OCC Biology News & Views

Capsule Camera

2011-12-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

This article is about a new version of the endoscope. The endoscope is ordinarily a small camera or a set of fiber optics attached to some flexible tubing. A new version has been designed to be wireless. "According to Dr. Gabor Kosa of TAU's School of Mechanical Engineering, the project is inspired by an endoscopic capsule designed for use in the small intestine. But unlike the existing capsule, which travels at random and snaps pictures every half second to give doctors an overall view of the intestines, the new "wireless" capsules will use the magnetic field of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine and electronic signals manipulated by those operating the capsule to forge a more precise and deliberate path." This is much safer then the usaul method that often needs the use of sedatives and always has a risk for injury although this device is new it seems like a prosperous idea. This article was found at:http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/12/15/a_fantastic_voyage_through_the_body_with_precision_control.html

Big Question For 2012: Will We Talk to the Animals?

2011-12-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

This year this has been an understanding in non-human animal vocalizations. scientist recently discovered that dolphins talk like humans in terms of the physical process. the thought that dolphins simply just whistled but when they were studied it showed that that sounds are prodeuced by tissue vibrations which are just like volcal cords to humans. the cymascope was invented so that they could hear that detailed structures within sounds.The CymaScope provides our first glimpse into what the dolphins might be 'seeing' with their sounds." To me this seems simply amazing since i would love to be able to talk to animals. I hope that sometime soon we are able to understand what animals are thinking.

Lungfish evidence to "evolution"

2011-12-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

This article was about the African Lungfish. This creature with thin arms and an eel like body would seem to be an example of the evolutionary track. This creature uses its arms to do walking like movements. The recent study done at the University of Chicago revealed that the African lungfish can use its thin pelvic limbs to not only lift its body off the bottom surface but also propel itself forward. Both abilities were previously thought to originate in early tetrapods, the limbed original land-dwellers. Lungfish also demonstrated both "bounding" motions, where both limbs moved at once, and "walking," marked by alternating limbs. Coupled with the ability of the lungfish to fully rotate the limb and place each subsequent footfall in front of the joint, the motion suggests that similar creatures would have been capable of producing some of the fossil tracks credited to tetrapods. This article was found at:http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/12/12/a.small.step.lungfish.a.big.step.evolution.walking

208 Species Discovered

2011-12-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

This article talks about the numerous amount of new species found in the Asia's Mekong region in one year. This enormous region spread throughout China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. In just a years time 208 species have been discovered. Ranging from monkeys to lizards to frogs a wide variety of new animals have been discovered.I think the shear amount of discoveries is simply amazing. It really goes to show that we aren't even done exploring the land let alone the entire planet. Hopefully scientist are able to continue to go to the remote places of the world in search of more species that have yet to been discovered.

The Reindeer Need Our Help

2011-12-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

This article talks about the decline of reindeer populations in recent decades. "Bring Back the Wild is a campaign started by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Earth Rangers to help save these animals.While the WCS is a well known organization the Earth Rangers are not. They work with kids and families to help protect nature while teaching kids some valuable lessons about it.Money will be raised to help protect the reindeer, also known as woodland caribou, in the Ontario region known as the "Ring of Fire".I think it's importnat to help protect the wildlife for various reasons and considering it's almost Christmas it's only fitting we help the reindeer out.

Hurrican forecasters cannot predict hurricanes

2011-12-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

Lastest news is that hurricane forecasters cannot predict the hurricanes anymore. After 30 years two climatologists are abandoing their long range forecasting efforts. This was due to the fact the past couple hurricanes have not been what the news predicted. The hurricanes were not as severe as they should have been. Weather can not always be predicted and theirs enough chaos in the weather that could take months of research to predict what would happen. In 2010 the duo predicted over 200 days of tropical storms and we only recieved half of the days. Technology is getting better, but will the predictions ever be accurate?

Caffeine can result in better sport performance

2011-12-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Studies have shown in the past caffeine can help a players ability in a game. Mayur Ranchordas, a senior lecturer and performance nutritionist at Sheffield Hallam University, conducting an experiment using players and giving them caffeine and carbohydrates mixed together. The research he gathered showed the players skill got better as they drank the drink. The tested agility, dribbling, heading and kicking accuracy. The test were surppose to be like playing a full football game. After all the testing the researched showed that its probally better mixing the two instead of just drinking carbohydrates.

Restricted use of chimps in government research

2011-12-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

Cnn news post a recent article about the Institute of Medicine committee, stating that chimps should be limited to be used in research studies. Chimps genetics are closer to humans then any other species, and thats why chimps are so valuable to our research. The research is done by scientists, doctors, veterinarians and other experts to come up with the best results and to make sure the chimps are not beeing harmed. IOM recommends that chimps should only be used if a human can not fullfill the needs for the research. Since technology has changed so much, chimps should no longer be needed to conduct the research. IOM is not saying chimps shouldnt be used at all because the hepatitis C vaccines are tested with chimps. About 3.2 americans are infected with hepatitis, and every year 17,000 new infections occur. These statistics can be lower with the help of chimps. Its just a question weather chimps should still be used for futer medical discoveries, or is their a better way.

Gladstone scientists identify human proteins that may fuel HIV/AIDS transmission

2011-12-15T07:21:00.000-08:00

The article I read shows the research scientists did to narrow down the protein that transmitts HIV/AIDS. Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered new protein fragments in semen that enhance the ability of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to infect new cells; a discovery that one day could help kill the global spread of this deadly illness. Earlier, scientists in Germany discovered that HIV transmission is linked to the presence of an amyloid fibril in semen. Warner C. Greene, MD, PhD, found a second type of fibril that also has the ability to spread the disease. This finding may help slow down or in the future stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Tireless research reveals secrets of the 'sleep hormone'

2011-12-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

This article may be the answer for anyone out there suffering from insomnia! A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University has made a discovery by revealing the work of melatonin, also known as the "sleep hormone." The research, which was worked on with the help of scientists in Italy, shows the role played by the melatonin receptor in the brain that promotes deep sleep. This discovery led the researchers to develop a new drug called UCM765 which will activates this receptor. The results may be the development of new and promising treatments for insomnia, which is a sleep disorder millions of people suffer from.

Neuroscientists Boost Memory in Mice Using Genetics and a New Memory-Enhancing Drug

2011-12-14T21:29:00.001-08:00

When the activity of a molecule that is normally elevated during viral infections is inhibited in the brain, mice learn and remember better. The authors of the article discovered that mice lacking PKR in the brain have a kind of "super memory". PKR is a double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase molecule. It was originally described as a sensor of viral infections, but its function in the brain was totally unknown. Mice that lacked PKR learned a task in which the mice would use visual cues for finding a hidden platform in a circular pool, after only one training session. As opposed to normal mice had to repeat the task multiple times over many days in order to remember the platform's location. They say that, " This molecule could hold the key to not only how we can keep our memories longer, but also how we can create new ones."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/11120812576.htm

Why Does the Same Mutation Kill One Person But Not Another?

2011-12-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

This article talks about how the vast majority of genetic disorders have different effects in different people. It says how one individual carrying certain mutations can develop a disease, whereas another one with the same mutation may not. Why is this? There are many tests and studies that give many different explanations to this question. This article says that the new studies tell us that even if we completelu understand all of the genes important for a particular human disease, we may never be able to predict what will happen to each person from their genome sequence alone. Rather, to develop personalized and predictive medicine it will also be necessary to consider the varying extent to which genes are turned on or off in each person.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/11207152310.htm

Mood, Anxiety Disorders, and Opioids

2011-12-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

This article talks about the study of people with mood andanxiety disorders and their experience with recreational opioids. The studyalso concluded that people with these mood and anxiety disorders were morelikely to use opioids recreational to alleviate their symptoms. Identifying andtreating these symptoms early will decrease the need to self-medicate. In conclusionsthe studies have found the link between mood and anxiety disorders and using opioidrecreationally. So detecting these disorders early can prevent use of opioids.

HIV and Semen

2011-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

This Article talks about how scientists have discovered anew protein fragment in semen that gives the HIV virus an advantage. Althoughscientists were already aware of the fragment amyloid fibril, the discovery ofthis new fibril helps the efforts in slowing the spread of HIV. Some women usemicrobicides in prevention of being infected by the HIV virus. These have beenfailing lately due to it not blocking the virus from interacting to the naturalinfection-enhancement components of semen. Studies that have been done haveshown the way of the positively charged fibril attracting the HIV virus tosemen. By removing these fibrils and other charged components we wouldeliminate the ability of HIV infecting our white blood cells. The hope of thisdiscovery is to hopefully improve microbicides as well as eliminate the virus.

Sugar Pump in Plants Discovered

2011-12-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

This article is about the recent study that discovered exactly how plants get the proper amount of sucrose. The plant doesn't have a muscle to pump the vitals through like the human heart so they use pump proteins to bring the sucrose around. The phloem is used to get the vital nutrientss around the plant and the pump proteins are what get the carbohydrates to the phloem. "With the participation of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, a research group at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Stanford, USA, has now succeeded in identifying this previously unknown sucrose transporter. Different proteins are involved here which belong to the recently identified protein family known as SWEET. The SWEETs arise in the cell membrane of the phloem parenchyma cells. They act as molecular pumps." This article was found at:http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/12/13/sugar_pump_in_plants_identified.html

Damaged Florida Keys Coral Reef Makes Recovery

2011-12-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

In this article we learn about the restoration of the Florida Keys coral reef. In 2002 a 36 foot boat ran aground in the Keys causing massive damage to the area. Hundreds of these grounding happen every year but this one manage to damage 376 square feet.

8 years later conservationist have manged to help nature rebuild itself. I think its really important to help protect these places. After all they are a key par of our ecosystem along the east coast. We as a people rely heavily on the ocean for food and fun and we should protect it from ourselves as we are it's biggest threat.

