Life's curiosities!!

Who don't like to drink a beer and eat peanut in a sunny weekend? Or eat in the breakfast bread with peanut butter? We hate when the peanut is with bad taste, kind of bitter! Right?!
So, that is because the food was contaminated with a kind of fungi and that fungi produces a mycotoxin which calls Aflatoxin! Yes, it's scary!
That toxin can be very hazardous to animals and humans. The Aflotoxin was discovered in 1960 when more than 100.000 turkey died on farms in England. Researches found toxic substances in a peanut meal which the poultry have eaten. That toxin is probably the most studied mycotoxin in the world, one of the reasons is because the researches found a carcinogenic effect according to researchers of the Cornell University in the article "Aflatoxin: Occurrence and health risks". The contamination depends a lot of factors for example the environment, agriculture practices, if the crops are susceptible to the fungi of the Aspergillus genus.
This contamination can occur before, during or after the harvest; this fungi can spread many crops as corn, peanut, cottonseed, nuts, almonds and another types of food as milk and milk products which that food are the staple food in many countries.
Aflatoxin is considered unavoidable contaminant of food and feed, many process are being developed to reduce the contamination, but it is very hard, so the FDA has established levels to this contamination in foods.
So, in our life have so much things which we can't imagine it is bad for us, we have to investigate and find a solution for the problems. I believe that researchers will find a solution to this problem related to Aflatoxin.

 
Aspergillus flavus seen under an electron microscope.


Infested corn with Aspergillus.

"The Winter Is Coming"

When I received a confirmation about my exchange to U.S.A. I knew, the climate will be a big challenge besides the much others! Because in Brazil I lived in State of Sao Paulo where it is hot and a little bit cold, but in U.S.A. more specifically Illinois the temperature during fall and mostly winter it is very cold (for me) with snowfall! I NEVER SAW SNOW BEFORE OF THIS YEAR!

This year there will be the colder winter than many years ago, Raoul Stockton says in his article "Metereologists Predict Record - Shattering Snowfall Coming Soon". And in Macomb where I live now will be hard, like in all Midwestern and Northeast of the country. Including, in this article he advises about the food, and storage food, because the snow will make a layer and will be impossible go out to buy something and the low temperature it is very dangerous.
So I need to buy things to resist, things like boots, sweaters, cap, gloves all waterproof things and a way to storage food because my room don't have freezer (for now!). I will go to Aurora to buy things in the Outlet Premium with my friends so this week I will resolve this things and I will be prepared to the cold (I hope).

My girlfriend will come to U.S.A. to christmas and new year we will go to Boston which is very cold too, so I hope the snowfall won't mess the flights and she will arrive nicely to we can enjoy this travel.

For more information, this is the website: http://empirenews.net/meteorologists-predict-record-shattering-snowfalls-coming-soon-bread-milk-prices-expected-to-soar/#prettyPhoto




AND.... "THE WINTER IS COMING"!!

The Biggest Outbreak of Ebola!

The outbreak of this year it is the biggest since 1976 (first recognition of the Ebola disease), therefore the global caution with this outbreak.
The Ebola virus propagates by contact with bodily fluids or blood of infected animal or human, it is a extremely infectious but not extremely contagious, this disease kill on average 50% of the infected, minor than the other years ago.
In this year, starts in March 25, 2014 when the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) announced the outbreak in Guinea and the possible cases in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
According to the survey realized in 5 September the number of infected is approximately 4000 and the dead is about 2105, much bigger than any other year.
Great doctors specialists in Ebola were contaminated and killed for this disease in this year.
According to Alexandra Sifferlin, the window to stop the apread of Ebola it is closing, in the article 'Window to Stop Ebola Outbreak is 'Closing Quickly', Oficial Warns'.
So, I think the countries needs to unite the strength and combat this disease before the Ebola virus spreads to all continents and devour the global population.

Follow attached some curiosities about Ebola and the outbreak of this year...

This image compares the outbreak of the other years together and the present outbreak!


http://healthmap.org/ebola/

This link shows the Ebola's evolution with information about the disease in this year day by day since March.

I will hope which you like this post about Ebola...
Thank you!