SOUTHAMPTON, England, May 10 (UPI) — A study in worms found withdrawal symptoms of alcohol could be relieved by small doses of alcohol, but it increased dependency, British researchers said.

Study leader Lindy Holden-Dye, a neuroscientist of the University of Southampton’s School of Biological Sciences, said the findings showed evidence a class of brain-signaling molecule — the neuropeptide — is required for the chronic effect of alcohol on the worm’s nervous system.

The simple brain of C. elegans worms have 302 nerve cells, but exhibits similar alcohol-dependent behaviors as humans, Holden-Dye said.

“This research showed the worms displaying effects of the withdrawal of alcohol and enables us to define how alcohol affects signaling in nerve circuits which leads to changes in behavior,” Holden-Dye said in a statement.

“Neuropeptides are also involved in chronic alcohol effects in humans and this is leading to new ideas for the treatment of alcoholism, but their precise role is unclear. Our study provides a very effective experimental system to tackle this problem.”

The findings are published in the journal PLoS One.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chestnut makes it look so easy.

Nathan's Fourth of July hot dog eating contest draws a crowd.

Joey Chestnut wins fourth Hot Dog title
msn.foxsports.com  |  Jul 4, 2010 8:14 PM ET

In a dogged victory, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut scarfed down 54 franks in 10 minutes to take his fourth consecutive title — and the coveted mustard yellow belt — at the 95th annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on New York’s Coney Island Sunday.

But the excitement didn’t end with the last bite. Shortly after the final dog went down, six-time champ Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi of Japan tried to rush the stage and was arrested by police. He later was charged with resisting arrest, trespassing and obstruction of governmental affairs, the New York Post reported, quoting police.

Police sources told the paper that the former champ was trying to grab the stage microphone before cops took him down.

The contest was man bites dog all the way. Chestnut pushed and shoved the wieners into his mouth, then chomped and swallowed while simultaneously reaching for his next fistful and bouncing up and down on his toes. Despite the spray of bread, water and assorted food debris, he managed to avoid a yellow card for messy eating.

But Chestnut’s victory — in 90-degree temperatures — didn’t come close to matching his world-record 68 hot dogs last year. Chestnut, who held a bottle of Pepto-Bismol aloft after his victory was announced, didn’t seem perturbed that he failed to set a new record this time around.

“I came out and knew what I had to do,” he said. “I was slower than I wanted to be.” Before the match, he said he hoped to gobble down 69 or 70 dogs to set a world record.

He got off to an early lead, downing 10 in just over a minute. By the halfway point, he had polished off 34 and remained comfortably in the lead against 14 competitors, including two women, as the crowd chanted “Joey! Joey!” The closest runner-up, Tim “Eater X” Janus, managed a total of 45.

Among the thousands gathered to watch the Superbowl of Competitive Eating was Kobayashi, who won the Nathan’s title six years in a row before he was upset by Chestnut in 2007.

Kobayashi announced earlier he would not compete due to contractual issues with the event’s organizer, Major League Eating. “If he was a real man, he’d be on the stage,” Chestnut said following his win.

The 6-foot-1, 220 pound Chestnut, a California native who works as a construction engineer when he’s not inhaling food, makes about $150,000 a year from competitive eating, according to the Post.

So exactly how many calories did Chestnut consume in his gluttonous victory? Roughly 15,000, give or take a bun or two.

Hoagieman cheers on the builders of the hoagies early in the day.

Where's the hoagie man?

Local firemen compete in a hoagie building contest.

Oh how I hate to use blogs as a source, but when I went looking for images to follow up the Hoagie Day story I found none and stumbled on what is being called “Hoagiegate.“

Personally, I think it went one of two ways. Wawa realized in the extreme heat a mile+ long hoagie would rapidly spoil and perhaps spread food poisoning or be mainly thrown away to prevent illness. Or a mile long hoagie is a stunt and not near as tax deductible as sending 1 ton of hoagies to food charities.

No matter their motivation it’s pretty weak to not deliver on such an awesome promise or to explain WHY there was no mile long hoaie, let alone the mile and quarter long hoagie promised.

Here’s a link to the official photos on a FACEBOOK page.

