success before work - quote

The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary.
- May B Smith

Amusing Facts Daily for July 5, 2010

*** Amusing Facts For The Day

1. The strike of the eagle talon is so powerful that it's force is twice that of a rifle bullet.

2. Half of the 42 U.S. Presidents are of Irish descent.

3. In the United States, about 33% of land is covered by forests.

Thousands of more amusing facts at:
http://www.amusingfacts.com

Grow-your-own to replace false teeth | UK news | The Guardian

The British institution of dentures sitting in a glass of water beside the bed could be rendered obsolete by scientists who are confident that people will soon be able to replace lost teeth by growing new ones.

Instead of false teeth, a small ball of cells capable of growing into a new tooth will be implanted where the missing one used to be.

The procedure needs only a local anaesthetic and the new tooth should be fully formed within a few months of the cells being implanted.

Paul Sharpe, a specialist in the field of regenerative dentistry at the Dental Institute of King's College, London, says the new procedure has distinct advantages over false teeth that require a metal post to be driven into the jaw before being capped with a porcelain or plastic tooth.

"The surgery today can be extensive and you need to have good solid bone in the jaw and that is a major problem for some people," Professor Sharpe said.

The method could be used on far more patients because the ball of cells that grows into a tooth also produces bone that anchors to the jaw.

The choice of growing a new tooth is likely to appeal to patients. "Anyone who has lost teeth will tell you that, given the chance, they would rather have their own teeth than false ones," said Prof Sharpe. The average Briton over 50 has lost 12 teeth from a set of 32.

The procedure is fairly simple. Doctors take stem cells from the patient. These are unique in their ability to form any of the tissues that make up the body. By carefully nurturing the stem cells in a laboratory, scientists can nudge the cells down a path that will make them grow into a tooth. After a couple of weeks, the ball of cells, known as a bud, is ready to be implanted. Tests reveal what type of tooth - for example, a molar or an incisor - the bud will form.

Using a local anaesthetic, the tooth bud is inserted through a small incision into the gum. Within months, the cells will have matured into a fully-formed tooth, fused to the jawbone. As the tooth grows, it releases chemicals that encourage nerves and blood vessels to link up with it.

Tests have shown the technique to work in mice, where new teeth took weeks to grow. "There's no reason why it shouldn't work in humans, the principles are the same," said Prof Sharpe.

His team has set up a company, Odontis, to exploit the technique, and has won £400,000 from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts and the Wellcome Trust.

Grow-your-own to replace false teeth | UK news | The Guardian

Trivia - Are guys sweatier than gals? - ArcaMax Publishing

Trivia - Are guys sweatier than gals? - ArcaMax Publishing: "There are about 2 million sweat glands in the average human body. The average adult loses 540 calories with every liter of sweat. Men sweat about 40% more than women."

Amusing Facts For The Day - cinnamon, ocean, toilets

*** Amusing Facts For The Day

1. Smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

2. The Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific Ocean.

3. Every day, over five billion gallons of water are flushed
  down toilets in the United States.

Thousands of more amusing facts at:
http://www.amusingfacts.com

proverbs

Blessings do not come in pairs; misfortunes never come singly.

• Chinese Proverb

Summer is the mother of the poor.

• Italian Proverb

The deepest waters make the least noise.

• Guatemalan Proverb