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Multiple Sclerosis

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Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is an unavoidable and often invisible disease.

  • Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease that can affect the spinal cord, optic nerves and brain, brought about by lesions or scars from inflammation in those areas.
  • The actual cause of multiple sclerosis is not known at this stage, but it is possibly caused by a virus or bacterial agent combined with a genetic tendency that causes immune problems, and smoking is said to increase the risk.
  • Multiple sclerosis damage most likely occurs from the body’s immune cells attacking parts of the central nerve system.
  • ‘Multiple sclerosis’ is also known as ‘MS’, ‘disseminated sclerosis’ and ‘encephalomyelitis disseminata’, and ‘sclerosis’ comes from the Greek word ‘skleros’ meaning ‘hard’.
  • Those with multiple sclerosis typically have a few symptoms, but not generally numerous, that vary from person to person, and can including fatigue, eye problems, coordination issues, pain, speaking difficulties and malfunctioning sensations.
Multiple Sclerosis, Ill, Disease, Wheelchair, Black and White, Sad, Disability, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
People affected by Multiple Sclerosis Image courtesy of Dominik Golenia/Flickr
  • There are four different types of multiple sclerosis, from most common to rarest, relapsing-remitting, primary-progressive, secondary-progressive (this has become less common due to new medications) and progressive-relapsing.
  • Women are more than two times more likely to be affected by multiple sclerosis than men, while people of European descent are also more susceptible.
  • There were roughly 2.5 million people in the world with multiple sclerosis in 2010, with the number of new cases rising by 4% annually.
  • Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t have a known cure, although there are some medications and therapies that can stall symptoms of the disease.
  • Multiple Sclerosis was first detailed as a disease by French Jean-Martin Charcot, a neurologist, in 1868.
Bibliography: Multiple Sclerosis, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis
What is MS?, 2014, MS Queensland, http://msqld.org.au/about-ms/what-is-ms

Choko

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Choko

Do not choke on these choko facts.

  • A choko is the fruit of a vine with the scientific name Sechium edule, that is a perennial and grows vigorously.
  • ‘Chokos’ are also known by eighteen other names, including ‘cho-cho’, ‘pear squash’, ‘mirliton’, ‘chayote’, ‘vegetable pear’ and ‘christophine’.
  • Chokos are native to Mexico, in southern North America, and they were later grown in Europe, other parts of America and Australasia.
  • Chokos are from the family Cucurbitaceae, the family of gourds, and the fruit of the plant, as well as the leaves, roots and seeds are edible.
  • Chokos are typically shaped as a pear with significant ridges and are a mid to light green colour.

Choko, Green, Gourd, Vegetable, Australian, Wrinkled, Ten Random Facts, Chayote

  • Chokos have a length ranging from 10 to 20 centimetres (4 to 8 inches) and are usually used as a vegetable and peeled before cooking.
  • Chokos are most often cooked, although they can be eaten raw, and are typically used in stir-fry, relish, soup, salads, seasoned or as side vegetables, and can also be used in baked goods.
  • It has been commonly suggested that the apple pies of Australia’s McDonald’s fast food outlets contain chokos, however, this is incorrect.
  • Chokos are high in folate and are a good source of vitamin C and manganese.
  • Chokos can positively affect the cardiovascular system and limit inflammation, while the leaves can be made into a tea for medicinal purposes.
Bibliography:
Chayote, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chayote
Choko, 2014, Burke’s Backyard, http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2001/archives/2001_archives?p=1320

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Dormouse

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Dormouse

The dormouse is very cute.

  • Dormice are small, furry mammals that are native to Europe and parts of Asia and Africa.
  • The dormouse has the scientific and family name Gliridae, that has also been known as Myoxidae and Muscadinidae, and includes 29 species.
  • Dormice can grow to be 6 to 19 centimetres (2.4 to 7.5 inches) in length, in addition to their long tail, and they can be 15 to 180 grams (0.5 to 6.35 ounces) in weight.
  • Dormice are rodents that are a similar shape to a mouse, although they have a furry tail.
  • Dormice have diets that mainly consist of vegetation, including fruit, nuts and flowers, along with insects, and they have many predators that include birds and mammals like cats, foxes and weasels.
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Dormouse
Image courtesy of Moscardino/Flickr
  • Dormice have a life span of up to five years, and females have litters one or two times a year, and on average have four mice per litter.
  • Doormice are mostly nocturnal, live in small groups mostly among trees and are good climbers.
  • The word ‘dormouse’ possibly comes from the term ‘dormeus’ or ‘dormir’, an Anglo-French word meaning ‘sleepy’, and the animal does have notably extended hibernation periods that can last longer than six months.
  • Dormice have been eaten historically by the Ancient Romans, as well as today by some cultures.
  • The fur of a dormouse can range from brown, tan, gold, white, grey or black in colour, and their whiskers are black.
Bibliography:
Dormouse, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/dormouse/
Dormouse, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormouse

 

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Golf Ball

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Golf Ball

The golf ball sails through the plains.