Mickey and Minnie Help Cure Cancer, Well Sort Of.

2011-12-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

This article talks about the research done by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and the University of Georgia. They have managed to make vaccine that dramatically reduces two forms of cancer in mice.Yes the Mickey and Minnie will no longer have to worry about the troubles of both breast and pancreatic cancer. Now how does this help us humans besides sparing some of our favorite Disney characters? Well here is a quote straight from the article, "have developed a vaccine that dramatically reduces tumors in a mouse model that mimics 90 percent of human breast and pancreatic cancer cases — including those that are resistant to common treatments."

The smart men and women have manage to find a way to make the immune system recognize cancerous cells and fight them. In could still be many years until this work leads to a human version of the vaccine but its a big step in the right direction.

Genetic Markers Help Feds Enforce Seafood Regulations

2011-12-14T15:04:00.001-08:00

Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marlin Science are allowing them to be tested by the federal seafood agents to determine their ocean origin. They are testing the marlin to be sure they are not using Blue marlin that is sold in the United States for seafood is not from the Atlantic ocean. The Pacific or Indian ocean is legal to import and for sales. If you market the Atlantic Blue Marlin there are penalties, fines, and you could even loose your fishing permit.

Savanna Chimps Exhibit Human like sharing Behavior

2011-12-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

Anthropologist state that chimps in the savanna have a human like behavior which is sharing. The chimps hare their food with other chimps and scholars believe that that is a human like behavior. Hey also share hunting tools, plants, honey, and soil besides meat with the other chimpanzees. Mostly it’s the females taking food from the male. It is made to believe that the males trade food for sex to increase their mating success and the females result in a intake in calories to overcome the energy cost and the possibility of any injury during hunting..

How Bacteria can Break down Hazardous Environmental Pollutants

2011-12-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Bacteria can break down phosphonic acids, persistent, and potentially hazardous environmental pollutants found in common medical products, detergents, and herbicides. Researchers are now understanding that bacteria can break down compounds that do not easily break down in the nature. They now can engineer specialized bacteria in the lab by examine how this reaction really works. There are more than 20,000 tons of phosphonic acid which is estimated to be released into the environment in the western hemisphere.

Bird Caught in Act of Becoming a New Species

2011-12-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

The department of biology at Queens University and the Argentine Museum of Natural History state that the South American song bird differ in color and song but show little difference in their genetics, which down the road could mean that they could become a new specie. They studied nine different species and came up with that the male reproductive plumage and song to attract the females are different. Researchers are looking to find difference in the genes that may prove to be a new species and will let them see evolution.

Elephant Seal Travels 18,000 Miles!

2011-12-13T14:24:00.001-08:00

A male elephant seal, named Jackson, was reported by a team of WCS conservationists that this youn g male traveled 18,000 miles from December 2010, to November 2011. He was tagged in December 2010 off the coast of Chile, and was given a transmitter that reports when swimming upon to the surface that indicates his locations. He swam 1000 miles north, 400 miles west, and 100 miles south. Elephant seals are indicators of ocean health, and provide informations baout the climate in the waters, to which they migrate and swim to other places. This elephant seal's swimming is equivalent of going to New York to Sydney Australia, and back!

Smallest Frogs Around

2011-12-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

This article is about a group of frogs that were recently discovered in New Guinea. These frogs were unique from not just other frogs in the area but all around the world.These are the smallest of the tetrapods which are non-fish vertebrates. This set of frogs belong to the genus Paedophryne which are already extremely small.Paedophryne is a unique genus in that all species are minute. The four known species all inhabit small ranges in the mountains of southeastern New Guinea or adjacent, offshore islands But these certain frogs have smaller digits which give them a disadvantage when it comes to climbing. Another fault they have is during reproduction such a small female can only produce around two eggs and it is not known if they are laid at once or in stages. This article was found at:http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/12/12/worlds_smallest_frogs_discovered_in_new_guinea.html

Antartica and Carbon

2011-12-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

This article is about new evidence that suggests that algae helped influence the size and density of the levels of ice sheets. The ice sheets of antartica were built up during times where carbon dioxide was absent in the area. The time each sheet was constructed is relevent to the climate of the world at the time. Global "warming" and "cooling" is influenced by the air among many things of the time. Carbon is a major factor that traps heat so i can be considered a greenhouse gas. A main focus of this story is on the ancient algae and alkenones which are tough organic compounds produced by certain types of algae. They studied that to find the carbon dioxide signature of the period. And with those levels comes the knowledge of what was in the air at the period. This article was found at:http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/2098-antarctic-ice-sheets-grew.html

Babies born with no eyes: Scientists identify genetic cause

2011-12-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

The headline of this article really caught my eye, no pun intended. I have never heard of this type of birth defect before. The defect is called anophthalmia, it is a condition where a baby is born with one or neither of it's eyes. Scientists say a child's eyes will not develop fully in the womb if the child has alterations in both copies of its STRA6 gene which is responsible for transporting vitamin A into the cells. However, there is no clinical treatment for this birth defect other then to give the children prosthetic eyes. The new discovery means that scientists can now develop a genetic test for couples who may be carrying the altered gene and plan to have children.

Cannibalism Among Polar Bears

2011-12-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

This article talks about some new photographs of cannibalistic polar bears.If they are unable to find any other source of food they will indeed target fellow polar bears. Reports of this happening is nothing new but they have been increasing in recent years. Apparently this is not the only unusual source of food either. Much like their southern cousins they can be found feeding on human trash. Seagulls have also been targeted when food is scarce. Unfortunately this probably fuel for the fire for those that believe global warming is completely man's fault.

Killer Bed-Bugs

2011-12-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

This article is about something that plagued the industrialized world many years ago, bed bugs. Around the 1950's they would rarely be seen in a home. Today though studies show they are on the rise due to a built up resistance to pesticides. News results pointed that it could be blamed on certain pesticides being used in the tropics. The exposure to the chemicals that used to kill them made them stronger. It was the overusage of the pesticides in these tropical areas that is believed to be the reason why they are on the rise. Some theories point to the military in the area going to extreme measures to keep their soldiers safe. The threat is one that takes dedication because the bed bugs are nocturnal and can hide in a variety of places and the females lay up to 300 eggs at once so the numbers can get out of hands if you don't know you have a problem. This article was found at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16010179

French Scientists and a Cool Experiment!

2011-12-12T13:11:00.001-08:00

I read this article on PopSci's website and it cracked me up but also intrigued me right away! Here's the experiment in a nutsell: Scientists are going to see if the body heat from passengers waiting in a underground Metro station will be powerful enough to heat seventeen apartments. Not only will these heating systems be going off human body heat but from the heat of the trains! How cool is that? I guess they're trying to see if it's even possible! In this day and age, there are always tons of experiments involving ways to be more eco-friendly and to save money on things like heat and power. There is another article on PopSci about solar-powered houses which is also pretty cool! Follow this link if you're interested: http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-08/green-dream-geothermal-heating-system

Butterflies:72% of UK Species in Decline

2011-12-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

This article gives an in-depth look at the the reason why these creatures are slowly dieing off. Butterfly Conservation and the Center For Ecology and Hydrology have discovered a huge decline in almost 3/4 of the butterfly species in the United Kingdom. Even the common species have seen a fall of about 25% of their populations. The reason for this is simple, we humans continue to expand or towns and cities which gives these creatures less room to live in. It's a sad fact of life, the dominate species always prevails. However all hope is not lost for the creatures. Groups like the ones I mentioned earlier are having some success in repopulating them to the UK.

Radioactvity in the Waters Off Coast of Japan Are Not a Direct Threat.

2011-12-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

In this article American and Japanese scientist have worked together in discovering the radioactivity in the ocean around Japan is not a direct threat to humans or marine life. Radioactivity levels are high in some areas but have become diluted in others. After the devastating earthquake that struck Japan earlier this year many officials feared what the nuclear fallout would do to the area. Hearing that it is not a direct threat is very reassuring to Japan and the rest of the world.

Giant Neurons in Crabs Encode Complex Memories

2011-12-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

In this study it was learned that the Chasmagnathus granulatus crab has a suprisingly complex memory which requires multiple brain regions. Neuroscientists at the University of Buenos Aires used cardboard cutouts of seagulls to test crabs’ memory skills. They found that the crabs could recognize the cardboard seagulls and figure out that they were nonthreatening. Implying that they are able to apply learned knowledge and retain that information. They still recognized the cutouts as nonthreatening even after a 24 hour period.The researchers tied the crabs’ behavior to lobula giant neurons, a type of brain cell found in crustaceans. And the other habits like remembering the environment and locations of threats or food come from other parts of their brain. One researcher even said if they could understand the memory of such basic animals then they could begin to understand that of a more complex being. This article was found at:http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=clever-crustaceans

Decision making in bee swarms mimics neurons in human brain

2011-12-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

This article talks about a new study based upon the movements of bees. A professor of neurobiology and behavior reports with five colleagues from the United States and the United Kingdom on the inhibitory stop signals that the clusters of scout bees use to make decisions and determine decisions. This study is the first to tackle how bees act when on the hunt for resources and a location. I found this article interesting because there is always talk about the bee populations dissappearing. The full article can be found at:http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/12/08/decision_making_in_bee_swarms_mimic_neurons_in_human_brains_.html

Fetal Origins!

