<![CDATA[Azarius News]]> http://azarius.pt/news/ The Very Advanced, Utterly Cool, Super Duper Azarius RSS Generator v2.34.445 info@azarius.net (azarius.net) <![CDATA[Fungus discovered that eats plastic]]> http://azarius.pt/news/461/Fungus_discovered_that_eats_plastic/
The Rainforest Expedition ventured into the jungles under supervision of molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel. The group brought back a wide range of flora samples and among them discovered something that could very well be used in solving one of big global waste problems: how to deal with plastics.

Pestalotiopsis microspora is the name of this newly discovered fungi with an appetite for plastic. It can survive in an oxygen-free environment on nothing but plastic, a material which could take as many as 500 years to degrade naturally, if not longer.

The findings were published in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal concluding the mushroom is a promising source of biodiversity from which to screen for properties useful for bioremediation.

Imagine landfills covered in fungi, happily away the world’s biggest trash problem. We can’t help but wonder what other pressing global concern a mushroom will solve next.

Source:

www.fastcoexist.com

]]> Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/461/Fungus_discovered_that_eats_plastic/ <![CDATA[Dutch government bans khat]]> http://azarius.pt/news/460/Dutch_government_bans_khat/ khat (Catha edulis) will be banned in the Netherlands. Up until now the Netherlands were one of the few remaining countries that allowed the plant, which is primarily used by Somalis, traditionally by chewing on the leaves. The government has discouraged the sale of khat for some time now.

The fact that the Dutch government feels it necessary to follow other European laws on this matter is hard to understand. According to research done by the RIVM (Dutch institute for health and environment) the use of khat brings much less risk compared to heroin, cocaine, alcohol and tobacco.

The decisions to ban khat was based in part on a study conducted by the Trimbos institute (an institute which conducts research on mental health and addiction) wherein approximately 10% of the khat use was said to lead to problems. Incidental use of khat is said to be harmless. Other arguments in favour of the ban seem to echo the sentiments of the British government, as we reported several years ago.

Similarly to that news posting, the use of khat is thought to be one of the main causes for the great social-economic problems the Somali community is facing. The intoxicated state that follows after chewing the leaves is said to be a factor in the high unemployment count among Somalis. Yet things still remain unclear. The Trimbos study notes:

"Based on the limited research available and the lack of scientific substantiation, we can’t judge the causality. The question remains whether the socio-economic situation is a result of khat abuse or if khat is used as a means of ‘escaping’ these problems."

Azarius stopped offering khat when the Dutch government began actively discouraging it, but we still question the arguments presented by the Dutch cabinet. Similarly to one of the responses to the news, does this mean the government will start banning soccer, alcohol and tobacco as well? Are these not used as a means of escape and a cause of misbehaviour and all kinds of social problems?

Article:

The Hague plans qat ban
]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:20:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/460/Dutch_government_bans_khat/ <![CDATA[Magic mushrooms may help treat depression, researchers say ]]> http://azarius.pt/news/459/Magic_mushrooms_may_help_treat_depression_researchers_say/ Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, may help people with depression, based on two studies that suggest that the psychedelic could have an enduring effect on patients.

Professor David Nutt, the controversial sacked government drugs advisor, claimed this recent research proved what a mistake it was to abandon therapeutic psychedelic drugs more than 50 years ago.

Professor Nutt's team, at Imperial College London, hope to test the hallucinogen on depressed patients who have not benefited from antidepressants or behavioural therapy.

The first study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved scanning the brains of 30 people given the drug intravenously to measure changes in blood flow and activity. Activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is hyperactive in depression, was consistently lowered.

A second study, to be published January 26 in the British Journal of Psychiatry and conducted by the same researchers, found that psilocybin enhanced volunteers' recollections of positive personal memories, compared with those who took a placebo.

“Our findings support the idea that psilocybin facilitates access to personal memories and emotions,” Carhart-Harris said in a statement. “This effect needs to be investigated further but it suggests that used in combination with psychotherapy, psilocybin might help people recall positive life events and reverse pessimistic mindsets.”

