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Purple potato starch for health and performance….and why we should avoid gluten!
Jason Cholewa, Ph.D. CSCS
According to the US Department of Agriculture, starch consumption per capita in the United States is approximately 150 pounds/year, of which the majority of that is wheat. The debilitating effects of consuming gluten proteins from wheat in individuals with a genetic predisposition to gluten intolerance (celiac disease) have been well documented and include: malabsorption (leading to diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating), inflammation, loss of intestinal villi and intestinal lesions, anemia, neuropathy, infertility, and fatigue (Mubarak et al., 2012). Over the past four decades wheat has been genetically modified via the crossing wheat with non-wheat grasses, and irradiation of wheat seeds and embryos with chemicals, gamma rays, and high-dose X-rays to produce more resilient plants with larger seeds. While these genetic variants have improved crop yield, they also altered wheat protein such that gluten and gliadin (a major wheat allergin) concentrations increased significantly (van den Broeck et al., 2010). This altered protein content in genetically modified wheat has been suggested to play a significant role in the increased prevalence of celiac disease document over the past decade (Lohi et al., 2007).
While the negative effects of wheat gluten consumption in celiac disease are well established, the potential negative effects of industrialized wheat consumption in otherwise healthy individuals are less clear. A quick google.com search for "gluten non-celiac" turns up over 100 pages of information related to the adverse health effects of gluten consumption and gluten-free living; however, most are blogs and popular opinion pages with little scientific value (i.e.: Oprah.com). Can gluten consumption by non-celiac individuals adversely affect the body as many of these self-proclaimed experts claim? Though research is currently in its preliminary stages, the answer is trending towards yes.
Biesiekierski et al. (2011) investigated the effects of gluten consumption on gastrointestinal symptoms in inflammatory bowel disease patients without celiac disease. Subjects were screened for celiac disease, followed a gluten-free diet, and only those whose symptoms improved were included in the study. Subjects were then randomly placed into two groups, one of which received gluten-free bakery items and who whose bakery items were spiked with 16g gluten for 6 weeks. The subjects consuming the gluten diet experienced a significant increase in symptoms including pain, bloating, and diarrhea. The largest difference in symptoms between groups was reported for fatigue, suggesting that gluten consumption may have negative implications systemically. Although there were no observed increases in colonic inflammation, Biesiekierski et al. was unable to rule out low-grade small-intestinal inflammation as a cause of the fatigue.
Although Biesiekierski et al. did not report increases in colonic inflammation, the effects of gluten induced low-grade small intestinal inflammation on fatigue development cannot be disqualified. Activated intestinal immune cells and their subsequent secretion of inflammatory cytokines have been found to both stimulate the enteric nervous system (Ohman et al., 2009) and interact with the central nervous system (Collins & Bercik, 2009), and gut inflammation has been linked with chronic fatigue (Lakhan & Kirchgessner, 2010). Evidence from in vitro research lends support to the hypothesis that gluten induced inflammation may increase fatigue in non-celiac patients. Gliadin has been shown to increase epithelial permeability (Sander et al., 2005), induce apoptosis (Giovani et al., 2000), increase oxidative stress (Rivabene et al., 1999), and induce inflammation (Laparra Llopis et al., 2010) in human intestinal epithelial cells via the NF-kappaB/TNF-α pathway.
Given that gluten may increase inflammation and oxidative stress, consuming a reduced gluten diet in conjunction with antioxidant-rich foods may positively affect health. GlycoMyx is a gluten free starch comprised of purple potato flower, and is a viable alternative to wheat flour. Perhaps most intriguing about purple potato starch is not that it is naturally gluten free, but rather the high anthocyanin concentration.
Anthocyanins are a polyphenol belonging to the family of plant flavanoids. Specifically, they are a water soluble pigment that is responsible for the blue, purple, and red colors of many fruits, vegetables, and flowers (Takeoka & Dao, 2002). The reports from a number of investigations in cell cultures, animal models, and humans demonstrate that anthocyanins posses a variety of protective effects. This review has been compiled to educate the consumer on the health promoting and therapeutic properties of anthocyanin consumption.
Antioxidant Properties
Reactive oxygen species are generated during regular metabolism and at low concentrations play a significant role in cellular signaling, immune response, and gene regulation. In contrast, the over production of reactive oxygen species damages intracellular organelles and cellular membranes, and has been implicated as a major factor in a number of diseases such as aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes (Allen & Tresini, 2000). Consequently, a number of organizations recommend consuming antioxidant-rich foods to promote health.
The antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins has been studied in vitro and in human models. Steed and Truong (2008) measured the anthocyanin composition and antioxidant capacity of purple potatoes. Whole potatoes were reported to contain approximately 400 mg phenols per 100g, of which approximately 100 mg were cynadin. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) was reported to be 5,800, which is similar to that of a granny smith apple. Wang et al. (1997) reported that the antioxidant capacity of cynadin was 3.5-fold greater than vitamin E. Anthocyanins have been shown to protect erythrocytes and hepatocytes from peroxide and ischemic damage (Tedesco et al., 2001; Tsuda et al., 2000). Ramirez-Tortosa et al. (2001) reported that anthocyanin supplementation in vitamin-E deficient rats increased blood antioxidant capacity, and reduced lipid peroxidation and DNA damage.
Anthocyanins also appear to offer cognitive and neuroprotective effects. The stress placed on mitochondria via reactive oxygen species has been implicated as a major factor in many neurodegenerative diseases. Anthocyanins have been shown to protect neural mitochondria from oxidative stress and to suppress oxidative-induced neural apoptosis in rat brains (Kelsey et al., 2011). According to Lu et al. (2012), anthocyanins may not only protect neural tissue against oxidative damage, but may also stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis. The authors reported that anthocyanin treatment in rats prevented neuron loss in the hippocampus and increased cognitive performance.
Although research involving the antioxidant capacities of anthocyanin consumption in humans is in early stages, preliminary results show high potential. Vinson et al. (2012) investigated the effects of purple potato starch and commercial potato starch on antioxidant capacity in hypertensive humans. Purple potato starch consumption increased antioxidant capacity whereas commercial potato consumption resulted in a pro-oxidant state. Accordingly, much of the health promoting effects of anthocyanins have been suggested to be due to their antioxidant activity (He & Giusi, 2010).
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Inflammation occurs in response to tissue injury, and chronic inflammation is present in nearly every metabolic and auto-immune disease. Further, inflammation has been indicated as a mediator of cancer as inflammatory cells have been shown to promote tumor growth (Grivennikov et al., 2010). Anthocyanins have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties in part by inhibiting the conversion of arachidonic acid to inflammatory stimulating prostaglandins via COX enzymes. Wang et al. (1999) reported that cynadin was a stronger anti-inflammatory than aspirin. Seeram et al. (2001) demonstrated that anthocyanin fractions showed anti-inflammatory properties similar to those of ibuprofen and naproxen.
Rossi et al. (2003) investigated the therapeutic effects of cynadin therapy in rats with carrageenan-induced lung inflammation. Anthocyanin administration reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, lipid peroxidation, and prostaglandin E2 in a dose dependent manner. Anthocyanin administration has also been found to suppress inflammatory genes in adipocytes, hepatocytes, and endothelial cells (Hasselund et al., 2012; Hwang et al., 2011; Ju et al., 2011). Given the potential for gastric bleeding and liver toxicity, anthocyanins may provide a natural alternative to chronic aspirin and ibuprofen administration.
Anti-Carcinogenic Properties
In addition to indirectly reducing the risk of cancer via anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, anthocyanins may also directly suppress carcinoma growth. Kamei et al. (1995) reported that anthocyanins inhibited the growth of malignant intestinal carcinoma cells. In a follow up study, Kamei et al. (1998) found that anthocyanins derived from red wine inhibited the growth of gastric carcinoma cells. More recently, anthocyanins have been found to suppress oral, colon, and prostate cancer cell growth via cell cycle arrest (Zhang et al., 2008).
Cardiovascular Benefits
Some of the biggest contributors to coronary heart disease appear to be hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and inflammation. Endothelial damage via hypertension and the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) result in the infiltration of inflammatory cells, leading to vascular lipid accumulation, atherosclerotic plaques, and upon rupture or occlusion, myocardial infarction (Badimon and Vilahur, 2012). Anthocyanins may promote cardiovascular health by protecting against LDL oxidation, increasing high density lipoprotein (HDL), reducing blood pressure, and modulating prostaglandin metabolism (Mazza, 2007).
Investigations regarding the French Paradox found that red wine consumption increased serum antioxidant capacity. Early investigations found that the cardio-protective effects of red wine were attributed to increased antioxidant capacity, and later research showed that the anthocyanin content in red wine was in large part responsible for the increased antioxidant capacities (Whitehead et al., 1995). Shortly after, a number of investigations demonstrated that anthocyanin consumption protects LDL against peroxyl and copper-induced oxidation (Abuja et al., 1998; Matsumoto et al., 2002). Anthocyanins may also be cardio-protective by positively influencing HDL cholesterol, such as those seen in studies involving red wine consumption (Giziano et al., 1993). Indeed, Zhu et al. (2011) reported improved HDL concentrations in human subjects supplemented with 320 mg of anthocyanin extract per day.
Anthocyanins may be an effective nutrient in the treatment of hypertension. Vinson et al. (2012) reported significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients following high-anthocyanin purple potato consumption. These reductions occurred above and beyond the effects of anti-hypertensive drugs in 14 of the 18 subjects. Anthocyanins are effectively taken up by endothelial cells (Lu et al., 2012) and may in part improve hypertension via promoting vasodilation by activating the nitric oxide – cGMP pathway (Zhu et al., 2011). Further, anthocyanins may also directly reduce inflammation in vascular tissue: Zhu et al. demonstrated decreases in inflammatory cell infiltration via reductions in vascular adhesion molecule-1. Thus, anthocyanins may improve heart health by improving the lipid profile, protecting against inflammation-induced vascular injury, and reducing hypertension.
The secretion of insulin from pancreatic β-cells stimulates the uptake of blood glucose by muscle, nervous, hepatic, and neural tissue. Diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) is highly associated with insulin resistance, a condition whereby the cellular response to insulin is inadequate resulting in the inability of tissues to take up blood glucose combined with a lack of hepatic glucose production (Samuel & Shulman, 2012). As a result, chronic hyperglycemia ensues and can result in vascular, neural, renal, hepatic, and vision complications.
Although drugs have been developed to stimulate additional β-cell insulin release, these drugs are ineffective at controlling blood glucose, adversely affect β-cell function, and can cause weight gain (Pfeiffer, 2003). In contrast, anthocyanins have been shown to improve function and protect β-cells against glucose-induced oxidative stress (Al-Awwadi et al., 2005). Daniel et al. (2003) demonstrated that anthocyanins extracted from banyan bark had significant hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and serum insulin elevating effects in diabetic rats, possibly by improving β-cell function. Anthocyanins may indeed improve β-cell function via anti-inflammatory and antioxidative mechanisms. Zhang et al. (2004) reported that anthocyanins enhanced insulin secretion while selectively inhibiting COX-2 enzymes. Anthocyanins have been shown to inhibit alpha-glucosidase, thus resulting in reduced post-prandial blood glucose (Matsui et al., 2001). Given the effects of anthocyanins on β-cell performance and post-prandial blood glucose, consuming a diet of anthocyanin-rich foods may help in the treatment/prevention of DMII and protect against the deleterious effects hyperglycemia.
Obesity Control
Obesity is associated with a variety of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Adipocytes synthesize and release a number of signaling cytokines that play a role in energy homeostasis. Adiponectin, in particular, has been shown to improve insulin action, fatty acid oxidation, lipid deposits in skeletal muscle, and promote weight loss, in part via PPARƴ activation (Yamauchi et al., 2001), whereas adipocyte dysfunction has been implicated as a major factor in the development of diabetes and obesity (Funahashi et al., 1999).
Given that adiponectin gene expression and plasma concentrations are reduced in the obese state, a number of drug therapies have been developed to improve adiponectin production. Anthocyanins have also been shown to improve adiponectin secretion and PPARƴ activation in adipocytes (Tsuda et al., 2003), and thus may help treat obesity and improve insulin sensitivity. Tsuda et al. (2006) investigated the human adipocyte response to the anthocyanin cyanidin. Anthocyanins were found to significantly increase adiponectin production while reducing plasminogen activated inhibitor-1 (a pro-thrombic factor) and the inflammatory cytokine interlukin-6. Further, anthocyanins increased PPARƴ and lipolytic gene expression while reducing lipogenic gene expression. Ju et al. (2011) reported findings similar to Tsuda et al., and also demonstrated that anthocyanins may prevent adipocyte dysfunction by protecting adipocytes against inflammation and oxidation. The results reported by Tsuda and Ju et al. support the use of anthocyanins as an obesity therapy.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major complication associated with insulin resistance that can accelerate the development of obesity. NAFLD increases oxidative stress, resulting in lipid peroxidation, inflammation, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and when left untreated may progress to liver failure Choudhury & Sanyal, 2004). Anthocyanins from purple potatoes may improve NAFLD via a variety of mechanisms. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of anthocyanins have been shown to protect hepatocytes against COX-2 and iNOS-induced liver injury via an up regulation of hepatic antioxidant enzymes (Hwang et al., 2010).
Of even more interest, anthocyanins may improve NAFLD by activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in human hepatocytes. AMPK regulates hepatic energy metabolism by affecting glucose transport, gluconeogenesis, and lipolysis (Zhang & Zhou, 2009), and has also been shown to inhibit hepatic lipid accumulation (Kim et al., 2010). Hwang et al. (2011) demonstrated that anthocyanins from purple potatoes decreased lipid peroxidation and attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation by activating AMPK. Anthocyanins reduced fatty acid synthase and increased AMPK activation in cells exposed to high glucose concentrations, suggesting that anthocyanins may be especially hepatoprotective to individuals with hyperglycemia.
Digestion and Absorption
When assessing the potential of a nutrient or dietary supplement based upon predominantly animal and in vitro studies (as in the case of this review) one must consider the stability and bioavialability of the substrate in humans. Purple potato starch was chosen for GlycoMyx in part because the anthocyanin pigments found in purple potatoes have been shown to be significantly more stable than those found in berries and other plants (Goda et al., 1997). Research from the early 2000's has shown low levels of anthocyanins in the plasma and urine following consumption (He & Guisti, 2010); however, improved analytical techniques have shown that anthocyanins are absorbed in the methylated, sulfated, and glucoronidated states (Felgines et al., 2007), and that these metabolites may have greater bioactivities (Setchell et al., 2002). Talavera et al. (2003) demonstrated that about 25% of anthocyanins are effectively absorbed in the stomach. In a follow up study, Talavera et al. (2004) reported that the small intestine absorbs approximately another 10-20% of anthocyanins, with the greatest absorption rates occurring with cyanadin. These results suggest that anthocyanins are well absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.