2011-12-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

I went onto CNN.com and found this video to be exceptionally awesome! Now, I don't know about you folks, but I find the process of babies developing and learning to be really interesting. This scientist and researcher, Anne Murphy Paul, has written a book called "Origins" last year. This book is all about what those nine months is like for babies in the womb. To read a summary and review of the book, follow this link! If you have a moment, please watch the video because it is eye-opening! Anne Murphy Paul says that it is hard to gather research on pregnant women, but they go about it in creative ways. A researcher will observe women who have been through stressful situations such as a natural disaster or terrorist attacks and then compare their babies to women who had very low amounts of stress while pregnant. I have always found psychology and human studies to be really interesting and if you're like me you'll enjoy this video! To hear more from Annie Murphy Paul, follow this link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130884515

The Brown Argus Butterfly

2011-12-08T14:09:00.001-08:00

This article talks about species having to adapt and changehabitats due to climate change. This piece focuses on the Brown Argus butterflyin the UK. Although they are trying to adapt it becomes very hard because thefarther north they go the less preferred habitat they find. The Brown Argus hasbeen able to adapt and successfully has been able to expand north in theUK. Using genetic techniques to detectevolutionary change, the researchers were able to show that the colonization ofnew sites further north by the Brown Argus has involved significant adaptationduring or following colonization. This is one of the first studies to identifygenetic evidence for evolutionary change associated with range shifts driven byrecent climate change.

New Dinosaur Discovered!

2011-12-08T13:52:00.001-08:00

A new species of a horned dinosaur was revealed after 95 years of the inital fossil was discovered. This was led by a staff team at Alf Museum. This new horned dino, called Spinops Stembergorum lived about 76 million years ago in Alberta, Canada. Spinops was a plant eater that weight about two tons when alive and was a smaller cousin to the dinosaur, Triceratops. Its long projected horn, at the nose, a bony neck frill, backward projectiing spikes, and foward hooks made this dino different from the other horned dinosaurs. The paleotologist marked that this discovery is important to the evolution and enviornment at the time. In 1916, parts of the skull were discovered by a father-son team. Once discovered they sent the skull pieces to the National History Museum in London, but which were denyed too scrappy for evidence of the dinosaur. The skull piece was booked on a shelf for decades until a team of collegues remarked that the dinosaur was known to be Spinops.

I found his to be interesting because dinosaurs are one of the earliest signs of life on this planet and its remarkable that after so many years that we still find new discoveries.

The Spider Mite

2011-12-08T13:29:00.001-08:00

This article talks about how a group of internationalscientists were able to decipher the genome of the spider mite. The spider miteis also the first known genome of an arachnid. This helps bring new light tothe evolution of arthropods and to help stop the destruction the spider mitecauses. The spider mite feeds on crops and plant juices. The spider mite likesover 1100 different plant species including tomato, strawberry, peppers,cucumbers, and corn. They bite into the leaves of the plants and completelysuck them dry. Spider mite bites are usually spotted because they leave ayellow spot behind. The tricky part about these spider mites is that they arenot affected by many types of pesticides. They also produce silk which theythen wrap around the plant or its leaves. Hopefully now that they were able tofigure out the genome of the spider mite they can create a pesticide to stopthem. We may be able to use their silk for material in the future as well.

Rare Leopard

2011-12-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

A Rare Persian Leopard was found in central Afghanistan. The leopard was a top predator and we thought had disappeared from it's region. The findings show that rangelands can still surpport other species. Wildlife scientists are thrilled to discover the leopard has return amoung other animals they have found. The Wildlife Society is doing their best to make sure these animals are not being hunted, recently Afghanistan passed a law prohibitting hunting of snow leopards. The images did show though men walking around with guns, even when they are not surppose to.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45574494/ns/technology_and_science-science/

They call it Guppy Love

2011-12-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

In the article “They call it guppy love” UCLA scientists discovered an evolution mystery. The male guppy has consistently changed color for over a half a million years but one thing always stayed constant an orange patch. It slightly changed being redder or more yellow at times but it was always consistent. These scientists discovered that it is because that’s what the female guppies
like. The males have evolved over and over again because that is what the ladies like. The orange patches are made up of two things, carotenoids, which are digested, and drosopterins which are produced. They discovered that the males with the middle color orange. Not to yellow and not to red. The females chose the males with intermediate amounts of drosopterins by a significant margin. Males with the right color orange typically produce more offspring because the
females are more attracted to them.

Polar Bears Can be Cannibals sometimes!?

2011-12-08T12:35:00.001-08:00

After viewing the image that accompanies this news article, it sure makes me look at polar bears in a different light! This article that I read on the BBC website is all about how an environmental photojournalist witnessed a polar bear killing and eating another polar bear. Now, usually polar bears hunt and eat seals so this is very unusual behavior. But, Jenny Ross explained that when polar bears are put into a situation where there is none of their usual food to eat, they prey on their own kind. I think polar bears are pretty neat so here's a related link if you want to learn more about them : )
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Polar_bear

Earth Population 7 Billion

2011-12-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

As of october 31, 2011 the U.N. Population Fund said their will be seven billion people sharing earth's resources. Unfortunately, the growth will be in Africa, India, and China where their are many people living in horrible conditions and in poverty. The growth is not nessecerily a bad thing, but more resources will need to be funded. The International Water Insitute say that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in places where major water shortages will occur. Water is a main key component of life and without it people would die. This is not a cause for an alarm, but in the future prices for food and daily esscentials will be rising. With having over 215 million women worldwide that dont have family planning, population will continue to grow.

Counting Cats: The endangered snow leopards of the Himalayas

2011-12-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

In this article they talk about the endangered snow leopard. Most of the snow leopards live in high mountainous areas of central Asia. Originally they assumed that there was about 350-500 snow leopards left. After scientists did testing on their tracks, scrapes, and droppings they are starting to believe there is a lot less. Scientists recorded
seventy one samples of droppings or scat and after performing genetic analysison each sample they discovered that only nineteen were identified as snow leopard. Ten of which were successfully genotyped. This was the first team to
use genetics with the conservation of snow leopards.

Alien Planet

2011-12-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

Scientist say, as of December 5, 2011 an alien planet could host new life. Discovery News posted an article online showing the new planet's region. Scientist have named the planetKepler-22b, has been found in the "habitable zone" , where water could exist. The planet is the smallest to be found past our orbit system, but could be 2.4 times the size of earth. Scientists are still doing research to figure out if this planet can withstain life. Kepler-22b is just one of ten planets that resembles earth. To think new life can consist on a new planet, is something I dont think any one can imagine, but to see that it could be a possibilty is showing how far our technology has grown.

http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-planet-found-in-habitable-zone-111205.html

Russian scientists to attempt clone of woolly mammoth

2011-12-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

This article is about the cloning of a woolly mammoth. Russian and Japaneses scientists are claiming that a thigh bone, that they found in August, contains remarkably preserved bone marrow cells. This bone marrow will be the first step in the cloning. The scientists believe that the cloning will be complete in the next five years.

The team is planning to extract a nucleus from the bone marrow and insert it into an egg from an African elephant. Similar procedures has been done before. In 2009 it was reported that the recently extinct Pyrenean ibex was bought back to life briefly after using 10 year old DNA from the animal's skin. The animal died after cloning due to breathing problems.

The Roslin Institute, famous for the cloning of Dolly the sheep, had some thoughts on the bringing back extinct animal to life. They believe that this is highly unlikely because of the use of the elephant as a surrogate mother. They suggested using a cow because it the best biological match but is too small compare to the woolly mammoth. They also doubt it because the scientists to successfully clone would need a whole cell. The Roslin Institute believe that the success rate for this experiment is 1-5%.

Low fat yougurt and pregnancy: A cause of allergies later in life?

2011-12-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Reading this article I have found out some strange, yet useful information for pregnant, or expecting mothers. A study was presented at European Respiratory Society's annual Congress in Amsterdam, that pregnant mothers who eat low fat yogurt are 1.6 times more likely to end up with a child who develops asthma or hay fever. They study was aimed to look at fatty acids in dairy products and to see if they would help prevent allergies in new born babies, however they had the opposite effect. Studies showed that milk intake did not have the same effect, the only dairy product that caused these allergens was the low fat yogurt. The scientists suggested that maybe it was not the yogurt, but the low fat components in the yogurt that were having this effect on the child. Scientists are also going to further their research to see if low fat foods have any other effects on our lifestyles.

North America's Biggest Dinosaur

2011-12-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

The biggest North American dinosaur is called the Alamosaurs which is a long neck plant eater. At first researchers though that this long neck plant eater was 60 feet long and 30 tons. Except, another researcher found that the femur was not an adult femur and that it was still growing which means that the Alamosaurus was bigger than they thought. Its not easy for researchers to estimate the size of dinosaurs they have to overlap skeletal materials to indicate an estimated size. He Alamosaurus is in the league of Sauropods from South America, and the Argentinosaurus is included. The Argentinosaurus is the biggest dinosaur of all and weighs 70 tons. Now the United States is fighting for the Number one spot and the Alamosaurus is tone of the biggest dinosaurs and the biggest in North America .

Scientists rediscover rarest US bumblebee

2011-12-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

In this article you will read about how scientists from the University of California, Riverside have recently stumbled across the rarest bumblebee species in the white mountains of New Mexico. The "Cockerell's Bumblebee" was last seen in 1956. This is pretty exciting being that there are only about 50 native species of native bumblee and most are on the verge of extinction. Using advanced tools and studies they will find out if they are in environmental danger of being extinct as well.

