Napal Expands Critical Tiger Habitat

Earlier this year the first ever nation-wide estimate of the tiger population revealed the presence of 121 breeding tigers in the wild within four protected areas of Nepal. In order to ensure that these tiger numbers remain stable and start to increase, WWF and its partners called on the government to increase anti-poaching activities and habitat protection.

“In making these commitments at a global forum before the 12 other tiger range countries, the Government of Nepal has set an important precedent for others to follow,” said Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF’s Tiger Initiative.

Do you think this is necessary to ensure the survival of tigers? Why/why not?

World Wildlife Fund

October 27, 2009

Antidepressants not working for so many?

Why antidepressants don’t work for so many

October 25, 2009

Why have these antidepressants not been  working? According to  new research from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, antidepressants have not been working for so many people because the cause of depression has been oversimplified and the drugs to treat it are aimed at the wrong target. A long time depression researcher Eva Redei appears to topple two strongly held beliefs about depression. One belief is that the stressful life events are a major cause of depression. The other is that there is an unbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain which triggers depression symptoms. These beliefs were the basis of developing drugs used to treat depression.

Redei,the David Lawrence Stein Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern’s Feinberg School, found powerful molecular evidence that squashes the long-held belief that stress is the main cause of depression. Redei’s new research shows that there is no overlap between stress-related genes and depression-related genes. “This is a huge study and statistically powerful,” Redei said. “This research opens up new routes to develop new antidepressants that may be more effective. There hasn’t been an antidepressant based on a novel concept in 20 years.”

Current antidepressants are not working so well because the antidepressants used on the  animals that have manipulated behavior to be depressed by stress are treating the stress, not the depression.Redei found strong indications that depression begins further up the chain of events in the brain. The biochemical events that ultimately result in depression actually start in the development and functioning of neurons. “The medications have been focused on the effect, not the cause,” Redei said. “That is why the medicaion takes so long to work and are not effective for so many people.

What do you think researchers could do to find an antidepressant that works?

How would you find a new antidepressant?

Dolphins Overcoming Sleep Deprivation.

Dolphins have a way for overcoming sleep deprivation. Sam Ridgway from the US Navy Marine Mammal Program explains that dolphins can actually send half their brains to sleep, while the other half is still awake. They can stay vigilant for sounds for days on end.

Ridgway and his team are testing two dolphins over a five day period to see how well they function after days without a break. The colleagues trained the dolphins to respond to a 1.5 sec beep randomly against a background of a 0.5 sec beeps every 30 seconds. The sounds were low enough so the dolphins could barely notice as they swam, but they spring into action whenever they heard the sounds.

Allen Goldblatt and Done Carder made a visual stimulus to test the vigilance of the dolphins while they were still listening to the repetitive beeps. They trained one of the dolphins to recognise  two shapes  with her right eye before training her to recognise the shapes with her left eye. Since half of her brain was asleep, the dolphin would only see the shapes through the eye connected to the conscious half of the brain. When they started training her left eye she already recognised the shapes even though her left eye had not seen them  previously.

At the end of the 120 hour experiment they were as sharp as they were at the beginning. The scientists couldn’t find any physical signs of sleep deprivation. After five days they were in much better shape than the scientists.

The author was  Kathryn Knight.

May 3,2009 Science Daily

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2009/05/dolphins-sleep-with-half-their-brains.html

Did you find this article interesting? Why or why not?

Do you think you can overcome sleep deprivation?

Do Both Genders Of Mosquitoes Drink Blood?

Only female mosquitoes drink blood???

Have you ever wondered if both genders of mosquitoes drink blood? Do you think it’s both genders that drink blood? Or do you think it’s just one gender? The answer is that only females drink blood. The reason for this is because she needs to have protien and iron supplements from out blood for her eggs before she lays them.

Mosquito is known by the spanish term of “little fly”. There are many different kinds of mosquitoes. So many as 3500 different species. That’s alot of mosquito bites! Not only do the females drink blood, but they also collect nectar like the males do as well. Females don’t necassarily need blood for their own survival, but they need them for their eggs mainly.