To play a role in organ health, anthocyanins must next be available to the various tissues in question. Although research in humans is limited, animal research suggests that anthocyanins are indeed bioavailable to various tissues. Talavera et al. (2005) reported that following consumption, high anthocyanin concentrations were found in the liver, kidneys, GI tract, and brain of rats. In pigs, Kalt et al. (2008) reported high levels in the liver, kidney, eyes, and brain. Thus, anthocyanins may provide protection for the digestive organs, and also the brain and eyes via their ability to cross the blood to brain barrier.
Glucomannan
Glucomannan is a fiber obtained from the Amorphophallus konjac tuber, and has been part of eastern nutrition/medicine for over a millennium (González Canga et al., 2004). Glucomannan is a highly soluble fiber that has shown great potential in the treatment of various chronic metabolic diseases. As small as 3 to 4g of glucommanan has been shown to promote satiety and reduce both the blood glucose and insulin rise following a meal by as much as 50% (Hopman et al., 1998). Doi et al. (1979) reported glucomannan also reduced fasting blood glucose by as much as 29%. The results from these studies suggest that glucomannan may be able to improve states of insulin resistance by reducing the insulin response to feeding (McCarty, 2002).
Glucomannan has also been investigated as a potential nutrient in the prevention of heart disease and treatment of hyperlipidemia. In a randomized double-blind study, Vuksan et al. (2000) reported that 8g of glucomannan per day reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in insulin-resistant subjects by an average of 15% and 22%, respectively. A recent meta-analysis of 14 studies comprising over 500 subjects by Sood et al. (2008) revealed that glucomannan supplementation significantly lowers LDL cholesterol, plasma triglycerides, body weight, and fasting blood glucose. 7-a-hydroxylase activity plays a significant role in the production of bile from cholesterol. Glucomannan significantly increases bile acid excretion, resulting in elevated hepatic 7-a-hydroxylase activity (Horton et al., 1994). Thus, glucomannan likely improves blood lipid values via an increased hepatic uptake and conversion of cholesterol to replenish bile stores.
Excessive gluten consumption appears to affect a wide variety of people without a genetic predisposition to glucose intolerance (celiac disease). Gluten has been shown to irritate the small intestine causing low grade inflammation that results in bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, pain and fatigue. Anecdotal evidence suggests that reducing gluten consumption may improve health and longevity. GlycoMyx is a gluten free potato starch that is also high in anthocyanins, specifically cyanidin, with added glucomannan. Cyanidin and other anthocyanins have been shown to have a host of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities that protect tissues against damage and may be preventative or therapeutic to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Anthocyanins have also been shown to reduce hypertension, and improve dysfunctional adipocytes and hepatic steaosis. Additionally, glucomannan has been shown to help stabilize blood glucose, reduce post-prandial insulin surge, and improve the blood lipid profile. Given the beneficial effects of reduced gluten and increased anthocyanin consumption, GlycoMyx appears to be a viable food in the promotion of health and wellness, and a possible therapeutic agent for metabolic diseases.
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Rivabene, R., Mancini, E., & De Vincenzi, M. (1999). In vitro cytotoxic effect of wheat gliadin-derived peptides on the Caco-2 intestinal cell line is associated with intracellular oxidative imbalance: implications for coeliac disease. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1453(1), 152-60. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9989255
Samuel, V. T., & Shulman, G. I. (2012). Mechanisms for insulin resistance: common threads and missing links. Cell, 148(5), 852-71. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.02.017
Sander, G. R., Cummins, A. G., Henshall, T., & Powell, B. C. (2005). Rapid disruption of intestinal barrier function by gliadin involves altered expression of apical junctional proteins. FEBS letters, 579(21), 4851-5. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2005.07.066
Seeram, N. P., Momin, R. A., Nair, M. G., & Bourquin, L. D. (2001). Cyclooxygenase inhibitory and antioxidant cyanidin glycosides in cherries and berries. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 8(5), 362-9. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11695879
Setchell, K. D. R., Brown, N. M., & Lydeking-Olsen, E. (2002). The clinical importance of the metabolite equol-a clue to the effectiveness of soy and its isoflavones. The Journal of nutrition, 132(12), 3577-84. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468591
Sood, N., Baker, W. L., & Coleman, C. I. (2008). Effect of glucomannan on plasma lipid and glucose concentrations, body weight, and blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 88(4), 1167-75. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18842808
Steed, L. E., & Truong, V.-D. (2008). Anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, and selected physical properties of flowable purple-fleshed sweetpotato purees. Journal of food science, 73(5), S215-21. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2008.00774.x
Takeoka, G., & Dao, L. (2002). Anthocyanins. In W. Hurst (Ed.), Methods of Analysis for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (pp. 219–41). Boca Raton, FL.
Talavéra, S., Felgines, C., Texier, O., Besson, C., Gil-Izquierdo, A., Lamaison, J.-L., & Rémésy, C. (2005a). Anthocyanin metabolism in rats and their distribution to digestive area, kidney, and brain. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 53(10), 3902-8. doi:10.1021/jf050145v
Talavéra, S., Felgines, C., Texier, O., Besson, C., Gil-Izquierdo, A., Lamaison, J.-L., & Rémésy, C. (2005b). Anthocyanin metabolism in rats and their distribution to digestive area, kidney, and brain. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 53(10), 3902-8. doi:10.1021/jf050145v
Talavéra, S., Felgines, C., Texier, O., Besson, C., Lamaison, J.-L., & Rémésy, C. (2003). Anthocyanins are efficiently absorbed from the stomach in anesthetized rats. The Journal of nutrition, 133(12), 4178-82. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14652368
Talavéra, S., Felgines, C., Texier, O., Besson, C., Manach, C., Lamaison, J.-L., & Rémésy, C. (2004). Anthocyanins are efficiently absorbed from the small intestine in rats. The Journal of nutrition, 134(9), 2275-9. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15333716
Tedesco, I., Luigi Russo, G., Nazzaro, F., Russo, M., & Palumbo, R. (2001). Antioxidant effect of red wine anthocyanins in normal and catalase-inactive human erythrocytes. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 12(9), 505-511. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11834210
Tsuda, T, Horio, F., & Osawa, T. (2000). The role of anthocyanins as an antioxidant under oxidative stress in rats. BioFactors (Oxford, England), 13(1-4), 133-9. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11237172
Tsuda, Takanori, Horio, F., Uchida, K., Aoki, H., & Osawa, T. (2003). Dietary cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside-rich purple corn color prevents obesity and ameliorates hyperglycemia in mice. The Journal of nutrition, 133(7), 2125-30. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12840166
Tsuda, Takanori, Ueno, Y., Kojo, H., Yoshikawa, T., & Osawa, T. (2005). Gene expression profile of isolated rat adipocytes treated with anthocyanins. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1733(2-3), 137-47. doi:10.1016/j.bbalip.2004.12.014
Tsuda, Takanori, Ueno, Y., Yoshikawa, T., Kojo, H., & Osawa, T. (2006). Microarray profiling of gene expression in human adipocytes in response to anthocyanins. Biochemical pharmacology, 71(8), 1184-97. doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2005.12.042
van den Broeck, H. C., de Jong, H. C., Salentijn, E. M. J., Dekking, L., Bosch, D., Hamer, R. J., Gilissen, L. J. W. J., et al. (2010). Presence of celiac disease epitopes in modern and old hexaploid wheat varieties: wheat breeding may have contributed to increased prevalence of celiac disease. TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik, 121(8), 1527-39. doi:10.1007/s00122-010-1408-4
Varma, S. D., & Kinoshita, J. H. (1976). Inhibition of lens aldose reductase by flavonoids–their possible role in the prevention of diabetic cataracts. Biochemical pharmacology, 25(22), 2505-13. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/825129
Verdu, E. F. (2011). Editorial: Can gluten contribute to irritable bowel syndrome? The American journal of gastroenterology, 106(3), 516-8. Nature Publishing Group. doi:10.1038/ajg.2010.490
Vinson, J. a, Demkosky, C. a, Navarre, D. a, & Smyda, M. a. (2012). High-Antioxidant Potatoes: Acute in Vivo Antioxidant Source and Hypotensive Agent in Humans after Supplementation to Hypertensive Subjects. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. doi:10.1021/jf2045262
Vuksan, V., Sievenpiper, J. L., Owen, R., Swilley, J. A., Spadafora, P., Jenkins, D. J., Vidgen, E., et al. (2000). Beneficial effects of viscous dietary fiber from Konjac-mannan in subjects with the insulin resistance syndrome: results of a controlled metabolic trial. Diabetes care, 23(1), 9-14. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10857960
Wang, H, Nair, M. G., Strasburg, G. M., Chang, Y. C., Booren, A. M., Gray, J. I., & DeWitt, D. L. (1999). Antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of anthocyanins and their aglycon, cyanidin, from tart cherries. Journal of natural products, 62(2), 294-6. doi:10.1021/np980501m
Wang, Hong, Cao, G., & Prior, R. L. (1997). Oxygen Radical Absorbing Capacity of Anthocyanins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 45(2), 304-309. doi:10.1021/jf960421t
Whitehead, T. P., Robinson, D., Allaway, S., Syms, J., & Hale, A. (1995). Effect of red wine ingestion on the antioxidant capacity of serum. Clinical chemistry, 41(1), 32-5. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7813078
Yamauchi, T., Kamon, J., Waki, H., Terauchi, Y., Kubota, N., Hara, K., Mori, Y., et al. (2001). The fat-derived hormone adiponectin reverses insulin resistance associated with both lipoatrophy and obesity. Nature medicine, 7(8), 941-6. doi:10.1038/90984
Yang, M., Koo, S. I., Song, W. O., & Chun, O. K. (2011). Food matrix affecting anthocyanin bioavailability: review. Current medicinal chemistry, 18(2), 291-300. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21110799
Yoshimoto, M., Okuno, S., Yamaguchi, M., & Yamakawa, O. (2001). Antimutagenicity of deacylated anthocyanins in purple-fleshed sweetpotato. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 65(7), 1652-5. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11515552
Zhang, B. B., Zhou, G., & Li, C. (2009). AMPK: an emerging drug target for diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Cell metabolism, 9(5), 407-16. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2009.03.012
Zhang, Y., Jayaprakasam, B., Seeram, N. P., Olson, L. K., DeWitt, D., & Nair, M. G. (2004). Insulin secretion and cyclooxygenase enzyme inhibition by cabernet sauvignon grape skin compounds. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 52(2), 228-33. doi:10.1021/jf034616u
Zhang, Y., Seeram, N. P., Lee, R., Feng, L., & Heber, D. (2008). Isolation and identification of strawberry phenolics with antioxidant and human cancer cell antiproliferative properties. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 56(3), 670-5. doi:10.1021/jf071989c
Zhu, F., Cai, Y.-Z., Yang, X., Ke, J., & Corke, H. (2010). Anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and antioxidant activity in roots of different chinese purple-fleshed sweetpotato genotypes. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 58(13), 7588-96. doi:10.1021/jf101867t
Zhu, Y., Xia, M., Yang, Y., Liu, F., Li, Z., Hao, Y., Mi, M., et al. (2011). Purified anthocyanin supplementation improves endothelial function via NO-cGMP activation in hypercholesterolemic individuals. Clinical chemistry, 57(11), 1524-33. doi:10.1373/clinchem.2011.167361
From → Nutrition, Supplements
Playamart - Zeebra Designs permalink
i respect your research and your amazing list of credits… however, a layman might have trouble grasping all that you have to share her! is there any chance you could write one post for the scientific community and another for 'people like me' in a simplified version?
we don't have the beta-carotene packed orange sweet potato, but we do have a purple skinned sweet potato here in ecuador. is the purple potato of the sweet potato or the potato that belongs to the nightshade family?
lisa/z
jasoncholewa permalink
Hi Lisa, thanks for the feedback!
Yes, the purple skinned sweet potato will contain a good deal of anthocyanins, as will purple fleshed sweet potatoes.
I am challenged to write posts that are informative and scientific, and yet understandable to the lay population. I have though, been trying, and I hope that the newer posts are a little easier to understand and more applicable for people who's main concern is staying fit and healthy.
ha! i've been in a very focused painting mode, so coming out of extreme right brain and reading a technical post was quite a challenge! of course that's all good for brain health, so thanks for keeping me fit!
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Honourable Justice George Adesola Oguntade was born in Epe, Lagos on March 10, 1940. He attended Holborn College of Law [University of London], UK (1961-1964); and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1965. He was called to the Nigerian Bar on January 15, 1966. George Oguntade's legal career commenced with a three-year stint as a Court Clerk at the High Court of Justice, Ibadan. After his call-to-bar, he engaged in private legal practice for 14 years and was appointed a Judge of the Lagos High Court in 1980, and then preferred to the Court of Appeal seven years later. On May 19, 2004, he was elevated to the nation's apex court – the Supreme Court of Nigeria where he served meritoriously till March 10, 2010 having attained the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
Appeal, Enugu; Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Ibadan; Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Jos; Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Lagos; and Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Justice Anyebe Vs Benue [the Judge was sacked by the State Government, but the appeal court reinstated him after a reprimand.
Amechi Vs Omehia/PDP [Amechi's name was replaced by Omehia's after the former was duly nominated. Omehia won the election, and the court ordered him to relinquish office to Amechi as the authentic candidate and winner of the Rivers state Governorship elections.
Justice Oguntade's tenure at the Supreme Court of Nigeria witnessed the delivery of many landmark judgments, which have impacted significantly on our legal system, particularly in the area of constitutional and administrative law. A fearless and courageous George, thorough and resolute in his reasoning, Justice Oguntade would not hesitate to disagree with his colleagues when the need arose.
In his dissenting judgment of the appeal by the Presidential candidate of the ANPP, General Muhammadu Buhari [Rtd.] against the declared winner, President Umaru Yar'Adua of the PDP, Hon. Justice Oguntade annulled the election and ordered a re-run. Interestingly, the President was to admit later that the election was flawed. So sound were his dissenting/minority judgments that rather than alienate him from his colleagues; they have set the tone for younger legal practitioners to explore other angles to similar cases.
Indeed, his understanding of the law and the adjudicatory process as manifested in his judgments, are reference points to lawyers and law students alike. By his incisive and analytical pronouncements, he has contributed to the development of jurisprudence in Nigeria.
Justice George Oguntade has over the years been invited to different fora to share his knowledge, experiences and perspectives on various aspects of law and jurisprudence.
.Beyond the Judiciary, Justice Oguntade has also served society in many other roles.
He is Chairman, Customer Complaint Bureau, Nigerian Insurers Association and member, World Jurist Association.
He is Commander of the Order of the Niger and Commander of the Federal Republic.
A God fearing man, he has been Chancellor of Anglican Diocese of Lagos since 1992 and the recipient of the First Anglican Communion National Award for Integrity & Excellence. Justice Oguntade is happily married to Mrs Modupeola Adewemimo with children and grand children.
Today, Hallmarks of Labour Foundation is proud to invite Honourable Justice George Oguntade to receive the "HLF Life-time Achievement Award for Exemplary/Courageous Service to the Advancement of our Legal System, particularly in Adjudication".