Human Body Rids itself of Damage When It Really Matters

2011-12-07T15:20:00.001-08:00

The human body, when its time to reproduce and create a new life the body gets rid of damaged material. The researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden state that all the cell look the same in the embryo after conception which is the start of cleansing themselves.The cells only divide a limited number of times when normally they are dividing infinitely. Protein levels in the c ells get high but than they go back down most of the way. That is made to believe that this is the way of breaking down damaged material. Researchers believed that in the past the cells that were involved in reproduction were kept isolated so it would be protected by damaged. The cells now go through a process that rejuvenates them and gets rid of the inherited damage. Their are types of protein that damage in the body with the increase of age. The necessary information is stored in the DNA and can keep the body sometimes from using it so it can keep repairing the body

Drop in Carbon Dioxide Levels Led to Polar Ice Sheet, Study Finds

2011-12-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

Scientist at Yale and Purdue, state that a climate change can be caused by the change in carbon dioxide. For example, the drop in carbon dioxide made an ice sheet form over the Antarctic. Before the ice sheet can melt the greenhouse gases have to increase, how much is still unknown. Due to the ice sheet and change in climate many species became extinct over about 100,000 years. Before the drop in carbon dioxide all kinds of species inhabited the North and South Poles and Earth has subtropical climates and it was warm and wet. Since the ice sheet formed over the Antarctic the sea levels fell. Carbon dioxide had an importance from the past to the present. They do not know what caused the rise and fall in the carbon dioxide level, but they study ancient algae in the deep ocean sediments and crust.

Acquired Traits Can Be Inherited Via small RNA's

2011-12-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

I found this article to be extremely interesting because of the research saying that there was evidence that an acquired trait could actually be inherited without any involvement of DNA. A theory was developed a while back by Jean Baptiste LarMarck. It was suggested in this theory that species wouldn't evolve until they have adapted to their environments and transmit and give these newly acquired traits to their offspring. An example that supports LarMarck's theory is during the famine mothers who were starving and gave birth during that time had children who were more susceptible to obesity and other metabolic disorders. It's really interesting to see how exactly it all works and how species can adapt the way they do and the acquired traits they do have they can pass down is amazing. To learn more about RNA click here.

Some Fish can handle the heat

2011-12-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

I found this article and it discusses how tropical fish have a better tolerance for the high and rising temperatures in the sea. They were said to evolve over several generations and appear to have a better capacity to deal with the heat than other fish. This is crucial for the survival of these fish due to the rising temperatures from global warming and can inevitably prevent them from becoming extinct and dying off. They tested this theory by exposing damsel fish to temperatures that were 1.5 to 3.0 degrees higher than normal there was a decline in their aerobic capacity. When compared to the fish that were bred for several generations there was almost a complete environmental adjustment with the offspring in the higher temperatured water . This happens because when the one generation goes through their life cycle in warm temperatured water the next generation that comes up is better able to cope with the temperature. So its pretty amazing to see the adaptations these fish can make from generation to generation. My guess is that if the water temperature got colder these fish could make these same adaptations as they did with the warmer water as well.

Paper Wasps Learning faces

2011-12-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Like humans a test has been run according to this article that Paper Wasps can now learn faces just like humans can. This is what appears to be the first insect to demonstrate this ability of such specialized visual learning. The Paper Wasp can recognize a member of its species from its facial markings to determine whether it is the same species as them or not. When there is a face that is not recognizable to their same species they become more agressive. They also have very good memory and they usually determine their behavior based off of a previous encounter with that species. They also ran field tests with the wasps and it basically had them determine a normal wasp face picture, a computer altered wasp face picture, a caterpillar picture, and a picture of simple geometric patterns. According to the field test the wasps picked correctly 75 percent of the time. Its amazing to see the potential the brain has, even if it isn't the human brain.

NASA Finds Planet in ‘Habitable Zone’ That Could Sustain Life

2011-12-05T11:24:00.001-08:00

This article is about the planet Kepler 22-b being able to sustain life. Kepler 22-b is 600 light years away and is very similar to Earth. The temperature on the planet is 72 degrees and has a star that is like the sun. It has a 290 day orbit around it sun like star. Kepler-22b itself is 2.4 times the radius of the Earth, making it the smallest planet ever found in a star's "habitable zone", the spot that allows an ideal temperature and climate for water to exist. Scientist still doesn't know much more but will be looking more into the planet. This planet is the first planet to be found on NASA's Kepler planer-hunting telescope.

Drop in Carbon Dioxide Levels Led to Polar Ice Sheet

2011-12-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

According to a recent study by scientists at Yale and Purdue, a drop in carbon dioxide appears to be the reason why an ice sheet is forming in the Antarctic. The role of the greenhouse gas supports carbon dioxide's importance in past, present, and future climate change. Researchers have found a threshold for low level of carbon dioxide below which an ice sheet forms in the South Pole. However, it remains a mystery of how much the greenhouse gas has to increase to melt the ice sheet. A professor at Purdue said there was about a 40 percent decrease in carbon dioxide before and during the formation of a thick ice sheet over the Antarctic about 34 million years ago. The evidence shows that carbon dioxide controls global climate. If the amount of carbon dioxide is increased or decreased, there could be dramatic changes. Another professor from Yale says that polar ice sheets and sea ice control a large amount of modern climate. It influences the global circulation of air masses, patterns of precipitation, and wind strengths. The recognition of the important role of carbon dixide change is an important finding.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201174225.htm

Lower Antioxidant Level Might Explain Higher Skin Cancer Rate in Males

2011-12-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

A new study shows part of the reason why men are three times more likely than momen to get skin cancer. Although medical science does not know why, researchers at Ohio State University might have the answer. They found that male mice have lower levels of an important skin antioxidant than female mice. They also have higher levels of cancer-linked inflammatory cells. This skin antioxidant is called catalase. It inhabits skin cancer by cleaning up hydrogen peroxide and other DNA-damaging reactive-oxygen compounds that are formed during exposure to UVB. UVB, or ultra violet B light, is a common source of sunburn and cancer-causing skin damage. Studies show links of low catalase activity to skin cancer. Researchers say women have more natural antioxidant skin protection than men do, which is why men may be more susceptible to oxidative stress in the skin. This then raises the risk of skin cancer.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201174231.htm

Blood Cell Test for HIV Treatment Monitoring is Cheaper but Just As Effective

2011-12-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

Researchers have recently found that a cheaper laboratory test that can guide anti-retroviral drug treatment for people with HIV/AIDS might be as effective as the more sophisticated test. The more advanced test is quite pricey, so this discovery of a cheaper test can really help those out in rural Africa. Researchers said that the more expensive test, called viral load testing, may not give a substantial benefit over the cheaper test. This cheaper test is the older one called CD4+ testing. A professor at the University of California, San Francisco said that researchers should focus more on the CD4+ testing if you really are not getting that much clinical gain for the expense of viral load testing. Both of these tests require blood samples from patients. The samples are then analyzed for traces of the virus. The CD4+ test looks at the abundance of the blood of human immune cells. The viral load test looks for copies of viral genomes and measures the amount of virus the person has. The viral load test may seem like the way to go. However, the CD4+ test measures the amount of CD4+ cells in the bloodstream. These cells are killed by HIV during the course of infection, and the amount of CD4+ cells goes down. A clinical trial was tested in Uganda by treating patients in three different ways: CD4+ testing, viral load testing, or no treatment at all. The analysis showed that viral load testing provided little to no clinical benefit over CD4+ testing. The cost for both per year: CD4+ testing is $174 per year and viral load testing is $5,000 per year.

Immune Booster Also Works in Reverse

2011-12-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336525/title/immune_booster_also_works_in_reverse

An immunization named interlaukin-2 or IL-2 has been found to be a disppointment when it comes to fighting HIV. It was successful with melanoma and kidney cancer but that wasnt good enough. So scientists have discovered a new way of using this vaccine. It turns out that IL-2 does more than send immune fighters into battle. It also ratchets down these defenses by triggering production of T regulatory cells, or T-Regs, which keep other immune troops in line. This benefits patients with lupus, multiple sclerosis or rhematoid arthritus. So these doctors are taking advantage of IL-2's alter ego.

2/3 of Medical Students Do Not Know When to Wash Their Hands

2011-12-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Only 21% of surveyed medical students could identify five true and two false indications of when not to wash their hands in a clinical setting. These were students that were in the process of passing a lecture class that all medical students must pass before any bedside training or contact patients commences. So they were asked to take a seven scenario true/false assessment about washing their hands. Some of the scenarios were "before contact with a patient", "before preperation of intravenous fluids", "after removal of gloves", "after contact to the patients bed", and "after contact with vomit". Only 33% of the students got these answers right. So we should think about the future doctors of the world.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201105445.htm

The Self-Medicating Food That Chimps Eat

2011-12-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Chimpanzees and humans both learn from older or more experienced chimps and humans. This article talks particularly about chimps and what they eat. Apparently the chimps in the wild choose to eat the less nutritious and palatable foods. Why do they do that? There is a reason behind this. They eat Antiaris toxicaria leaves because they prevent and get rid of tumors. They eat Cordia abyssinica pith which prevents malaria and is anti-bacterial. Ficus Capensis is also anti-bacterial. They eat Ficus natalensis bark which is anti-diarrheal, and ficus urceolaris leaves which is a de-worming agent. So chimps are even smarter than we thought. They are curing themselves of diseases that they do not even really know about by choosing certain foods to eat. They are self-medicating themselves and it is working.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/chimps-self-medicate-111129.html

New Genetic Tes Distinguishes Between Benign Skin Growths and Melanoma

2011-12-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer. If it is found early enough, it can be removed with no harm caused. But when detected late, it can be deadly. This article tells us about a new test that was recently discovered. This test, instead of looking at the changes in the sequence of DNA in skin cells, it looks at the changes in the methylation of the DNA. Methylation is the addition of a small chemical group to a base in DNA, and it does not change the sequence of DNA. The researchers conducting this study found a set of 22 genes that can be used to seperate melanoma from non-cancerous cells, based only on chang in methylation patterns.

www.cancerquest.org/newsletter

Surprising Pathway Implicated In Stuttering

2011-12-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have found new discoveries about stuttering. They say that at least some persistent stuttering is caused by mutations in a gene in a metabolic pathway involved in recycling old cell parts. These cellular recycling centers are called lysosomes.

