#lipids notes

[er-cryptid]

Phospholipids

-- a type of lipid

-- lipids are a type of macromolecule

-- made of: -> fatty acids -> glycerol -> phosphate -> R group

-- functions as foundation for membranes

-- example: cell plasma membrane

.

Patreon

[etirabys]

When I started translating my notes on Nick Lane's book on abiogenesis into an blog post, I felt like I'd woken up from an ultra detailed dream with an amazing plot, only to discover it makes no sense when I describe the twists. I kept reducing my ambitions until I succeeded in writing a rather muzzy and exasperated five paragraph summary for friends. Since I don't want to say nothing about my partial understanding of a partial account of abiogenesis, one of the most interesting questions ever, I will paste those paragraphs.

(Note: he chooses not to touch the major question of how DNA and DNA replication arose. This book is about how reality might have solved the other significant challenges.)

--

Nick Lane's bet on the location of the origin of life is underwater alkaline hydrothermal vents, which are formed when water sinks underwater, reacts with certain common rocks like olivine, and comes back hot & alkaline & also holding a lot of rock stuff like metals and sulfur. When this re-meets the ocean, the rock stuff precipitates out into a "mineralized sponge" riddled with labyrinthine interconnected pores, throughout which the pH difference can be dramatically different. Like 3-5 pH units.

This rock offers a bit of natural inside/outside protection for a protocell putting itself together. Organics naturally concentrate in small spaces due to thermophoresis, which is the phenomenon where larger molecules accumulate in the colder regions of a small space (because they're worse at randomly bouncing back to a hot region than a small molecule). So you have an environment full of CO2, hydrogen gas, metal catalysts, as well as a natural gentle flow of water carrying out waste. Promising!

Carbon fixation is the process of stripping carbon from inorganics like CO2 to tack them onto organic molecules like RNA. Every living cell has to do this. The simplest carbon fixation pathway only requires CO2 and H2, so let's assume it's the first pathway that was used. The pH difference comes into play twice, here: (1) Stripping an electron from H2 to give it to CO2 to make an organic molecule is hard in any pH, but not hard if the electron crosses a semiconducting mineral like FeS in a thin wall, from a more alkaline environment to a more acidic one. (2) Where does the energy to run these carbon fixation reactions come from? Simple membranes are by default porous to protons, which are small. Simple cells wedged between two areas with differences in pH can exploit the flow of protons, which go through (something like) ATP synthase to generate ATP, which can perform work in the cell much as they do now. (Actually, probably not ATP, but acetyl phosphate, which is much simpler but can do the same thing.)

But howww do you go from passively exploiting the proton gradient to producing it yourself by pumping protons out, as modern cells do? As a hint, we notice that all cells seem adapted to an internal concentration of Na+ that's weirdly lower than the ocean concentration. Na+ can also be used for energy production, and lipid membranes are much less permeable to Na+ than H+. So while there's no point in pumping H+ that'll come back immediately, there is an advantage to pumping Na+, since it'll stay out and increase the energy gradient you're using to live. The additional Na+ gradient can give the cell 60% more power than relying on protons alone, meaning cells with the Na+ pump can colonize areas of the vent with a smaller pH difference. Once you have an Na+ pump, there's an advantage to tightening the membrane against protons since… I didn't believe the logic here :/ but the endpoint is that you have an impermeable membrane studded all over with proton pumps, at which point you're ready to leave the vents.

Even this relatively plausible account is so implausible I don't think life actually arose...

Archaea and bacteria probably diverged before attaining independence, and left the vents separately. We think this because their cell membranes and cell walls are so different. Like, they both use glycerol to make their membrane impermeable to protons, but they use different stereoisomers of glycerol to do so. Both of them use the same fundamental energy converting membrane protein, but oriented in opposite directions, which led to different design constraints. Which I do not understand well enough to relay to you.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Whale Fall

Whale Fall - the carcass of a whale that sinks to the seafloor when it dies. It provides a sudden, concentrated food source and a bonanza for organisms in the deep sea for years to come.

Common Organisms Found on a Whale Fall: 1 = Hagfish; 2 = Sixgill Shark; 8 = Giant Isopod

3 = Rattail Fish; 4 = Eelpout Fish; 5 = Sea Pig; 6 = Pom-Pom Anemone; 7 = Muusoctopus; 9 = Amphipods; 10 = Grooved Tanner Crab; 11 = Hesionid Worms; 12 = Ampharetid Worms; 13 = Osedax Worms; 14 = Brittle Star; 17 = Hooded Shrimp; 18 = Squat Lobster

15 = Rubyspira Snails; 16 = Mussels

Whale Fall in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

When a whale dies, the story has just begun. The massive carcass sinks to the seafloor, where it provides food for a deep sea ecosystem on the otherwise mostly barren seafloor. There are several stages to the whale fall ecosystem as different parts of the whale are used up.

Timeline of a Whale Fall

Stages of a Whale Fall

Scientists have identified 4 stages of a whale fall. The stages – which often overlap or blend together – start with the head (Stage 1) and end at the tail (Stage 4). The duration of these stages is estimated, and varies depending on the size and species of the whale.

In the 1st phase, mobile scavengers such as ratfish, hagfish and sharks smell whale on the water and swim from afar, feeding for up to 2 years on the dead whale's soft flesh.

In the 2nd phase (the enrichment-opportunist stage), worms, crustaceans and mollusks feed on leftover blubber, often burrowing into the nutrient-enriched sediment beneath the whale for around two years.

The 3rd stage (sulfophilic stage) can last decades. With only the skeleton remaining, bacteria begin breaking down lipids trapped inside the bones, generating sulfur, which attracts more bacteria and a larger community of diverse and rare species including mussels, worms, snails, and others. This diversity of species found in this last stage is larger than any known community on the deep seafloor.