  • Golf balls are balls that are used uniquely in the sport of golf, some of which are manufactured cheaply for casual play, but are not great quality.
  • Golf balls are usually tested to make sure they meet the standards of the US Golf Association or the Royal & Ancient governing bodies, and to be legal, the balls must never weigh more than 45.93 grams (1.62 ounces) and must be at least 4.267 centimetres (1.68 inches) in diameter.
  • Golf balls were originally made of wood and used from the 1300s to 1600s, and later spherical pouches made from leather were produced that contained boiled feathers, known as ‘featherie’ balls, and were used until the 1800s.
  • Featherie golf balls were costly and were worth two to five shillings, or what would cost USD $10 to $20 today.
  • Between the mid 1800s and the mid 1900s, golf balls used materials including gutta-percha sap, rubber and rubber thread, and during this time, it was discovered that balls with a textured surface were more reliable in the air than smooth ones.

Golf Ball, Old, New, Two, Some, Sport, Ten Random Facts, Grass, Srixon, 3, Callaway

  • The modern style, resin covered golf balls were developed and produced in the 1960s, and they usually contain a rubber-like core.
  • The spherical dimpled design of golf balls was invented by the Englishman William Taylor, an engineer, in 1906, and the dimples increase the distance and height the ball moves, due to a decrease in drag.
  • Golf balls typically have 250 to 450 dimples, although one has had up to 1,070, and they are traditionally coloured, but not limited to, white.
  • Golf balls are often personally marked to prove easier finding and retrieval among other players’ balls, and since 1973, some balls have contained a radio transmitter so that they can be easily located, but they are not tournament legal.
  • The fastest recorded speed of a golf ball via a golf club in the world, up until mid 2014, was 378.35 kilometres/hour (235.1 miles/hour) by Ryan Winther, a champion golfer, from the United States.

 

Bibliography:
Golf Ball, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_ball
History of Golf Balls, 2014, OnlyGolfBalls.com, http://www.onlygolfballs.com/msg10.htm

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Cappadocia

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Cappadocia

Cappadocia provides kilometres of exploration.

  • Cappadocia is an area that includes ancient cities built among numerous rock formations, located in central Turkey in the Middle East.
  • ‘Cappadocia’ is also known as ‘Capadocia’ and, in Turkish, ‘Kapadokya’, and likely comes from a name that means ‘land of beautiful horses’.
  • Cappadocia contains numerous settlements built underground, which served as refuges for early Christians against the Romans, and the 200 or more underground churches are of significant historical interest.
  • The cities and towns of Cappadocia were possibly originally built and owned by the Hittites in 2500-2000 BC.
  • Cappadocia is visited by many tourists, who commonly trek through or hot air balloon over the area.
Cappadocia, Balloons, Rocks, Mystical, Turkey, Ten Random Facts, Place, Europe
Part of Cappadocia
Image courtesy of Mr Hicks46/Flickr
  • Parts of Cappadocia have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, including the Göreme National Park, and significant places of interest include Avanos, Goreme, Guzelyurt, Ihlara Valley, Selime, Uchisar, Urgup and Zelve.
  • Historically, Cappadocia has been previously owned by Hittite, Persian and Roman empires.
  • The highest point in Cappadocia is Mount Erciyes, measuring 3,916 metres (12,848 feet) in height.
  • Cappadocia covers an area of approximately 100,000 square kilometres (38,610 square miles).
  • Cappadocia rock formations are primarily sedimentary rocks that have been affected by erosion.
Bibliography:
Cappadocia, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia
Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, 2014, World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/357

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Cherry Ripe Chocolate Bar

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Cherry Ripe Chocolate Bar

“The Big Cherry Taste” – the slogan of Cherry Ripe.

  • Cherry Ripe is a rectangular chocolate bar that is an original Australian product.
  • Cherry Ripe bars are manufactured by Cadbury Australia and New Zealand.
  • Cherry Ripe bars consists of a coconut and cherry filling mix that is covered with a unique dark chocolate blend called ‘Old Gold’.
  • Cherry Ripes were invented in 1924 by MacRobertson’s Steam Confectionery Works, that was founded by Sir Macpherson Robertson.
  • Cherry Ripes are the oldest chocolate bars to be manufactured in Australia.

Cherry Ripe, Packet, Bar, Mini, Cadbury, Chocolate, Inside, Dark chocolate, Ten Random Facts, Delicious, Australia

  • According to a survey conducted by Roy Morgan Research, Cherry Ripe was Australia’s most popular chocolate bar in 2012 to 2013, with 10% of the population consuming one in a typical four week period.
  • The original MacRobertson’s Cherry Ripe logo was used on the wrapper until 2002, when it was redesigned.
  • Cherry Ripes comes in sizes of 18 grams (0.6 ounces), 52 grams (1.8 ounces), 80 grams (2.8 ounces) and 216 grams (7.6 ounces).
  • Cherry Ripe bars have a flavour of sweetness and a soft texture, and can be used as a dessert ingredient, to make mud cake, cheesecake or brownies.
  • A homemade slice of the same name, that mimics the flavour and texture of Cherry Ripe bars is popular and can be made using readily available ingredients.

 

Bibliography:
Cadbury Cherry Ripe, 2010, Candyblog, http://www.candyblog.net/blog/item/cadbury_cherry_ripe
Cherry Ripe, 2014, Cadbury, https://www.cadbury.com.au/Products/Chocolate-Bars/Cherry-Ripe-Bar.aspx
Cherry Ripe, 2014, Real Australian Travel, http://www.realaustraliatravel.com/cherry-ripe.html
Cherry Ripe (Chocolate Bar), 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_Ripe_(chocolate_bar)

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