#Hartnup

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Sun star on the move

By Ruth Hartnup

[contentabnormal]

Frankentyner’s alter-ego, Josh Ryals, is a Runner-up in this year’s Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards!  Thanks to all who voted for him!

- Frankentyner

[harry--vincent]

Revolving perception. Eyelids form the canopy for perceiving. Vision is Planetary. Round and rotating. Empires die and gestate with the seasons of time. If the eye is the portal to the other, what is inside? Eye-dentity. Veins cascade the retina of the body. Marks behind the vision. The wizard’s work is reveal behind this curtain of flesh. Eyes roll to avoid. Then roll back to indulge in sin. Thank you to all who donated their eyes to this artwork.

CROS(s)ES ‘See no evil’ (08)

[DIGITAL ARTWORK, 2023]

‘Composed pre-existing found imagery of retinal scans into a crucifix layout.’

IMAGE SOURCES: (Top-left to Bottom-right) Flickr 287784589 by Ruth Hartnup. Flickr 21690980 by Retinafunk. Flickr 2635107055 by Richard Masoner. Flickr 3861625163 by Andrew Girdwood. Flickr 3732320983 by James Gallagher. Flickr 2590551810 by hobbs_luton. Flickr 3861625363 by Andrew Girdwood. Flickr 5058481897 by Kevin Ho. Flickr 8516354292 by Nikki Tysoe. Flickr 52216165903 by Ron Cogswell. Flickr 8344518631 by Phil Whitehouse. Flickr 2590555768 by hobbs_luton. Flickr 2332311346 by Casey Marshall.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A series of spheres showing various retinal eye scans, in shades of Orange, Red and Brown, with Scarlet Red outlines arranged in a crucifix style cross format on a Black background.

[cfenvs3000w24]

Hello!

I really enjoyed reading your post, and I now almost wish that I picked slime molds as my topic! The first thing I noticed about the second slime mold you described is that it eerily reminds me of the fungus from the show "The Last of Us". If you haven't seen it, it is a show about fungus infiltrating humans and creating an apocalypse. I don't know how much this show is rooted in fact (it is a show after all), but essentially the fungus was able to communicate through large areas if had multiple fungi that were connected. I know this may be a stretch - but do you think any of this could be based on how slime molds can fuse with one another?

The other thing I was interested in is whether slime mold could be related to lichen (the topic of my group podcast) because lichen uses fungi in symbiosis. Unfortunately, I could not find any details on this, but, I did find a very beautiful photo of slime mold I would like to share!

Hartnup, R. (2018, July 9). Slime mold in the forest. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthanddave/42404181915. Used under CC BY 2.0 DEED.

Mindless Intelligence - Week 9

Hey everyone, welcome to another week of nature interpretation! Today I’d like to share the story of an amazing creature out in nature that you may have never even heard of - Slime Molds. 

Slime molds look very similar to, and are decomposers, like fungus. But they aren't actually fungus. Or plants. Or animals. They are actually single celled (sometimes) Eukaryotes. Eukaryotes is the ‘complex cell’ group, including all animals, plants, protists, and fungus (Howard, 2020). So, basically slime molds are in that group, but don’t really belong to any of the subgroups. They’re just kind of ‘miscellaneous’.  

Oh yeah, and the reason I say they are single celled sometimes, is because slime molds will often congregate together and share their cellular contents, forming a giant collective cell thing, which is really cool and weird (Howard, 2020). Slime molds live out most of their lives as single-celled microorganisms, but when they’re ready to reproduce, they can scale up in size to form structures that look like fungus.

The fungus-like fruiting body of a species of slime mold. © Andy Sands/NPL https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/vive-le-blob-the-amazing-abilities-of-slime-moulds

I first learned about these creatures in a youtube video from an absolutely excellent nature communicator, Ze Frank on Youtube True Facts: The Smartest Slime. I would really recommend checking out his videos and channel. He’s such a compelling interpreter because he tells a story by naming the animals in his clips funny names and narrates it, and he uses wit and humor to keep the audience engaged (Beck et al, Chapter 10, Arts in Interpretation).

Now, let me get into more interesting and amazing bits. So, slime molds have no brains, no eyes, so ears, and are essentially a big blob of cells. You would think that this would -  no offense - make them very stupid. But, researchers have found that they can solve mazes (Howard, 2020). As the slime mold moves through the maze on the lookout for food, it is able to sense the trail of slime that it’s left behind, allowing it to avoid areas it's already been.