Researchers do not know the answer to why this is, but now that there are clues, they can figure things out further. Why impairment in the pathway of the lysosomes lead to stuttering is what is confusing researchers. Some genetic clues are allowing them to figure things out a little easier. However, there are billions of neurons in the brain, so it is very hard to figure out which ones are involved in speech.

There were three mutations found in a gene called NAGPA. This gene encodes an enzyme responsible for the final step in "addressing" protiens to the lysosome. All three mutations in this gene were identified in people who stutter. These findings are said to offer possibilities in therapy for stuttering in the future. In order to figure out why this is all happening, researchers are performing biochemical analyses on these mutated genes.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2011/11/22/surprising_pathway_implicated_in_stuttering_.html

Lab Creates Cells Used by Brain to Control Muscle Cells

2011-12-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

For the first time, the University of Central Florida researchers used stem cells to grow neuromuscular junctions between human muscle cells and human spinal cord cells. These are the key connectors used by the brain for communication and muscle control.
This discovery is a huge step in developing "human-on-a-chip" systems. These systems are models that can recreate how organs and series of organ functions in the body. This could possibly accelerate drug testing, medical research, and life-saving breakthroughs.
A UCF bioengineer, James Hickman, said that these types of systems need to be developed if you ever want to recreate human function. He is the one who led this breakthrough. Hickman is eager about this breakthrough because some federal agencies have granted at least $140 million to grant funding to jump start "human-on-a-chip" research. Right now, scientists rely on animal systems for medical research, but this allows for a pure human system.
http://www.biologynews.net/

Exercising During Pregnancy Can Prevent Alzheimers

2011-12-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

Recent studies have shown that pregnant women who exercise regularly can help prevent neurodegenerative diseases to their unborn child. Prenatal exercise improves brain plasticity. It also decreases toxic protein deposits, inflammation and oxidative stress. These effects ward off neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's. This gives pregnant women another reason to work out.

Pregnant women should exercise anyway in order to prevent many things not just neurodegenerative diseases. But this just gives one more reason to do it. We do not really know if it is cmpletely proven to help yet but it couldn't hurt. Mice have been tested to see the effects but in about fifty or sixty years we will be able to see if it really prevents the diseases. In the mean time though, I think women should exercise while pregnant.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/foas-pww092611.php

Childhood Obesity is a real Bummer!

2011-11-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

I love listening to NPR in the car but I actually found this article on their health blog. Childhood obesity has been a growing problem through out the years-especially in the United States. This program called the Packard Pediatric Weight Control Program and it helps families deal with what types of foods are healthy for kids to consume on a daily basis. Not only does this program help kids make the right choice about what they should be eating, but it reminds them that daily exercise and staying active is essential to live a healthy life. These parents signed their kids up for this six month program because they're in the highest percentile for BMI. It's awesome that there are programs like this to help kids but also a little scary because of how bad obesity within children has been getting! According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years! That is absolutely insane!!! To find out more about childhood obesity and how to help prevent it, here are a few factual websites!
http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/obesity-prevention?gclid=CN_SuKOw36wCFQnf4Aod4D1omw

Genetic Study Confirms First Dogs Came From East Asia

2011-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Man's best friend is always there for us but did you ever wonder where he came from? In this article it explains that researchers at Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology say they found proof that dogs (ancestor of the wolf) have been traced back to Southern East Asia. According to the article it says " Our analysis of Y- chromosomal DNA now confirms that wolves were first domesticated in Asia south of Yangtze River we call it the ASY region in southern China or Southeast Asia." Peter Savolainen and Mattias Oskarsson were working with Chinese colleagues and analyzed the DNA from all male dogs all across the world. According to the results half of the gene pool was said to be universally shared everywhere in the world but the ASY region had the entire range of genetic diversity. What all this means basically is that it shows us that all the gene pools out there basically originate from the ASY region. So with the information given it is a safe bet to assume that this was in fact the origin of the domestication. It's amazing to think how we can come up with unbelievable information like this just by looking into DNA and genetics. We have some brilliant minds working out there.

New compound defeats drug-resistant bacteria

2011-11-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

After reading this article all you can do is just be amazed of the intelligence of these chemists who came up with this. According to the article a number of chemists at at Brown University synthesized this new compound that can make drug resistant bacteria susceptible again to antibiotics. As we all know all species big and small have evolved and have made adaptations over time. Bacteria like all living things have adapted as well and medication that once killed the bacteria can now sometimes prove to do nothing because of the evolution the bacteria has made to become immune to it. What these chemists have done is amazing. They have created this new compound which means that now old antibiotics that use to be unsuccessful can now once again prove to effect the bacteria once again. Thanks to these chemists at Brown university and found a way to defeat the drug-resistant bacteria we now dont have to do the more expensive option which would of been to make a new and more costly antibiotic. So our advancement in medicine continues and proves to continue to do so as our race goes on.

Russia's Soyuz capsule lands in Kazakhstan

2011-11-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

This article is about a Russian spacecraft that landed safety in Kazakhstan, bring back astronauts from the International Space Station. Soyuz is a series of spacecraft design by the Soviet Space Program in the 1960s and is still used today. It is the main transportation to the International Space Station.

The spacecraft was carrying US astronaut Mike Fossum, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa, and Russia's Sergei Volkov. They spent 165 days in space. Their replacement, two Russian and one American, will arrive at the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Spacecraft landed at 8:47 am on Monday the 21st.

This voyage was the first manned voyage since August. When a cargo rocket crashed shortly after launching.

How Flies Fly

2011-11-17T13:52:00.001-08:00

Flies have to flap their wings very fast in order to move, but muscles control all body movements, including wing oscillations. Flight movement is different and unique to flies. Their contractions are regulated by nerve impluses, and uniquely controlled by tension. There are 2 categories of flight muscles which enables wing oscillations. One type moves the wings down and at the same time stretches the wing, which includes contraction. The wing is then pulled up and stablizes flight. Also unique to a fruit fly is is a protein in their genetic information called "spalt." Spalt is what makes a fly fly. With out spalt a fly can still survive but they are flighless. An average fruit fly moves at a frequency of 200 hertz time per second. No wonder why these pesky little flies always get away when you want to swat them away.

16-Foot-Python Killed In Florida; Deer Found In Stomachach

2011-11-14T14:46:00.000-08:00

In this article you'll find a mind blowing story along with photos of a 15.65 Foot Python that was shot and killed in the Everglades! They cut the stomach open of this Burmese Python that had a small deer inside of it, and it was still fully intact! The deer weighed in at 76 pounds and the snake at 215.4 with the deer, 139.1 without the deer. Though it is illegal to kill an animal like this, officials used a shot gun to kill the python for they feared the species reproducing and moving further north and becoming a threat to people and properties. Officials say people get these snakes as pets often times and with how rapidly they grow over a year span they let them loose in fear of them growing out of their tanks or cages. When they let them free in the wilderness is when they become dangerous like this one. In 2009 a couple in south florida was found guilty for the death of a 2 year old toddler who was strangled by their pet snake who got loose one day. Though they make good pets, you need to beware of how dangerous a Python can be!

Cleaning Up Pollution: Bad For Our Health?

2011-11-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

I found this article to be not only interesting but a little bit confusing! This article talks about how we could actually be making global warming worse because we're trying to clean up the air. A new study shows that aerosols, which are pollutants that go up smokestacks, influence how much carbon dioxide gets taken out of the air by plants and in the ocean. Climate researcher, Natalie Mahowald, says that these aerosols can add nutrients to the air but while in the air, they could change the climate. To me, it's confusing that while we're trying to clean up pollution, in the long run it may not be good for the planet. How do we determine what is best for our society at this present time then?? Confusing!! If you're interested in learning more about global warming, check out this website. The National Wildlife Federation talks about the facts of global warming on different species of animals. It's pretty cool. Also, there is this website that talks about how to make your "carbon footprint" smaller.

Biggest Model of E. Coli Ever!

2011-11-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Birmingham, Alabama now holds the largest model of E. Coli ever! Its not the real, thing but it's a giant scale that is over 5 meters long and 2 meters wide. This model is magnified ocer 2 million times. This can be seen at Aston University, right outside of the city. It was designed by microbiologist, Dr. Henry Tribe. It displays protein and DNA, as well as other molecules of E. Coli that humans can't normally see. Dr. Henr Tribe believes that it is a great way for the public to see and understand what E. Coli is. It has capabilities that include creating 1850 different proterins in a half hour and it is capable of "swimming" at 1000 revolutions per minute.
I found this article pretty cool. I think that it is important for people to see what E. Coli is considering it is a harmul bacteria that is mostly found in our food. Considering that E. Coli outbreaks in the news happen frequently, it should be important for people to understand the full model of E. Coli.

Medicinal tree used in chemotherapy drug faces extinction

2011-11-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

This article is about a species of Himalayan yew tree being at the brink of extinction because of over-harvesting. The tree that is found in India, Afghanistan, and Nepal, has been being used to produce Taxol which is a chemotherapy drug.

Taxol was discovered by US National Cancer Institute in the 1960's. Taxol is isolated in the bark of the Pacific yew tree. All 11 species of yew tree has Taxol in it. "The harvesting of the barks kills the tree, but it is possible to extract Taxol from clipping, so harvesting, if properly controlled, can be less detrimental to the plant." said Craig Hilton-Taylor, IUCN red list unit manager. He also suggested that the plant should be grown in cultivation to reduced the harvesting of the wild population.

IUCN red list is the most detailed and authoritative survey of the planet's species. IUCN red list is drawn from the work of thousands of scientists around the globe. There are 61,000 species on the list. The newest list includes 801 species that are extinct, 9,568 are endangered and 10.002 species are vulnerable, with the main threats being overused, pollution, habitat loss, and degradation.