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LG G Watch And Android Wear First Impressions Review
I've now had about a day with the LG G Watch, and in that time the device only left my wrist when I lay my head down to sleep. It's my first experience with Android Wear, Google's magical new wrist-based operating system, and so far I'm finding the platform and the device to be unique and genuinely useful additions to my mobile world.
First the watch itself – my initial impressions from a few minutes of use left me with the feeling that it was at least as comfortable as a standard wristwatch, and longer use has reinforced that impression. The watch is light, and the face, while fairly large, isn't too big as long as you don't have tiny wrists. LG claims to have designed for everyone, regardless of wrist type and gender, but it's still going to look large on smaller arms.
The watch surprisingly supplements my smartphone usage pretty nicely. Google has clearly put a lot of thought into Android Wear, and what to include, as well as what to leave out. The notifications it provides come in exactly as they come in to the phone, and they reside at the bottom of the interface until you swipe up to reveal them. With apps optimized for Wear, you can open up to the relevant page within an app from the watch, and you can also reply to messages in apps like Hangouts via voice input.
Voice input on the G Watch is solid. I rarely encountered any errors in terms of transcription, and that includes in multiple environments, such as the noisy surrounds of the Google I/O After Hours party last night. Activating functions with "Ok Google" worked well, too, and I found myself using my voice to command my watch a lot more than I ever would've imagined I would.
[gallery ids="1022434,1022433,1022405,1022404"]
The buttonless design of the LG G Watch presents some interesting challenges; figuring out how to turn the device on took some time, for instance, and I had to eventually resort to reading the included paper instruction booklet to find out that you have to put it in the magnetic charging cradle to power it up.
From there, set up was also a bit tedious. Some of that was due to the fact that I was using pre-release developer software to get it going. Also, the watch has to load software and perform a series of actions during which it tells you to wait a minute, hold on, etc. multiple times. Hopefully this is streamlined in time for the consumer ship date of July 7.
The bottom line is that Google's Android Wear is a smartwatch interface that makes sense and gives you what you need. Google Now notifications would pop up to tell me weather, remind me of tasks I'd set earlier and more. Quickly replying to text, email and Hangouts messages with canned responses or by voice is a big time saver. In general, they've put what you need on your wrist, and left out what you don't.
Does that mean Android Wear will finally open the floodgates for wearable tech? Likely not just yet, but it definitely moves the category forward, and LG's G Watch is a solid early contender. We'll have longer-term impressions in a full review to follow later on.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Could gray whales return to Puget Sound year-round in search of food?
The same gray whales that return to the Puget Sound year after year gave researchers and whale watchers a surprise this year, breaking decades of migratory habits.
Every spring Patch, Little Patch and Dubknuck have been swimming into the Puget Sound on the hunt for food. Little Patch broke decades of tradition this year when he arrived in the second week of January, months ahead of schedule.
Little Patch is one of a dozen or so gray whales known as "Sounders" that return to the Pacific Northwest year after year in search of food. The Orca Network reported his sighting off Hat Island on January 11, "more than two months earlier than typical arrival times."
Since the early 90s, this small collective of whales has made its return like clockwork, swimming 150 miles off course from thousands of other Arctic-bound whales to north Puget Sound. They're typically spotted around the Sound between March and May.
"The discovery of that area was probably driven by desperation and not great conditions. Their annual return shows they've discovered something good," said John Calambokidis of the Cascadia Research Collective.
The whole gang isn't back together quite yet. Island Adventures Whale Watching reports six Sounders are back this year, including Patch, Little Patch and Dubknuck, as well as two new whales that showed up in Puget Sound waters for the first time last year.
Researchers and whale watchers first spotted the new whales labeled #185 and #2246 in March of 2018. Unlike the group of veteran whales, these new whales stuck well past spring.
The Orca Network believes #2246 left after the spring migration but returned in the fall, when it was spotted again in November 2018. The other newbie, #185, never left, choosing to stay in Puget Sound waters year-round.
Calambokidis isn't certain what these changes mean for the whales, only time and continued study will help to determine why the Sounders are adjusting their patterns.
"While the reason for these out of season sightings of the "Sounders" gray whales is not known for certain, it may be a result of some apparent food stress in the overall gray whale population observed in 2018 that may be resulting in their seeking areas new areas and timing for feeding," Calambokidis said.
The rest of the veteran group are still expected to make their return in the coming weeks. Their return to the area year after year indicates to researchers a need for food, but as Calambokidis points out, their resilience is promising.
As more whales enter the region, Calambokidis said he continues to worry about their safety. He warns people not to increase vessel traffic trying to find whales. Instead, look out for the 40-feet visitors from nearby land or from organized whale watching trips.
In 2017, a boat struck a gray whale near Whidbey Island. The Cascadia Research Collective said the whale had been "likely confirmed" as Earhart (#22), an older female gray whale.