#HOAGIEGATE Stains The Return Of Wawa Hoagie Day
www.philebrity.com  |  July 2, 2010

BY MIKEY IL/SPECIAL TO PHILEBRITY: If you felt your ankles swell, blood pressure rise and a burning desire to lose yourself in “Cosby” reruns on Wednesday, you can relax, it wasn’t boobquake-related. Wawa Hoagie Day returned to Philly on June 30th, after being absent for a decade. Celebrating its epic return, the (less and less) beloved locally-based chain of food markets touted the unveiling of a sandwich over a “mile-and-a-quarter long” to be served free to the public with a special screening of Rocky at the foot of the Art Museum steps.

According to the official press release:

Wawa’s 2010 Hoagie Day Celebration will feature a variety of Philadelphia and hoagie-centric activities including the building and serving of a 1 ¼ mile long hoagie, the search for the next Rocky look-alike as part of the Philly @ the Movies Rocky Contest, and a screening of the classic film, Rocky, at the conclusion of the Hoagie Day festivities.

Numerous food bloggers reported plans for a “giant hoagie” to be unveiled at the Art Museum and the word spread rapidly throughout the city. FOUR TONS of lunchmeat, bread, lettuce, tomato, oil & vinegar, and salt & pepper were going to be masterfully assembled; even the most cynical residents wanted to see this mighty meat feat.

Cut to yesterday afternoon, when a tweet was posted by local Annie Heckenberger, commenting that there wasn’t a photo to be found online of this reported 1 ¼ mile-long hoagie and asking if anyone had one. Thus began a “tweetstorm” of commentary from other disillusioned epic-hoagie seekers, which was quickly dubbed “Hoagiegate.

Now, don’t get us wrong, we love us some Wawa just as much as the next guy. We bow to the altar of shorties. Hell, we’ll come clean: We even have a Wawa credit card.

However, we have to opine that we join the ranks of the disappointed in Wawa for the marketing of this event.

I don’t know about you, but I want to see a mile-long hoagie. Furthermore, that kind of photo opp is PR gold. It’s Internet Viagra, for crying out loud! Sprinkle some kittens in that sammy and you’re a goddamn international MEME. Local TV affiliates would have a chance to feed this footage nationally and actually get some pick-up! *gasp* Positive news about Philly! I’m comin’, Elizabeth!!!

Ok, ok, so a noble prize it ain’t, but it also isn’t Michael Vick drama or escalating crime. SHOW THE PEOPLE THE HOAGIE.

And yes, we recognize that Wawa’s official release stated the event activities would include the “serving of a 1 ¼ mile long hoagie,” we have to wonder if the pitching of this story to media hyped a giant sandwich? How else can you explain outlet after outlet reporting this critical component incorrectly?

What we want to know is, why spend 14 hours, involve over 100 employees, and post a total of 8 photos only to rid evidence of a potentially great feat? As it turns out, most sources claim that despite the tale of an incredibly long sandwich, Wawa in fact handed out over 13,000 Shortie’s (6″ each), making this event fall… shorti.

The author would like to note that, according to city representatives, “Wawa distributed most of the hoagie to Phila-bundance and it was dismantled before the event.” We applaud Wawa’s efforts to support non-profits and fight against local hunger, and we encourage them to continue to do so without misleading event marketing.

– Mikey Il

Personally I think Kobayashi is way more charming than current wiener chomp champ Chestnut. The 2009’s Nathan’s contest, where Chestnut narrowly edged Kobayashi was decided by decision, and seemed a classic very bad call to me.

I think “Major League Eating” is perhaps fishy, but have no proof.

Give ‘em hell Kobayashi! Joey Chestnut may have won the Nathan’s title again in 2009, but no one can stop talking about YOU!

Six-time hot dog-eating contest champion Takeru Kobayashi, center, is joined by his attorney Mario D. Romano, left, and interpreter Maggie James as he speaks to reporters after leaving Brooklyn Criminal Court, Monday, July 5, 2010, in New York. Kobayashi was freed after a night in a New York jail after he pleaded not guilty to charges of obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, trespassing and disorderly conduct. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Six-time hot dog eating contest champion Takeru Kobayashi, center, of Japan, is taken into custody by New York police officers after he jumped on stage at the end of the hot dog eating contest in New York's Coney Island on Sunday, July 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Nick Jesdanun)

Eating champ leaves NY jail after hot dog fracas
By EVA DOU  |  AP  |  July 5, 2010

NEW YORK — Japanese eating champion Takeru Kobayashi, arrested at a July Fourth hot dog-eating contest, was freed Monday after a night in jail, looking a little weary and saying he was hungry.