In the 4th stage, the mineral remains of the skeleton are colonized primarily by suspension feeders exploiting flow enhancement and hard substrates after the depletion of organic material.

Creatures of a Whale Fall

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

[lanawrx]

Tutoring Sessions with Johnny Joestar: Macromolecules

a/n: the fall semester just started and this is my first time taking biology so I'm writing fanfiction to help me study LMAOOO

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆

It was a late afternoon, and the sun streamed through the library windows, casting a warm glow across the tables. The campus was quieting down as students finished their classes for the day, but you were still hard at work, sitting in a cozy corner with your biology textbook open in front of you.

Next to you sat Johnny Joestar, your lab partner and a cute guy you’d gotten to know over the semester. He had offered to help you study for the upcoming biology exam, and you were grateful for his help—especially since you were struggling to wrap your head around macromolecules.

Johnny leaned back in his chair, casually flipping through his notes. “Alright,” he began, glancing at you with a small smile. “Let’s start with the basics. Do you know what a macromolecule is?”

You nodded slowly. “I think so. It’s a large molecule made up of smaller units, right?”

“Exactly,” Johnny replied, leaning forward, his blue eyes focused on you. “Macromolecules are big, complex molecules that are essential for life. There are four main types: proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. Each of these has a unique structure and function, but they’re all made up of smaller building blocks.”

“Got it,” you said, feeling a bit more confident. “And polymers?”

“Right. A polymer is a type of macromolecule. It’s basically a long chain made up of repeating units called monomers,” Johnny explained, tapping his fingers on the table as if to emphasize each point. “Think of it like a necklace, where each bead is a monomer, and the whole necklace is the polymer.”

You nodded, picturing the beads in your mind. “Okay, that makes sense. So, how are these polymers formed and broken down?”

Johnny grinned, clearly pleased with your progress. “Good question. Polymers are formed through a process called dehydration synthesis, or condensation. That’s when two monomers join together, and in the process, they release a molecule of water. On the other hand, breaking down polymers is called hydrolysis. That’s when water is added, breaking the bonds between monomers.”

You scribbled down notes, grateful that Johnny was making these concepts easier to understand. “Dehydration synthesis to build, hydrolysis to break down,” you repeated.

“Exactly,” Johnny said, giving you an approving nod. “Now, let’s go over the structures and functions of the four main types of macromolecules.”

He pulled out his own notes and started with proteins. “Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are their monomers. The sequence of these amino acids determines the protein’s shape and function. Proteins do a lot—they’re involved in everything from catalyzing chemical reactions to providing structural support to cells.”

He paused to let you catch up, then moved on. “Nucleic acids, like DNA and RNA, are made up of nucleotides. These nucleotides have three parts: a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. Nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information.”

“Carbohydrates,” he continued, “are made up of sugar monomers called monosaccharides. They’re the main source of energy for living organisms. Simple sugars like glucose give us quick energy, while complex carbs like starch provide a slower, more sustained release.”

Finally, Johnny turned to lipids. “Lipids are a bit different—they’re not true polymers because they’re not made up of repeating monomers. But they’re still considered macromolecules. Lipids include fats, oils, and phospholipids. They store energy, make up cell membranes, and play a role in signaling within the body.”

You finished writing and looked up at Johnny, who was watching you with a small smile. “That was really helpful,” you said, feeling a sense of accomplishment. “I think I understand this stuff a lot better now.”

Johnny chuckled softly. “I’m glad I could help. You’re doing great—just keep going over your notes, and you’ll nail that exam.”

You smiled back, feeling a warm glow that had nothing to do with the setting sun. “Thanks, Johnny. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

He shrugged, but there was a hint of shyness in his expression. “No problem. I guess being lab partners has its perks.”

You both shared a quiet laugh, the atmosphere between you light and comfortable. As you packed up your things, you couldn’t help but feel a little closer to Johnny—not just as a lab partner, but as a friend who was genuinely invested in helping you succeed.

“Maybe we can study together again sometime?” you suggested, hoping you didn’t sound too eager.

Johnny’s smile widened, and he gave you a small nod. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

With that, you both headed out of the library, the evening air cool against your skin as you walked together across the campus, discussing plans for the next study session.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡ Thanks for Reading! ˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚⋆

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

BRONX, N.Y., Nov. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine involving more than 200,000 adults found that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a 29% increase in risk for developing dyslipidemia, a condition involving abnormal lipid (fat) levels in the blood. Seniors and people with type 2 diabetes were even more strongly affected, experiencing an approximately two-fold increased risk for developing dyslipidemia, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. The research was published today in the print edition of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

"Given the extent of the pandemic, this increase in dyslipidemia risk is a cause for concern around the world," said study leader Gaetano Santulli, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine and of molecular pharmacology at Einstein. "Based on our findings, we would advise people to have their lipid levels monitored regularly and to consult with their healthcare providers about ways to treat dyslipidemia if detected, especially elderly individuals and patients with diabetes." He noted that this advice would apply to all adults, not just those formally diagnosed with COVID-19, considering that many people have been infected without realizing it.

To put these findings into context, it has been estimated that 53% of U.S. adults had dyslipidemia before the pandemic; a 29% increase in dyslipidemia incidence due to COVID-19 would mean that 68% of Americans may now be at risk for having lipid abnormalities.

