Research At QBI

The breakthrough came after scientists discovered that exercise by mice caused the molecule fractalkine to activate neural precursor cells in the hippocampus – the brain structure responsible for specific types of learning and memory.

Perry Bartlett, a Professor of Neuroscience and the Director of QBI says:

“Ageing slows the production of new nerve cells, reducing the brain’s ability to form new memories.”

Dr Jana Vukovic explained that the research involved mice, an exercise wheel, and a revolving turntable, part of which was electrified and needed to be avoided. The young mice quickly learnt what to avoid. Older mice did not learn at all until they were given some exercise, then they also learnt. Jana says:

“What we saw was quite remarkable…There was a significant increase in the number of activated neural precursors which gives us reason to believe fractalkine is important for initiating the first step in the production process that gives rise to new neurons – the activation of the neural precursor cells…

Our research shows for the first time that the brain cells usually responsible for mediating immunity, microglia, have an inhibitory effect on memory during ageing…

Once the cells are activated they can respond to signals that instruct them to divide and produce new cells, and as such develop new memories and learning. This means that fractalkine may indeed present a potential pathway for development of future therapies..

The discovery was exciting because it found that older animals suffering cognitive decline showed much lower levels of fractalkine…

Until relatively recently, it was thought the adult brain was incapable of generating new neurons..

But work from Professor Bartlett’s laboratory over the past 20 years has demonstrated that the brains of adult animals, including humans, retain the ability to make new nerve cells…

The challenge is to find out how to stimulate this production in the aged animal and human where production has slowed.”

The Future

By mimicking the production of fractalkine, scientists might be able to delay or repair the onset of dementia in elderly patients by creating new neuron cells without the need for exercise. In future ageing brains may be stimulated by fractalkine, via a future pill or patch?

The research has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Organ Donor Idea For Facebook

The new Facebook tool announced recently has the potential to save lives. It will allow people to share their status as an organ donor on their timelines.

Mark, as Facebook CEO, spoke with Robin Roberts on ‘Good Morning America’ on May 1 to discuss the new tool which, apparently, is available to US and UK users.

Mark explained that the project was inspired by Facebook members who have used the site to solve problems creatively. He hopes this new initiative will spread awareness and encourage people to register as donors. Mark,and Sheryl Sandberg, wrote in a May 1 post:

“Today, more than 114,000 people in the United States, and millions more around the globe, are waiting for the heart, kidney or liver transplant that will save their lives..

Many of those people – an average of 18 people per day – will die waiting, because there simply aren’t enough organ donors to meet the need. Medical experts believe that broader awareness about organ donation could go a long way toward solving this crisis. And we believe that by simply telling people that you’re an organ donor, the power of sharing and connection can play an important role.”

To help spread awareness of this issue and share your organ donor status on your timeline, click on ‘Life Event,’ then ‘Health and Wellness’.

Choosing the ‘Organ Donor’ option will allow you to fill in where and when you registered as well as share a personal story. As usual, you can choose which groups of friends you would like to share your organ donor status with.

A link will be provided so you can officially sign up with an appropriate organ donor registry.

A Dark Side To Organ Donation Via Facebook?

Several points are raised here by Biothics.net. This post, by Summer Johnson McGee PhD, does not downgrade the huge publicity Facebook brings and the hopes of sourcing many more organ donations.

The article simply queries the level of education about organ donation on Facebook, asking if people will actually think about what they are doing, will they have discussed it with family and what might arise from what this new system.

What a huge concept.. ]]> http://www.pigswillfly.com.au/?feed=rss2&p=15755 0 http://www.pigswillfly.com.au/?p=15868 http://www.pigswillfly.com.au/?p=15868#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 09:27:00 +0000 Gail http://www.pigswillfly.com.au/?p=15868 Jo Bumbak, from Carnarvon, WA, hates waste. For years Jo, mother of three, watched tonnes of fruit and vegetables left to rot. Apparently 40-60% of a crop can go this way if it is ‘imperfect’ – although perfectly edible – as the market demands perfection! The WA RRR Network News reports this story.

