“When lake water freezes quickly it can trap bubbles below the surface. These bubbles in Switzerland’s Lago Bianco were likely formed from methane. Decaying organic matter at the bottom of the lake is eaten by bacteria, which in turn pump out methane gas. If conditions are right, the methane bubbles are captured as the water freezes around them.”
“Ambika Bajpayee, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Northeastern, has been working with Giovani Travero and Robert Langer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to design a contraceptive pill that would need to be taken just once per month.”
“Their drug delivery system, described in a recent study in Science Translational Medicine, remains in the stomach for weeks, slowly releasing contraceptives.”
“Their solution resembles a six-armed star, more than two inches across, that is folded into a pill capsule. The arms are loaded with contraceptives mixed with various polymers to slow down their release rate.”
“You need something that can stay inside the stomach for several weeks, but is strong enough that it can withstand the peristaltic wave forces that break down food,” Bajpayee says. “And not degrade in the acidic gastric environment.”
“Once the pill is swallowed, the capsule dissolves and the star unfolds like a flower blooming in the stomach. Its arms are too wide to fit through to the small intestine.”
“Because of its expandable size, it cannot pass through the stomach,” Bajpayee says. “This results in long residence times of three to four weeks, during which contraceptive drugs loaded into the arms of the star are released into the stomach.”
“The star eventually breaks down into small pieces, Bajpayee says. The researchers designed specific areas of the star to dissolve, which allows it to pass easily through the digestive system and out of the body.”
“Loaded with different drugs, the star-shaped delivery system could help other patients whose well-being depends on daily pills, like individuals with HIV or various mental health disorders, as well as those looking for an oral contraceptive that doesn’t have to be taken every day.”
But in response to a court order that it swiftly process those pages in response to a Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, lawsuit filed by The New York Times, the Office of Management and Budget delivered a terse letter saying it would not turn over any of the 40 pages of emails — not even with redactions.
“All 20 documents are being withheld in full,” wrote Dionne Hardy, the office’s Freedom of Information Act officer.
www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/us/politics/trump-ukraine-military-aid.html
Creator Gary Larson has long resisted the internet but has finally conceded, explaining in a letter posted on the site.
I hope all the reasons I’ve given here help explain why I’m so late to this party. But I’m finally here. And I could use a drink.
https://www.thefarside.com/about/48/a-letter-from-gary-larson
The new owner plans to replace the 32-year-old Greendale Mall in Worcester with a mix of retail, apartments, and office space.
(www.wbjournal.com/article/greendale-mall-to-be-demolished-turned-into-apartments-medical-offices)
danelabonte 