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In Taiwan, nearly 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners participated in a humongous character and image formation on April 26 at Liberty Square in front of the Chinag Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. Its for World Falun Dafa Day, which falls on May 13.
Everyone also joined in the Falun Dafa exercises and meditation. It's a stark contrast to across the straight in China where even one person caught doing the exercises outside or talking about the outlawed practice can be arrested.


Mercier is an eclectic champagne house located in Epernay, Champagne. Its origins begin in 1858 when Eugène Mercier founded the house. Mercier's mission was to create champagne that was accessible to the masses but without forsaking quality.
To get the wider people's attention Mercier was a quirky and innovative marketing man, particularly for the 19th century where there was no Instagram or Facebook. He spruiked (promoted) his wares across a wide range of mediums, creating film commercials for his champagne and adopting some abstract promotional items. Most notable was his participation in Expos where he performed tastings en-masse. A highlight of these was the 1889 World's fair, where an enormous wine barrel with the capacity of approximately 800 regular barrels (or 200000 bottles) was made and displayed. Sadly for Mercier the display netted second place to the Eifel tower for best in show.
These days the marketing genius is left to the boffins at LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Moet & Hennessy) Group. Being part of this group makes Mercier the young stablemate to Moet and Chandon, Dom Perignon, Veuve Cliquot and Ruinart champagne houses. This youth is reflected in its price (around $42 a bottle) and this may well also be one of the key reasons why Mercier is one of the most popular champagnes in France.
Look: A soft golden colour with good translucence. Bubbles are strong with a nice frequency.
Smell: Mercier NV Brut has a fresh fruity fragrance with an element of yeasty notes to it.
Taste: Mercier's bubbly introduction starts off with a subtle honeyed first impression, which is quite pleasant. This alters toward a much drier middle profile where the sweetness is removed and replaced with a strong lemon rind and slightly vinegar flavour.
This phase of the Mercier brut also has a notably bitter acidity taking hold of the middle of your tongue, and is the flavour that remains with you for some time as it slowly begins to fade away.
In spite of much research I cannot find any information on the blend proportions and aging, which is so far a first for any review I have done.
Party Potential: Although Mercier has a nice price tag that makes it appealing for bulk purchasing for larger parties, if you are expecting it be a poor man's Moet be prepared to not have your expectations met – for I find it too polarising to be a drink for most guests to enjoy. In the price region Piper (if not on sale) and Lanson and even Cattier offer competitive alternatives. As BYO Mercier is perfectly fine, but if you like depth of flavour then it may not be your best option.
As a Gift: It would make a reasonable present for anyone if you are looking to spend sub-$50. It's nicely presented by a bit unknown in these parts, so I would use it as an informal gift or some kind of casual dinner party offering when invited.
At Home: Mercier Brut would perform reasonably well in a quiet seafood at home evening to spoil yourself. This is a champagne that is better exploited for matching and may require some trial and error.
Matching: Mercier brut, with its long and bitey finish is better suited to brothy, savoury items to match with – possibly boiled mussels or even Moules–Frites if you can go that fancy! On its own I think that it is not as strong as others in the price range.
The young cousin of the most popular kids in town – but it's not cut from entirely the same cloth. It's a little more quirky and lacks the polish of its relatives. You can handle them from time to time but at some point they are going to leave a bad taste in your mouth with their behaviour.
At $42 I feel it is average value for the quality.
I bought a bottle for my Grandmother's birthday, which was a relaxed and informal barbecue in the backyard.