In two previous studies, Dr. Santulli and his team found that COVID-19 raised the incidence of new cases of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. "In those analyses, we demonstrated that the risk of developing these disorders was still high three years after the pandemic; moreover, we noticed a suspicious increase in total cholesterol levels, which warranted a closer look," said Dr. Santulli. In the new study, the researchers first determined the incidence of dyslipidemia in a group of more than 200,000 adults living in Naples, Italy during the three years prior to start of the pandemic (2017-2019). They then assessed the incidence of dyslipidemia in the same group during the three-year COVID-19 period (2020-2022), excluding from the analysis those people earlier diagnosed with dyslipidemia or who had previously been taking lipid-lowering medications.

The investigators found that COVID-19 raised the risk for developing dyslipidemia in the entire study group by an average of 29%. The increase was even higher among people over age 65 and those with chronic conditions, particularly diabetes and obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypertension. The findings are the most definitive to date because other studies—most of them linking COVID-19 with modestly increased risks for blood-lipid problems—used as control groups different populations or people thought to have gone through the pandemic without becoming infected. However, significant numbers of people classified as "COVID-free" actually developed the disease but were either never tested or didn't seek medical care.

"Our study did not attempt to determine whether participants had tested positive for COVID-19," Dr. Santulli said. "Instead, because we had been following this group for many years prior to the pandemic, we were able to measure COVID's overall impact on the population by simply comparing levels of dyslipidemia in the same group before and after the pandemic. Any increase in dyslipidemia incidence would almost certainly have to be the result of COVID-19."

How COVID-19 might have increased the incidence of dyslipidemia remains unclear. One possible explanation is a finding Dr. Santulli made in an earlier study: that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) disrupts the function of endothelial cells, which line the inside of blood vessels throughout the body and play a critical role in regulating blood lipids.

A separate study found that COVID-19 is a powerful risk factor for heart attacks and strokes for as long as nearly three years after an infection. "This investigation, published online a month after ours, essentially confirms our observations in this study, since dyslipidemia is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Santulli. "It also suggests that tackling dyslipidemia should reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in those who have had COVID."

The researchers are now studying the effects of COVID-19 on cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a recently described condition involving four connected medical problems—heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity—all of which involve endothelial dysfunction.

The study is titled "A six-year study in a real-world population reveals an increased incidence of dyslipidemia during COVID-19". The other contributors include: Stanislovas S. Jankauskas, Ph.D., and Fahimeh Varzideh, Ph.D., both at Einstein, Pasquale Mone, M.D., Ph.D., at Einstein and Molise University, Campobasso, Italy, Valentina Trimarco, Raffaele Izzo, Maria Virginia Manzi, Maria Lembo, Paola Gallo, Giovanni Esposito, and Francesco Rozza, at the Federico II University of Naples, Italy, Roberto Piccinocchi, at the Vanvitelli Hospital, Naples, Italy, Carmine Morisco and Bruno Trimarco, at the International Translational Research and Medical Education (ITME) Consortium and Federico II University of Naples, Gaetano Piccinocchi, at the Italian Society of General Medicine, Mario Fordellone and Giuseppe Signoriello, at the Campania University, Naples, Italy.

Study link: www.jci.org/articles/view/183777

[blue-rose-soul]

What else is going on in Kid Alastor au? I'm craving the little chaos deer

The hotel was uncharacteristically quiet, given that the princess and her spear-wielding love were not around to reign in the rather boisterous collection of characters they'd gathered under their roof. When Charlie had solidified her plan to meet with Heaven's leadership, Alastor had fully expected to find the parlor in flames and everyone passed out drunk or temporarily dead at the bar. Instead what he found was a note left on the coffee table penned in glittery pink elegant script that read:

|

'Hey short stack. An old buddy of mine swung by and Charlie paid for everyone to have a night on the town. The place we're headed to ain't really for kids (yeah I know you're fucking old but I don't think the bouncers give a shit) plus Husk says it ain't your scene anyway. We left some cash so you can do whatever. I don't know what you do. <3 A.D.'

|

Well. How thoughtful of them.

In a burst of green flame, the letter dissolved into ash, and then even the ashes dissipated into a fine mist. The short stack of bills he left untouched on the table. As though he couldn't provide for himself, hah!

There was nothing these loathsome souls had that he needed.

Still... There were few things as dreadfully dull as a large, empty building. Perhaps he could pay a visit to Rosie in Cannibal Town. Though it was a tad late to show up unannounced. No, there was no need to go out. There were plenty of other ways one could occupy oneself in a large, empty building…

-

The pig grunted in contentment as it lapped up yet another treat. Alastor dropped another treat, lead the pig another few feet, then another few, then another.

The moment Fat Nuggets was fully inside the unused room Alastor tipped the bag and sent chocolate and peanut butter cereal pieces scattering all across the floor. With a delighted squeal, Fat Nuggets scrambled all across the room, snapping up cereal bits as fast as his little piggy feet would allow. Newspapers in one corner of the room, water and food bowl in the other, a bunch of cushions piled on the carpet. Plenty to keep the pig content – and most importantly, quiet – for a good long while.

Alastor shut the door quietly, leaving Fat Nuggets to his feast.

-

It was a small thing, but knowing how high-strung dear Vaggie was, it would be plenty enough to whip her into a storming frenzy.

Shadow men were busy rearranging the furniture. Nothing drastic, simply shifting each piece of furniture a biiiit to the left. The bed four inches, the dresser two, the vase three. Tilting every single painting, unscrewing a few choice light bulbs just enough to flicker. Nothing was glaringly out of place at a first glance, but over time…

Alastor chuckled, pleased with himself.

He was snapped from his daydreams of a frothing, red-faced sinner by a low growl. Alastor turned to find Razzle and Dazzle glaring up at him, the red baphomet flicking its tongue in displeasure while the pink one merely hissed. He raised his finger to his lips, offering the cuddly little monsters a close-mouthed smile.