Jo’s Business Uses The ‘Waste’

In 2000 Jo was selling mangoes at a roadside stall. Today her business, Bumbak’s Preserves, Icecreams & Plantation Tours, preserves plantation fruits and vegetables, in their prime, producing:

• 95 types of preserves
• 10 fruit icecreams
• dried fruits and roll-ups
• frozen mango
• fruit smoothies
• a range of cakes, muffins, biscuits and confectionery

Jo Leads A Carnarvon ‘No Waste Initiative’

Currently 15 plantations are supporting sustainability and Jo’s ‘No Waste Initiative’ by selling ‘waste’ product to Bumbak’s for value adding. The value has been appreciated and Jo has won awards for both her food products and also her home-based business. Top Perth chefs use Jo’s products.

Other Local Women Starting Businesses Are Supported

Jo’s Plantation Shop, at 449 North River Road, Carnarvon, helps women starting out in business with collaborative marketing and the sharing of resources – in her shop she sells:

• Bees Knees Aromatherapy products
• Tickled Pink homemade soaps, lip balm and body scrubs
• Outback Essences

Carnarvon Tourism Product

Since 2007 Jo has run a Plantation Tour for tourists of all ages. She includes those who have been involved in the evolution of the horticultural industry and growing techniques and she addresses aspects of irrigation which show how Carnarvon growers are practising the ‘best water saving techniques in Australia’.

Jo is active in helping develop the Carnarvon Tourism Strategy: ‘Bumming Around Carnarvon’ takes visitors to local attractions and introduces them to the Gascoyne Food Trail.

You can contact Jo at: Email bumbak@wn.com.au; Telephone 08 9941 8006

Well done Jo!

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National Farmers’ Federation Wants National Register

Jock Laurie, NFF President, says it is now NFF policy to push for a mandatory national register that lists any purchase of rural land or water assets by foreign-owned or part-owned entities or individuals. All purchases should be reported within 90 days of sale.

This, he says, would be a rational way to provide more accurate information and ward off any out-of-control or racist community debates.

Currently the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) requires only sales of more then $244 million to be approved by them.

Register Should be Compulsory And Retrospective

It seems we do not keep data on where land sold to foreigners is located, which industries, if any, are favoured and whether any particular body/country is more active than others.

Recent ABARE Report On Foreign Ownership

A recent ABARE (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences) report on foreign ownership, its first in 30 years, found 11 per cent of farmland, 9 per cent of water entitlements and 1 per cent of agricultural businesses were owned by foreign interests.

On this basis the Federal Government says concerns that Australia is surrendering control of its food producing assets should be put to rest. The existing levels of regulation governing foreign investment in Australia are adequate.

However, it will monitor foreign investment levels more closely in future in response to community concerns.

Scope Of Report Inadequate?

The Nationals’ John Cobb says:

“The government hasn’t given this study the scope required to fully assess the situation…

[It] didn’t even look at the value of production under foreign control or the nationality of foreign landholders, so provides even less information than 1983-84 data almost 30 years ago…

It is obvious that the $231 million trigger before the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) weighs in is clearly out of step with reality, and that the disparity between the trigger for urban versus regional purchases is nonsensical…

The current rules for foreign investment are outdated and fail to address Australia’s modern food security needs. They will not protect our agricultural commodities from foreign control and/or marketplace domination.”

Farmers requested information from ABARE about anecdotal evidence that:

“Governments from China and Qatar in particular were targeting large numbers of dairy farms, wheat properties and merino wool sheep stations for purchase..”

The report did not provide this info and the NFF wants government to gather information about all land sales linked to foreign companies, governments or investors, regardless of the size or financial scale of each transaction.

