Foot Bridge

My brother has a sports camp in the mountains of NH. He wants to build a footbridge (suspension) that spans approx. 50 feet, 5 to 8 feet above a creek, which is usually dry. I need a push in the right direction to start some R&D. Could any one help me with ideas? I'm thinking of 3 cable in a t

NRC Report on NASA Cost Control Issued

NASA Needs Integrated Strategy to Control Mission Costs, NRC

"NASA should develop a broad, integrated strategy to contain costs and maintain schedules as earth and space science missions are planned and designed, says a new report by the National Research Council. The report also calls on NASA, Congress, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to consistently use the same method to quantify and track costs."

Study shows doctors often eschew watchdog role – Los Angeles Times


msnbc.com
Study shows doctors often eschew watchdog role
Los Angeles Times
It's a topic that might not have been addressed back when they were in medical school, so they do not know how to handle it," said DesRoches, an assistant ...
Study: Many docs don't blow whistle on colleaguesThe Associated Press
Many doctors don't report on troubled colleaguesThe Associated Press
1 in 3 U.S. Docs Wouldn't Report Impaired, Incompetent ColleagueBusinessWeek
EurekAlert (press release) -ModernMedicine
all 254 news articles »

NCBI ROFL: Nothing like a thin coat of earwax to keep the bugs away. | Discoblog

370px-Earwax_on_swabEarwax (cerumen) might be formulated into a safe and biodegradable insect repellent

“Some of the most common life threatening insect-borne diseases include malaria, leshmaniasis and yellow fever which can be prevented or treated with different non-therapeutic/therapeutic procedures such as use of mosquito net, insect repellent (IR), vector controlling strategies, vaccination and implementation of pharmaceuticals. Among these methods IR provides the cheapest and easiest one to use. Active ingredients of IR usually include N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), botanical extracts and picaridin. However still some concerns remain e.g. DEET is not biodegradable, has side effects on skin, cardiovascular and central nervous system and is not applicable in under 3 years old children and animals.

Cerumen is produced by glands that are located on the outer third of the ear canal, has a characteristic of bitter taste and protection of ear which is known as IR, bactericide, fungicide and antivirus. It has lipidic and non-lipidic fractions; lipid fraction is consisted of squalene, cholesterol esters, wax esters, triacylglycerols, fatty acids, cholesterol, ceramides, cholesterol sulfate, and several unidentified polar components.

The authors would like to hypothesize an IR made from fatty acids and steroids of cerumen. Whereas masking skin odor and presenting a bad taste is the mechanism of action for IRs. Also fatty acids considered as major ingredient of Neem Oil as repellent, a screening of lipid fraction with the aim of discovering which components have the major effect is recommended.

The advantages of the proposed formulation will be easy of production, biodegradability and safety of use in adults, children and animals.

Beside, proteins and peptides in cerumen could be further analyzed in order to investigate a nontoxic multi-spectrum antibiotic; possessing bactericidal, fungicidal and antiviral activity.”

insect_repellent_earwax

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Gregory F. Maxwell

Related content:
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Beer Consumption Increases Human Attractiveness to Malaria Mosquitoes.
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Superglue in the ear double feature: pros and cons.
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Atheism: Solved.

WTF is NCBI ROFL? Read our FAQ!


Static Electricity Shock

I was polishing a piece of aluminum with a 6" cotton wheel mounted on a 1/2HP 120VAC motor the other evening. This device is plugged into a ground fault receptacle and has the case grounded. The polishing wheel was a 5/8 or 1/2" size mount, with a plastic bushing to allow it to fit the 1/2" shaft mo