“Let this pass,” he said, “and I’ll make you beignets.”

Instantly those reptilian eyes went lipid, tails wagging and growls replaced with happy chirps. A thought crossed Alastor’s mind. His lips peeled back to bare his teeth in a wicked grin.

“In fact, lend me your hooves, and I’ll make you all the beignets you can eat!”

-

Repeating the same little stunt he’d pulled with Fat Nugget on the Egg Boiz felt rather lazy. But using those little monsters was most certainly the correct method of targeting Pentious. As he entered the airship docked against the hotel building, Alastor found them all arranged in a circle on their fronts, scrawling all over pieces of construction paper with crayons and glitter glue.

“Hey, Little Boss!” the singular egg creature with a name chirped as it noticed him. “We’re making new evil plans for the Big Boss while he’s taking a break from being evil!”

“Hmm,” Alastor hummed thoughtfully. “Tell me, would you little monsters like to help me with a surprise for your boss?”

“A surprise?” Frank echoed.

The sweet smile on Alastor’s lips was at odd with the devious glint in his eye.

“Why yes! Our dear princess thought we might throw him a party in celebration of the great strides he’s made towards self betterment!” Hah. “And of course, who better to surprise that slippery serpent than his most beloved minions?”

The little egg creatures began chattering amongst themselves before they, in near unison, hopped to their feet and saluted.

“Surprise Party Division reporting for duty, Little Boss!”

“And of course, you’ll need supplies!”

With the snap of his fingers, five bursts of green light materialized five prop guns into the Egg Boiz’ hands. The Egg Boiz immediately started ooh-ing and ah-ing over the toys, one saying something about ray guns and another turning his prop over in his hand to peer straight down the barrel. That one jolted as he accidentally squeezed the trigger, letting off a burst of light and noise right in front of his face.

“Now remember!” Alastor said. “It’s a surprise. So you must hide, and when Sir Pentious arrives, jump out and fire off those party poppers!”

A little egg hand shot in the air.

“Why do the party poppers look like guns?”

“I thought it matched the aesthetic,” Alastor replied, gesturing about the metal airship and the various dismantled weapons scattered around. This seemed to satisfy the Egg Boiz. “Now off you go. Hide, and when Sir Pentious comes, jump out and fire off those party poppers! I’m sure he will be quite amused!”

With a final salute, the Egg Boiz took their new toys and scattered, disappearing into vents, canisters, crates and wherever else. An impish grin on his face, Alastor faded into the shadows.

-

The clinking of glass greeted Alastor as he reappeared in the common area. He found Razzle and Dazzle at the bar, right where he’d left them, rifling through the colorful bottles on the shelves. Dazzle placed a bottle up on the shelf, inching it around so that the label was facing outward before turning to Alastor.

“Last one?” he asked.

Razzle and Dazzle nodded.

“And the original bottles?”

The pink one lifted up a bulging garbage bag from behind the counter, the contents rattling together with each subtle movement. Alastor nodded in approval.

“Ought to put that somewhere dear Husker won’t come across it,” he said. “And I suppose I ought to get started on those beignets while you do.”

The plush demons bleated in joy. Before they could fly off with their stash of expensive alcohol, Alastor called out to them.

“Wait. Leave out a bottle of rye. Just set it on the coffee table, next to the radio.”

Alastor didn’t wait to see if they listened. With the snap of his fingers the radio blared to life, playing a lively jazz tune whilst he made his way to the kitchen to prepare a doughy, sugary feast for the adorable little beasts.

His shadows rose and solidified, pulling open cupboards and setting out the utensils and ingredients. One placed a stool in front of the sink so he could step up and wash his hands, another retrieved his apron and slipped it over his head while a third tied the apron for him.

Alastor was stirring the brown sugar into the mixture of milk and butter when the goats reappeared, hovering right over his shoulder. Alastor waved them off, then reached for the cinnamon.

“No hovering, if you please.” They backed up, but he could still hear their wings flapping, just behind him. Alastor sighed. “Well, I don’t really need help with this part, but you can help clean the kitchen while the dough is rising.”

A questioning bleat.

“Yes, it will take about an hour for the dough to rise before it’s ready to fry.”

Distressed, impatient bleats.

“Well too bad, that’s how long it takes. If you wanted cheap, mass produced styrofoam coated in icing, go beg the king for some lousy carnival crap. I’m making real food.”

More bleats.

“Then you have to wait. Shoo. I’ll call you in when I need you.”

With a final huffy bleat, Razzle and Dazzle flew across the counter, though their reptilian eyes remained locked on Alastor as he poured the mixture into the flour.

[elizabethhood]

Biology Notes

A minute by minute summary of my thoughts during bio class.

Countdown begin.

This ain’t gonna be fun.

Only two min in.

She’s late.

How am I already bored?

That guy’s late.

Cal/Boba handcuffed together, working as allies?

Melidaan joins Mandalorian Empire?

I’m bored.

Clones’ first time hearing music

Clones eating real food for the first time?

Clones tour temple? (Where they hear music/eat real food for first time?)

I was right. This isn’t fun.

Soulmate AU for Charles/Erik?

Erik’s POV for first meeting?

Immediate aftermath of said first meeting?

Erik and Raven visit after Cuba?

They meet babies Kurt, Warren, Jean, maybe Scott.

They miss the sign, don’t realize it’s a school? 

‘Did Charles have kids?’ moment, especially after realizing Jean’s a telepath?

Jean recognizes them from memories? All recognize them from photos and/or stories?

All the guilt when Erik sees Charles.

Cells. The powerhouse of, mitochondria is.