At the recent Victorian Farmers’ Federation Conference there was a heated debate and a call for the FIRB threshold to be dropped to $5 million for new purchases of farm land. They also backed the national register.

Where to from here?

What Students Say

While our Chief Scientist bemoans the small numbers of students studying science, one teacher – namely Sea Lake’s John Wright – is successfully turning students onto science.

Twin 17 year old sisters, Casey and Ash Wright (no relation to John), whose parents own a local cafe are excited about the possibilities in agriculture. Ash is planning to be a crop agronomist. She says:

“It seems agriculture has taken off in the past few years along with the concept of keeping the land productive and looking after it.”

Casey is impressed by John’s passion for high-tech agriculture and his dedication to his students, saying:

“I probably wouldn’t be interested if it weren’t for him. he gets us all excited about the possibilities.”

Former Shearer, Boilermaker, Welder – A Frustrated But Inspirational Teacher

Three years ago In 2009 John Wright was the Agricultural Coordinator at Tyrell College, the only secondary education facility in the district. Th school has about 180 students, most from farming families.

Clearly many kids were leaving for the cities because they couldn’t see a future in the wheat industry of their region…

BUT

John could see that the future for agriculture is possibly bigger than the mining boom as far as ‘work, wealth and jobs go’.

John was frustrated that ‘stale courses’ did not reflect the high-tech, big business farming in the region. He says:

“We’ve got to feed more people and we can’t make any more dirt or rain, so that means growing more crops in ways that are smarter and better – which is where science and technology and having bright young people in the industry will become so important. That’s the magic of farming I try to give the kids,”

What Happened At Tyrell College?

John revamped Agricultural Studies, aiming to get the school and the Sea Lake community to work together, so the students could see see future jobs and careers in agriculture.

The Dynamic Agriculture project started with its own small farming program on 5 acres of land in 2009, then extended this when an opportunity to gain another 200 acres of land came up.

Looking for a business mentor the College created a strong affiliation with two business partners: AWB Grainflow and Agrivision Consultants.

Students Are Involved In Everything

Students get a real-world picture of what happens on the farm on a day-to-day basis,

• doing soil analysis and tests
• working with Agrivision agronomists to work out what they should be growing, as well as how and when they should be growing it
• actually sowing the crops

The Result

The Dynamic Agriculture project enables the young people involved to develop leadership and responsibility and possibly a passion for agriculture which will lead them to choose a career in farming.

In three years John’s vision has revolutionised the school and the town:

• local farmers are helping teach agriculture on their farms
• the school is planting, growing and harvesting more than 200 ha of commercial oats, barley and wheat
• rural businesses are lending machinery and qualified staff to help out
• dozens more students are choosing to study agriculture, looking to careers such as university-trained agronomists, farm accountants, skilled farmhands and contractors
• Tyrrell College was announced as the 2011 winner in the Impact Awards category of the NAB Schools First program, which aims at recognising and rewarding outstanding school-community partnerships, that can demonstrate improved student outcomes as a result of their partnership.

You can check out the Tyrrell College video here.

Let’s encourage all those latent John Wrights!

• People with a disability
• Parent/ carers of person with a disability
• Community leaders
• Women in business in rural and regional NSW
• People on low incomes
• People in rural and remote areas
• Indigenous Australians
• Social Entrepreneurs
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• Innovative disability service managers
• Early career service staff and managers

CCBC is committed to the development of tomorrow’s business leaders and has created a number of part scholarships to ensure that the unique skills and experiences of these groups are harnessed to provide leadership within the NSW Central Coast community. It aims to support these emerging leaders and to enhance existing businesses and create new opportunities.

For More Info

Please contact Ted Smeaton at ted@inspiringcommunities.com or Telephone: 02 4362 3995, Mobile 0417 402 669 for further information.

