Tag Archives: Drink

Science

Milkweed butterflies tear open caterpillars and drink them alive

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Not all caterpillars grow up to be beautiful butterflies. Some become living milkshakes for their dads, who guzzle caterpillar body fluids to attract the ladies.

Recently, scientists reported the first evidence of butterflies sipping from the bodies of caterpillars — dead and alive. They observed adult milkweed butterflies in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, using tiny claws on their feet to scratch wounds in caterpillars’ bodies so they could lap the liquid that oozed out. 

Male butterflies seek certain compounds produced by milkweed (flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae), which repel predators and help the butterflies produce pheromones that attract females. Since caterpillars are stuffed with juices from chewed-up plants, they make an easy target for butterflies looking to chemically boost their attractiveness to females. 

Related: Photos: Butterflies snag goo from unwitting ants

“The caterpillar larvae would contort their bodies rapidly in what appeared to be futile attempts to deter the persistent scratching of adults,” said the researchers who observed the butterfly baby-drinking. They described their observations in a study published Sept. 8 in the journal Ecology.

Butterflies in the Danainae family are known as milkweed butterflies because most of the caterpillars in this group feed on milkweed plants, which contain toxic alkaloids that are absorbed by the caterpillars and then processed into useful chemicals that protect them from predators. Another use for these alkaloids is in mating pheromones, which are transferred to females in the males’ sperm packet “as a nuptial gift,” the scientists wrote.

Most milkweed butterfly species are found in Asia, but four species live in North America, one of which is the colorful monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), according to the Digital Atlas of Idaho. Male butterflies in this family are known for a unique behavior called leaf-scratching, in which adults supplement the plant sap they absorbed as hungry caterpillars by scraping at milkweed leaves with their tiny claws to release alkaloid-loaded sap for drinking through their long proboscis. Sometimes males gather by the hundreds to scratch and sip on milkweed leaves, according to the study.

But on Dec. 9, 2019, lead study author Yi-Kai Tea, a doctoral candidate in the University of Sydney’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences, and co-author Jonathan Soong Wei, a naturalist in Singapore, saw milkweed butterflies in Indonesia’s Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve that were scratching at a different sap-loaded source: live milkweed caterpillars.

Danainae butterflies drink from dead and living caterpillars. A: Parantica agleoides agleoides feeding on an arctiine moth carcass in Singapore. B to F: Various species of danaine observed in Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, North Sulawesi scratching and imbibing from living and dead caterpillars of Idea blanchardii blanchardii. Caterpillars are dead in panels C, D, and F, but alive in B and E.  (Image credit: Photographs by Akio Takatsuki, Göran Pettersson, Yi-Kai Tea, Jonathan Soong Wei, and CheongWeei Gan)

“Multiple adults were observed scratching many caterpillars along a stretch of coastal vegetation” that spanned more than 1,600 feet (500 meters), the researchers reported. They then saw the butterflies actively drink “from the wounded and oozing caterpillars” for hours, with the butterflies sometimes gathering in mixed-species groups. So intent were the butterflies on drinking from the caterpillars that not even the touch of a human observer could distract them, the study authors wrote. To describe the behavior, the scientists coined the term “kleptopharmacophagy,” which means “consuming stolen chemicals.”

“The alternative neologisms ‘kairopharmacophagy’ (feeding on defensive chemicals from wounded caterpillars detected via ‘eavesdropping’) or ‘necropharmacophagy’ (feeding on defensive chemicals from dead caterpillars) might also be appropriate,” the researchers reported.

Over three days, the scientists counted seven species of milkweed butterflies that scraped and sipped living and dead caterpillars (it is unknown if the dead caterpillars were drunk to death or died of their wounds). One possible explanation for why the butterflies find caterpillars so delicious is because milkweed alkaloids accumulate in the caterpillars’ bodies from the leaves that they eat, making their internal “juices” a more potent, alkaloid-rich brew — and thereby more attractive to thirsty males, the scientist suggested. 

It’s likely that the butterflies are drawn to milkweed leaves that are already damaged from caterpillar chewing; those caterpillars would be close by when the adults start scratching. If a butterfly accidentally scrapes a caterpillar, the wound would release a heady chemical scent that would attract the butterfly and encourage it to scratch the caterpillar even more, according to the study. 

Many questions remain about this unusual (and ghastly) behavior, such as which specific plant compounds attract the butterflies to the caterpillars and do butterflies in other parts of the world also practice baby-drinking, Tea said in a statement. 

“These simple observations raise questions about the ecology of these well-known butterflies, providing numerous opportunities for future studies,” he said.