This is a picture of the species used to solve mazes. © Andy Sands/NPL https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/vive-le-blob-the-amazing-abilities-of-slime-moulds 

Some species are also capable of a primitive style of learning. Normally, when one of the slime mold’s tendrils touches a negative stimulus like salt or caffeine, it slows down and moves elsewhere. But if it discovers that it can reach food by traveling through the hazard, it learns, over time, to keep going to get the food! One of the interesting things about this behavior is that it can be ‘taught’ to other slime molds by fusing with other ones that have never encountered the risk. Even more interesting is that this behavior stays in the slime mold for many weeks, even if the blob goes into a dried-up, hibernation-like state (Howard, 2020). How crazy is that? 

While doing this research I also found some wild information about their reproduction.  Slime molds have a swirling mass of additional types of sex cell – giving them around 720 sexes in total (Howard, 2020).

Anyway, I hope you found this topic interesting, and I encourage you to look for some videos on the topic as it can be quite cool to see these molds solve mazes and such. That’s all for this week, keep on exploring!

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing.

Frank, Z. (2023, January 31). True facts: The smartest slime. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_GTIL7AECQ  Howard, J. (2020). Vive Le Blob: The amazing abilities of slime moulds. BBC Science Focus Magazine. https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/vive-le-blob-the-amazing-abilities-of-slime-moulds

[mcatmemoranda]

Proline is supposed to be nonpolar.

In hartnup disease, the transporter for neutral amino acids is missing. So the pt can’t transport tryptophan, alanine, serine, threonine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, or tyrosine in the small intestine and kidneys; pts have increased neutral amino acids in the urine. Tryptophan is a precursor for niacin, serotonin, and melatonin. If you can't absorb tryptophan, you can't make niacin-> pellagra symptoms (dementia, dermatitis, diarrhea).

Aliphatic means there are carbon-carbon bond side chains. I remember now from orgo...

An aliphatic amino acid is an amino acid containing an aliphatic side chain functional group. Aliphatic amino acids are non-polar and hydrophobic. Hydrophobicity increases as the number of carbon atoms on the hydrocarbon chain increases. Most aliphatic amino acids are found within protein molecules.

[johnny-dynamo]

Joker by  Lee Hartnup

[firststreetcafe]

Fruit pancakes at Main Street Cafe by Ruth Hartnup

[beatle-bored]

From L to R: Jann Haworth, Mohammed (Robert Fraser’s driver), Peter Blake, Andy Boulton (junior assistant), Trevor Sutton (assistant), Nigel Hartnup (leaning on the drum), Mme Tussauds worker, Michael Cooper, Mal Evans

[lea-naschkatze]

Visto primeiro no site: http://bit.ly/2t3LtIy

[thethinghouse-blog]

Merry Museum! #2

Something for the Christmas weekend, Sir?

Burnaby Village Museum (2013), British Columbia, Canada 

Source: Ruth Hartnup on Flickr.

[indianfitnesscare]

Hartnup Disease: Know Symptoms And Causes Of This Rare Condition

Hartnup Disease: Know Symptoms And Causes Of This Rare Condition

Hartnup is a rare genetic disorder that affects ability to absorb amino acids which lead to health complications, read to know more. Source link

[medicine-mu]

Syndromes

Hartnup syndrome : heriditary autosomal recessive defect in transport of free neutral AA like tryptophan ( niacin deficiency-B3 : dementia, dermatitis and diarrhea )

Shwachman diamond syndrome:

Bone marrow failure: fluctuating neutropenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

Metaphyseal chondroplasia ( bell shaped chest )

Short stature

[medicosis]

Can you answer today’s question? Q: What’s the mode of inheritance of Hartnup disease?! 🤷‍♂️...#medicine #medical #medschool #biochemistry #pathology #chemistry #nurse #doctor #usmle https://www.instagram.com/p/COidusHB6m8/?igshid=drlmkhq463r6

[mcatmemoranda]

A congenital abnormality of amino acid absorption is associated with Hartnup disease. A defective neutral amino acid transporter on renal and intestinal epithelial cells prevents tryptophan absorption in the gut and increases its excretion in the urine. Tryptophan deficiency can lead to niacin deficiency, so these patients can present with symptoms of pellagra (diarrhea, photosensitivity, confusion, and ataxia).

Impaired oxidation of very long chain fatty acids is associated with Zellweger syndrome, an autosomal recessive disease characterized by the reduction or absence of functional peroxisomes in the cells of an individual. Clinical manifestations include failure to thrive, seizures, and nystagmus. Death usually occurs within the first year of life.