Kobayashi, wearing a black T-shirt bearing the message “Free Kobi” in green letters, was freed by a Brooklyn judge after he pleaded not guilty. The slim, boyish 32-year-old said he consumed only a sandwich and some milk in jail.

A contract dispute had kept Kobayashi out of Sunday’s annual Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, but he showed up anyway.

“I was there as a spectator, just to cheer on my buddies,” he said through an interpreter outside court Monday. Fans chanted for him, and “in the heat of it, I jumped on the stage, hoping they would let me eat.”

This image taken from APTN video shows six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi, center, of Japan, being taken into custody by New York city police officers after jumped on stage at the end of the hot dog eating contest in New York's Coney Island on Sunday, July 4, 2010. (AP Photo/APTN)

Six-time hot dog eating contest champion Takeru Kobayashi, center, of Japan, is taken into custody by New York police officers after he jumped on stage at the end of the hot dog eating contest in New York's Coney Island on Sunday, July 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Nick Jesdanun)

His attorney, Mario D. Romano, said his client was waved up onstage after spectators began chanting “Let him eat!”

“Shortly after he got on the stage, he was grabbed from behind by officers,” Romano said.

Kobayashi was charged with obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Kobayashi, who’s currently living in New York, had refused to sign a contract with Major League Eating, the fast food equivalent of the NFL. On his Japanese-language blog, he said he wanted to be free to enter contests sanctioned by other groups.

But a few days ago, he told Japan’s Kyodo News: “I really want to compete in the (Coney Island) event.”

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., won by downing 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

After witnessing the drama involving Kobayashi, Chestnut said, “I feel bad for him.”

Chestnut claimed the mustard-yellow champion’s belt and a $20,000 purse but was disappointed with his own performance. The 26-year-old was aiming for a record 70 dogs in 10 minutes. Last year, he ate 68 dogs, four more than Kobayashi.

Major League Eating issued a statement calling Kobayashi’s actions “inappropriate and unfortunate.”

“Kobayashi was a great champion and we hope that he is able to resolve his current situation and move past this,” the organization said.

Gotta get pics of “Hoagieman in his Hoagie-mobile.”

HOE-ghee.

On June 30th, come check out a hoagie long enough to stretch over a mile down the Parkway (Photo by G. Widman)

Below is the official press release.

Wawa Hoagie Day is Back. . . and Better than Ever
Wawa Welcome America! features the return of ‘Hoagie Day,’ a Rocky Screening and Mayor Michael Nutter proclaiming June 30 officially as ‘Hoagie Heritage Day.’

Wawa, PA. (June 30, 2010) – Wawa today proudly announced that after a 10- year hiatus, Wawa is bringing ‘Hoagie Day’ back to the Welcome America! Celebration to mark its title sponsorship of the festival.

On Wednesday June 30 at 7 p.m., Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is joining Philadelphia police officers and firefighters, Wawa associates and hoagie-lovers across the city for the most jam-packed and exciting Hoagie Day to date.

Welcome America! is Philadelphia’s July 4th celebration showcasing America’s birthplace over 11 days. Fittingly, this year’s Hoagie Day will be held near the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum to celebrate two of Philadelphia’s most

iconic symbols: the hoagie and Rocky.
Wawa’s 2010 Hoagie Day Celebration will feature a variety of Philadelphia and hoagie-centric activities including the building and serving of a 1 ¼ mile long hoagie, the search for the next Rocky look-alike as part of the Philly @ the Movies Rocky Contest, and a screening of the classic film, Rocky, at the conclusion of the Hoagie Day festivities.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since the first Wawa Hoagie Day at City Hall,” said Howard Stoeckel, Wawa’s President and CEO. “It was Wawa’s commitment to our communities and to being an integral part of our customers’ daily lives that inspired the first Hoagie Day in 1992, with a 500-foot hoagie that was served free to the public.