Originally published on Live Science.

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Health

One alcoholic drink raises risk of irregular heartbeat: study suggests

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A single alcoholic drink was associated with a two-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, researchers found.

The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, appear to contradict the perception that alcohol can be “cardioprotective,” according to the University of California San Francisco. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and involved 100 participants, most of whom were white males, and 56 had at least one atrial fibrillation episode. 

“Contrary to a common belief that atrial fibrillation is associated with heavy alcohol consumption, it appears that even one alcohol drink may be enough to increase the risk,” Dr. Gregory Marcus, professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at UCSF, said in a statement. 

“Our results show that the occurrence of atrial fibrillation might be neither random nor unpredictable,” Marcus said. “Instead, there may be identifiable and modifiable ways of preventing an acute heart arrhythmia episode.” 

Results also associated at least two drinks with an over three-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation over the next four hours, and identified a correlation between blood alcohol concentration and heightened risk of irregular heartbeat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “atrial fibrillation, often called AFib or AF, is the most common type of treated heart arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is when the heart beats too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular way.”

SOME ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION MAY BENEFIT HEART DISEASE PATIENTS, STUDY SUGGESTS

Researchers conducted the study by recruiting patients from cardiology outpatient clinics at UCSF, who had at least one alcohol drink per month. The study excluded people with a history of substance or alcohol use disorder, among others. Participants were tasked with wearing an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor for about four weeks, pressing a button upon consuming a standard-size alcoholic drink. They were also fitted with a recording alcohol sensor and periodically underwent blood tests indicating alcohol consumption over the prior weeks.

According to UCSF, study participants averaged about one drink daily throughout the time under study.  The study had its limitations, including the possibility that participants forgot to press the monitor, or neglected to do so “due to embarrassment,” though sensor readings would’ve been unaffected, per UCSF. The sample also didn’t include the general population, but was limited to patients with established atrial fibrillation.

“…This is the first objective, measurable evidence that a modifiable exposure may acutely influence the chance that an AF episode will occur,” Marcus added in part.

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Business

Coke is changing the recipe of a popular drink. A lot could go wrong

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Maybe you like the new flavor. Maybe you prefer the old one, but you don’t really care. Or maybe you hate it so much that you vow never to buy another Coke Zero again.

Companies like Coca-Cola (KO) have to walk a fine line when it comes to their signature products. They have to keep up with consumer trends and stay ahead of the competition. But when they make changes, they run the risk of upsetting loyal customers and chasing them away from the brand. And it can be difficult to predict what people actually want.

But when it comes to product missteps, nothing comes close to New Coke. The brand has to be careful not to stumble again today.

The story of new Coke

In April 1985, Coca-Cola held a buzzy New York City press conference to unveil the new recipe for the drink, confirming rumors that the company was changing its signature product for the first time in nearly 100 years.

“At the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center, some two hundred reporters, photographers and cameramen eagerly awaited confirmation of the sensational news, while hundreds more participated via satellite,” wrote Thomas Oliver in his 1986 book on the topic, “The Real Coke, The Real Story.”

New Coke was supposed to solve a big problem for the company: In the years leading up to the announcement, the iconic drink was losing share to Pepsi. The rival cola had been bragging that consumers preferred its product for years through its “Pepsi Challenge” ad campaign, which pitted Coke against Pepsi in blind taste tests. New Coke was born of a taste test of Coke’s own. Nearly 200,000 consumers who tried the new formula liked it better than the old, Coke said. It’s been described as a smoother, sweeter version of the original.
Still, the new product was met with immediate outrage. The New York Times reported in a 1985 story that one man wrote a song called, simply, “You Changed the Taste.” The song’s message was clear: “Our feelings are very strong, after 99 years of being right, you did your country wrong,” the lyrics read. “So now hear our plea, and know that this is no joke, just give us back the taste of Coke.” Others formed protest groups, the Times noted. Another reportedly compared the change to the death of a friend.

By May 1985, fears were spreading among executives that the outrage could lead to a boycott of other Coke products, according to Oliver.

In a blog post detailing the history of New Coke, the company outlined the backlash it received: “By June 1985, The Coca-Cola Company was getting 1,500 calls a day on its consumer hotline, compared with 400 a day before the taste change,” according to the post. “People seemed to hold any Coca-Cola employee — from security officers at our headquarters building to their neighbors who worked for Coke — personally responsible for the change.”
According to a New York Times story from July 1985, executives began to seriously consider bringing the old version back in June, just a few months after unveiling the new product. The company tracked consumer reaction to the new product in the weeks after launching it. They found that at first, most people actually preferred the new product. But eventually, more people said that they liked the old version more. That trend continued into the summer.