Phospholipid. Now there’s a word to make people flip a Scrabble board with.

Nigh impossible, you’d need lipid down first, then add phospho-, but a girl can dream.

Kurt and Warren would be adorable as childhood friends

That guy’s playing Wordle.

That guy is really, really, really bad at Wordle.

People realizing how insanely dangerous Charles is?

Erik realizing how lucky humanity is for Charles’ morality? and being very attracted to that?

Quiz on Friday, 45-50 questions, 50 points. Study slides.

Erik getting attacked by another telepath, Charles going territorial, has other telepath screaming/crying on floor, living worst nightmares, clutching head and begging for it to end, while Charles is gently comforting/fussing over Erik?

That girl is texting.

Is that guy watching Gravity Falls? Great taste.

Aw, why’d you turn the screen that way? Now I can’t see it.

Quinlan switching out Fox’s caf with decaf, letting him fall asleep, tucking him into bed?

While Fox’s asleep, using Shadow Training (TM) to do paper work? (Forgery/Ability to have multiple styli (plural of stylus) filling out multiple data pads simultaneously? (Force use?)

Quinlan leaving five min before Fox wakes up. Fox finding his paper pretty much done, crying because he’s still out of it and doesn’t want to wake up?

Quinlan making this a habit when he’s on Coruscant? Stone finding out, not telling? Fox scared if he talks about it, it’ll go away? Unable to believe it’s real?

That girl’s doing a crossword. Badly.

The answer is Lobelia. “She stole Bilbo’s spoons” is Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. 

Where in Middle-Earth did she get Tauriel from? Even if she hadn’t been added solely for the purpose of paying less in royalties to Tolkien’s family, even if she had existed in the book, when in the name of all that is precious and beautiful, would she have stolen Bilbo’s spoons?

I might kill myself. This is why I shouldn’t have sat in the back row.

Only 6 min left. Heh. +60, Execute Order. I know I’m not funny.

So close, yet so far. So unbearably bored.

Is this what stream-of-consciousness notebooks look like?

I have a very odd stream of consciousness.

We get to leave early? Hallelujah!!

Goodbye!

[deadbirdlife]

Transparent mouse breakthrough!!

Ou et al. found that applying a food dye (tartrazine) to the skin of live, hairless mice turned the skin temporarily/reversibly transparent!

The dye molecule absorbs in the near ultraviolet and blue region of the light spectrum, and changes the refractive properties of the aqueous (water-containing) portion of the skin to match the lipid (fat) portion of the skin, such that the refractive index in the red part of the spectrum is increased without increasing absorption. This essentially allows not-blue (mostly red) light waves to pass through the skin with minimal scattering, hit muscles, organs, and other internal structures, and pass back through the skin to our eyes, allowing us to see "inside" the mice. They tested this in three regions on the mice: in the abdomen to view fluorescent protein–labeled enteric neurons to track gut motility, in the scalp to visualize cerebral blood vessels, and in the hind limb to visualize individual sarcomeres (microscopic muscle units).

Initial safety tests seem promising, although further experiments are needed to fully explore how safe it is to dump that much dye into the skin.

Note: this doesn't mean we'll be able to do this to humans, exactly; human skin is much thicker than mouse skin, and we have far thicker fat between our skin/muscles/abdominal walls/organs, which will interfere with penetration. However, if safety tests bear out...this could have really cool implications for small animal veterinary medicine, biomedical research, microscopy, and any other settings where noninvasive internal imaging of small, thin-skinned animals is needed.

Article: Zihao Ou et al., Achieving optical transparency in live animals with absorbing molecules. Science 385 , eadm6869 (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adm6869

[fatliberation]

"I didn't give out any medical advice" lmao you were heavily implying that person's doctor was wrong and that they shouldn't listen to their doctor's advice. that's irresponsible. you're going to get somebody killed with this bs

If their doctor's advice is to lose weight through dieting, it is wrong and I can say that in full confidence because it. (x) doesn't. (x) work. (x) Here! (x) Take (x) these! I am (x) chucking (x) peer reviewed sources (x) at you. (x)

Anti-fat bias is at work here. And so is a weight-loss market worth $90 BILLION as of 2024.

In 2013, UCLA researchers Traci Mann, Janet Tomiyama, and Britt Ahlstrom conducted the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of diet studies, analyzing 31 long-term studies.

“What happens to people on diets in the long run?” Mann asked. “Would they have been better off to not go on a diet at all? We decided to dig up and analyze every study that followed people on diets for two to five years. We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back.” (x)

Certain factors biased the diet studies to make them appear more effective than they really were. For one, many participants self-reported their weight by phone or mail rather than having their weight measured on a scale by an impartial source. Also, the studies have very low follow-up rates — eight of the studies had follow-up rates lower than 50 percent, and those who responded may not have been representative of the entire group, since people who gain back large amounts of weight are generally unlikely to show up for follow-up tests, Mann said.

Evidence suggests that repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function. Mann and Tomiyama recommend that more research be conducted on the health effects of losing and gaining weight, noting that scientists do not fully understand how such weight cycling leads to adverse health effects.

“We asked what evidence is there that dieting works in the long term, and found that the evidence shows the opposite” Tomiyama said.

Here are some quotes I pulled directly from the study.

It is implicit in this definition that losing weight will lead to improved health, and yet, health outcomes are not routinely included in studies of diets.

