Dust from Homes Can Be Predictor of Gender #dust #gender #bacteria - http://clapway.com/2015/08/27/dust-gender123/

We are blithely unaware of the rich ecosystem we harbor in our homes: The ecosystem of bacteria and fungi we scatter around without much thought, which find shelter in the nooks of our doorframes. A recent study, however, will change the way you think about them and about dust.

The study cataloged the types of microbes found in dust from our homes

Researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder and North Carolina State University attempted to find out whether the microbes in our home dust could reveal characteristics of its inhabitants. Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study showed that our homes show tremendous microbial diversity, and the types of microbes in dust offer tell tale signs of who lives in the house. For the purpose of the study, residents from 1200 homes across the country were asked to swab both their external and internal doorframes. They were advised to obtain the dust from the upper surface of the trim above the door, because it is difficult to access, and therefore difficult to clean. Residents also filled out questionnaires detailing their living habits, age, gender, number of pets, and whether or not they smoked or ate vegetarian food.

Genetic analysis revealed that fungi can predict geographical location

When the scientists genotyped the microbes, they found that there wasn’t much difference between the types of fungi found in the internal doorframe and the external one. This suggests that the fungi had little to do with what happened inside the house and more to do with the type of external environment. Thus, fungi could predict the geographical location of our homes, based on their distinctive types found in different topographies.

Bacteria from homes can predict gender of occupants

The types of bacteria found on the internal doorframes mainly depended on the sex ratio of the occupants. Certain skin-dwelling bacteria were found more prevalent in homes with more males. This could be explained by their larger body sizes, which correlates to higher volumes of shed skin. Also, women tend to have more elaborate hygiene practices than men, thereby reducing female bacterial load. The study was also able to predict whether or not the house had pets, based on types of bacteria that are found more often in homes with pets versus ones without.

A simple swab test of homes can thus paint us a picture of the occupants’ gender and the presence of pets. It is hoped that this could also reveal identities of possible intruders and someday aid forensic analysis.

Photo Credit: Dash Board via photopin (license)

Bacteria can help you quit smoking

---

Another thing that can help you quit smoking is the Pavlok:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh73AjBjCN0

Dust from Homes Can Be Predictor of Gender

Maybe we"re more different than we think. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/01/do-males-and-females-experience-pain-differently-uab-study-says-yes-233/

A new study conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that males and females may experience pain differently, using different biological systems when processing pain. The findings may lead to alternative pain therapies for each gender while promoting equality in using lab animal test subjects from both sexes.

Study Suggests Pain Receptors May Differ in Males and Females

A team of researchers led by Dr. Robert Sorge at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have published a study that suggests males and females may process pain differently. The study was published this week online in Nature Neuroscience. The findings have contradicted popular assumptions that men and women experience the same pain because we share a common pain circuit.

It follows that the genders should experience pain differently because different sex-related hormones may affect the pain receptors. Current research suggests that each sex uses its own biological system to process pain, which accounts for the different sensitivity to pain.

Alternative Pain Therapies for Different Genders

Past experiments examined the importance of the immune system’s microglia cells in pain processing. When microglia is activated by injury, it releases a chemical that sends a message to neurons in the spinal cord which essentially tells our bodies we’re in pain. Now, recent research has proven the immune system is an even bigger player in pain response as it works in tandem with the nervous system but differs among males and females.

The new study reveals that the microglia process occurs only in male mice as female mice instead use T-cells, a cell that plays a crucial role in the immune system, to produce the same pain response. Researchers did note that the female mice could use the male process, but only did so under specific circumstances.

Dr. Robert Sorge, the study’s lead researcher, believes new findings will help promote more effective therapies for each sex.

“Females could respond better to a treatment that is different from what is prescribed for males — that’s something we as researchers were not looking at before, and this study has helped us uncover that need,” said the assistant psychology professor at UAB.

Sex Equality in the Lab, Using Male and Female Lab Animals

Though women suffer from chronic pain in much greater numbers than men according to the CDC, the sex difference between pain responses has never been discovered until now. Sorge and the other researchers point to the fact that most research is conducted on male rats and mice.

However, in a recent announcement, the U.S. National Institutes of Health have announced a mandatory policy to use female animals in the pre-clinical research.

As Sorge and his team of researchers concluded, the female lab animals and their cell lines will ensure that problems that are sex-related will be more easily identified.

“The current findings from this paper are an excellent example of the wisdom of this policy,” Sorge said.

---

 

If males and females experience pain differently, does Pavlok would work better on a particular gender?

Do Males and Females Experience Pain Differently? UAB Study Says Yes