All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

A little over a year ago

Roadtirement

Here is a look back to February 9, 2020. The concern over COVID was growing, and we were within a couple of weeks of leaving our RV resort near Austin to head back to the “safety” of our place in Indiana.

Solstice Outdoors is a unique gallery

Out side of Dripping Springs, Texas in the Hill Country near Austin is a thriving landscape design business that also doubles as a place to view and purchase unique outdoor artwork. Solstice Outdoors Ltd. is based in a former ranch home surrounded by 2 acres of what is now a whimsical display of outdoor works of art and decoration.

Solstice homestead

Outdoor fire pit complete with pyramid and butterfly seating!

Through an online mobile search Sher found this place while we were prowling about the Dripping Springs area. Thanks to google maps we soon found this surprising gallery of both indoor and outdoor…

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‘Mini-organs’ grown in labs may end the need for liver transplants – Study Finds

The study, published in Science, took advantage of a new “perfusion system” that maintains donated organs outside the body. Researchers injected cultured biliary cells (or cholangiocytes) into human livers deemed unsuitable for transplantation due to bile duct damage.

The approach would work for a diversity of organs and diseases to accelerate the clinical application of cell-based therapy. Scientists discovered healthy biliary cells from the gallbladder could be converted to those of the destroyed ducts using bile acid. Simply put, scientists harvest a patient’s own cells to repair the failing liver.

In experiments, researchers turned gallbladder cells into organoids. The clusters developed into a 3D structure with the same architecture, function, and gene expression as the original organ. The team then grafted them into mice where they were able to repair damaged ducts.

Making some organ transplants a thing of the past?

The procedure opens the door to regenerative medical applications for diseases affecting the biliary system. The method was equally successful on human donor livers from the perfusion machine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. The machine mimics the body to ensure a liver’s functionality before transplant.

When scientists injected the gallbladder organoids, they repaired the organ’s ducts and restored their function, confirming the procedure can regenerate damaged livers.

Source: ‘Mini-organs’ grown in labs may end the need for liver transplants – Study Finds

Texas power outage: why wind turbines are not to blame – Vox

The dozens of places reliant on wind energy that are no strangers to cold and ice — from Sweden to Iowa — are proof that the freezing of turbines in Texas was not inevitable. The difference: Unlike in Texas, those turbines were weatherized to operate in the cold.

Midwestern utility company MidAmerican Energy Company has shown that wind energy is highly reliable, even in harsh Iowa conditions. In 2020, 80 percent of the utility’s electricity was generated by renewable energy — the majority of which comes from its 3,300 wind turbines, said Geoff Greenwood, a spokesperson for MidAmerican Energy.

“This year it’s been cold, but our wind fleet continues to generate clean energy for our customers,” he said. All that’s needed is a few extra measures in the turbine design to make sure the electronics don’t freeze up.

Texas has ignored previous guidance. In 2011, after a storm caused a severe blackout, ERCOT developed winterization guidelines, but they weren’t enforced. Now, facing the consequences, Gov. Abbott has called for these winterization measures to be required and for the state legislature to fund the necessary upgrades.

Source: Texas power outage: why wind turbines are not to blame – Vox

Healthy Spicy Puffed Rice Snack

Smitha's Bake Love

A savory better yet spicy snack is what we love with our Indian Tea in the evening.

Its true, most of the Indians have the tea religiously between 4-6 pm every single day. Its kind of no-exception tradition for most of us. I personally look forward to my tea time in the evening and the savory snack that goes with it.

Savory snacks like Egg puffs, chivda, quinoa or sweet potato chips, banana chips and this puffed rice snacks accompany most of our teas. While sometimes I like to go for pick me ups like healthy chips, I love to make a snack that hardly takes 10 mins to make and absolutely yummy to go with hot tea.

This snack is made on stove top with simple ingredients. You can get puffed rice at any Indian store or even online at very reasonable price.



Have you made this recipe?…

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Flowers of Dahilayan Forest Park…

Triangle Writes...

by : Bacardi Gold
10/feb/2021

These flowers can be found in Dahilayan Gardens adjoining the Dahilayan Forest Park and Dahilayan Adventure Park in Mindanao. The cool climate of the park can be attributed to its location which is nestled at the foot of Mount Kitanglad ranges in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Philippines. Afternoon rains is a frequent occurence. At times it lasts till the early part of dawn.

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