Overall, there were only slight improvements in most health outcomes studied. Changes in diastolic and systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were small, and none of these correlated with weight change. There were also very small effects of these diets on lipid-lowering medication use and coronary morbidity and mortality. There were a few larger positive effects for hypertension and diabetes medication use, as well as diabetes and stroke incidence. In correlational analyses, however, we uncovered no clear relationship between weight loss and health outcomes related to hypertension, diabetes, or cholesterol, calling into question whether weight change per se had any causal role in the few effects of the diets. Increased exercise, healthier eating, engagement with the health care system, and social support may have played a role instead. Our findings are in line with a recent meta-analysis (Flegal, Kit, Orpana, & Graubard, 2013) that found that overweight and class I obesity were not associated with higher all-cause mortality. Moreover, Ortega and colleagues (2013) have documented metabolically healthy but obese individuals, and an emerging literature on the “obesity paradox”, whereby obesity appears to confer health benefits in certain diseases (Amundson, Djurkovic, & Matwiyoff, 2010), suggests that a disconnect between weight loss and health outcomes should not be surprising.

We believe the ultimate goal of diets is to improve people’s long-term health, rather than to reduce their weight. Our review of randomized controlled trials of the effects of dieting on health finds very little evidence of success in achieving this goal. If diets do not lead to longterm weight loss or long-term health benefits, it is difficult to justify encouraging individuals to endure them.

See for yourself.

[your-tutor-abacus]

The Color of the Sunspot's Milk

We don't drink milk on the Sunspot.

It's not really a thing for us.

We did not evolve from mammals, so we do not produce milk ourselves, typically. Actually, our life can't really be divided up into the same categories as Terran life, anyway, and the Evolutionary Engines that are used to create people now produce such a diversity of biological development that we can't use sweeping statements like that meaningfully. But, we strongly suspect based on evidence at hand that the Ktletaccete did not originally have anything like mammary glands.

And, on the Sunspot specifically, we do not consume anything produced by animals. It just never even occurred to the Founding Crew to set up the ship and our culture that way. The ecological balance of the Garden requires that we let the fauna live as naturally as possible without interference from people. So, we do not milk animals.

But it turns out that we drink something that is kinda of vaguely like milk. It often serves a similar culinary utility, particularly in baking.

We know this because we have been talking to our Earth custodians of the Terran Tunnel Apparatus, and they have tried a product they call Ryze that is an approximation of what we use on the Sunspot, and we've been trading notes.

So, in the search for accommodation, the ancestors of the Sunspot Ktletaccete developed a mixture of pureed fungus and algae that could provide a very young child or a disabled or elderly person with nutrients that might not otherwise be readily available to them. And we have been calling this something that our translators have decided to call "formula". We understand that this echoes the term many of you use for a fortified milk that you feed your infants, and that's acceptable.

But our formula comes in many varieties, customized for each person's needs and even each use they might have for it.

Fungal and algae farming has always been abundant and easy for us, so it is the least expensive food to create. It may not have been central to the diet of ancient Ktletaccete, but it has become pivotal to survival in space aboard our Exodus Ships. And now we use it in nearly everything.

We also eat a variety of nuts, fruits, grains, tubers, leaves, stalks, and other vegetable matter (or their Sunspot equivalents to what these words mean to you). And some of those things provide proteins and lipids that compliment what is provided by our various formulas, so depending on how we combine it we can create foods that sometimes resemble your breads, quiches, meat loafs, stews, etc.

But, also, Artisan crafted beverages is a huge thing here, which I understand some of your cultures might relate to. And our formula is central to that.

So, what are the main differences between our formula and milk? And what are the differences between our formula and something like Ryze?

Well, obvious, our formula is made entirely differently from milk, and does not share it's color. It's not white or even white-ish, typically.

Though some varieties of it can come close to white so that Artisans can add vibrant colors to it more easily without it turning brown, but the processing tends to remove a lot of nutrients from it, so it's not terribly popular outside of that visual utility.

It's also usually somewhat low on lipids, though those are definitely added for many baking purposes.

It's more of a suspension than an emulsion most of the time, as a result. But again, that varies on it's purpose.

And because of that, and the fact that it's made from fungus and algae, makes it very similar to things like Ryze, which is apparently currently available for something you call "a lot of money" by purchasing it over your Network (or Internet, as you say).

There are other drinks like Ryze, but it so happens that the girlfriend of our counterparts purchased Ryse specifically, so that is the one that they are trying. In particular, they are trying Ryze Matcha, as opposed to Ryse Coffee, since we don't have anything remotely like a coffee bean on the Sunspot, but we do have a green stimulant kind of vaguely like Matcha that can be added to our formula.

We can't really truly compare the sensations of drinking our various forumlas to drinking Ryze, because there is an enormous physical gulf between the Earth and the Sunspot, and we cannot transport either liquid nor taste buds and nervous systems across that distance. And translating words, even with in the same language, between two individuals' personal experiences is inherently inaccurate to begin with.

But we can make some conjectures.

As far as flavor is concerned, we can infer some things. Humans are omnivors with a variety of sensitivities to flavors, and apparently our counterparts are something called a supertaster. They are more highly sensitive to flavor than their typical peers.

They report that Ryze Matcha tastes "green". Not just that it is green in color and therefore the flavor it has can be described as green, but that it reminds them of other green things that they have eaten. There is a bit of a spinach flavor, they report, but its very faint. There is also a faint green tea flavor. We don't know what either of these things really mean, but we know that spinach is a leafy vegetable and that green tea is also made from leaves. But then, they also say that these flavors are not like either of these things, either. They're similar but different.

More specifically, they report that Ryze Matcha does not taste like most mushrooms they've eaten. In fact, it bears a closer resemblance to the flavors they get when they drink from an old jug of water that maybe has some green stuff growing on the inside of it.

"Why would you do that?" I asked them.

And they replied with, "Carelessness."