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A Farewell to "Teen Wolf"
Valeria Ostorga, Writer
In the summer of 2011, the TV drama series, "Teen Wolf" premiered on MTV, but now after six years on air, the series will hit its hundredth episode mark on Sept. 24, as well as the series finale. The executive producer, Jeff Davis, announced at the 2016 San Diego International Comic-Con that the show will premiere its last ten episodes in the upcoming summer, for Davis explained that he himself found it right to end the series on its hundredth mark.
In light of the series ending, MTV has been airing special segments that reminisce on some highlights of the show as well as the fans first impression of the series. Likewise, Brooklyn Miranda, 10, tells on her first impression of "Teen Wolf".
"I started watching the show because it looked very interesting – I knew nothing about the show," Miranda said. "I saw it and it caught my eye. Soon, I was hooked."
Even though Miranda was aware of the premise of the series, she decided to stick with the show only by watching the first episode. This displays that "Teen Wolf" left a good impression that lasted for fans similar to Miranda which aids to justify the quality of the show.
The MTV segment then consists of fans going into depth of what they enjoyed most about the show; this includes aspects such as favorite scenes, but most importantly on how the show affected their life. Here, Estrella Hernandez, 11, explains the importance that she finds in "Teen Wolf".
" 'Teen Wolf' is the type of TV show that I would look forward to when going home," Hernandez said.
Like Hernandez, fans of the show were able to escape for an hour on airing dates. Now, this comes to show the significance that "Teen Wolf" had for viewers. Thus, causing a second nature like routine to form after watching it for six year. In this case, the transition into knowing that "Teen Wolf" will not longer air may seem surreal to fans.
However, other fans like Valerie Flores, 12, view the series finale through a different perspective.
"It's a bittersweet feeling; I think they are ending it at a very good time," Flores said. "I am sad about it however because I invested my life into these characters, but good things come to an end- shout out to Jeff Davis".
Flores instead views the series finale as a needed event because it will allow the series to leave a positive impression instead of continuing into a new plot that would ultimately drag on the storyline and the characters.
Besides being passionate about colorguard, Valeria Ostorga, 12, loves reading on her free time because she appreciates the different literary styles of each author. "I grew fond of a sport that challenged me mentally and physically," Ostorga said. "Being in my senior year, I still push myself to finish my final season on a great note on top of all my school work."
Favorite Holiday Films
The Dangers of Parasocial Relationships
Ma on Halloween
It All Went Dark
The Monster on Periwinkle Valley
Inktober: "Nest"


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Fort łącznikowy – fort łączący dwa zespoły umocnień (np. twierdze) w celu utworzenia wspólnego odcinka obrony. Był dziełem samodzielnym, zdolnym do obrony okrężnej, silnie uzbrojonym i opancerzonym.

Forty

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Combines Rosewater and Chamomile to soothe, hydrate and tone skin.
Our alcohol-free Hydrating Mist Toner combines Rosewater and Chamomile to help soothe, purify and cool tired skin. It can be used after cleansing, before and after make-up application or any time your skin is feeling tired, stressed or overheated. Keep in the refrigerator to instantly refresh skin on hot days.


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Home / About Us / Partnerships / Global Partnerships / Case Studies / Al Baha University
Dozens of New Courses Created in Record Time
When Al Baha University in Saudi Arabia needed to develop 40 new degree programs and enhance two existing ones, they turned to Franklin University for help. Despite being separated by several continents, Franklin and Al Baha share a mutual commitment to accessible education. So in December 2014, Al Baha and Franklin teamed up to develop a series of online courses in support of five new healthcare programs, as well as enhance an undergraduate and graduate degree program.
Solution Snapshot
Al Baha needed all-new and comprehensive degree program content for five new healthcare programs, including learning outcomes, course descriptions, syllabi, assignments, and dynamic learning experiences, such as interactive games and virtual labs.
Al Baha partnered with Franklin University to quickly create 40 high-quality online academic programs, including developing the curriculum and teaching materials necessary to support each new program.
Although the industry average for rolling out a project of this magnitude is 14 to 18 months, Franklin developed and delivered the high-quality courses to Al Baha within six months. The courses enabled Al Baha to launch five new healthcare programs, as well as enhance its existing English major and Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Swift, Successful Development & Implementation
More than 50 U.S.-based individuals with wide-ranging areas of expertise comprised the project evaluation and development teams, which met monthly using online video conferencing. Starting with Al Baha's required course topics, the teams created all aspects of the teaching and learning experience -- from choosing the most pedagogically effective ways to present the material (such as interactive games and virtual labs) to selecting the best textbooks.
Building Course Offerings More Efficiently
All 40 online courses were completed and delivered to Al Baha University in one-third the time of a typical project of this magnitude. Al Baha's partnership with Franklin not only enabled the University to build its online course offerings more quickly and effectively, it led to the creation of 150 standardized syllabi for Al Baha's existing onsite courses. The syllabi describe each course and its expected outcomes, and are useful for communicating academic offerings to students, prospects, and reviewers.
About Al Baha University
Saudi Arabia's Al Baha University enrolls 14,000 students annually, and offers a variety of majors emphasizing public service. Established in 2006, the public university provides modern curricula and up-to-date teaching technologies throughout its four colleges and 23 academic departments.


