Well here are the care sheets I've been promising to post . I put these together when I was breeding mini lops and mini cashmere lops as - Nibble Nursery :)
I thought about uploading old website but felt that it was unecessary to purchase a new domain and hosting so I just uploaded the PDF files to Scribd.com instead .
An elderly Chinese woman has shocked friends and family by growing a devil-like horn from the top of her head.
The Sun reported today the strange growth began appearing on 101-year-old Zhang Ruifang's forehead last year.
Since then it has reached more than six centimetres and a matching horn looks to be appearing on the other side.
The grandmother's condition has left her family in Linlou Village, Henan province, baffled and worried.
See the picture of the "devil-like" growths at The Sun.
The youngest of her six sons, Zhang Guozheng, 60, said when a patch of rough skin formed on her forehead last year "we didn't pay too much attention to it."
Zhang, whose eldest brother and sibling is 82-years-old, added, "but as time went on a horn grew out of her head and it is now six centimetres long.
"Now something is also growing on the right side of her forehead. It's quite possible that it's another horn."
Although it is unknown what the growth is, it resembles a cutaneous horn.
These are funnel-shaped growths and although most are only a centimetre in length, some can extend a number of centimetres from the skin.
The growths are most common in elderly people, aged between 60 and the mid-70s.
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OK so as weird as this is, it's not the first time this has happened to an old person.. ewww! (see pics)
As I was sitting in bed watching the TV Show - 'Lie to Me' I started to think about how many times I wish that I had the ability to read someones expressions to determine if they are being untruthful. This is mostly because I seem to have been lied to a lot during my life and in relationships and probably somewhat enjoy the feeling of catching someone out in a lie, even though the truth usually does hurt.
I decided to do some research into the signs, body language & micro expressions that can determine if someone is lying to you and I share them with you in this blog post.
Warning: Sometimes Ignorance is bliss; after gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you.
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VIDEO with language expert - Judi James
When you're in a marriage or a committed relationship, havent you always wanted to play detective and know exactly when your partner is lying to you? In this youtube feature, body language expert Judi James spills the beans on how you can tell if someone is lying to you.
Here are the signs to watch out for. First, check on the persons body movement. Little or no body movement when combined with an inability to maintain eye contact can signify lying. On the other hand, exaggerated body movements and trying to maintain more eye contact can also mean that your partner is lying.
Remember that lying causes stress so other body movements like swallowing, faster blinking or feet shuffling may mean that your partner is hiding something from you. Replicating the innocence of childhood when a person looks away at the point of lying is also a dead giveaway.
Perhaps one of the most interesting points that the body language expert in the video have is the eyeball movement. This is a way for a person to stimulate part of the brain. When your partner looks to the left, he or she is recording memories which signifies honesty. Looking towards the right is a way to stimulate the imagination, so your partner is most probably lying. Other warning signs to watch out for include the Pinocchio effect when a person touches or scratches the nose when lying and covering the mouth or face.
All in all, the video is extremely helpful for those who would like to learn more about how they can read a persons body language and tell when someone is lying to them or not which are great clues if you want to know if your partner is cheating.
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The 7 Common Signs of Lying
1.No eye contact. Generally, if someone is lying they will not look you in the eye, at least during a certain part of the conversation. Normally, people make eye contact for at least half of a conversation, so anything less than this could be suspicious. One caveat: there are some people who will take great pains to make eye contact with you even if they're lying, simply to make you think they're not. They may turn their head or body away.
2. Change in voice. A change in the pitch of a person's tone, or a lot of stammering (umm, ah), or throat clearing could indicate a lie.
3.Unusual body language. If a person taps their foot a lot, fidgets with their hands, raises their shoulders, turns away from you or brings their hand to their face (to touch their chin or nose, etc.) -- in other words, if they act nervous or uncomfortable -- it could mean they're telling a lie. Also watch out for blushing (or becoming pale) and increased blinking.
4.Something sounds fishy. Making statements that contradict each other, are inconsistent or don't sound quite right are usually part of a lie.
5.Overly defensive. Sometimes when a person is lying they will become extremely defensive, refusing to answer any questions and even accusing you of lying. This may mean they have something to hide.
6.Changes subject easily. If someone is lying and you change the subject, chances are high that they'll go right along with it and become more relaxed. A person telling the truth, however, will likely ask why you changed the subject and want to go back to it.
7.Humor or sarcasm. A guilty person will often try to change the subject using humor or sarcasm.
Of course, no one behavior can tell for sure whether or not someone is telling the truth or lying. While you should trust your instinct, if you're not sure it's best to try to get some evidence to back up your accusation. Rather than relying on a specific behavior, catching a liar in the act is best done by watching their normal behaviors. When those behaviors suddenly change, that's when a lie has likely been told.