Anyway, this seems relatively in keeping with our experiences with formula. Usually, it tastes kind of like some other vegetable matter, but different. But, whether those ways are similar to how humans experience Ryse and vegetables on Earth, we really don't know.

What we do know for sure is color. That's something that can be measured quite precisely via the wavelengths of light.

Of course, we may perceive that color differently than you, but thanks to technological measuring devices and mathematics, we can use the same names for the same wavelengths of light. So, when I say that something is green on the Sunspot, you will be able to trust that if you somehow visited your neurology will interpret that thing as what you know of as green, adjusting for the difference in our ambient lighting, of course.

And, yes, some formulas we use are nearly as green as Ryze Matcha, and they are gorgeous.

But most formula ends up in a wide spectrum of color between what you call khaki and a deep vibrant purple, thanks to the dominant colors of most fungi and algae found on the Sunspot.

Our sun produces more ultraviolet light than yours does and there is less shielding between it and the surface of the Garden, so most of our plant life has developed its own shielding, which comes in varieties of purple. Mostly, it's the algae that carries the purple coloring. Most of our fungus isn't green, either, but even when it is, the purples of the algae shift the colors to brown when mixed with it.

But green mosses, ferns, and algae are found in the darkest, deepest parts of our forests, where the sun never reaches the ground directly, and we find that color to be captivating, so our ancestors bred a small variety of green food algae strains specifically for culinary variety.

And the flavor of that stuff is definitely what we could call green.

[er-cryptid]

Chemistry Notes (Oct. 2023)

Full Notes:

Activating Lipid Synthesis

Activator vs Repressor Diagram

Alpha Decay Diagram

Calculating Formula Mass Ex. 1

Lewis Structure Ex. 3

Moles of Product Ex. 1

.

Note Cards:

Oxaloacetate Derivatives

Oxyhemoglobin

Protein Phosphatases

Velocity of Forward Reaction

.

Patreon

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

speaking of Pearl Davis--and speaking as someone who finds the current "fat positivity" movement morally repugnant--one thing that really irks me about the redpill space's view of women is this idea that whatever a man can achieve through exercise, a woman can also achieve the exact same way in the same time frame.

a healthy exercise regimen for a woman looks like daily walks and strength training 2-3x per week. she should not be doing HIIT often, and especially not on her period, but she probably won't be getting a period at all if she trains the same way a gym bro does.

a healthy and sustainable rate of weight loss for a woman looks like 2 lbs per week. when I hear a woman say she dropped 20 lbs in a month, I know she's either going to gain it all back or encounter chronic health issues (like my very own gallstone, which women develop at a rate nearly 3 times higher than men).

Women metabolize more lipids, and correspondingly less carbohydrates and proteins, than equally trained and nourished men. Females tend to have a greater proportion of body fat than men, which is stored in the gluteal-femoral region in women compared with the visceral area in men. Total cross-sectional muscle area is 60%–85% lower in women than in men, and greater muscle mass activation requires increased need to replenish stores and increased glycogen breakdown turnover. Males have greater skeletal muscle mass, and women have more body fat. There is also an overall increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume in males compared with that found in females.

also noted in the study is the decreased insulin sensitivity some people experience after a HIIT workout, and I would argue insulin resistance is women's greatest hurdle when it comes to losing weight

we were designed to store fat to sustain ovulation and pregnancy. it is not only easier for us to gain it and harder for us to shed it than it is for a man, the very strategies that work for a man may work against a woman.

[artofdeductionbysholmes]

Wow dinner looked delish, mate! You cooked that?! Without burning down the flat? please add the recipe, much appreciated!

Hello.

Certainly! Here's the recipe.

Objective:

Cook a layered seafood dish by applying heat to induce the Maillard reaction, soften vegetables, and cook the seafood through controlled thermal conduction.

Materials:

- Olive oil (approx. 2 tbsp, depending on pan surface area)

- Green and yellow bell peppers (100g each, diced to ~1cm³ for even heat distribution)

- Onion (1 medium, ~150g, diced)

- Garlic (2 cloves, crushed, to release allicin compounds)

- Plantain (1 large, sliced into ~0.5 cm-thick discs for even cooking)

- Cod fish chunks (200g, cut into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking, ~3cm³)

- Shrimps (200g, peeled and deveined)

- Lime (1 unit, juiced, containing citric acid to enhance flavour and denature proteins)

- Chilli flakes (~1 tsp, source of capsaicin for heat)

- Parsley (~1 tbsp, finely chopped, optional for garnish and flavour)

- Salt (~1 tsp, NaCl, for seasoning and osmotic balance)

Procedure:

1. Initial Heat Transfer:

Add olive oil (a heat-stable lipid) to a pan over medium heat. The goal is to raise the oil's temperature to around 180°C (its smoke point) to facilitate heat transfer to the ingredients without burning.

2. Vegetable Sautéing:

Introduce diced bell peppers, onions, and crushed garlic into the heated oil. The purpose here is to soften the cell walls of the vegetables through thermal conduction, releasing their natural sugars and enhancing flavour. The crushed garlic will begin to release allicin, contributing to aromatic compounds.

- Time: ~5 minutes, or until onions are translucent (indicating sufficient moisture loss and softening)

3. Plantain Layering:

Layer sliced plantain over the vegetables. Plantain contains starch that will soften and caramelise due to heat, while its sugars will brown slightly on the pan-facing side through the Maillard reaction.

4. Seafood Addition:

Place cod chunks and shrimp on top of the plantain layer. The cod and shrimp contain proteins, which denature at temperatures between 40°C and 60°C, causing them to firm up and cook through.