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text:
Q: Can we explain velocity without time? I'm trying to wrap my head around inertia/velocity, or just change in general, I guess. I'm unsure exactly sure were my gap is, or what question to ask, so I'll explain with a scenario.
Lets say I'm an insubstantial observer inside a flawless virtual simulation of our universe, watching two identical metal spheres floating in empty space.
From my perspective, Sphere $A$ is moving at $1$ unit of velocity, directly away from my position.
Sphere $B$ completely stationary, relative to my position.
I pause the simulation multiple times over a minute, record the positions of both, and from those measurements, I can say that the velocity of $A$ is $1$, and the velocity of $B$ is $0$.
Questions:
1. What if I only paused once though, hadn't recorded anything before, and wanted to know where both spheres would be in the next frame (or shortest possible period of time, whatever that would be)? Is there an observable/measurable property of either sphere, or the space around it, other than a previous position, that would tell me that?
Edit: The consensus on #1 so far seems to be "no", so #2 is the only remaining unanswered question. Leaving this here for context.
2. If the answer is no, then why does sphere $A$ move at all? (To say the spheres simultaneously exist across all points in their eventual path is fine, but that's really just a different perspective of the same thing, so then, why are [$x,y,z$] for $t$ not equal to [$x,y,z$] for $t+1$, without looking at any previous point of $t$.)
Edit: This question was closed because the question needs clarity, and the answers so far seem to be answering a different question than the one I'm asking for #2, so I'll attempt to clarify "Why does sphere $A$ move at all?"
Lets say the invisible immortal Joe, every morning, without fail, moves a stone directly westward by $N$ inches, where $N$ is the number most recently spoken in proximity to the stone. Because Joe is flawlessly predictable, we can record the stone's positions for a couple days in a row to determine $N$, then know where that stone will be on any day until the next time a number is spoken.

*

*I know how we determine $N$.

*I understand that $N$ only changes when someone speaks the number in proximity to the stone.

*I understand that there are many ways of expressing the path of the stone and its current/future positions, both individually, and as an infinite set.

*What I want to know is why the hell the stone is mysteriously moving every morning. I don't know about Joe, or understand why he would want to push this rock around.

"We have no idea" and/or "we don't care" is a perfectly acceptable answer, if there's a reason not to care. I'm just assuming that this isn't the case, and the gap I'm perceiving is because something in this scenario IS actually the cause of the movement, and I'm missing it.

A: *

*No

*The dynamical state of a system at any moment in time is not simply given by the positions of all of the constituents.  We need more information - namely the velocities (or momenta) - in order to fully determine how the system will evolve in time.

*I'm not sure what you mean by this.  Clocks tick and objects move; the former does not cause the latter.  Indeed, the former is really a particular case of the latter.  We simply quantify motion by e.g. specifying the distance traveled by an object in some number of clock ticks.

A: Analyzing motion comes in the form of differential equations; there is a bunch of ways of expressing these differential equations and you can look up reasons why but basically the crux is :
$$F=ma$$
This is a 2nd order ODE, and because of that to solve it for position we end up with a function in time that requires you to know both the Position and Velocity at some time $t_0$. Think about if you were to drop an apple from a tower, dropping it on at any floor would change the path, also the velocity you throw it at, even though the have the same $F=ma$. Now in the case you've outlined, $F=0$; thats fine...but we still need Position and Velocity at some time $t_0$, and a "snapshot" is not enough to obtain this information, particularly velocity.
From here we're done as far as physics is concerned, and if you are still wondering why we need time in our expressions, at its core it comes up because there are certain constants of motion (momentum), and to change them you need something to effect the system over time (a force), and from there we use the change in momentum to see how the position is affected.
From a "philosophical" point of view, we can discuss if it even makes sense to observe the velocity of an object, what does that mean? Can we really observe an infinitesimal change in a variable? Do variables in the real world even change smoothly, or are we just drawing constant secant lines and we've never had a "true" tangent line...this is all fun for conversation and interesting to think about, but it doesn't really matter in Physics; the fact of the matter is that we use Symmetries and Constants of Motion, and use our best observational tools possible to make predictions about motion, and in so far as our predictions work, Physics is happy.

A: No, you can't define velocity without time. Because velocity is rate of change of position with respect to time. You can write velocity in terms of position but that position is also changing with time. So ultimately you will end up with time.

A:
Can we explain velocity without time?

Sort of. In terms of momentum :
$$ v = \frac pm $$
In terms of kinetic energy :
$$ v =  \sqrt { 2 \frac {E_k^~}{m} } $$
But I think in one or another point - you'll need a time, cause position change over time is most natural :
$$ \textbf v = \frac {d\textbf r}{dt} $$

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IT'S MORE than two decades since Harold "Dickie" Bird stood in his 66th and final Test match between England and India in 1996 but Britain's best-loved umpire, now approaching his 85th birthday, is still one of the most recognisable faces in cricket.
And although the proud Yorkshireman – born Harold Dennis Bird and given his nickname as a schoolboy – has suffered a number of setbacks to his health in the past few years, including a serious stroke and a heart problem, he is as active and busy as ever.
Barnsley-born Dickie, who was awarded the MBE in 1986 and received an OBE in 2012, puts his ability to bounce back from illness down to his healthy lifestyle and keeping himself fit.
"I've always enjoyed exercising," he says.
"I feel so good afterwards.
"Even now I do 40 minutes of exercise every other day.
"I do some stretches and running on the spot.
The only son of a miner, he played cricket and football at school and was signed to Barnsley Football Club until a knee injury age 16 stopped him in his tracks.
Opting to focus on cricket because he thought it would give him a longer career, Dickie went on to play for Yorkshire and Leicestershire between 1956 and 1964, before making his Test umpiring debut in 1973, overseeing England's clash with New Zealand at Headingley.
"I've stayed the same weight I was when I was playing – I'm 11st 6lb, which is just right for my height of 5ft 10in," he says proudly.
"I have a healthy diet.
"My breakfast is raw oats with raisins and blueberries and I eat plenty of fish.
"I especially like mackerel and salmon. I'm almost teetotal.
Yet despite his healthy lifestyle, Dickie suffered a stroke in the early hours one morning in 2009.
He managed to phone 999 but was unable to make himself understood to the operator.
Luckily for Dickie the ambulance service managed to trace the call and he was taken to Barnsley Hospital, where he spent a month recovering.
Strokes occur when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.
There are few warning signs, although high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and dizziness can be indicators.
"I was in a right state," recalls Dickie, who also umpired 92 one-day internationals and three World Cup finals.
A stroke is serious life-threatening condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Look out for these signs for a better chance of a good recovery.
"The stroke had affected my left arm and my left side.
"I lost my voice and I couldn't swallow.
"Yet I was determined to fight it and I got out of bed, even when I shouldn't have done.
"I'd advise anyone who has a stroke to get on their feet as quickly as possible and to fight it with all they have.
One third of stroke survivors are affected by aphasia, a condition that causes difficulty understanding and using language.
In Dickie's case, he was lucky to regain his speech during the four weeks he was in hospital and the use of his left side within two months.
Yet despite his recovery, the stroke left its mark, with him becoming more emotional.
"I would cry but then I said, 'I'm not going to get depressed'," he explains.
"I could see it would be easy to stay in the house and watch television in your dressing gown all day but I made myself go out.
"At first it wasn't easy and I would walk for about 15 minutes near my home.
"Then I started going a bit further and then a few more miles and back.
But Dickie, who went on to be appointed president of his beloved Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2014 for two years, still had one more battle to face.
"I kept blacking out and on one occasion, I came round in an ambulance," he says.
After hospital tests, it was revealed that Dickie was suffering from an irregular heartbeat and he was fitted with a pacemaker which was replaced last week.
At the same time, he was ordered to cut his caffeine intake.
"I'd been having around 10 cups of tea a day along with coffee too," he says.
"I was told caffeine can increase the heartbeat.
"No wonder I had an irregular heartbeat.
"Since then I've had decaffeinated tea and coffee and I've been in good health.
"Now my one weakness is chocolate.
As grateful as Dickie was for his recovery, his hospital stays made him appreciate the plight of others who were not so fortunate.
He had already established the Dickie Bird Foundation, which helps to buy sports gear for under-privileged youngsters, but when he saw the children who had undergone heart surgery he was determined to help them too.
First he donated £30,000 to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and then £70,000 to the Tiny Hearts Appeal at Barnsley Hospital which is aiming to raise £1million for a new neonatal unit.
In his latest venture he is the new ambassador of the Children's Heart Surgery Fund, a charity which supports those born with congenital heart defects.
Patients from all areas of Yorkshire, Humberside and North Lincolnshire are treated at the Congenital Heart Unit at Leeds General Infirmary where more than 400 children have open-heart surgery each year.
"When I saw the children in hospital in Leeds, I broke down in tears," admits Dickie.
"They were so little. There was one baby boy who was only 12 weeks old and he'd already had heart surgery.
"I heard that if these babies can get over their operations, they can live to an old age.
His one regret is that he missed out on having a family.
"I never had children of my own," he admits.
"I never married because I lived out of a suitcase for most of my career and I didn't think it would be fair on a wife.
"I think I would have been a good father and now, seeing these children smile and laugh gives me so much pleasure.