Brain Parasite That Directly Alters Brain Chemistry

2011-11-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

After reading a multitude of articles I found this one to be the most intriguing because the brain is the most important part of the human body and I found any and all information on it to just be simply amazing. According to the article it explains how there is a parasite that has been find in mammals that can affect the dopamine levels. So far the work has only been done and tested on rodents it is believed by Dr. Glenn McConkey that these findings can inevitably help by shedding new light onto treating human neurological disorders that are considered to be dopamine related. An example of which commonly known is schizophrenia. The research is hopeful to figure out how and why these parasites can manipulate the brain. For more information on dopamine click here. Hopefully researchers can discover more about this parasite and figure out how to treat the dopamine related disorders that correlate with it.

Pluto Has a Twin Sister

2011-11-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

This article is about Pluto's twin sister Eris. Eris was discovered by Caltech astronomer,Mike Brown. For years Brown has been finding similar objects in the Kuiper Belt, the massive band of comet in the solar system. But those object were smaller than 2,320km across, the modest dimensions of Pluto.

A group of astronomer has been trying to get the precise measurement of Eris, but no such luck. Measuring something 15 billion miles way is challenging. Even with the Hubble Telescope, Eris look like a featureless pinpoint. The only way to get Eris' size accurately is to wait for it to pass in front of a distant star, which is known as an occultation. In occultation you measure the amount of time it takes the star to reappear on the other side and you can calculate the size of the object. Two astronomers in Chile saw the occultation.They were able to answer the question of the size of Eris. They got that Eris is 2,326 km, with the uncertainly percentage of a half. Eris does have a larger mass than Pluto.

Eris is very bright. Scientist believes this is because Eris comes closer to the Sun in it's elongate orbit, surface ice warms up to form a temporary atmosphere. When the ice freezes up it becomes a milometer thicker. But scientist have to wait 250 years to test this theory.

There is still many things to discover about our solar system. Brown stated the "There are surely even larger dwarf planets out there. It only a matter of time before both Pluto and Eris are supplanted."

Molecular Motor Revealed

2011-11-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

An international team of chemists at Oxford Universty revealed the structure of the "molecular motor." They used highly sensitive mass-spectrometry to put the pieces together to get this model. This is the model of ATP that interacts with the fatty acids that form the membranes around our cells. ATP is found in every cell of our body and it helps generate our energy to keep out body working. The team that created this model believe that their work will help future studies. Publishers say they put a story about this week's Science magazine.

I found this to be interesting because we just learned about ATP and its functions to cells. It looks like a really cool structure and I am sure it took alot for the team to come up with the model. While reading the article on this, they said that this model can also help future scientists with diseases and medical conditions.

New Flu Test From UGA

2011-11-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

Scientists from the University of Georgia developed a new flu test that is fast an accurate. The test first coats gold nanoparticles with antibodies. These bind to certain strains of the flu virus. Then, it measures how the nanoparticles scatter laser light. This allows the test to find influenza quickly.
The scientists came up with this test by knowing that antibodies can capture viruses and that nanoparticles have different traits based on their size. They combined these two to make a test that is sensitive and fast. An engineer in the UGA Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center linked antibodies and immune system proteins with gold nano particles. These bond with any flu virus by measuring the intensity with which light is scattered by the solutio.
This is an inexpensive teset because the amount of gold used per test is just 100th of a cent. These scientists are also working on ways poultry producers can use this type of test to detect salmonella. They don't wanna stop just at influenza because the test offers great advantages.
http://athens.patch.com/articles/new-flu-test-from-uga

Sea Level To Go Up

2011-11-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Researchers of the Neils Bohr Institute have been calculating the long-term outlook of the sea levels rising. They discovered changes in sea level 500 years from now. Aslak Grinstead, a researcher at the Center for Ice and Climate at the Neils Bohr Institute, has been teaming up with reasearchers from England and China. They are focusing on the emission of gases and aerosols of greenhouses and the pollution in the atmosphere. The research group says that as the emissions increase, so will the sea level. One researcher says that sea levels will go up to 1.1 meters by the year 2100 and 5.5 meters by 2500. Another says that by 2100, the sea levels will rise by 60 cm, and by 2500 they will rise by 1.8 meters. A more realistic researcher says that they will rise about 75 cm and get up to 2 meters in the year 2500. On average, sea level rises 2mm per year but gets faster with each year.
http://www.macroevolution.net/biology-current-events.html

Telescope Solves Mystery After 2,000 Years

2011-10-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

Two NASA telescopes helped discover a supernova in space that has been a mystery for over 2,000 years. In 185 AD, CHinese astronauts witnessed a "guest star" appear in the sky for over 8 months. In 1960 scientists determined that this was an observation of a supernova that signaled the violent death of a distant star. Views from NASA'S Spitzers Space Telepscope and Wide-field Infared Survey Explorer determined that the star's explosion detonated inside a gas free and dust free region in space. This allowed the supernova to travel much farther away.

I chose to write about this even because it seemed interesting that over 2,000 years scientisits, with the help of telescopes, could solve a mystery of a supernova. It is cool to see that activity in space can take place for a long period of time. Although the supernova took place a far distance away, its neat to learn that we have the teachnology to see these types of things far, far away form us.

The Broadcom MASTERS-Middle Schoolers and Their Passion for Science.

2011-10-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

I found this article to be especially interesting because it is about middle-schoolers and their accomplishments in science. It talks about the Broadcom MASTERS which stands for Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars. This program is designed for 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders who are inspired in the sciences.

The winner of the MASTERS, 14-year-old Daniel Feeny, decided to study the waves on the beach in Pescadero, California. His research consisted of making a rig of springs and balls in a homemade tide pool to demonstrate the force of waves and their relationship with marine life close to the shore. Second place was awarded to 14-year-old Benjamin Hylak who built and programmed a robot that can be operated over the Internet for those who don't live close to their relatives and loved ones. I-Chun Lin, also 14, was awarded third place in the competition for studying solar cells, coated in organic dye, testing their efficiency with dyes from blackberries and raspberries.

I've stated before that I am not that completely interested in science or am very good at understanding all that's involved in the wide world of science. This competition involving these middle schoolers, however, has made me realize how science can not only be practical but extremely fun! I think that you'll be as impressed as I was with these young scientists. You can read more about the Broadcom MASTERS and about the different winners here, if you're interested. I also found that there is a Kids' Science Challenge for 3rd-6th grade children who must submit a problem for a scientist or an engineer to solve-you can read up on that here.

Black Death DNA puzzle no longer plagues scientists

2011-10-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

In this article scientist were able to reconstruct an entire genome taken from ancient skeletons to find information about the Black Death. DNA was taken from teeth of plague victims buried in London over 600 years ago. The DNA was then used to recreate the genome. The study showed that the medieval bacteria has remained unchanged compared to modern day strain. The German and Canadian scientists who constructed the study believe that the bacteria is Yersinia pestis, which is the ancestor to all circulating bacteria. Scientists had to sequenced the DNA first to create a genome. When they did this they found that increase of virulence of the bacteria during the Black Death that showed that not only was the there genetics factors but also environmental factors. Famine and poor living conditions help the disease to spread rapidly.

This study is expected to begin a new era of infectious disease research, according to lead scientist Dr. Hendrik Poinar of McMaster University of Canada.

New species of Giant Mollusc discovered

2011-10-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

I found this article to be extremely interesting because of the fact that even to this day whether it is a plant or animal species, we still continue to find these new species after all these years of existence. According to Cristian Aldea (a co author of this study) she explains "this genus belongs to a group which we know very little about. This group is made up of 14 species..." Given this information I find it pretty cool now that they have discovered this Mollusc because now maybe we can get a better understanding and knowledge of this species considering the fact that we only know very little about it. It is said that we have yet to discover even half of all the species out there in the world and as amazing as it is that just this one discovery is considered important there are still a multitude of species out there waiting to be discovered. Whether you really care about science or not you just kind of have to appreciate these scientists do every day discovering all of these different kinds of species and increasing our knowledge of our own world more and more as each and every day passes.

I choose to blog about this article because I always thought the idea of discovering new species was always so cool. We are increasing the number of identified species more and more thanks to the time and effort some of these scientists put into there work and I look forward to more species of animals to be discovered as life progresses.

Three Scientists share Nobel Medicine Prize

2011-10-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

I was listening to NPR the other day and they were talking about the three scientists who won this year's Nobel Peace prize in Medicine. On NPR's website, they have a brief article about their accomplishments. You can read about it here. Due to the shortness in length of that article, I sought after a longer, more detailed news report when I found this. Turns out, one of the scientists that shared the Nobel Prize in medicine passed away a couple days before he was awarded the prize.

According to the article in the New York Times, Dr. Ralph M. Steinman discovered a new class of cell back in 1973. His work did not receive much praise at first due to skeptic observers but Dr. Steinman prevailed in the end and received one half of this year's Nobel Prize in Medicine involving the immune system. It goes against the rules to award someone who has passed away, but because news of Dr. Steinman's death reached the committee too late, they decided to go ahead with honoring him with the award.

The other half of the award has been awarded to two science partners, Dr. Bruce Beutler and Dr. Jules A. Hoffman. Their accomplishments "concerning the activation of innate immunity" won them much praise. According to the article, all three individuals' discoveries "enabled the development of new methods for treating and preventing diseases, including improved vaccines and in attempts to help the immune system to attack tumors."

I'm not much of a "science fanatic" but it sounds like what these guys have done and discovered are going to be extremely important in years to come. Also, for those of you who are interested in learning more about all of the various Nobel Prizes, here's a link to the official website. The site talks about past and present winners, the different kinds of Nobel Prizes and even Alfred Nobel-the creator of the Nobel Prize.