On that day, then-Mayor Ed Rendell proclaimed the Hoagie the “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia,” which kicked off ten years of Hoagie Day events as part of the Welcome America festival. We then took Hoagie Day on the road and held the event in cities within our five state-operating area. Hoagie Day represents a return to our roots and our commitment to the City of Philadelphia, and we are thrilled to bring Hoagie Day back to the city where it all began.”

Mayor Nutter said: “We are happy to have the wonderful tradition of Wawa Hoagie Day back as an official Welcome America! event this year. It will be even more fun-filled, with the addition of the showing of the classic movie ‘Rocky’ and an impersonator contest to start things off. It promises to be a memorable event that the whole family can enjoy.”

Hoagie Day Details

• 5:30 a.m.: Hoagie Day Morning Build

• 7 p.m. Hoagie Day Celebration

• 8 p.m. Rocky Contest

• 9 p.m. Screening of Rocky

Hosted by WMMR’s Preston Elliot, this exciting event opens the Welcome America! festival with Philadelphia food, fun and Rocky. Hoagie Day highlights will include:

Hoagie Day Morning Build: 5:30 a.m.
The day begins with 150 Wawa associates who will build a 1 ¼ mile long hoagie at Wawa University.

Together, they will create the Hoagie Day feast from hundreds of pounds of ingredients that will be loaded onto a refrigerated truck and served free to attendees later that day. In addition to building the hoagie, Wawa will send truckloads of hoagies built that morning to Philabudance food bank, in an effort to spread the Hoagie Day spirit to Philadelphians in need.

Music Provided by Parri Gripp and Hoagie Day Attractions: 7:00 p.m.
As the Hoagie Day hoagie is served to the crowd. Parri Grip, creator and singer of the Hoagiefest songs will entertain the crowd along with the Wawa house band.

Hoagie Heritage Day Proclamation by Mayor Michael Nutter: 7:15 p.m.

The Hoagie Day festivities get underway with remarks from Mayor Nutter, who will proclaim June 30 as Hoagie Heritage Day. In 1992, then-Mayor Rendell proclaimed the hoagie to be the “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia.” During this year’s 2010 Hoagie Day Celebration, Mayor Nutter will renew his proclamation and officially accept the first hoagie of the Hoagie Day celebration.

Hoagie for Heroes – Charity Hoagie Building Contest Kicked off by Mayor Nutter: 7:15 p.m.

• Immediately following the Hoagie Heritage Day proclamation, Mayor Nutter will introduce the Philadelphia police officers and firefighters, about to go head-to-head in a battle of bravery, skill and sandwich-making expertise. Ten police officers will go against 10 firefighters, and will be challenged to see who can create the most hoagies in three minutes in the traditional Wawa way. Both teams are competing in memory of fallen comrades; Wawa will make a contribution on behalf of both teams to benefit the families of police and fire personnel who have died in the line of duty. In the spirit of Rocky, the hoagie-building competition will take place in a boxing ring, and Mayor Nutter will present award medals to both teams. The medals resemble the ones that Rocky wore in the original movie.

Hoagie Day also will feature a hoagie history display, and a special appearance by Hoagieman in his Hoagie-mobile. Numerous attendees will receive exciting giveaways including t-shirts, bumper stickers, CDs and more while supplies last.

Philly @ the Movies Rocky Contest: 8 p.m.
Hoagie Day will conclude with the Philly @ the Movies Rocky Contest. In this challenge, contestants compete for the title of “Best Lookalike and Sound-alike” Rocky. Another feature will be the famous Rocky Run up the Art Museum steps. The winner will receive a year’s worth of Wawa Hoagies. Rocky contestants can register in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 7:30 p.m.

Rocky Movie Showing: 9 p.m.
After the Rocky contest, Hoagie Day attendees will be treated to a screening of Rocky at the foot of the Art Museum steps. The movie will receive a special introduction by James “Jimmy” Binns, Philadelphia lawyer and humanitarian, who appeared in three Rocky movies. Ring Announcer extraordinaire Nino Del Buono, also will be on hand during the festivities as an official emcee.

About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately-owned company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, Pa, in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process.