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VIDEO: Micro Expressions - The experiment
--------------------- What are Micro Expressions?
A micro expression is a momentary involuntary facial expression -- that people unconsciously display when they are hiding an emotion. They are quick & intense expressions of concealed emotion.
The main points to remember are that micro expressions are:
Brief - Micro expressions can appear then disappear off the face in a fraction of a second. In other words micro-expressions occur so quickly, that most people don't even notice them.
Involuntary - A micro expression is caused by involuntary movements in facial muscles. (See the fake-smile diagram). Most people cannot control these involuntary muscles which are affected by their emotions.
Micro Expressions are generally grouped into seven universal emotions: anger, disgust, fear, sadness, happiness, surprise, and contempt.
Tim Roth plays Dr. Cal Lightman, the world’s leading deception expert, on ‘Lie to Me.’ He oversees The Lightman Group, a private agency hired to expose the truth behind the lies.
Below are diagrams of these seven universal micro-expressions as discussed above that Lightman looks for:
Micro Expressions betray us when we lie. We can try to cover our feelings with fake smiles, but involuntary face muscles reveal this hidden emotions. Seeing is easier, watch this short video:
Paul Ekman and his research is the inspiration for the TV series 'Lie to Me'.
Important to remember:
* Micro-expressions can also reveal emotions that are unconscious or only partially related to whatever is being talk about. In other words, just because someone says "that's awesome!" and flashes a brief micro-expression of contempt ... doesn't necessarily mean they are lying about their feelings.... just that there is something about the subject that "bugs" them (and they may not even know it bothers them).
So, you show your friend Sarah a picture of your new dog. She looks at you and says "wow, really cute", but you catch a micro-expression glimpse of "disgust". I believe it would be presumptuous to take this as a sign that Sarah thinks your puppy is ugly. She may have been bit by a dog in the past, and that emotion briefly flashed across her face when she looked at the pic of your dog.
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Emotional Gestures & Contradiction
• Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then stops suddenly.
• Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example: Someone says "I love it!" when receiving a gift, and then smile after making that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.
• Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement, such as frowning when saying “I love you.”
• Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking emotions (like happy, surprised, sad, awe, )instead of the whole face. For example; when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved: jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.
--------------------- FAKING EMOTIONS ?
FORCED SMILE: Usually used out of politeness... People who put on a smile only use the muscles around the mouth. But the top half of their face remains virtually unchanged. Their smile is also less likely to be showing their teeth. This smile could mean the person is not telling the whole truth. -----
GENUINE SMILE: A genuine smile involves the whole face including the eyes… More than just the mouth, many facial muscles are in action. The most visible is the tightening around the eyes. This action around the eyes is extremely difficult to fake and is the main signal you want to look at if you think somebody might not be telling you their real feelings. Do not fake a smile. Research shows that a large majority of people unconsciously recognise the sincerity of your smile simply looking at the top half of your face.
Which face is the forced smile?
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EYE MOVEMENTS
The Eyes are called the "window of the soul" for a reason, the eyes don't reveal everything… but they are very expressive!
The way a person looks at someone reveals a lot… and the intensity and direction of their stare can reflect a person's thoughts.
Visual Accessing Cues:
When asked a question a "normally organised" right-handed person looks (from your viewpoint, looking at them):
Up and to the Left Indicates: Visually Constructed Images (Vc) If you asked someone to "Imagine a purple buffalo", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Visually Constructed" a purple buffalo in their mind.
Up and to the Right Indicates: Visually Remembered Images (Vr) If you asked someone to "What color was the first house you lived in?", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Visually Remembered" the color of their childhood home.
To the Left Indicates: Auditory Constructed (Ac) If you asked someone to "Try and create the highest the sound of the pitch possible in your head", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Auditorily Constructed" this this sound that they have never heard of.
To the Right Indicates: Auditory Remembered (Ar) If you asked someone to "Remember what their mother's voice sounds like ", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Auditorily Remembered " this sound.
Down and to the Left Indicates: Feeling / Kinesthetic (F) If you asked someone to "Can you remember the smell of a campfire? ", this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they used recalled a smell, feeling, or taste.
Down and To the Right Indicates: Auditory Digital / Internal Dialog (Ai) This is the direction of someone eyes as they "talk to themselves".
Example of how this works:Let's say your child ask's you for a cookie, and you ask them "well, what did your mother say?" As they reply "Mom said... yes." they look to the left. This would indicate a made up answer as their eyes are showing a "constructed image or sound. Looking to the right would indicated a "remembered" voice or image, and thus would be telling the truth.
Remember: * Looking straight ahead or with eyes that are defocused/unmoving is also considered a sign of visual accessing.
* A typical left-handed person would have the opposite meanings for their eye-directions.
* As with other signs of lying, you should first establish and understand a persons base-behavior before concluding they are lying by the direction of their eyes.