Nutt cautioned that the new research was very preliminary and involved only small numbers of people.

"We're not saying go out there and eat magic mushrooms," he said. "But...this drug has such a fundamental impact on the brain that it's got to be meaningful -- it's got to be telling us something about how the brain works. So we should be studying it and optimising it if there's a therapeutic benefit."

Read more:

Could magic mushrooms help the fight against depression?
Magic mushrooms may be therapeutic ]]> Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/459/Magic_mushrooms_may_help_treat_depression_researchers_say/ <![CDATA[Salvia divinorum – the anti-drug?]]> http://azarius.pt/news/458/Salvia_divinorum___the_anti-drug/ Salvia divinorum is being studied by a group of researchers in New Zealand.

The research is a collaborative project between Victoria University and the University of Kansas, the aim of which is to find ways of targeting the kappo opioid receptor. This is a protein in the brain which is capable of altering a person’s perception of mood and pain.

Salvia is a plant native to Mexico, containing a powerful psychoactive chemical known as Salvinorin. According to Dr Kivell of Victoria University Salvia differs from most hallucinogenic substances. "It has a unique structure and contains compounds that we think could have anti-addictive properties."

Where most compounds that target the kappa opioid receptor have a tendency to cause severe side effects, the tests with Salvia divinorum have had surprisingly mild side effects so far.

Dr Kivell: "Drug addiction research is exciting science and it's also very relevant. Banning every mind-altering drug is not going to work so we need to find therapies to help people with their addiction. It's a very complex field and there is a lot yet to understand about why some people who take drugs get addicted and others don't."

It’s interesting to see if Salvia is really capable of ridding oneself of an addiction.

Source:

MedicalXpress
]]> Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:20:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/458/Salvia_divinorum___the_anti-drug/ <![CDATA[Smoking a joint less harmful to the lungs than cigarettes]]> http://azarius.pt/news/457/Smoking_a_joint_less_harmful_to_the_lungs_than_cigarettes/
The study examined over 5000 men and women from four American cities. The subjects were divided in tobacco smokers, non-smokers (control group) and cannabis users. As expected, the study showed that lung function declined with an increase of tobacco smoke exposure. In the case of smoking a joint, there was no indication of similar damage, based on moderate use.

The researcher used 1 joint a day as a rule of thumb. After seven ‘joint years’ x 1 joint a day no evidence of lung function damage. In the first year they actually found an increase in lung volume and capacity.

Lead researcher Mark Pletcher: “Our findings suggest that occasional use of marijuana for medicinal purposes may not be associated with adverse consequences on pulmonary function. ”

There are healthier alternatives to smoking, however...

Source:

Orlando Sentinel]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/457/Smoking_a_joint_less_harmful_to_the_lungs_than_cigarettes/ <![CDATA[Start the new year healthy, start vaporizing!]]> http://azarius.pt/news/456/Start_the_new_year_healthy_start_vaporizing/
For those who are new to vaporizing: A vaporizer is a safer alternative to smoking. No combustion takes place, which means there is no smoke, thus avoiding the production of irritating toxic and carcinogenic by-products. In addition, vaporizing is much more efficient than smoking, so you require less herb or tobacco for the same effect!

Below is a run-down of our most popular portable and non-portable vaporizers.

Portable


Magic-Flight Launch Box - The MFLB garnered a lot of attention in the last year, and we predict its popularity will continue to grow in 2012. Not only is this portable vaporizer extremely compact, it also delivers great tasting vapour.

WISPR by IOLITE - The WISPR works on butane, which means you don't need to have a power socket or charged battery nearby. It is the successor to the popular iolite original. Besides a brand new design, the WISPR features a bunch of nifty improvements, such as a foldable mouthpiece and gas indicator window.

VaporGenie - The VaporGenie is a great solution for those on a budget, or for those who enjoy their pipe but prefer vaporization instead of combustion. The VaporGenie is classy, easy to carry and reliable.

> Browse all Portable Vaporizers

Non-portable


Arizer Extreme Q - One of the few vaporizers that allows the user to inhale either through a balloon or by using a whip, the Extreme provides excellent value for money. The remote control truly adds to its already gadget-like feel.