Gene therapy to treat HIV shows promise

2011-09-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

This article gives a lot of hope for HIV patients or anyone related to or a friend of one. United states researchers announced this week that the success of a new gene therapy trial brings us one step closer to a 'functional cure' for HIV. This study involved copying the effects of a naturally occurring mutation that makes a the patient resistant to infection, this therapy aims to reduce or terminate the dependency of HIV patients on "anti-retroviral drugs".

The article says, "Out of the six HIV patients treated with the new therapy, which works by stopping the virus from getting inside the white blood cells it normally infects, one patient had completely cleared the virus and a further two saw a ten-fold drop in virus levels, despite not taking any antiretroviral drugs." This study can potentially change the lives of many and save many who are nearing their end after fighting the battle with HIV.

I chose to review this article because I find advancements in medical treatments interesting. The way we have discovered so much when it comes to medication is amazing, but we continue to keep advancing and finding more and more treatments. It was once thought that treating HIV was impossible, but this recent research has made scientists think otherwise.

Why Too Much Sugar Is No Good!

2011-09-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the average United States adult consumes 22 teaspoons more of added sugar per DAY! This becomes 154 more teaspoons per WEEK, and calculates to be over 150 pounds a YEAR! As for teenagers, they consume 34 more teaspoons per day than average. They say that this is more than twice the amount of sugar in our daily diet. There are many health effect that can become problems over time with an over consumption of sugar. Some include the following: 1. Sugar can increase the risk of diabetes, 2. may cause acne, 3. too much sugar can hurt your heart, 4. increases the canches of depression, 5. high blood sugar can increase the risk of a yeast infection, 6. can increase the risk of cancer, 7. and can change your mooods and emotions.

I chose to blog about this article because sugar is not only an important factor for how we funtion our body, but it can affect our lifestyle and how we choose to live it. Too much sugaer is obviously no good for our body, but the potential of putting it in health risk can be prevented. Cut down on sugars, and you won't have to worry about these problems.

http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/tips/6-scary-side-effects-sugar?gt1=50002

Longevity Gene Debate Opens Trans-Atlantic Rift

2011-09-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

This article is about the long lasting disputes about enhancing one's longevity, which is life expectancy.The dispute involves the gene that is responsible in making sirtuins, which is proteins that help control metabolism. Because of sirtuins' metabolic role, lab rats placed on a very low-calorie diet lived 40-percent longer lives. Humans will not function well on the same diet that the rats had; but if humans take drugs that activate sirtuins , they can live longer and healthier lives. Resveratrol is found in red wine and stimulates sirtuins production.

Researchers David Gems and Linda Patridge of University College of London, re-examined experiments where roundworms and fruit fly were genetically manipulated to produce more sirtuins and lived longer. They founded that the experiments were flawed because the control group were not genetically identical. When they repeated the experiments, they founded that organism with extra sirtuins do not live longer.

The genetic study of aging is a new field and has many common mistakes. In 2009,Stephen Helfand of Brown University conduct the same experiment as the two London researchers. Only Helfand founded that the flies with the extra sirtuins did live longer than the flies without the extra sirtunis.

London scientist believe that this field is filled with sloppy experiments. While the American scientist believe that there is still improvement to be made. Scientists no involved in the debate say that sirtuins remains a field of vast interests and is more complex than origanially suggested.

By:Christine Garbaravage

New Found Squid: Any Sex Will Do

2011-09-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

New York Times - Sept. 20, 2011

   In this extremely interesting article, scientists have found a new creature in the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean. Octopoteuthis deletron, the newly discovered squid, carries similar characteristics to mammals such as bottlenose dolphins and bonobos. They all have no particular preference when it comes to mating.
   The mating process for this particular squid is interesting to say the least. Not much is known in great detail, but it is described as a male squid ejaculating a packet of sperm at the partner, male or female. The sperm is contained in a membrane that shoots into the flesh of the receiver. If the male happens to mate with a female, the sperm remains inside of the female until the female is fertile and able to produce eggs. The male however remains stuck with the sperm.
   This, by far, was the most intriguing article I found. I understand that there are millions of creatures that we have yet to discover, but yet I am still amazed when reading about each new finding.

Dolphins Have Super Sense Powers

2011-07-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

The article I chose to read described a recently discovered special power that dolphins possess- the ability to sense electrical signals from other animals. These electrical signals can come from the animals contracting muscles, heartbeat, or pumping gills. Dolphins use this special sense power to locate and capture prey in the ocean.

Scientists claim that dolphins are the only mammal to possess this power, however, it has been mentioned that sharks, amphibians, and some fish also can sense electical currents from their prey.

Biologists have discovered that the ability to sense these signals comes from special organs on the dolphins' snout, called crypts. These organs contain a rich blood supply, so researchers knew they had an important function. Sometimes, too, dolphins filter feed off the bottom of the ocean floor, thus having limited visibility. This gave scientists another clue that dolphins would need another method for sensing the location of their prey. Biologists have claimed that this is a major breakthrough in research projects-- they have finally discovered that dolphins use electroreception to detect their prey.

Image- www.horiwood.com

Misty reservoir would fill 140 trillion Earth oceans, scientists say.

2011-07-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

Black hole hosts Universe's most massive water cloud. In a galaxy 12 million light-years away resides the most distant and most massive cloud of water yet seen in the universe, astronomers say. "Weighing in at 40 billion times the mass of Earth, the giant cloud of mist sweddles a type of actively feeding supermassive black hole known as a quasar..."

Among the brightest and most energetic objects in the universe, quasars are black holes at the centers of galaxies that are grabitationally consuming surounding disks of material while burping back our powerful energy jets, and the vapor around this particular quasar represents enough water "to fill all the oceans on the earth over 140 trillion times--that is a lot of water."

It was found that the wet black hole using a spectrograph attached to the ten-meter Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on the summit of Manuna Kea in Hawaii. "As this disk of material is consumed by the central black hole, it releases energy in the form of x-ray and infrared radiation, which in turn can heat the surrounding material, resulting in the pbserved water vapor," said study co-author Eric Murphy, an astronomer with the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California. In fact, there's enough gas and dust present that the black hole could grow to be 6 times its current size--or more than 120 billion times the mass of our sun, Murphy said. Astronomers are hoping to use the find to study how large quantities of water in the young universe may have acted as efficient collants of the interstellar medium--the thin gas and dust that exists between stars--possibly affecting star formation and the evolution of galaxies such as our Milky Way.

7 Billion in 2011

2011-07-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Science Daily.com reports that soon this year we will reach 7 billion people in the entire world population. In 1999 there was 6 billion, this means that in 12 years we gained an extra 1 billion people.

The United Nations, expects around 10.1 billion people by 2100. At least these projected people will be occupying most of today's areas that are not as populated and Africa.

Still this insane amount of people that have not even been born yet are already causing problems for those of us who are already here. We now have to think about food supply, water supply, housing, and energy. This also means that with less space, everyone will be in closer distances of each other. This means that disease can go through populations a lot quicker. Health will be another top priority to worry about. David Bloom from the Harvard School of Public Health said "Those challenges are not insurmountable, but we cannot deal with them by sticking our heads in the sand. We have to tackle some tough issues ranging from the unmet need for contraception among hundreds of millions of women and the huge knowledge-action gaps we see in the area of child survival, to the reform of retirement policy and the development of global immigration policy. It's just plain irresponsible to sit by idly while humankind experiences full force the perils of demographic change."

Original Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110728144933.htm

Picture from: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Population&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=Scqn_74BBFFVZM:&imgrefurl=http://www.tradenewswire.net/2011/the-worlds-population-may-hit-10-billion-by-the-end-of-this-century/&docid=fFC1KZCS7-G3CM&w=420&h=272&ei=xEI0TuBAiOHRAZWs9N8L&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=714&vpy=337&dur=4592&hovh=181&hovw=279&tx=222&ty=109&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=189&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0&biw=1034&bih=630

Fat Substitutes Linked to Weight Gain

2011-07-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (June 20, 2011) — Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.

The study, by researchers at Purdue University, challenges the conventional wisdom that foods made with fat substitutes help with weight loss. "Our research showed that fat substitutes can interfere with the body's ability to regulate food intake, which can lead to inefficient use of calories and weight gain," said Susan E. Swithers, PhD, the lead researcher and a Purdue psychology professor. The study was published online in the APA journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

The study used laboratory rats that were fed either a high-fat or low-fat diet of chow. Half of the rats in each group also were fed potato chips that are high in fat and calories. The remaining rats in each group were fed high-calorie chips on some days and low-calorie chips on other days. The low-calorie chips are made with olestra, a synthetic fat substitute that has zero calories and passes through the body undigested.

For rats on the high-fat diet, the group that ate both types of potato chips consumed more food, gained more weight and developed more fatty tissue than the rats that ate only the high-calorie chips. The fat rats also didn't lose the extra weight even after the potato chips were removed from their diet. "Based on this data, a diet that is low in fat and calories might be a better strategy for weight loss than using fat substitutes," Swithers said.

My personal opinion is that if your goal is to lose weight don't eat potato chips! I never bought into any of those low fat snacks. I eat whatever I want but I do it in moderation. When I want to lose a few pounds I just limit or cut out junk food for a while. I feel like a lot of people eat low fat snacks and expect magical changes but it just isn't that easy.

Cancer Risk Increases With Height

2011-07-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

The taller a woman is, at a greaterrisk for cancer, a large study has found.

Researchers at the University of Oxford in England analyzed data on more than 1.2 million British women followed for an average of 9.4 years. There were more than 97,000 cases of cancer among the women. The researchers found that for each four-inch increase in height over 5 feet 1 inch, the risk that a woman would develop cancer increased by about 16 percent. The analysis covered 17 types of cancer, but the relative risk increase was statistically significant for just 10 of them. The authors suggest that levels of growth hormone might be involved in the genesis of cancer, or that taller people are at greater risk for mutations simply because their bodies comprise more cells.

