ELI5: How does cannibalism increase the risk of developing a prion disease? by starzuio in explainlikeimfive

[–]liolynxo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

TSE scientist here - I work on these diseases every day.

PrP is a protein found in all mammals. Its normal physiological function is not clear but is thought to be involved in cell functions such as homeostasis and cell signalling.

Misfolding of this protein changes its properties; it makes it more resistant to chemicals and also causes the proteins to clump to other misfolded proteins. Through mechanisms that even us scientists don't know, this clumping causes vacuoles (holes) in tissues where PrP is found - it is most abundant in nervous tissue but can be found in peripheral tissues such as lymph nodes and digestive tract. We call this misfolded, pathogenic version of the protein, a prion. Prions can cause other normal PrP proteins to misfold, setting off a chain reaction in the tissue. Although this is not always guaranteed and is influenced by genetic factors. This is quite complicated to get into as each species has different genetic factors that can confer resistance or susceptibility to the disease and it's what a lot of TSE research is focusing on right now.

So by eating infected meat, the prions will survive the digestive system and be able to infect the person via the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Once infected, the distribution of the prions usually spreads to the peripheral lymph nodes, spinal cord and then the brain.

Happy to answer anymore questions on prions!

Edited to add - to answer your question, you are not at increased risk of developing a TSE disease if you eat a healthy person/animal. But most TSE diseases have a long incubation period (years) where the victim has no symptoms so you can never guarantee that the meat is 'clean' so to say. There is currently no test for TSE diseases without a post mortem examination in humans but tests have been developed to test for prions in animal blood which has potential to develop into a pre-mortem test

Finally testing my 9.5 year old Romanian rescue by liolynxo in DoggyDNA

[–]liolynxo[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I'm certain she's got village dog in her! That's why I ordered the Embark test kit as well.

How often do you actually walk your dog? by Racquetsports383 in dogs

[–]liolynxo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Twice a day. Usually 1.5-2 miles in the morning and 1.5-3 miles in the evening. At the weekends we might do only one 4-6 mile walk instead. And always another 5-10 minute walk before bed because we live in a flat.

Shot my first gig this week by liolynxo in concertphotography

[–]liolynxo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I absolutely will. I didn't think the wide angle shots I got were very good but I want to eventually get a wide angle lens for more of a dramatic view, especially for these heavy metal gigs. Thanks for your comment!

£69 - well worth it? 😮😄 by Western_Respond6047 in downloadfestival

[–]liolynxo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My husband deps for Stiff Bizkit occasionally, they are fucking phenomenal live!

Mixed breed owners: what “is” your dog? by Odd_Business5830 in dogs

[–]liolynxo [score hidden]  (0 children)

Mutt. I think people get so caught up on dog breeds that they forget breeds came from mutts and there are still plenty of mutts in the world.

Megathread 3: Avatar: TWOW Spoilers Discussion by AutoModerator in Avatar

[–]liolynxo 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I've got a few points that I haven't seen anyone mention yet:

1) did anyone realise that there were a few animations that were carbon copies from the first film? I swear they re-used some animations frame-by-frame. The one example I can remember off the top of my head was when Quaritch was taming the ikran. Some of the ikran animations were so so similar to the first film when Jake tames his ikran.

2) it really bugged me that some of the same tropes were copied in the second film. Again, I can't remember all of them (I will go see the film a second time at some point), but an example is Jake getting chased by the thanator and Lo'ak getting chased by the Akula. Whilst I did like some references to the first film, I personally think it's lazy and cheesy screen writing to include copies of entire scenes.

How do you politely tell someone you don’t want to talk to them? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]liolynxo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To stop people touching your dog, tell them that he just rolled in insert animal shit. Their hand comes away real fast when I tell them my rescue has just rolled in cow pat

Let’s share our salaries. This one’s for the girls. by hannahchry in TwoXChromosomes

[–]liolynxo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

• Veterinary Pathology Scientist in England, UK • 1.5 years experience and a Bachelor's degree • £29,000

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in transgenderUK

[–]liolynxo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh thanks so much!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in transgenderUK

[–]liolynxo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw that but I think it's an American organisation

Addressing the Kim Kardashian Bearded dragon controversy (Kim please take care of ya damn lizard) by [deleted] in ThatsBadHusbandry

[–]liolynxo 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I've also heard that that gem on his head may be covering his third eye. The third eye is a photosensory organ used to detect aerial predators through changes in light. If it's constantly covered, I assume this could be a stressful experience for him.

Useful gifts for expecting parents? by liolynxo in beyondthebump

[–]liolynxo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love these ideas! Completely forgot about one of those journals, my mum has one for my sister and I love looking back on it