Most mosquitoes are crepuscular, meaning they mainly feed during dawn or dusk, or if they are disturbed otherwise. But some species, like the Asian Tiger Mosquito, will feed in the daytime.

Better put on some bug spray. Wouldn’t want to get bit by mosquitoes, some can actually carry diseases, so it’s important that you watch out for them. Plus just getting bit by an otherwise clean one would make a spot that would be inflamed, red, swollen, and very very itchy. But if you do, find some kind of cream to help reduce the itching and swelling.

Some people think that mosquitoes are pests who are good for nothing, do you think they might actually be good for something?

Mosquitoes come out during either dawn or dusk to feed, why do you think this might be?

Snackbots

Have you ever wanted a snack school? Well scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have invented a robot called a “snackbot“. This robot is designed for bringing you a snack at school or work. The snackbot is not only used for serving food but it is also used for a research platform on robotics also. Now a snackbot is not you average sized robot, it is a lot smaller than a normal person, it does roll around on wheels though. This research will also allow the robot to navigate through areas in a social like way. This robot will be able to tell who you are, it will eventually get used to you and know who you are.  Now Carnegie Mellon University is now working on the “busybot” which will be designed to clean up messes. Specifically the plates and glasses that the workers or students use to eat.

Do you think that a “snackbot” is the new big thing?

Would you like Mazama to have snackbots?

21st Century Plague?

          Humans and rats have a lot of human contact, more than most people think. If you think about it they are everywhere no matter where you live. In the city on the country side they are everywhere. Seeing that rats are in so many places do you think that they are a cause of any diseases that humans develop? Or do you think that it’s just the human body and it is our natural immune system? 

            According to science news a large amount of illnesses are being transported through rats and fleas. Illnesses like heart disease and infection to the spleen and nervous system. Brown rats seem to be a most common carrier of the illnesses and bacteria in Europe.             

            A new discovery called “Bartonella rochalimae ” was discovered in a new patient that had an enlarged spleen. Animals of Bartonella are causing humans to have neuroretinitis. Scientist are not completely sure but they seem to think the illnesses is being spread form fleas to humans.

1. Do you agree with the scientist? Do you think that rats and fleas are spreading certain health problems? 
2. If these scientist are correct about fleas and rats spreading illnesses do you think that other illnesses and health problems will be spread?

Rats: the next junk food addicts

Cheesecake is like heroin to rats on a junk-food diet

 Published: 10/22/2009 by: Brett Israel

A study done In Chicago shows that rats that eat junk food behave the same way as rats addicted to heroin. A study was done with two different containers of rats. One container had rats that ate a high nutrient, low calorie diet, while the other container had unlimited amounts of junk food. The study revealed that the rats that ate all junk food soon began to form compulsive eating habits and consumed twice the amount of calories as the other container. 

This led the scientist to see if the overeating affected the pleasure centers of the rats brain. This test was performed with a wheel that gave more pleasure the more the rats ran on it. The rats with the junk food diet ran more then the other rats which meant that they needed more stimulation to feel good. After five days of the junk food diet the rats became habituated to the food. This meant that the rats had to eat more food to get the same pleasure as before. This behavior is also seen in heroin addicts who need more drugs the longer they use them. 

 The scientists also tested how strong the addiction was by shocking the rats when they ate the junk food. The rats who ate the healthy diet stopped eating after just a few shocks, but the junk food rats continued to eat even while being shocked. After the rats were removed from the junk food diet the rats stopped eating altogether. Which shows how dramatically their food preferences had changed.

Do you think this addiction is the same with humans? Should something be about the junk food industry? If yes, what? If no, Why? Do you think the world would handle a major diet shift away from junk food?

Sourced Images:

Rat – www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/dishing/rat.jpg

Is a Smart Car The Next Gas Saver?