As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960’s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa operates more than 570 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

About Wawa Welcome America!
The Wawa Welcome America festival is a multi-day festival that celebrates America’s birthday in America’s birthplace and is produced by Welcome America, Inc. For more information, please visit www.welcomeamerica.com

Random image of someone about to have a hangover. Even though it could be a staged image it's better than the standard man with an ice bag on his head.

Scientists determine brain molecule that causes hangovers
BY Tracy Miller  |  DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER |  May 11th 2010, 1:11 PM  |  www.nydailynews.com

Barflies, meet your worst enemy: the neuropeptide.

The brain-signalling molecule has been determined by scientists as the source of hangovers, according to a study from the University of Southampton School of Biological Sciences.

From studying worms – whose simple brains are similar in makeup to the human brain – the scientists were able to see how alcohol affects signalling in the brain, triggering withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, agitation and seizures, according to LiveScience.

“This research showed the worms displaying effects of the withdrawal of alcohol and enables us to define how alcohol affects signalling in nerve circuits which leads to changes in behavior,” said professor and lead researcher Lindy Holden-Dye.

Small doses of alcohol during withdrawal – aka the “hair of the dog” cure – did help ease the worms’ hangover symptoms, but scientists cautioned that this approach increases risk of alcohol dependency. The study is the most specific to date in pinpointing exactly where and how alcohol consumption affects the nervous system and the brain, according to LiveScience.

Takes a lot of scratch to poison oneself with gold though.  BUT if one is the cougar mistress of a lavish living King, I guess cash is not an issue.

Drop dead gorgeous: A portrait of Diane de Poitiers in her youth (above) by an unknown artist and the last portrait (below) showing how closely the skull from the dig fitted her image. Experts believe she died from gold poisoning .

Dying to look good: French king’s mistress killed by drinking gold elixir of youth
By Claire Bates  |  22nd December 2009  |  www.dailymail.co.uk

Miracle beauty products may be a staple on women’s dressing tables today, but they’re not a recent invention.

The mistress of the 16th-century French king, Henry II, drank gold in an effort to preserve her youth, according to a study published in the British medical journal.

Unfortunately the remedy eventually killed her.

Above: The lock of Diane's hair preserved at Anet Castle Below: Close up analysis revealed de Poitiers had gold in her thinning hair

When French experts dug up the remains of Diane de Poitiers last year, they found high levels of gold in her hair.

Since she was not a queen and did not wear a crown, scientists said it was hard to see how jewellery could have contaminated her hair and body.

Experts now say she probably consumed drinkable gold, believed at the time to preserve youth and treat a host of other ailments.

The French court believed gold harnessed the power of the Sun, which would be transferred to the drinker. Alchemists often acted as apothecaries and prescribed solutions made up of gold chloride and diethyl ether. These were popular at the French Court.

It is very likely Diane de Poitiers was killed by her desire to look young. Unusually she was 20 years older than her royal lover.

Diana de Poitiers was well-known for her athletic prowess and represented as Diana the Huntress (below) Her remains will be returned to her original tomb in Castle Anet.

Contemporary reports mention the famed beauty had an unusually white face without the need for makeup and that she looked as fresh as a 30-year-old when she was over twice that age.

French forensic experts who analysed her bones found traces of mercury, which was used in the preparation of gold remedies. The noble was famed for her athleticism but her remains also revealed she suffered from thinning hair and fragile bones, which are common symptoms of chronic gold intoxication.

The body of the French king’s favourite was only discovered in 2008. After the king’s death Diane de Poitiers had been banished from court by his widow Catherine de’Medici to the chateau in Anet given to her by the king.

She died there, aged 66, in 1566 and was buried in a grand tomb in a specially built funeral chapel. However her grave was desecrated during the French Revolution and her body flung into a common grave outside the chateau’s walls.

Scientists Joel Poupon and Philippe Charlier, who usually works in hospital morgues in Paris, worked together to identify de Poitiers in the recently opened Normandy grave.

The bones belonged to someone of her age and athletic physique. Crucially one of the legs revealed a healed fracture – de Poitiers was reported to have broken her leg in a riding accident.

Now French revolutionaries and modern scientists are finished with de Poitiers, her remains will soon be returned to their original resting place in the chateau tomb.