Thursday, February 21, 2008

Algae -A Solution to the End of Oil?


End_of_oil "All countries must take vigorous, immediate and collective action to curb runaway energy demand. The next ten years will be crucial for all countries... We need to act now to bring about a radical shift in investment in favor of cleaner, more efficient and more secure energy technologies."

~Nobuo Tanaka, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA)

Big oil had better start worrying. Common algae from ponds and waste-water treatment plants has been found to produce vast amounts of burnable oil, say researchers at the University of Minnesota, algae produces an astounding 5,000 gallons of oil per acre. Corn, by comparison, produces a measly 18 gallons. Soybean yields 48 gallons. An acre of palm trees yields 635 gallons.

Algae has a clear advantage in other ways as well. Land crops use up more resources and require more manpower to grow. Algae, on the other hand, is so hardy that it grows all by itself in conditions that require little to no management.Researchers Roger Ruan and Paul Chen will start with 200 gallons of waste water, but see the potential as enormous. The only liability they have to deal with now is how to produce the fuel cheaply. They believe it will be able to be made affordable as the technology improves and starts to catch on.

Exxon claims “We're not gouging US citizens,” after raking in record breaking $39.5 billion in 2007, the largest ever profit in the history of the US.

As society gets increasingly fed up with big oil, opportunities for new energy sources are opening up.The algae production process can also take advantage of excess heat, nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus produced by coal-burning plants and waste-water incinerators, making algae pond farms a possibility for both northern and southern states.

Posted by Rebecca Sato.

If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on Digg, Reddit, or StumbleUpon.Thanks!

Links:

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2007/11/26/72164691
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Business/2008/01/15/algae_has

Laeder of Pioneering Cosmetics Firm

By Ari Satriyo Wibowo
Published at The Jakarta Post on January 30, 2008


While the UK has Anita Roddick, an ordinary housewife and environmentalist who set up The Body Shop, Indonesia should be proud of having Dr. Retno Iswari Tranggono, SpKK who is a housewife, dermatologist, established cosmetics scientist and producer of well-known cosmetics brand Ristra.

Retno's interest in the cosmetics industry started when she, as a fifth-year student of the University of Indonesia's School of Medicine, was asked by a neighbor to become an instructor at her skin care school Viva Health and Beauty Institute. The neighbor, Bo Tan Tjoa, better known as Ibu Antari, was the co-owner of skin care firm Viva Kosmetic in Semarang.

After completing a specialized program in dermatology at the University of Indonesia's School of Medicine in 1968, she proposed setting up a department specifically dedicated to handling cosmetics and beauty problems. She received support from the school's head of the dermatology and venereology department, Prof. M. Djoewari, who said: "If you believe doctors will be interested in this science and that it is important to the public, go ahead and set up."

On April 1, 1970, the sub-department of cosmetics and skin surgery (now called the cosmeto-dermatology sub-department) was officially set up with Dr. Retno as the head. Within a short time, this sub-department became a favorite. Many doctors have taken this sub-specialization because many patients want beauty treatment.

Before the establishment of the sub-department, the dermatology and venereology department was not popular and dermatologists were considered "poor doctors". "Doctors were reluctant to join this department because of the additional label of venereology. So, when I applied for this department, I was readily accepted. At that time, there were only three females, including myself," said Dr. Retno, who was born in Jakarta on Nov. 17, 1939.

After practicing for quite a long time as a dermatologist, it became clearer to Dr. Retno that there were problems in the skin treatment applied in Indonesia. The treatment method was based on knowledge dating back to colonial times while the pharmaceutical world did not support skin treatment as not many drugs for skin treatment were available. Also, imported products did not necessarily suit skin in the tropics. In short, there were problems in skin treatment in this country. Even the medicine available to fight acne was ineffective. "I often ask my patients how they clean their faces. They never used soap to clean their faces because their beauticians prohibit it. If they consult a doctor, they are advised to stop using cosmetics and are referred to a beauty salon," said Retno, who has three children and six grandchildren.

Even at a beauty salon, the practice was wrong as soap was not allowed to be used. "That is the principle prevailing in Holland, where the climate is cold and dry. In Holland, for example, you shouldn't wash your face but instead use cold cream. In a tropical country, if you apply cold cream and powder to your face, acne will appear," she added.

According to Retno, there are four factors affecting the use of cosmetics that have good or bad results. These are human beings, cosmetics, the environment and the correlation between human beings, cosmetics and the environment. Dr. Retno calls this knowledge "The Science of Beauty".

The human beings factor is concerned with the difference in skin color. Asians generally have olive skin while European have fair skin. People from different races also have different beauty behaviors. As a result, the effects of cosmetics will also differ. Insufficient knowledge about cosmetics will lead to mistakes in their usage. As for the cosmetics factor, this is related, for example, to poor raw materials, formulation not suiting skin type and the environment and an unhygienic and unsophisticated manufacturing process that may lead to irritation, allergies and acne. The third factor is the environment. In tropical countries like Indonesia, people perspire more and their skin may be oily. That's why when Asians use cold cream and creamy moisturizer made specifically for the European climate, the moisturizer can clog the pores and cause acne.

