delivered into mouse plasma and lung tissue after drinking honeysuckle decoction. Then, the authors showed that MIR2911 represses various influenza viruses by targeting PB2 and NS1, two genes that are known to be required for influenza viral replication. Moreover, both synthetic MIR2911 and endogenous MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction showed effective protection of animals from H1N1 infection, while such protection is dependent on the MIR2911-binding sites in the PB2 or NS1 genes. Last, MIR2911 is also effective to suppress the replication of influenza viruses H5N1 and H7N9, indicating a broad-spectrum anti-IAV effect of MIR2911.

    This work is important for the following reasons:

    • It identifies MIR2911 as the first, active component directly targeting influenza A virus (IAVs). It is well known that Spanish Flu (H1N1) caused about 50 million people death. Recently reported mortality cases of pathogenic IAVs, such as H5N1 and H7N9 highlight the threat that these viruses pose to public health. Due to the rapid mutation and evolution of IAVs, it is almost impossible to prevent or cure the IAV infection by the same treatment. It is thus urgently to explore novel therapeutic strategy. With this in mind, plant MIR2911 is an ideal reagent for suppressing IAV infection, and it is fully expected that MIR2911, as well as MIR2911-enriched honeysuckle decoction, will be widely used for treatment of IAVs infection.
    • It is the first demonstration that a natural product can directly target virus. Since Fleming discovered penicillin nearly a century ago, antibiotics have been developed to target various bacterial infections and have saved the lives of millions of people. Unfortunately, no natural product that is effective against viral infection has been identified so far. As the first natural product directly targeting different IAVs, plant MIR2911 not only is the first active component identified in Traditional Chinese Medicine that directly targets various IAVs, but also may represent a novel type of natural product that effectively and directly suppresses viral infection. Furthermore, one of their ongoing studies shows that MIR2911 also directly targets Ebola virus, which is pandemic in West Africa and is becoming a crisis of public health. Thus, MIR2911 is able to serve as the "virological penicillin" to directly target various viruses.
    • Physiological concentration of MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction sufficiently targets IAVs. For thousand years, Chinese have been drinking honeysuckle (also termed Lonicera japonica) decoction to treat influenza viral infections and the results show that honeysuckle decoction has a broad-spectrum anti-viral activity. It makes much easier and simpler to clinical usage by drinking honeysuckle tea/decoction. These results also provide another evidence to prove their previous discovery that dietary exogenous miRNAs are able to be functionally absorbed by mammalian gastrointestinal tract and play an important regulatory role in a cross-kingdom manner.
    • It further supports that exogenous small RNA via the route of food-intake can be delivered into host tissues with sufficient functional concentration. Peak level of MIR2911 in mouse lungs after administration honeysuckle soup is 2.6× 10-5 fmol (equivalent to 15600 copies) per 100 pg of total RNA. Given that about 70 μg total RNA can be extracted from 35 mg mouse lung tissues, and each mouse lung weighs approximate 0.12 g and contains 110-120 million cells, MIR2911 is estimated about 300~400 copies per cell. Another quantification approach by normalizing to U6 snRNA reveals that copy number of MIR2911 is even higher. Previous report has shown there are in average 400,000 copies of U6 snRNA per cell. Peak level of MIR2911 is about 250-fold less than U6 snRNA. Thus, there are about 1600 copies of MIR2911 in each lung cell. The quantification of MIR2911 is consistent with their previous study that MIR168a were present in mouse liver at approximate 800 copies per cell after feeding mice with fresh rice.

    [Link]

    • Like 3

  6. Posted

    Like taxol, this is one that will only take off once they find a good precursor for a semi-synthetic route.

    My money is on them starting from a compound in some plant of the Asteraceae family. That family has many compounds with that nifty bicyclo[5.3.0]decapentaene five and seven fused ring structure. Its all those damn chiral carbons that will make finding the right precursor maddening.

    I cant wait to see the synthesis.

    • Like 1

  7. Posted · Edited by Auxin

    Yeah, the whole thing seems lop sided and misdirected.

    On one hand, outside of africa, people are being held under quarantine at gunpoint if they have been exposed or are suspected to have been exposed.

    On the other hand, in the hard hit nations its just an orgy of frivolous travel, people going to liberia for the weekend to see their uncles new goat and shit. Politicians insisting that the borders cant be closed because that would cause economic harm. Who gives a shit about the million that would die if it hits india or brazil.

