At Home: Hitting the Gym
Time for a workout! For some, That’s actually a pleasant thought. But others are more inclined to drag their feet or make excuses, their only incentive being the thought of fitting into those skinny jeans. If You’re one of the latter, stop feeling guilty; it may not be all in your head after all. Scientists believe they may have uncovered the gene that regulates our inclination to get moving.
As the CBC reports, a recent study from McMaster University discovered that mice who possessed a particular gene were much more active than those who had had the gene removed.
The genes discovered are those that ?control the AMP-activated protein kinase (or AMPK), an enzyme that is released during exercise.? Without the genes, the mice ?had lower levels of mitochondria,? a cellular component That’s often called the powerhouse of the cell. This meant that ?their muscles were less able to take up glucose while they exercised.? Not surprisingly, the mice who lacked the gene showed significantly lower stamina for longer-endurance exercise.
It’s not known whether this discovery applies similarly to human genetics.
Around the World: Up a Tree
Partying may be fun, but no one wants to wake up with the consequences the next morning. At best, you might have a nasty hangover. Alternatively, you might wake up on someone’s lawn. Or?as happened to one overindulgent moose in Sweden?in someone’s tree.
As CNN reports, a wandering moose ate a few too many fermented apples from one homeowner’s yard. Apparently he slipped when reaching up to get more, and fell into the tree, becoming stuck.
Homeowner Per Johansson discovered the moose that night when he ?heard something screaming with a very dark voice,? he told reporters. The local fire and rescue department rescued the moose, bringing a winch to lower the tree so that the moose could free himself.
Once liberated, the moose passed out on Johansson’s lawn to ?sleep it off.? Although the animal was still unsteady the following morning, he quickly recovered. However, he continued to return to the yard, perhaps in search of more excitement.
Intoxicated moose are not uncommon this time of year, when area apples reach a fermentation stage that is sped up once the moose ingest them. A spokesperson for the fire and rescue department told reporters that they usually ?have at least one of these cases of intoxication? each fall.