VIDEO: How to Read Body Language : How to Tell if Someone is Lying with Body Language
Learn how to tell if someone is lying by their body language and how to read other body language in this free video on body language communication skills.Expert: Michelle RothBio: Dr. Michelle Roth is licensed Psychologist and relationship expert.Filmmaker: Nili Nathan
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Other Signs a Person is lying
• A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.
• A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, “Did you eat the last cookie?” The liar answers, “No, I did not eat the last cookie.”
•A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: “ I didn't do it” instead of “I did not do it”
• Liars sometimes avoid "lying" by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of denying something directly.
• The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you... they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.
• A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.
• Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.
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Remember:
* Look for signs that could prove that you’re wrong rather than the person is wrong. You play the “devil’s advocate” if you will. In fact, research shows that you’re more likely to correctly detect honesty than lies.
* Dishonest people who try to use body language to manipulate or cheat others usualy fail. Because their own uncontrollable body language signals give them away at some point and anyone easily catches their game.
On the other hand, if you are honest, trustworthy, and respectful, your in-depth understanding of body language naturally makes you a confident and influential communicator - who can easily connect with people at a deep level.
I am amazed by how my Axolotl Sally's leg is growing back! I'm unsure how it was removed in the first place , but perhaps Xena mistook it for her favourite food - a worm!.. If only humans were able to regenerate limbs like this , I think that scientists need to keep exploring ways to make this possible for human kind!.. This has prompted me to do my own online research on the matter and well call me slow but it seems that the scientists are already on the ball with human cell regeneration but it's going to be awhile before we are able to grow back limbs..
What amazing little creatures!
Sally's Leg after about a month and the 'fingers' are forming
Commonly known as Mexican Walking Fish, Axolotls are actually amphibians like frogs and toads.
Amphibians usually develop from an egg into a larval form and finally into an adult. But axolotls remain in their larval form throughout their life. If they did grow to adulthood, axolotls would look just like their closest relative, the Mexican Salamander.
Salamanders live on land but axolotls are completely aquatic. They do have lungs but breathe through their gills and also through their skin.
Axolotls only need to be fed every two or three days. They eat tadpoles, soft insects, worms and even small fish but can also be fed small pieces of raw meat.
An aquarium for Axolotls should have water at least 15-20cm deep and between 14-20 degrees Celsius. Other fish shouldn't share the tank or they could be eaten and if there are too many axolotls in one tank they might fight.
Luckily, if your little axolotl loses a leg it will grow back! Axolotls are famous for their amazing healing abilities. They can regenerate almost any injured part of their body, including the limbs, tail, skin, and even major organs like the heart, liver and kidney.
The most common colours for axolotls are shades of grey and brown but there are also golden albino, white albino, black and spotted varieties.
Axolotls can grow to be as large as 20-40cm and live for as long as 10-15 years.
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A video by the Max Planck Society regarding the regeneration qualities of the Mexican salamander. The researchers believe that humans lost the ability to completely regenerate during the course of evolution. It is, however, possible that this ability has only been suppressed and could somehow be reactivated in the future.
An adult Salamander can regenerate a full leg in 10 weeks. Scientists are hoping that studying the regeneration of the axolotl they can someday apply it to humankind in helping skin or organs to heal better.
In salamanders, the regeneration process begins immediately after amputation. Limb regeneration in the axolotl and newt have been extensively studied. After amputation, the epidermis migrates to cover the stump in less than 12 hours, forming a structure called the apical epidermal cap (AEC). Over the next several days there are changes in the underlying stump tissues that result in the formation of a blastema (a mass of dedifferentiated proliferating cells). As the blastema forms, pattern formation genes – such as HoxA and HoxD – are activated as they were when the limb was formed in the embryo.[2][3] The distal tip of the limb (the autopod, which is the hand or foot) is formed first in the blastema. The intermediate portions of the pattern are filled in during growth of the blastema by the process of intercalation.[1][2]Motor neurons, muscle, and blood vessels grow with the regenerated limb, and reestablish the connections that were present prior to amputation. The time that this entire process takes varies according to the age of the animal, ranging from about a month to around three months in the adult and then the limb becomes fully functional.
In spite of the historically small size of the number of researchers studying limb regeneration, remarkable progress has been made recently in establishing the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) as a model genetic organism.