Coca-Cola listened to its bereft fans. It brought the old formula back, and eventually scrapped New Coke altogether.

The backlash to the new recipe and rallying around the old ended up “reaffirming to people that this classic, traditional brand has meaning to them beyond a search for a particular kind of taste,” said Amanda Ciafone, author of “Counter-Cola: A Multinational History of the Global Corporation,” which looks at social movements and culture surrounding the company. Coca-Cola points to the incident as an example of how much Coke matters to people.

Now, some people have a nostalgic attachment to New Coke. In 2019, the company brought back a limited number of New Coke cans in a cross-promotional campaign with Netflix for the third season of “Stranger Things,” which featured the item. Bringing New Coke back was a way for Coca-Cola to “not take ourselves too seriously,” Stuart Kronauge, then president of Coke’s sparkling business unit and senior vice president of marketing for Coca-Cola North America, told CNN Business at the time. To recreate the product, Coca-Cola had to reach into its archives to get the design and dig through its vault to recover the recipe.

Duane Stanford, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, has another take.

“The lesson that they learned from New Coke was that … consumers really pay attention to this kind of stuff,” he said. “And it’s a great way to continue to get people to think about your brand.”

But, he warned, the company has to make sure not to take things too far. “The last thing you want to do is turn off your core consumers.”

The right kind of buzz

Coca-Cola has been rolling out its new version of Coke Zero Sugar, which is designed to taste more like regular Coke, internationally for months. This summer, the new version hit the United States.

Across the world, frustrated customers have expressed dismay over the new formulation. On Twitter, users described the taste as “bleh,” and “not good.” One said that it “sucks.”
Around the time that Coca-Cola announced the rollout in the United States, Rafael Prandini, category lead of Coca-Cola Trademark in North America, told CNN Business that the company was confident in how the beverage would be received. “We pre-tested both the new recipe and the new look, with current Coca-Cola Zero Sugar consumers and non-consumers,” he said at the time. “And they really love it.” The results the company has seen from these launches are “very encouraging,” he said.

The company added Thursday that since the recipe change, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar “continues its strong performance across Europe and Latin America.”

Some people have been responding to the new flavor positively, and have said so online. “It’s good!” one person concluded. Another said the product “hits that Coca-Cola craving,” just as Coca-Cola had hoped.
The last time the company changed the formula and packaging for the drink, in 2017, some consumers were also disappointed. Still, Coke Zero has been increasing its share in US the low-calorie soda market since then, according to data from the market research firm Euromonitor International.

Creating “a little controversy online with social media users” can be a good thing for the brand, as long as dedicated customers don’t turn on Coke Zero, said Stanford. It can also keep the focus on Coke, rather than its competitor.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is still far ahead of Pepsi’s version of the product. According to Euromonitor International, Coke Zero sugar held 21% of the US low calorie soda market in 2020. Pepsi Zero Sugar didn’t crack the top five brands on the list, which include leader Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Cherry Coke Zero and upstart Zevia. While both Coke Zero and Diet Coke are zero-calorie drinks, Diet Coke has its own flavor and following while Coke Zero is designed to mimic the taste of regular Coke.

During a July call with analysts discussing second quarter earnings, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said that Pepsi Zero Sugar and other zero sugar options are “getting a lot of consumer favor,” adding that the company will continue to invest in zero sugar options.

“PepsiCo is really leaning into their Pepsi Zero Sugar offering,” said Stanford. “They are coming after that [zero sugar] market share. So Coke’s really got to stay on its game in order to continue the growth of Coke Zero Sugar.”



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World

Mom Shares Terrifying Video Of Daughter ‘Possessed’ After Drink Was Spiked

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It was the 18-year-old’s first night out at a club.

A mother has shared a terrifying video of her 18-year-old daughter “possessed” after her drink was spiked at a nightclub.

UK teen Millie Taplin was enjoying her very first night out at a nightclub with friends since turning the legal drinking age, when she accepted a drink from a man — and ended up in a horrifying state.

The footage posted from the hospital shows the teenager slowly writhing on the bed, completely incoherent, unable to respond, her jaw locked, her fingers gnarled into claws.

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“As disturbing as it is, if that saves one girl, just one, then it’s worth sharing,” her mother Claire wrote. “Nothing can prepare you to see that.”