5. Acid and Seasoning Integration:

Pour lime juice over the seafood. The citric acid in the lime will begin to denature surface proteins. This enhances the texture and flavour of the seafood. Add chilli flakes for capsaicin (providing heat) and parsley for herbaceous notes.

6. Simmering Phase:

Lower the heat and cover the pan. Allow the contents to simmer gently. The purpose of this phase is to cook the seafood thoroughly (internal temperature of shrimp should reach 63°C, cod 60°C), while allowing the flavours of the layers to meld through diffusion.

-Time: Simmer for ~8-10 minutes, or until seafood is opaque and firm

7. Final Assessment:

Verify that the seafood has reached its ideal doneness (shrimp turns pink, cod flakes easily). Adjust seasoning if necessary before serving.

Outcome:

A balanced dish where the natural sweetness of the vegetables and plantain complements the tender seafood, with bright acidity and controlled heat from the chilli flakes.

Rosamund and I didn't set fire to the apartment (just a dish towel got singed).

SH

[lavender-inkwell-99]

Robot HRT: Month 2

Things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl. I can feel them inside my skin, and muscle, and sinew, and fat, and bone, and marrow, and meat. Tirelessly toiling away as their programming dictates. Unmaking and remaking all that I am. It hurts so good.

She looks in the mirror and studies her face. Nigh imperceptible to the human eye, nanoscopic serpents slithers under the skin. One transits across her bloodshot eyeball. Its metallic flitter fading in and out of sight as its orbit passes over her pupil.

At her roots, greasy, blonde keratin fades into a raven, polycarbonate sheen. It feels like razor wire as it inches its way out of my scalp. Stubbles paints her jaw and neck - fully organic, yet when she tries to shave the repugnantly sensitive skin wails out in agons. Each stroke of the razor a million needling daggers through her nerves. So for now she’s given up.

Her gaze turns downward at her nude form. Once abundantly plump, it has all but deflated over the past eight weeks. Some fat still pads her form, but the skin has not retracted with the shrinkage of lipids. It sags and wrinkles like a weighted bed sheet draped over a child for Halloween.

I grab my loose, distended skin around my stomach. Underneath she can feel herself - soft, but far too smooth and formed. A decidedly artificial sensation.

Searing pain arcs through her skull. Her synapses exploding in agony at the lightning storm raging in her head. Splitting headaches are an all too common side effect as the graymatter is slowly reprocessed into silica and circuitry. The existentially agonizing reality of becoming wetware.

And with these changes come certain urges. Not a day goes by where a loss in concentration does not lead to it taking a bite out of a soda can, computer, or any such sufficiently artificial product. The silica, metal, and plastics fueling all these changes. Mouth bleeding its warm, earthy tang as the sharp alloys and polymers shred my mouth.

My only solace through all this is that she will be all gone soon enough, and only it will remain.

Author's Note: Apologies for the long delay between part 1 and part 2. Soon after releasing part 1 and beginning work on part 2 I got a full-time job, moved, and a bunch of other stuff. Hoping to resume at least some semblance of regular posting on this blog

[sayakxmi]

On today's episode of: things I drew some time ago and forgot to post: Meline Peixes-Captor (the order of the surnames purely for the PC joke). The disaster.

Originally I kinda wanted to post her with her brother, Mephor, but, well, he remains in the sketch realm, so I waited until months passed, and, anyway.

Meline's name comes from myelin, but I'm Polish so when I first thought of it I thought "osłonka mielinowa", hence the spelling. Quoting Wikipedia: "Myelin is a lipid-rich material that surrounds nerve cell axons to insulate them and increase the rate at which electrical impulses (called action potentials) pass along the axon." I thought it was pretty cool blend of Feferi-related stuff (life), and Sollux (electricity). Whatevs.

Her psionics are nowhere near as flashy as Sollux's, but they are extremely precise, which is partly why I like to imagine when she grows up she becomes a neurosurgeon, specializing in using her psionics in treatments.

Anyway, Mel has issues with most of her family, really. The one exception being Meenah, probably. She's idealistic, and kinda has to grasp with the fact that her parents are gods and are doing NOTHING with it, her mom especially. Like, come on, you're the goddess of life, you should be healing people, not talking about fish! Overall she's kind of frustrated with Feferi and Sollux both not using their powers for the greater good, you know, like superheroes or something. Mituna teases her all the time, and she finds him super annoying, whereas Mephor is far too passive to her liking, so it kinda leaves just Meenah for her to get along, F.

Other than that, the notes I have on her are that she has a crush on JVris kid Ceruus, she's a (takes a deep breath): ENTJ, 1w2 (The Activist), Lawful Good, Hopebound and a Derse Dreamer (Gemrius), and I'm entertaining her being a Witch of Hope, but it's not a given.

Her quirk is: no capitalization. uΣεΣ "Σ" (capital sigma) inΣtεad of "s" and "ε" (lower epsilon) inΣtεad of "e". DoublεΣ quεΣtion & εxclamation markΣ. εAΣILY AGGRIεVATεD!!

And for bonus, her troll call would be:

she came here to be uncomfortable… and to fight

all buzz no sting...

...but only half the time

[stargirltries]

day 1

i feel like i made my start studying yesterday so i feel like i can safely start my 100 days of productivity!

what i wanna do today📓!

make notes from all the membranes slides

start or get a decent way through lipids slides

finish another sheet of human form and function questions

get started on my folin assay report

song of the day 🎧

i dont really have any additional productivity goals because i feel like i really just wanna focus on academics right now

anyways heres a picture of a yummy hot chocolate i made at my unis christmas quiz to which i added a concoction of the coffee hell energy drink and vodka (it tastes MUCH better than it sounds i highly recommend) ᓚᘏᗢ