Regeneration of human skeleton
Finger Tips
Studies in the 1970s showed that children up to the age of 10 or so who lose fingertips in accidents can regrow the tip of the digit within a month provided their wounds are not sealed up with flaps of skin – the de facto treatment in such emergencies. They normally won't have a finger print, and if there is any piece of the finger nail left it will grow back as well, usually in a square shape rather than round.[6][7]
In August 2005, Lee Spievack, then in his early sixties, accidentally sliced off the tip of his right middle finger just above the first phalanx. His brother, Dr. Alan Spievack, was researching regeneration and provided him with powdered extracellular matrix, developed by Dr. Stephen Badylak of the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Mr. Spievack covered the wound with the powder, and the tip of his finger re-grew in four weeks.[8] The news was released in 2007. Lee Spievack is the first documented case of an adult human regenerating fingertips;[6] however, Ben Goldacre has described this as "the missing finger that never was", claiming that fingertips regrow and quoted Simon Kay, professor of hand surgery at the University of Leeds, who from the picture provided by Goldacre described the case as seemingly "an ordinary fingertip injury with quite unremarkable healing" and as "junk science".[9] ----------------------------------------------
CBS News reports how your own stem cells can grow fingertips - and maybe whole limbs and repair organs.
They also talk in this video about spray on skin procedures. I actually had a similar procedure called 'ReCell' by Clinical Cell Culture (C3) on a scar burn from when I was little. ReCell is a Procedure that was developed by Dr Fiona Wood and was used on the bali bombing burns victims . The procedure was relatively new when I had the procedure 5 years ago and was mostly intended for putting the skin pigmentation back into the scar tissue. A small skin biopsy was taken of normal skin from my butt lol, & then put it into this little machine (see pic below) and the cells are multiplied , then basically the next part of the operation was scraping the top layer of the scar area until it bleeds to recreate a wound and spraying on the new skin cells back into the scar to make it look like normal skin when It heals. I was asleep during the process thank god ;). It improved the appearance somewhat but to be honest I was hoping for better results, but maybe these procedures have improved since then. Possibly the CellSpray Procedure would of been more beneficial, the cells are harvested in a lab & seems more intensive though whereas the ReCell Procedure the cells are created during the procedure. But there have been some good results when these treatments are applied to patients immediately after their accidents before allowing scars to form.
ReCell® is an innovative medical device for harvesting autologous skin cells. Developed as an 'off the shelf' kit, ReCell® enables a thin split thickness biopsy, taken at the time of the procedure, to be processed into an immediate cell population for delivery onto the wound surface.
There have appeared claims that human ribs could regenerate if the periosteum, the membrane surrounding the rib, were left intact. In one study rib material was used for skull reconstruction and all 12 patients had complete regeneration of the resected rib.[10]
Regeneration of human liver
The human liver is one of the few glands in the body that has the ability to regenerate from as little as 25% of its tissue.[11] This is largely due to the unipotency of hepatocytes.[12] Resection of liver can induce the proliferation of the remained hepatocytes until the lost mass is restored, where the intensity of the liver’s response is directly proportional to the mass resected. For almost 80 years surgical resection of the liver in rodents has been a very useful model to the study of cell proliferation.[13][14]
Kidney regeneration
Regenerative capacity of the kidney remains largely unexplored. The basic functional and structural unit of the kidney is nephron, which is mainly composed of four components: the glomerulus, tubules, the collecting duct and peritubular capillaries. The regenerative capacity of the mammalian kidney is limited compared to that of lower vertebrates.
Regeneration in the mammalian kidney
In the mammalian kidney, the regeneration of the tubular component following an acute injury is well known. Recently regeneration of the glomerulus has also been documented. Following an acute injury, the proximal tubule is damaged more, and the injured epithelial cells slough off the basement membrane of the nephron. The surviving epithelial cells, however, undergo migration, dedifferentiation, proliferation, and redifferentiation to replenish the epithelial lining of the proximal tubule after injury. Recently, the presence and participation of kidney stem cells in the tubular regeneration has been shown. However, the concept of kidney stem cells is currently emerging. In addition to the surviving tubular epithelial cells and kidney stem cells, the bone marrow stem cells have also been shown to participate in regeneration of the proximal tubule, however, the mechanisms remain controversial. Recently, studies examining the capacity of bone marrow stem cells to differentiate into renal cells are emerging [15].
Regeneration in the lower vertebrate kidney
Like other organs, the kidney is also known to regenerate completely in lower vertebrates such as fish. Some of the known fish that show remarkable capacity of kidney regeneration are goldfish, skates, rays, and sharks. In these fish, the entire nephron regenerates following injury or partial removal of the kidney. MORE ON REGENERATION FROM WIKIPEDIA
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And last a little video of my axolotls (and Xena mistaking Sally's leg for food again!):
I am sharing this information as I have dealt with PND & depression during my life and find it is difficult for people who have not gone through it to understand what you are going through.
Understanding comes from learning. People who deal with these problems often feel alone and misunderstood when it comes to mental health issues. Often people cannot understand why they are so sad when there shouldn't be anything wrong and it is easy for people to say ' Just get over it', or 'stop thinking so much'. These feelings are often out of their control.
Rember : Depression is an illness not a weakness.
View this site or speak to your doctor for more information.
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