“It’s just absolutely horrendous. She looked possessed,” she told The Mirror. “I was numb. I was looking at her and thought, ‘What the hell have they given her’, because I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

“I got there at 1:30 AM, the video shows what I was greeted with. I was just blown away,” she added. “She was completely frozen, her hands were like claws.”

Millie, who has since recovered, recalled she was in Moo Moo nightclub in Southend-on-Sea, and had only had a couple of drinks, when a man she had been talking to offered her another.

“I had a couple of sips, not a lot because it was a strong drink and I don’t like strong drinks!” she told Your Southend.

“I went back out to the smoking area with my friends and went back in about 10 minutes later. That’s when I started to feel a bit sick. I started to feel really hot so I told my friends I need to go outside get some fresh air.”

Within ten minutes, she started losing the ability to walk or even talk.

“I was sick in the alleyway opposite and that’s when I couldn’t see properly, I couldn’t feel my hands. I knew that I wasn’t right, I was trying to speak and was stuttering and mumbling. My friends then phoned my sister and I had to be carried to the car and taken to A&E.”


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Millie said she was fully aware of everything that was going on — but couldn’t respond to it.

“In my head I was there but in my body I wasn’t. I’ve never felt like that,” she said. “The doctors were really supportive and trying to calm me down. I was in such a state when I arrived. I was so scared.”

“I don’t ever want to go through that again. It was horrible.”

Her mother said doctors told her it appeared two separate drugs had been used: “One to paralyze and one to knock her out.”

Claire said she had shared the post not to blame or attack the nightclub — who had been very helpful — but to raise awareness.

“This is what being spiked looks like please be careful when out, my daughter was lucky she had good friends that acted accordingly,” she wrote. “Share this post make people aware x”

A spokesperson for the club told the outlet: “We urge all customers to be present when their drink is ordered and that they do not leave it unattended.”

“The alleged drink spiked appears to have been accepted from a person known to the lady affected and whilst it was not reported to us at the time, we are assisting the police who are dealing with the matter.”

According to Essex Police, there had been almost 200 reported cases of drink spiking between 2016 and 2000, with suspected motives ranging from pranks, to intended robbery or sexual assault; they believe the actual number of incidents may be much greater but unreported “due to either memory loss or embarrassment.”


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World

San Francisco bars to require vaccine proof, negative COVID-19 tests to drink inside

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A group that represents nearly 500 bars in San Francisco said on Monday that customers will be required to show proof of vaccination or a recent COVID-19 test showing a negative result in order to drink inside.

The group, the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance, confirmed to NBC News that its members would be implementing the new rules starting Thursday.

In its statement announcing the new move, the group said it’s “obligated to protect our workers and their families and to offer safe space for customers to relax and socialize.”

The alliance reportedly added that the move came after it saw a number of bar workers come down with coronavirus infections despite being vaccinated.

The announcement arrived the same day California said it would be requiring state employees and health care workers to show proof of vaccination or undergo weekly testing for the virus as it works to curb the spread of the disease amid rising cases of the delta variant.

“We are now dealing with a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and it’s going to take renewed efforts to protect Californians from the dangerous Delta variant,” Gov. Gavin NewsomGavin NewsomJudge clears way for Larry Elder to appear on California recall ballot Caitlyn Jenner pledges to support Trump if he makes another bid for the White House Harris says she will campaign for Newsom in California recall election MORE (D) said in a press release.

“As the state’s largest employer, we are leading by example and requiring all state and health care workers to show proof of vaccination or be tested regularly, and we are encouraging local governments and businesses to do the same,” he said.

“Vaccines are safe — they protect our family, those who truly can’t get vaccinated, our children and our economy. Vaccines are the way we end this pandemic,” he added.

Recent California data show that 62.1 percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated.



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Entertainment

Why Megan Fox doesn’t drink anymore

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Megan Fox walks the red carpet at the 2009 Golden Globe Awards. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Megan Fox had too much fun in January 2009, when she attended the Golden Globe Awards for the very first time.

The Transformers actress revealed during a video for Who What Wear, while recalling some of her many looks over the years, that she actually changed her drinking habits because of what happened at the event.

“I was sat at a table with Blake Lively and all three Jonas Brothers,” Fox said when asked about the gold Ralph Lauren gown she wore. “At the Golden Globes, they always put those giant bottles of Moët champagne on the table — I went through multiple glasses of that. Now I don’t drink, and this is why: I was belligerent and said a bunch of shit I shouldn’t have said on the red carpet after that. I think I got in a lot of trouble for whatever I said on the red carpet at this event. I don’t know why, but I know that I did. You can look that up.”