Taller women had a higher risk of several kinds of cancer, including bowel cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer, cancer of the ovaries, cancer of the womb lining, cancer of the kidneys, leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), and cancers affecting the nervous system. Although the study looked only at middle-aged women, previous research has found similar results for men.

Although the researchers found a link between height and cancer, it’s hard to say what the cause might be. There are several theories. Your height is determined partly by your genes, and some cancers have a genetic cause. So, it might be that some people have a genetic type that makes them taller and more likely to develop cancer. Aspects of someone’s life such as the food they eat, how well-nourished they were as a child, and their social group may affect both height and cancer risk.

I find this interesting because many people in my family have developed cancer, and are of many different body shapes and sizes. It leads me to wondering if the theory behind body size is true, or if it is just genetics that causes cancer.

Studying Brain Activity From Decapitations

2011-07-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

An article on MSNBC suggests that the brain may live on after being decapitated for a period of time. A study done at Raboud University Nijmegan in the Netherlands explored the ethics of killing lab rats through decapitation. The EEG ( a measure of electrical brain activity), ended 17 seconds after decapitation. About a minute after, a large wave went through the brain. Dubbed the "wave of death", the researchers thought this was the final blow. Neurologist Michel van Putten and his colleagues at the University of Twente have suggested that the brain cells could be revived if fed oxygen and glucose. Granted, this is not a "living" brain, but is a very interesting fact about brain cells.
This article was interesting because of the strange nature of the study. Decapitation is a gruesome way to obtain information about brain activity, but nonetheless has given some interesting data on brain cells. This type of research could be very useful if it further gives information on the revival of brain cells. The medical field especially could benefit.

Photo: http://www.binauralbeatsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Brain-Waves.jpg

Can Science Improve Man's Best Friend?

2011-07-29T09:25:00.001-07:00

According to an article in Science Daily, "Science and breeding can be used to produce dogs that have characteristics desired by the average dog owner and are well suited to the domestic environment." Essentially, this is stating that desirable behavioral traits in dogs can be heritably bred to produce dogs as good companions. Dr. Pauleen Bennett, a researcher from Monash University in Australia, supports this by stating, "Successfully matching the dog, its requirements and behavioral traits with the understanding and desires of the owner should mean the animals are more likely to enjoy good welfare throughout long, healthy and happy lives."

But what are these "desirable" traits that humans want in dogs? A survey for Australian pet owners found that the traits they want in their dogs include, "being friendly, obedient, affectionate and healthy", while the "undesirable" traits include, "nervousness, destructiveness, and excitability."

The article continues to say that traits can determine a pet's fate, and "make the difference between a dog becoming a much loved and pampered family member, or a mistreated or neglected unwanted animal." I personally agree with this. There are so many unwanted dogs and cats living in animal shelters, looking for love and affection. If breeding had been better controlled and only those dogs with superior genes (both physical and mental traits) were bred, then there would be a lot less unwanted animals in the world. People should only breed exceptional dogs with amazing conformations and personalities, and only if they are certain the dogs will have forever homes. Otherwise, there is an overload of animals who usually have temperament issues and those "undesirable" traits.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

"The Disease of Kings"

2011-07-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

The disease gout also known as the “disease of kings” is on the rise as more and more Americans gain weight. It’s called the disease of kings because it was once thought to be only associated with the privileged few who had the means necessary to over indulge in food. The prevalence of gout has more than doubled in the past 50 years. Gout can be correlated to obesity and hypertension.

Gout is a build up of uric acid, because of diet, lifestyle, disease or medication, which causes small crystals to form in a joint, leading to inflammation and intense pain. Despite the increasing cases of gout in America it is one of the most, if not the most preventable and treatable forms of arthritis.

Obesity has been increasing dramatically in our county over the past half century. Even children are affected by obesity. As children and adults gain more weight, the risk factors for cardiovascular problems and diabetes goes through the roof. Its one thing that you can’t change your genetics, but you can change your diet. Gout can be easily prevented with a good diet and exercise. I think that if you find you self incapable of keeping/making a diet or starting a good exercise routine, its time to see a professional such as a nutritionist, personal trainer, or even some sort of therapist so later down the road you don’t not have medical problems to deal with. Because life is filled with so many ups and downs, I think obesity and all the problems associated is one of the last thing’s I would want to be concerned with.

Gulf Oil Effect Bird Eggs

2011-07-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

In Daily Science, it described Texas Tech University's experiment and research taken place regarding the effect that the weathered oil would have on unhatched eggs.

In their experiment, only 39 percent of the eggs hatched while the other 61 percent died. The weathered oil had a better outcome than the non-weathered oil. The birds whose mating seasons were interrupted due to the Gulf Spill were definitely negatively affected, but there's a chance some eggs, hopefully at least 39 percent will hatch in the wild.

There is still a chance that the covered eggs that survive may obtain developmental problems. Hopefully, the bird population will survive throughout the years.

When the Brain Remembers but the Patient Doesn’t

2011-07-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

This article from Science Daily discusses how the unconscious brain is able to function without the availability of the conscious brain. In one case, a patient survived an accident with brain damage and face blindness. To test her unconscious brain, doctors showed her images of familiar faces, unknown faces, and celebrity faces. They included new celebrities, as well as those who were famous before the patient’s accident.

The patient was not able to recognize the famous faces, however, her brain responded to the celebrities from before her accident. Professor Pegna concludes, “implicit processing might continue to occur despite the presence of an apparent impairment in conscious processing.” As long as a person’s cerebral structures are in a certain order (regarding time), then he will be able to respond to visual stimuli.

I think it is amazing how a person’s memory—from the time of the accident and beyond—may be damaged, but the memories that were established prior to the accident are still in tact. We can see here that just because a person with brain damage may not outwardly communicate visual awareness to doctors does not mean the brain is unresponsive. Ultimately, we can learn how important physiological testing is to learning about the condition of the brain.

Photograph: http://www.molwick.com/en/brain/025-human-brain-structure.html

A Cougar's 1,500 Mile Journey

2011-07-29T03:33:00.000-07:00

In Greenwich, Connecticut sightings of a cougar were confirmed in early June by paw prints, animal droppings, photographs, and then by the body of a 140-pound male creature that was killed by an Sport Utility Vehicle. This was a startling discovery because, before this the last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in Connecticut was in the late 1800's. The mountain lion's origins were determined by the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Wildlife Genetics Laboratory in Missoula, Montana. DNA testing from the tissue of the animal killed in Connecticut matched DNA samples found in Black Hills region of South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Biologists determined this animals journey to be a 1,500 mile trek. "The travels of a young lion is a familiar pattern called dispersal, in which young males search for mates." Officials say they rarely travel more than 100 miles, it seems to have been a long and serious search for lion love.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/nyregion/wild-cougar-traveled-east-1500-miles-tests-find.html?_r=1&ref=science

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/us-connecticut-mountain-lion-cougar-incredible-journey-hit-by-car

Cancer Development

2011-07-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Contrary to previous belief, scientists are now discovering that cancers may be classified as a different parasitic species living in an organism. They are comparable to a bacterial level organism. Essentially, they grow when, where, and how they want instead of following the host organisms orders. That would qualify them as a different species. However, they are slightly different because their genome, unlike most other organisms, is constantly changing, so a new species is made with every individual cancer patient. Also, scientists previously believed that cancer was caused by random gene mutations. Now, however, many molecular biologists believe that cancer is caused by multiple chromosomal disorders.

This is an important step in cancer research. Cancer is a very successful parasite because of its resiliency. It can change the amount of chromosomes it has many times, but can still live as long as genes responsible for asexual reproduction are still in place. They are primitive, which works to their advantage, as imperfect mitosis allows them to constantly evolve. This makes finding a universal cancer drug that does not also kill the host almost impossible.

1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110726163519.htm

Bigger Brains for Those Closer to Arctic

2011-07-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

A new Oxford study has revealed that humans living closer to the Artic grow larger brains than those closer to the equator. The study was conducted with the research of fifty five different skulls gathered from all different cultures and latitudes on Earth. After researching each skull the scientists determined that the skulls were some what larger than others from southern latitudes. They also noticed that the northern skulls had larger eye sockets as well. Research from the skulls indicate that the reason for a larger brain and eye socket results simply from an evolutionary adaptation to better process light. According to Oxford scientists " As you move away from the equator, there's less and less light available, so humans have had to evolve bigger and bigger eyes." The scientists also claimed the brains had to be larger to assist the visual input of the person.Larger eye socket volume can also be linked to extreme temperatures. These eye sockets were larger because they were filled with fatty tissues to better help insulate the eye ball in the human.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/07/28/people-in-arctic-grow-big-brains-study-finds/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic

Nerve Cells in Dolphins Form New Ways of Living

2011-07-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/04/17/dolphin11a.jpg

An article in Science News talks about a new way that guiana dolphins can sense when and where there are prey. In a dolphins snout there are sensory nerves that can detect electrical currents pulsing in the water. These pulses can be formed from a racing heart beat, moving muscles, and gills. Scientists wanted to examine these nerves more so they took a cross section of the dolphins snout and saw that the nerves resembled the same sensory nerves as whiskers do. Many studies were tested to see the dolphins responses to activating these nerves. It was seen that whenever there was an electric current it would move but if the snout was to be covered to hinder the ability of the nerves, the dolphin would not be able to pick up the current, and the dolphin would stay in one spot. This is a very important evolutionary process to help a species stay on the map and not become extinct.

Many animals find new ways to adapt to their environment. This is an important way to find ways to out smart other animals. This is an interesting discovery because these nerves are similar to whiskers however are inside of the snout and evolved to help dolphins. It is always new discoveries that allow, not only animals but humans, to help see new ways to live within our environment.