Inappropriate enzyme deactivation is associated with several pathologic conditions, both acquired and inherited. For example, hereditary pancreatitis is an inherited mutation in the trypsinogen-encoding gene. This leads to the production of dysfunctional trypsinogen that is resistant to deactivation by trypsin. These patients experience recurrent bouts of acute pancreatitis and are at increased risk for pancreatic cancer.

Lipoprotein lipase deficiency is associated with type I dyslipidemia, or hyperchylomicronemia. This leads to accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the plasma. Clinical manifestations include pancreatitis, hepatosplenomegaly, and eruptive xanthomas (lipid deposits beneath skin and along muscle tendons).

[monicamathis001]

Vitamin B3 Overview and Uses

Vitamin B3, or niacin, is a water soluble vitamin known to be crucial in food processing, helping in turning food into usable energy [5]. Being water soluble, any excess amount present can be easily taken out through urination, thereby reducing any chances of niacin build up in the body. Niacin helps in converting nutrients into energy, form and repair DNA, and produce antioxidant effects as well [4].

There are two common forms of niacin, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. Looking closer, it is the amino acid tryptophan that is responsible for converting into nicotinamide [4]. 

Niacin has been found to reduce LDL (“bad cholesterol”) while increasing HDL (“good cholesterol”). Additionally, it has shown to produce improvements in coronary artery disease as well [2]. 

Recommended Intakes

Based on the recommended intakes set by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) and presented by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this table shows the Adequate Intakes for niacin (vitamin B3). Adequate Intake (AI) is the intake that is needed to ensure nutritional adequacy. Specifically for niacin, it is measured in milligrams of niacin equivalents (NE) [5]. 

One NE = 1mg of niacin or 60mg of tryptophan [5].

 Sources of Vitamin B3

Food sources [1]:

Red meat

Chicken

Fish

Peanuts 

Whear

Barley

Coffee

Supplements: 

Supplements are available in multivitamin products, in the form of nicotinic acid / nicotinamide [4]. When the amount of supplement is more than the RDA, it can cause unpleasant side effects such as skin flushing [5]. 

**nicotinamide does not produce skin flushing due to its chemical structure**

Prescription:

According to Mayo Clinic, niacin prescription could potentially benefit those with high cholesterol, who are unable to control it through diet, statin (group of drugs that reduce fat), and exercise [3].

B3 Deficiency and Safety

Safety [3]:

When taken in safe, appropriate amounts (within RDA range) or as per prescribed, niacin is safe. But high doses (2,000 to 6,000 mg of niacin a day) can lead to:

Skin flushing

Rapid heartbeat

Nausea and vomiting

Abdominal pain

Itching

Diarrhea

Liver damage

Deficiency [5]: 

Severe deficiency leads to pellagra (pigmented rash or brown discoloration on exposed skin).

Risk of deficiency is high among:

Malnourished individuals 

Individuals with Hartnup disease -- rare genetic disorder that involves the disruption of tryptophan absorption in the small intestine, and increases loss of it in the urine

This leads to less available tryptophan available to be converted to niacin.

Those with carcinoid syndrome -- caused by slow growing tumors in the GI tract. Tryptophan is oxidized here and as a result, is not metabolized to niacin. 

Those who have low iron, vitamin B6, and vitamin B2 have trouble converting tryptophan to niacin.

Takeaway

Knowing the importance of vitamin B3 in food processing, it is crucial for us to consume and make sure it is in our diet. While normal consumption of the foods and supplements above yields positive results, excessive consumption can lead to flushing. It is really hard to reach that extreme threshold and most individuals can meet their requirements with simple diet changes!

 Reference 

Hill LJ, Williams AC. Meat Intake and the Dose of Vitamin B3 – Nicotinamide: Cause of the Causes of Disease Transitions, Health Divides, and Health Futures? International Journal of Tryptophan Research. 2017;10:117864691770466. 

McKenney J. New Perspectives on the Use of Niacin in the Treatment of Lipid Disorders. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004;164(7):697.

Niacin [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2020 [cited 2021Feb12]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-niacin/art-20364984

Niacin – Vitamin B3 [Internet]. The Nutrition Source. 2020 [cited 2021Feb12]. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/niacin-vitamin-b3/

Office of Dietary Supplements - Niacin [Internet]. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; [cited 2021Feb12]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Niacin-HealthProfessional/

  source https://www.nutrav.com/blogs/news/effects-of-sleep-deprivation source https://nutravllc.blogspot.com/2021/02/vitamin-b3-overview-and-uses.html