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I had about 2 cups green beans and we ate them all in one sitting – they were that good!
First, I heated a skillet with a light oil (not olive) until it was very hot, then I sliced two chili peppers and trimmed the green beans.
These are dried chili peppers that I keep in the freezer and use for everything. Full disclosure: Two was WAY too hot for me and Jay, and we love spicy food. I think one or even a half of one would have been plenty spicy. If you don't keep weird peppers in your freezer, use a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes – as much as you can handle! Put the red pepper into your oil for about a minute, then when the oil is very hot add the green beans.
Oyster sauce, 1 clove crushed garlic, and ponzu sauce.
Oyster sauce is found EVERYWHERE in the Asian section of grocery stores and is the brown sauce that makes food taste….Chinese. Seriously. It doesn't taste like oysters. Buy some and keep it around!
Ponzu is, per the label, citrus seasoned soy sauce, great on seavood & sushi dipping, steak, tofu, & potsticker.
Furthermore, Mizkan, which makes ponzu, is bringing flavor to life.
If you don't have ponzu, don't flip out. Use soy sauce with 1/2 teaspoon of a vinegar of your choice. Problem solved!
Once the green beans have started to sear but are still a little crunchy, add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, the garlic, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce/vinegar or ponzu. Stir everything around, and add a splash of water to make things saucier.
Yum! Add more seasonings if you like things to have a stronger flavor, and ENJOY. I served these with grilled fish cooked with soy sauce and plain white rice. These are so delicious and flavorful, and add a ton to your meal!
Meal idea: If you make a simple Asian meal like this, start it out with a healthy, crunchy Asian salad. Yum!


Spend your holiday in the beautiful medieval village of San Gimignano, well known all over the world as one of Tuscany's treasures. It is the only example of a medieval city which has preserved through the centuries many of its ancient and beautiful towers. Set on the top of a hill, San Gimignano dominates the surrounding Tuscan countryside.
The city of San Gimignano took its name from the saint, then bishop of Modena, who helped the tuscan village to fight against the barbarians. The origins of the town date back to the Roman period, when the consul Silvio was forced to leave Roma with his followers. Because of this, the town of San Gimignano was anciently known as Silvia. Between XIII and XIV century, San Gimignano was known as a very important town, for its commercial activity as well as for its poetry, architecture and the arts in general.
The beautiful medieval village of San Gimignano is well known all over the world as one of Tuscany's treasures. It is the only example of a medieval city which has preserved through the centuries many of its ancient and beautiful towers. San Gimignano can always amaze the visitor with its charm, beauty and the unique atmosphere of its historical center, which is almost intact. The ancient walls embrace the built-up area, with its square, streets and alleys that offer magical glimpses andunforgettable corners. Set on the top of a hill, San Gimignano dominates the surrounding Tuscan countryside.
San Gimignano is 40 km from Florence, 65 km from Pisa, 30 km from Siena, 28 km from the etruscan Volterra, only a few minutes from Chianti and one hour from the sea. Thanks to its central position in Tuscany, San Gimignano offers its guest the opportunity to spend a relaxing holiday in the town, or to go for a trip in the surrounding area. It is not only a peaceful and ancient place to stay, but also a perfect starting point to visit all major places in Tuscany: this makes San Gimignano one of the best places to spend a holiday.
In the famous Piazza del Duomo, in front of the Cathedral, near the Palazzo del Podestà and the little city theatre (XVI century), is set Palazzo Chigi, one of the most ancient and prestigious buildings in San Gimignano. Its history is strictly linked to that of the city. It is a patrician building, with a large front split into different levels. This is a typical example of a local house with tower, which in the Middle Ages was an important symbol of nobility and power. The Ancient Documentation of the building tells us that it was constructed in the first half of the thirteenth century.
Although the building takes the name "Chigi", the Chigi family was not responsible for its construction, but perhaps Count Antonio was the most important person that lived in it. The building belonged to the families Savorelli and Abbracciabeni, and later became the residence of the Useppi family. This powerful family had many successors, some of them were engaged in local policy (they were Guelfi), and others were dedicated to the lucrative saffron trade, which was the main activity in San Gimignano. Appreciated for its artistic beauty, the building is one of the richest and most important testimonies to the art and history of the town.


Gorath and Veilroth (not their real names - ehem) formed the black metal band in 1995. A demo called Behind The Frozen Forest appeared a year later. A 1997 demo gets them a deal with Finland's Woodcut Records. It takes the label two years to release this Tico Tico-recorded piece. Goat Tormentor (Mikko Kotamäki) was the new man on the 2008 album, Wreath Of Thevetat, which followed its predecessor some four years later. The new singer and bassist had joined in January of 2006. The new album was recorded between June and December of 2007. The band opened for Gorgoroth for two shows in October of 2008.
Alghazanth's next full-length album was entitled Vinum Intus. The album featured 54 minutes of black metal. The album was released by Woodcut Records on January 1, 2011 as a digipak CD and would be out in February as a gatefold double LP. Woodcut Records would release Alghazanth's next full-length, entitled The Three-faced Pilgrim, on vinyl and as a digipak CD on the 13th of December of 2013. The band was Thasmorg vocals and bass, Grimort and Mordant guitars, Ekholm on piano and drummer Gorath Moonthorn.
The band maintained a gory image.
It is a testament to the power of Alghazanth's music and aggressive performance that an album so riddled with keyboards and synthesizers is accorded an above average grade. Before the knights of Metallian Towers grab a spear aimed at their liege's heart a description of the music on Wreath Of Thevetat is in order.


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Q: Combining two data frames I have two data frames from a study, datlighton and datlightoff, They both have roughly the same data since what separates the observations is that off takes place before midnight and on takes place after. I need to combine them into a single data frame called datlight but I'm not sure how to do it. I've tried using cbind and merge but I'm new to R and I don't quite understand how to make it do exactly what I want. When I try merge(datlighton,datlightoff) it gives me a data frame with all the column names but none of the rows. This is datlighton and datlightoff, I converted it to an html since I don't know to upload them as dataframes from R. Basically I just need to put all the rows from one frame into the other and have them match up with the appropriate column name.

A:  a=data.frame(a=4:6,b=2:4,d=7:9)
 f=data.frame(a=4:7,b=2:5,c=9:6,d=0:3,e=6:9)
 Result = merge(a,f,by="row.names",all=TRUE)

 a
    a b d
  1 4 2 7
  2 5 3 8
  3 6 4 9

  f
    a b c d e
  1 4 2 9 0 6
  2 5 3 8 1 7
  3 6 4 7 2 8
  4 7 5 6 3 9

  Result
    Row.names a.x b.x d.x a.y b.y c d.y e
  1         1   4   2   7   4   2 9   0 6
  2         2   5   3   8   5   3 8   1 7
  3         3   6   4   9   6   4 7   2 8
  4         4  NA  NA  NA   7   5 6   3 9

  Result[is.na(Result)] <- 0
  Result
    Row.names a.x b.x d.x a.y b.y c d.y e
  1         1   4   2   7   4   2 9   0 6
  2         2   5   3   8   5   3 8   1 7
  3         3   6   4   9   6   4 7   2 8
  4         4   0   0   0   7   5 6   3 9