OR

Maggie Jaouhara at maggie@ccbusinesscollege.com or Telephone: 02 4362 3995
Central Coast Business College, PO Box 589, Wyong NSW 2259

Extreme Capitalism

Food producer Dick Smith says businesses and farmers being pushed out of work by what he calls ‘extreme capitalism’. He agrees with Simon Coburn from Ausveg that Australians are being conned, saying:

“Choosing price over products grown and manufactured locally will lead to a complete dependence on imports.”

A New Program From Coles

Coles now has a new way of wielding power over suppliers – a program called ARC (Active Retailer Collaboration) designed to identify possible efficiency gains and potential cost reductions plus data sharing, all for an upfront fee.

Over 200 suppliers have signed up but a number are complaining that the program is not collaborative, just another way to further turn the screws on prices.

The Ferocious Price Wars

As SMH reports the food and liquor discounting between Coles, Woolies – and more recently Metcash – ‘has never been more ferocious and the cries from suppliers never louder’.

Complaints From Suppliers And Now A National Debate

Complaints came first from the dairy industry then the bread industry, then Foster’s found its beer was being sold below cost, hurting independent outlets.

Coca-Cola Amatil has been a target of our supermarkets and international food manufacturer Heinz says the Australian market is the most difficult and ‘inhospitable’.

There is now a national debate about the concentration of Australia’s grocery industry and the long-term toll it is having on Australian suppliers.

What Can Be Done? What Should Be Done?

• A grocery ombudsman?
• A small business and farm tribunal with powers to monitor the behaviour of the supermarket chains?

The Dark Side To The Discounting

Coles estimates that since the start of 2009 there has been a price deflation of 2 per cent a year, a saving of more than $2 billion a year, benefitting consumers.

BUT, if enough suppliers and smaller competitors are driven out of business, it will reduce consumer choice and eventually drive up prices.

In the past year, the profit growth of the entire sector has shrunk.

A recent report by Merill Lynch analyst David Errington says that in the first half of this financial year, the three food retailers delivered a combined $150 million earnings before interest and taxes growth, well below the $400 million-a-year earnings growth required for an ‘acceptable return’.

Question: Is It Realistic To Expect Continued Economic Growth?

Today there is much discussion over the values of living simply – degrowth and relocalisation – and sustainable development:

“Sustainable development is rooted in mainstream development ideas that aim to increase capitalist growth and consumption. Degrowth..sees sustainable development as an oxymoron, as any development based on growth in a finite and environmentally stressed world is seen as inherently unsustainable. Since current levels of consumption exceed the Earth’s ability to regenerate these resources, economic growth will lead to their exhaustion. Those in favor of sustainable development argue that continued economic growth is possible if consumption of energy and resources is reduced.” Wikipedia

Harsh Reality And ‘Food Giant Bullies’

If Coles, Woolworths and Metcash don’t achieve an ‘acceptable return’ in the next couple of years, investors’ patience will run out.

A former senior executive at Foster’s says he had never seen such tough treatment of suppliers in all his years in the business.

At the recent national conference of vegetable growers the AWU called for the federal government to improve labelling and prepare a white paper on food security.

“In Australia we really have no idea what we are eating and where it has come from..

[The supermarkets]..have cornered the Australian market with their own private labels, typically sourced and manufactured overseas,” said Paul Howes.

With pollies ‘alerted’, how will the Coles and Woolies position themselves?

“In any one day, 330 people with serious mental illness will be turned away from hospital emergency departments. 1,200 will be refused admission to a psychiatric unit, and seven will die as a result of suicide – the leading cause of death and disability for Australians under the age of 45.” Australian Rotary Health

Rotary Clubs Hosting Mental Health Forums

Rotary Clubs around Australia have held over 550 Community Mental Health Forums and community interest in supporting preventative efforts that may help those at risk is evident.

Melbourne Mental Health First Aid Workshop In Mitcham June 16-17

As part of this prevention initiative, the Rotary Club of Warrandyte Donvale has been selected to hold a Mental Health First Aid Workshop over 16-17 June, 9.00am – 4.00pm, to help raise awareness and provide the necessary skills in managing mental health problems.