Arizer V-Tower - Much like its cousin, the Extreme, the V-Tower features a digital temperature display and high quality glass parts for optimum flavour. However, it does not come with a built-in fan and thus does not fill balloons.

Da Buddha - The Da Buddha Vaporizer is very easy-to-use and allows for huge hits of potent vapor. This cylinder shaped vaporizer will certainly help you find your zen!

> Browse all Electric (Non-Portable) Vaporizers


]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/456/Start_the_new_year_healthy_start_vaporizing/ <![CDATA[Feliz Ano Novo!]]> http://azarius.pt/news/455/Feliz_Ano_Novo/
The coming year you can once again expect many new products from energizers and cannabis seeds to vaporizers. As always, we continue to strive for the best service possible.

Do you think we could better? Are there certain products you think we should stock in 2012?

Let us know in the comments below!
]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/455/Feliz_Ano_Novo/ <![CDATA[Azarius closed first week of 2012]]> http://azarius.pt/news/453/Azarius_closed_first_week_of_2012/
We apologize for any inconvenience and will be doing everything we can to get back to normal delivery times as soon as possible. Our Customer Service will still be reachable on those days.

-The Azarius team]]> Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:35:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/453/Azarius_closed_first_week_of_2012/ <![CDATA[Loud music leads to increase in alcohol consumption]]> http://azarius.pt/news/454/Loud_music_leads_to_increase_in_alcohol_consumption/
Dr. Stafford, of the University of Portsmouth, studied the effects of music on the taste of alcohol. His findings are that alcohol tastes sweeter when experienced in a setting with loud music and that the noise makes it difficult for drinkers to judge how much they’ve had.

Stafford: "Since humans have an innate preference for sweetness, these findings offer a plausible explanation as to why people consume more alcohol in noisy environments."

80 participants between the age of 18 and 28 had to rate a selection of drinks with varying alcohol content on strength, sweetness and bitterness. Some were given no distractions while others were subjected to club music. It turns out that the beverage was rate significantly sweeter when a participant was listening to music, compared to various other distractions tested for, such as reading a paper or listening to a news broadcast on TV.

Dr. Stafford notes: "Researching multi-sensory perception is a growing field of study and an interesting area to explore. Although individuals might well expect to consume more alcohol in club type environments anyway, it is important they understand how environment can potentially influence over-consumption and act accordingly."

The implications are far reaching. If music really does have such a powerful effect as this small-scale experiment seems to indicate -masking the alcoholic strength of a beverage and sweetening the taste- then bars, clubs and other such establishments could in fact be seen as contributors when people over-consume.

Source:

UKPA press release
]]> Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/454/Loud_music_leads_to_increase_in_alcohol_consumption/ <![CDATA[Salvia cuttings: When are they coming back?!]]> http://azarius.pt/news/452/Salvia_cuttings__When_are_they_coming_back/
In fact, this has quickly become one of the most frequently asked questions for our Customer Support. We felt it was time to be completely honest and inform everyone on the status of our salvia cuttings.

As you may guessed by now, we simply don’t know when or if we’ll be able to stock cuttings again. All our previous cuttings came from one and the same mother plant (which supplied a lot of smartshops) but this plant has become diseased and at this point we doubt it can be cured. The last batch of cuttings we received was of a notable lesser quality, with the plants dying even when properly cared for.

We are still searching for a supplier but so far have not been able to find a reliable source with the same high quality cuttings we used to provide. Salvia Divinorum is a tricky plant, it’s almost impossible to grow from seed in Europe and suitable mother plants are very rare.

In conclusion: we sadly have to report that Salvia cuttings are out of stock indefinitely. As soon as this changes, we’ll contact everyone that has requested a reminder and place a big celebratory banner on our front page!

We hope this answers your burning questions. If not, let us know in the comments!

-Team Azarius ]]> Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:20:00 +0100http://azarius.pt/news/452/Salvia_cuttings__When_are_they_coming_back/