    At the borders its "oh, you came from a death pit, an orgy of blood and vomit? Tell me the truth, are you dieing? no? Next!" While it could be "I see you were in an infected zone, congratulations, you just won a free mandatory stay in a hotel while we see if you start vomiting blood" But we cant do that, typhoid mary had civil rights (oh wait, cant use that similie, the courts deemed typhoid mary didnt have any right to infect others)

    On another facet you have the hospitals, fancy ebola hospitals set up by foreigners with one twentieth the bed space needed. What would a rational person do when the state of the art imported insta-hospital is filled? Oh, right, put up big fucking tents with cots and teach the mildly ill how to care for the nearly dead as their payment for being there- bam, bed space for 100,000. What are they doing? "Sorry sir, we see your vomiting infectious blood but you'll have to hitch hike 147 kilometers back to your village because we're all full at the million dollar isolation ward"

    Who the hell runs shit this way?

    • Like 4

  9. Posted

    This year mesa has had what they regard as a thin stem short spine macrogonus on offer, I just ordered some to play with over winter :)

    Based on the above post, would it be reasonable to assume such a critter will likely be what we would consider a pach or intermediate?

    Anyone started up 1283.441 yet? I couldnt find any pics (I think this year is the first time theyve had it on their list)

  11. Posted · Edited by Auxin

    That black metal clip looks brutal.

    I use clothespins with rubber bands coiled on the end, the coil can be moved up or down to adjust tension.

    post-146-0-96126500-1411325131_thumb.jpg

    [The white stuff is thread seal tape, you cant see through it but its more elastic than saran wrap, its made of teflon, and its still pretty cheap. Cons might be that it doesnt make a humidity 'tent' like saran wrap does.]

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    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    My guess would be hybrid, but it may have been a cultivar seed that got mixed in.

    Flowers will tell you if its frutescens or baccatum.

    If you like it try selfing a few flowers and grow another generation, if the pod shape goes wild it was a hybrid :wink:

  17. Posted

    The bayonettes I can understand.

    As long as weed is illegal cops could use them for that. While I dont agree with it, I could even see the logic in having them for meth raids (kids and babies get shot by stray bullets in meth raids here).

    But schools shouldnt have M16's and tanks, what the fuck.

    I must admit their cleverness with the grenade launchers, tho.

    "hey bob, wont people go totally ape-shit crazy when they find out we're stockpiling grenade launchers to use against highschools?"

    "dont worry, jim, its easy, we just wont order ammo yet, then when someone asks us about it they'll think we just wanted it for a souveneir. After that we can get the ammo :wink: "

  18. Posted

    The police shit themselves and evacuated the police station until the explosives had been dealt with (I'm assuming by the bomb squad or some other brigade of rambos that deal with bombs)

    My first reaction was to assume, as others did, that they are pansy ass cowards running from something harmless.

    But really, lets give them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps it was just one wet noodle that shat his panties and ran... but took the donuts with him to safety. The rest just followed the donuts.

    And who the fuck is given a replacement bag by the airport, ever!

    I can see the behind the scenes exchange.

    "Damnit bob, its the anniversary of 9/11, you were supposed to hide the bomb on an ARAB"

    • Like 3

  19. Posted

    I think rule #1 for this will be not to panic.

    Since early stage ebola and flu look so much alike (and a certain number of people get flu year round) there will be lots of suspicious cases ripe for triggering mass panic that turn out to be flu or food poisoning or a nasty case of the clap, etc.

    Its set to get messy in my country with flu season and, apparently, a much larger ebola problem both looming 2 months from now. I hope people can keep their heads.

    Being prepared and not trusting the government tie as candidates for rule #2

  20. Posted

    I started kind of backwards, getting fit for fall and mid-winter so I could handle the biggest bursts of gardening work. I only extended my fitness routine through spring and summer after seeing how much better I feel when routinely exercising.

    It would be nice if u could have sex twice a day that would be all the exercise you would need.

    Brings a new meaning to 'exercise partner'

    But really, if I had a sex partner I'd still exercise. If sex was your exercise then your average sex act would be where you hit maximum, having an extra bit of vigor in reserve is a good thing. That, and I somewhat enjoy being one of the few guys my age around here who doesnt look like hes pregnant.

  22. Posted

    Emergencies can justify skipping testing.

    If I was infected with something 40-90% lethal that would kill me in two weeks I would not opt to wait 8 years for proper clinical trials for a treatment that might improve my chances of survival.

    Creepy that multiple ebola strains are mixing in humans.

    • Like 4

  24. Posted

    Americans are pretty schizophrenic on this one.

    In some cases, like above, adults are punished for not bowing to the state and its religion, in other cases everyone is given a defended right to choose.

    I remember when I was in the second grade we were about to start the pledge of alleigence, I asked the teacher why we were required to do this thing. She kind of blinked and then very clearly said each student can choose for themselves and if they dont want to they can just sit quietly for the few moments. Funny how the more enlightened people are perfectly willing to give a six year old more freedom than some politicians want to give adults.

    • Like 2
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