Judy Hall, a member of the Warrandyte Donvale Rotary Club says:

“The training provides individuals the opportunity to learn how to recognise and assist a person who may be developing a mental health problem..

The community also benefits from an increased awareness of mental health issues that helps to reduce stigma and bring these issues into the light.”

About The Workshop

The June workshop will be held at Natalie’s Restaurant, 669 Maroondah Highway, Mitcham. It will run for 12 hours over two days and includes professional training on how to recognise and assist an individual in mental distress.

Crisis situations covered are;

• Suicidal behaviours
• Acute stress reaction
• Panic attacks
• Acute psychotic behaviour

A printed manual is included in the $30 course registration fee.

Bookings are essential – places limited to 20

Details

VENUE Natalie’s Restaurant 669 Maroondah Highway Mitcham
DATE 16-17 June 2012
TIME 9.00am – 4.00pm
PRICE $30 registration which includes a printed manual, morning tea and a light lunch

For More Info

Please contact Judy Hall hallmob@bigpond.net.au mobile – 0419 201 231

BlazeAid Volunteers Help Rebuild Lives As Well As Fences

A volunteer-based organisation BlazeAid now works alongside farmers and families in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires and floods.

BlazeAid Needs Volunteers In Queensland And NSW After 2012 Floods

Fencing work has already begun at the Dunkeld basecamp, Queensland and at the Ungarie, Wagga Wagga, Narrandera and Bribbaree basecamps in NSW.

Many properties here have been flooded two or three times and farmers need a hand getting their fencing rebuilt to stop cattle and stock from straying, to keep stock away from crops, etc.

In these declared disaster areas it ‘s likely volunteers will be needed until at least July or August.

Volunteers, Please Just Come!

‘Please, just come’, says the BlazeAid Volunteer Info Page.

Whether you can work for one day, or a week or more, your contribution will make a difference and help flood-affected families in rural Australia.

Ways Of helping

For people who can’t help with actual fencing, there are jobs to do around the basecamp, including cleaning, catering, tool shed, etc. or you can help by providing:

• food
• materials
• tools – rakes, pitch forks, handles or similar items (in good condition or in need of repair)
• fuel vouchers (free or at a discount)
• transport of our tools and equipment to and from basecamps, etc

Contact Info

BlazeAid Dunkeld basecamp, Queensland (south of Mitchell or north of St George) – Chris & Peter on 07 5549 2935 or blazeaid.dunkeld@gmail.com

BlazeAid Ungarie basecamp, NSW (45 km north-west of West Wyalong) – Rob & Dot on 0466 459 217 or blazeaid.ungarie@gmail.com

BlazeAid Wagga basecamp, NSW (8 km east of Wagga) Eugene on 0435 301 294 or blazeaid.wagga@gmail.com

BlazeAid Narrandera basecamp, NSW – Angus on 0431 901 486 or blazeaid.narrandera@gmail.com

BlazeAid Bribbaree basecamp, NSW – Cheryl and Jan on 0431 901 592 or blazeaid.bribbaree@gmail.com

Kevin Butler, BlazeAid Founder and President 0418 530 471 (8am to 7pm Melbourne time) blazeaid@gmail.com

Lyn Bailey, Admin or General enquiries 0478 536 650 (8am to 7pm Melbourne time) blazeaid@gmail.com

A fantastic effort BlazeAid!

While children scrambled for Easter Eggs I heard about a French family who had just left my friend’s place in Beechworth, to continue their cycling tour of Australia.

Reciprocal Hospitality

This sounded like a good idea for all concerned so I did a google search and found the following introduction by webmaster Randy Fay, in California. They have 1100 members around the world. Check out the intro here.

FAQ

Click here for the FAQ page.

Another good idea – a bit like couch surfing?