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8 Reasons to Forget Keto and Go Vegan
Fad diets come and go, but a whole-foods, plant-based diet is one to stick with for the long-term.
by Shivam Joshi, MD
Similar to a dietary medusa, the ketogenic diet has emerged in the vacuum left by the fading popularity of other low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets such as the Paleo and Atkins diets. Sporting a new name but an unoriginal weight-loss strategy, the ketogenic diet calls for its followers to spurn carbohydrates in favor of eating high-fat and high-protein foods such as meat, eggs, and cheese—all of which are unhealthy. The ketogenic diet has the same allure of many fad diets that promise quick weight loss, but these diets also brings with them numerous health risks about which all dieters should know. So, instead of going keto, dieters should consider adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet to lose weight while avoiding an ever-growing list of health concerns.
1. Weight loss or not?
The keto diet promises its followers weight loss under the guise of "changing one's metabolism" through ketosis, but, in reality, followers shed weight—at least initially—by eating fewer calories and by losing water weight and lean muscle mass. Eating fewer calories to lose weight is not new and shouldn't involve semi-starvation to the point of ketosis, nor should it involve a decrease in muscle mass. Worse, over the long-term, many keto dieters regain their weight and end up very close to where they started. In a meta-analysis of studies, researchers found that after 12 months of following the ketogenic diet, the average weight lost was less than a single kilogram. Meanwhile, a whole-foods, plant-based diet can be a very effective weight-loss strategy.
2. Keto flu
Every ketogenic dieter needs to know about the severe malaise that comes along with switching their body's primary fuel source from carbohydrates to fats. Lasting from a week to a month, the keto flu, as it's dubbed, can entail severe cramps, dizziness, upset stomach, constipation, irritation, brain fog, and insomnia. Whole-food, plant-based diets, on the other hand, don't have any of these problems and might actually help followers feel better.
High cholesterol levels are a major concern for anyone eating significant amounts of meat, eggs, and cheese. The ketogenic diet was originally designed to help treat children with refractory epilepsy, but even in this group of patients, cholesterol levels increased on the ketogenic diet. The same was seen with adult patients who went on the keto diet for weight loss. In contrast, a plant-based diet has been shown in numerous studies to significantly reduce cholesterol levels.
4. Heart health
High cholesterol levels are concerning because of their implications on cardiovascular health. The only extant population that eats a diet high in animal fat and protein are the Inuit, and they are known to have an even higher burden of cardiovascular disease than the average Western population, which is already high. In a study of type 1 diabetics, those eating higher amounts of fat and protein had higher coronary artery calcium, a maker for coronary artery disease, compared to those eating higher amounts of carbohydrates. By comparison, plant-based diets have been shown to actually reverse—not worsen—coronary artery disease.
5. Mortality
Eating animal-based foods increases one's risk of death. Not surprisingly, a meta-analysis of 272,216 people showed that those eating low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets full of animal-based foods saw a mortality rate that was 31-percent higher than other diets. Another study with a decade of follow-up showed a similar increase in mortality with low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets. The causes of death are varied, but in some cases, the causes have been related to a deficiency in the mineral selenium. Selenium deficiency has been seen in at least two pediatric patients on the ketogenic diet for epilepsy—both having cardiac arrhythmias that eventually lead to death.
6. Kidney stones
Another major concern for those eating high amounts of animal-based foods is kidney stones. Animal-protein consumption is a notorious risk factor for kidney stones. Unsurprisingly, ketogenic diets predictably increase one's risk for developing a kidney stone. Kidney stones are extremely painful and can lead to complications such as urinary obstruction, infection, and kidney failure. Plant-based diets, however, can reduce one's risk of having kidney stones.
It is commonly thought that by avoiding carbohydrates on a ketogenic diet one can treat diabetes, but, unfortunately, that is not the case. In a meta-analysis of dieters with type 2 diabetes restricting carbohydrate intake, no difference in diabetes control was seen after one year between those eating low-carb and high-carb diets. By comparison, a whole-foods plant-based diet has been shown to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes.
8. And more
The ketogenic diet has also been associated with numerous other health problems such as osteoporosis, bone fractures, fatal, and nonfatal pancreatitis, gastrointestinal disturbances, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, slow growth, and acidosis. In stark contrast and with few exceptions, a plant-based diet is safe and healthy.
Shivam Joshi, MD, is a lifestyle physician and nephrology fellow in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
8 Reasons This Physician Recommends You Drop the Keto Diet and Go Vegan
The Complete Vegan Guide to Digestive Enzymes
by Suzannah Gerber
This Marathoner Lost 230 Pounds by Going Vegan
by Jasmin Singer
Beyoncé Was Hungry Because She Was Restricting, Not Because She Was Vegan
by Marla Rose
8 Vegan Yogic Foods to Jumpstart Wellness in Yourself and the Planet
by Joy Smith
5 Reasons Your Office Needs to Go Vegan Already
by Sande Nosonowitz
This Mother Reversed Her Diabetes Through Veganism
5 Reasons Food is More Effective than Medicine
by Laurie Marbas, MD and Katie Reines, RD
8 Ways for Vegan Seniors to Stay Fit and Active
by Ellen Jaffe Jones


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Public Health Genomics: from the Science of Discovery to the Science of Action, Apr 5
Dr. Muin J. Khoury will deliver this year's Edward E. Penhoet Annual Lecture on Biology, Behavior, and Environment.
Dr. Khoury is the founding director of the CDC's Office of Public Health Genomics. The Office was formed in 1997 to assess the impact of advances in human genetics and the Human Genome Project on public health and disease prevention. CDC's Office of Public Health Genomics serves as the national focus for integrating genomics into public health research and programs for disease prevention and health promotion. Dr. Khoury has developed a number of successful ongoing national and international initiatives to translate advances in genomics and related technologies to recommendations and actions that improve health and prevent disease throughout the life stages. Examples of collaborative initiatives that Dr. Khoury started are the Human Genome Epidemiology Network (HuGENet), the Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention initiative (EGAPP™External Web Site Icon), and the Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Network (GAPPNet™). Since 2007, Dr. Khoury has served NCI as a senior consultant in Public Health Genomics. He has helped integrate public health genomics researchExternal Web Site Icon into the Division's research portfolio, such as comparative effectiveness research in genomics and personalized medicine.
Dr. Khoury received his B.S. degree in Biology/Chemistry from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and his medical degree and Pediatrics training from the same institution. He received a Ph.D. in Human Genetics/Genetic Epidemiology and training in Medical Genetics from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Khoury is board certified in Medical Genetics.
Dr. Khoury received the Public Health Service Special Recognition Award in 1990 for his outstanding contribution to the scientific literature in the areas of birth defects and genetic epidemiology. In 1994, he received the Arthur Fleming Award for outstanding government service. In 1998, Dr. Khoury was credentialed for the Senior Biomedical Research Service for outstanding contributions to public health. In 2000, he received the CDC Research Honor Award for outstanding national leadership in genetics and public health. In 2005, he received the National Cancer Institute visiting scholar award for leadership and vision in genetic epidemiology and public health.


Fire, communications, historicity, atheist registry, homeschooling, charities, drumming, science news and more!
House fire - At least Dude is okay.
How to Talk to Your New Age Relative - A pamphlet with sage advice for fresh skeptics.
Is this the best you got - Non-challenging questions from a theist parrot.
Poe? Preacher wants Registry for Atheists - Equating atheists with criminals and other bad people.
Review of 101 Reasons Why I'm a Homeschooler - Homeschooling or unschooling?
Skeptics and Charitable Giving - How do you contribute? Perhaps Charity Navigator will help.
Editor's Choice: Drummer wanted - A band loses its drummer to Christianity.
e! Science News — e! Science News is a no-frills popular science news site that updates almost hourly. It's a great source for staying current in any area of science that interests you. The articles are culled from all of the most important science news sources that exist on the Internet. And it's all done automatically. What that means is that the content is fresh. If it was reported today, it's on e! Science News today.
There is no human editor behind e! Science News; it is powered by the e! news engine, a fully automated artificial intelligence.
It computes relationships between science articles and news found on the web using a vector space model and hierarchical clustering. It then automatically determines in which category each news item belongs using a Naive Bayes classifier. Finally, it examines multiple parameters (such as timeliness, rate of appearance on the web, number of sources reporting the news, etc) for each news group. The result is an e! score which represents the relative importance of a news item.
Thanks to e! Science News, you now have a smart way to keep up to date with fast-evolving science!
e! Science News was built and is maintained by Michael Imbeault, PhD student in Retrovirology & Bioinformatics. The site is not affiliated with any linked-to publications or sites.
Pretty cool, eh? Not that I have any idea of how all of that stuff works, but apparently it does, and it does it well!
You can also get your news from: Last 7 days, Last 30 days, Last year, and the Latest science news. There's a search engine for specific news articles or areas of interest. I ran a search on fossils and came up with 100 pages of results starting with the most recent article which happened to be about discovery of an important woolly rhino fossil, which you have probably heard about. Well… At least I have, using e! Science News as my source.
Please check out e! Science News, bookmark it, and go there often!
Wednesday, August 31st: Chat started out with Dr. Mabuse bitching about one of his favourite discussion forums (next after Skeptic Friends Network and Skepticality of course) was hacked and severely vandalised. The question popped up, how secure are medical records files on hospital computer systems? More health-care discussion ensued, which eventually evolved into capitalism versus socialism. Terry got crank phone calls, but none of us managed to figure out who it was. We don't think it was HP though, which decided to bail out of the home computers market. Chat ended earlier than usual, but it was sweet none the less.
Wednesday, September 7th: Chat started out with someone losing both money and a woman but was hopeful to recover. Then making plans to a joint meet with humanists at some pub at Mesa, AZ. We had some talk about car sales and other car-related stuff. Then R2D2-type air-conditioning not cooperating fully, speaking different languages. Kil complained about coming down with a fever and got a barrage of suggestions which reminded us of his Kil Report on a cold. The chat ended with tips on how to save buying food at the store, before closing the chat a little earlier than usual.
Can Teachers Criticize Creationism in Class?
I Can Dress Myself, Thank You.
Skepticality #164 — Can YOU see the Gorilla?
The Cult of Alien Gods: H.P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestial Pop Culture, by Jason Colavito.
There were 6,266 daily visitors this week.
There were 26,766 daily visitors in August, 2011.


If you have installed the October CU, please contact Microsoft Support for assistance. Microsoft will be posting additional information about the issue here as soon as we have it, and will make the Cumulative Update available for download again as soon as the issue has been fully resolved.
If you have already downloaded the update, DO NOT INSTALL it.
Additional information will be posted to the Microsoft SharePoint Team Blog when available.
UPDATE:: The workaround has been posted here. Updated hotfixes/CUs have NOT yet been posted for KB 2394320 or KB 2394322.