Footage from E!’s coverage of the night shows that Fox had an unusual interview with the network’s former red carpet host Giuliana Rancic. For starters, when Rancic gushed over her look that night, Fox used a transphobic slur to describe how she thought she appeared.

She also said, “I’m pretty sure I’m a doppelgänger for Alan Alda,” and called herself “a man.”

Fox explained that she was “painfully insecure.”

“Like, I’m on the verge of vomiting right now,” she said. “I’m so horrified that I’m here, and I’m embarrassed and scared.”

When Rancic mentioned that Fox had been looking at Salma Hayek, Fox praised the actress’s breasts: “I really want her boobs.”

She then had a blunt answer to a question about why Brian Austin Green, her fiancé at the time, wasn’t by her side.

“He doesn’t want to be here. He doesn’t want to be my date,” Fox said. “He’s a man. He has an ego.”

Fox and Green, who share three sons, confirmed in May 2020 that they were separated, after paparazzi photos of her with Machine Gun Kelly (real name: Colson Baker) were published. She filed for divorce in November 2020 and has continued to date Kelly, her co-star in the upcoming movie Midnight in the Switchgrass.

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Health

Arthritis diet: Painful symptoms can be reduced with apple cider vinegar as a drink

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Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints, which can restrict mobility and damage the joints. Arthritis medications are usually effective, though some people also look to alternative treatments to relieve their symptoms, including apple cider vinegar.

A lot of patients use home remedies for arthritis, including apple cider vinegar (ACV), to reduce their reliance on pain medication, said eMediHealth.

The health site added: “If anecdotal evidence is to be believed, ACV may exhibit anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce joint inflammation and pain, but this is yet to be verified by science.

“It may also speed up weight loss, which is another major plus for people with arthritis.

“Excessive body weight not only makes one more prone to arthritis, but it can also exacerbate the condition once it occurs.”

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Apple cider vinegar’s health claims have been well documented since ancient times.

Centuries later, a British nurse, Margaret Hills, who developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and later osteoarthritis in the early 1960s, popularised using apple cider vinegar specifically to manage arthritis symptoms.

Hills claimed that consuming apple cider vinegar helped her to lead a pain-free life.

She promoted the approach in a book and later established a clinic promoting apple cider vinegar’s effectiveness at helping to treat arthritis and the symptoms associated with the condition.

How to use

Applying apple cider vinegar to affected areas of the skin may help treat psoriatic arthritis, said Dr Nicole Avena, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a visiting professor of health psychology at Princeton University in New Jersey.

She added: “Always start off with diluted ACV, mixing equal parts vinegar and warm water, to make sure your skin or scalp can tolerate it.

“Be especially careful when applying ACV near an open wound.

“Gently pat it on with a cloth, using just a few tablespoons.

“ACV can help change the affected area’s pH levels to lessen flaking.”

The most common way of using apple cider vinegar as a treatment for various ailments is by drinking it.

However, vinegar is highly acidic, and it’s advised that before consuming, dilute it with water to prevent damage to your teeth.

Another recommended use for this product as an arthritis treatment is to apply it topically for local pain relief, said Healthline.

The site continued: “Using a cotton ball, apply vinegar to the affected area twice a day.

“To prevent irritation, consider diluting the solution with an oil such as coconut oil or olive oil and massage it into your skin. If you notice an adverse reaction, stop using it immediately.

“Many people believe that adding apple cider vinegar to your bath before bed can also help to relieve arthritis pain.

“Add one cup of the vinegar to your evening bath and sit in the solution for 20 to 30 minutes. This can help reduce overnight stiffness and swelling.”



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Entertainment

Johnny Depp’s Home Broken Into, Man Makes Drink and Takes Shower

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Exclusive

Johnny Depp‘s pad’s apparently been a hot spot for unwelcome visitors this year … and cops say the latest one really made himself at home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … cops got called to the actor’s Hollywood Hills residence Thursday by a neighbor who spotted an apparently homeless man hanging out in the neighbor’s backyard near the pool.

The neighbor told police the man took off when confronted and hopped a gate … which actually got him closer to Johnny’s house.

Our sources say shortly afterward, police were called again … this time by Depp’s security team alerting them someone was inside his home.

When cops arrived, we’re told they found the man taking a shower in one of the bathrooms … and he refused to come out. So, cops had to kick the door down to arrest him.

Along with the shower, the intruder also allegedly got into Depp’s booze stash and made himself a drink. We’re told he got booked for felony vandalism due to a damaged door in the home.

We broke the story … cops arrested a female intruder at Johnny’s home back in January on suspicion of burglary.

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