In 1983, Retno was at a crossroads: continue teaching and pursuing her studies to be a professor or go into the industry to produce quality cosmetics. Retno and her husband, Dr. Suharto Tranggono, SpKJ, SpKP, a psychiatrist working for the Indonesian Air Force, eventually opted to build their business. This business, now under the flagship of PT Ristra Indolab, began in the garage of their house in the Air Force compound on Jl. Rajawali Selatan, North Jakarta, in 1983.

As Indonesia has a tropical climate with a lot of sunshine, Indonesians characteristically have brown skin. To the majority of the public, however, beautiful skin is fair. That's why special cosmetics are needed that suit Asian's olive complexion and tropical environment. All Ristra's products, ranging from skin treatment, hair treatment to makeup, are produced to suit the characteristics of the skin of Asians.

In the late 1990s, Ristra produced as many as 82 items. Every Ristra product must reflect its scientific quality. That's why in 1983 Retno set up a research and development laboratory, PT Ristra Indolab, which is headed by a pharmacist who graduated in Germany, Dr. Rosali Setiawan. Retno is involved in the laboratory's activities to produce new formulas. She introduces concepts for new products, tests the technical feasibility of these products and guarantees the effectiveness and security of the products.

Sometimes, Retno herself leads the R&D activities. One outstanding achievement is the finding of PH Balanced and Radical Protection Factor concept, which has won recognition from the international world. Her latest finding, which is based on nano technology, is the formulation for PCO (Proanthocyanidin Oligimer) as the main material for Platinum Skin Care, which, when combined with Nanotope, can go through the epidermic layer so that active substances work effectively. With this achievement, Ristra has become Indonesia's first cosmetics company to apply nanotechnology.

In order to ensure a re-generation in the company's management, Retno asked her son, Krisna Nindita Tranggono, a master graduate of several American universities, to join the company.

As cosmeto-dermatology leans more toward instant beauty, Dr. Retno took the initiative to set up the Ristra Institute of Skin Health and Beauty Science in 2006 to ensure that cosmeto-dermatology will not deviate too much from its original track. The people who attend this institute are doctors and medical personnel dealing in beauty matters. "For one whole week they are taught the principles of medical cosmetics. These principles must be understood so that they will not be duped by a quick and instant way to make them rich," she said.

In appreciation of her outstanding achievements in the cosmetics industry, BRI Platinum Card conferred on Dr. Retno the "Life Time Achievement Award" on Dec. 5, 2007. When asked about her ideals, Dr. Retno simply said, "I would like Indonesians to have clean and healthy skin. It is not beauty that comes instantly but beauty that will be long-lasting." (Ari Satriyo Wibowo)

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

How to Kill Your Mother in Law

A long time ago in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.

In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.


Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly. Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting.

But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey herevery wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband! great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-! law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and
she decided to do something about it
! Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs.

She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.

Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen tome and obey what I tell you." Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do."Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body.

Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you, when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen." Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law
's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relative that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her." Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head.

"Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to
improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her." HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying : "The person who loves others will also be loved in return." God might be trying to work in another person's life through you. Send this to your friends and spread the POWER OF LOVE

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Actual Embryonic Stem Cells Derived Without Killing The Embryos


When you receive the Seal you will understand the value of human life. Now (Jan 12 2008) human embryo stem cells have been produced from embryos without destroying the embryos.

In the last few months of 2007 there were breakthroughs in producing cells that were very much like human embryo stem cells (hESC) from ordinary skin cells. That was a tremendous breakthrough itself.

But hESC is still considered the "gold standard" for research and is still considered highly valuable and even necessary for research. Now thanks to this new research, it is possible to create hESC without killing embryos.

In 2006 a study showed that hESC could be derived from a single blastomere. A blastomere is the kind of cell created by the embryo in the very first week following fertilization when the embryo begins to divide.

But in that first study in 2006, many cells were taken out of each embryo so that they could not develop anymore. In this study, researchers derived five hESC lines without destroying the embryos, including one without co-culture.

Co-culture is the growth of distinct cell types in a combined culture. This meant that stem cells were needed from other embryos that ended up being destroyed. Co-culture is not a necessary part of this new procedure.

In this procedure, single blastomeres were taken out of the embryos using a process similar to preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD.) PGD is a procedure whereby embryos are made free of disease before implantation.

The "biopsied" embryos were further grown until they became blastocysts and then were frozen (instead of killed.) A biopsy is the removal of cells from the embryo, and the blastocyst stage is right after the zygote stage and before the embryo is known as an "embryo."

The blastomeres were cultured with a technique that was comparable in efficiency to "whole embryo derivations" which destroy the embryos. This is important--the high level of efficiency makes it a viable procedure.

And the derived stem cell lines had the same kind of pluripotency as whole embryo derivations. Pluripotency is the ability of the stem cell to become a cell of any of the three germ layers--ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm.

The White House still needs to approve this new technique as a way to get stem cells without destroying the embryos. But this is a major advancement in science--a step forward for the sanctity of life.

This is a solution to the ethical problem of stem-cell research, since embryos can now "share" their life-giving cells with researchers who desperately need them, and still grow up to be healthy adults.

When you are sealed you will begin to understand the sanctity of life. You will understand how God gave Life to people in the beginning and continues to give Life to them.

Of course, the greater kind of life is spiritual Life. The life in this world is a gift from God but the spiritual Life for eternity in Heaven is the ultimate gift and much better than the short and miserable opportunity in this world.

When you are sealed God will give you new life. He will give you a second chance. And He will give you the chance to live forever with Him in Heaven when you receive the Seal.