The Smart Car is about 3 yards in length and and 3 yards in height. It weighs less then 700 pounds and has room for 2 people. Every Smart Car goes about 40 mpg and and its only 12,000 dollars so almost everybody can buy one. Other vehicles only have about 23 mpg or even less and every 2 weeks you are spending more than you should be spending on gas. Smart Cars also have an installed electric motors witch is a major gas saver. Electric motors work on fuel cells which is powered my the sun and hits a plasma platform which gives energy to the car and it runs on electricity.

Do you think the Smart Car will save Gas?Why?

If you had an opportunity to have this car would you take it?Why?

Cloning… Is it ethical?

Cloning is one of the more debated advancements in science. Cultivating certain types of cells from a living host and combining them in a test tube a fetus is then grown. The exact part of the cell they colect is the occyte and surrounding cumulus. The cell is then stimulated to begin the embryonic developement. This type of cloning is known as nuclear transfer cloning. The procedure, performed at the Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology at the Universidad Autonama de Barcelona in Spain from April to May, was done to help improve the efficiency and credibility of this type of cloning. Explore more information on the rats cloned in this experiment.  The rats names are Cloe, Cleo, and Clona for anyone wondering.

The question I pose to you reader is this type of creation of life against the very laws of nature or a necesity in the continuation of the human race? Is artificial life a defiance of God or an extension of his power?

More people with “Swine Flu” than pigs?

Of Swine Flu, Pigs And a State Fair

by Janet Raloff

According to the USDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there has yet to be any U.S. pigs infected with swine flu. However a group of pigs shown at the Minnesota State Fair are being reexamined for the infectious virus because of an out break of the virus in children in contact with those animals, and housed in a dormitory at the fair caring for the pigs. There is supposively no direct link between the animals and the infected kid, but to prevent further spread of the disease further tests and being performed. Tom Vilsack reminds people, “ They cannot get the H1N1 virus from eating pork or pork products.” However, it can spread through feces, if people cleaning up after or people petting infected animals do not wash their hands thoroughly. Wash your hands if caring for or in contact with pigs. Cover your cough.

And WASH YOUR HANDS!

Are you scared about swine flu?

Has anyone you know gotten H1N1?

H1N1 Outbreak at U.S. Air Force Academy

        Recently, there was a swine flu outbreak at a U.S. Air Force Academy. From June 25th to July 24th, 134 cases were confirmed, and 33 more cases were suspected. 288 cadets were isolated during this period. None of the healthcare personnel were infected, which is surprising. The study that was conducted will hopefully help with the creation of appropriate protocal when isolation of patients is needed in a high-risk situation, or if the virus continues to spread. The report that was published online after the study had concluded was the first of it’s kind.

            Investigators from the U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Epidemiology Consult Service used the outbreak to their advantage. They studied the cases and natural behaviors of the H1N1 virus, which included it’s shedding patterns. Says lead investigator Caroline Takacs Witkop, MD, MPH of the U.S. Air Force Academy, “Characterizing virus-host interactions and the epidemiology of the H1N1 is important in both planning assumptions and in defining effective control measures. Studies of seasonal influenza suggest that viral shedding continues for as long as 7 days after syptom onset.” Which means that even once you start “feeling better”, you may still be contagious.

            Some of the most commonly reported symptoms were fever, cough and a sore throat. The investigators believe the disease was spread during a social mixing event that was held for the students. The outbreak was quickly controlled because of good communication, and a quick reponse to the problem. This outbreak is one of the largest recognized outbreaks of  H1N1 clusters at a U.S. college…so far. But all we hear on the news is how it keeps getting worse. We hear about how China is innoculating a mass number of people against the disease. How much worse is this going to get before it gets better? I don’t want to find out, but I have a feeling that this is just the beginning.

How many of you are truly worried about the outbreak?

Are any of you planning on getting the vaccination?

Genes Alter Speech

Researchers found a little family in Australia that can’t talk very well (the women have weak, husky voices, and men couldn’t speak barely above a whisper). So scientists at the University of New South Wales’  St. George Hospital studied their genes and found interesting discoveries. The problem with the family was found in chromosome 8. They called the discovered gene Tospeak. The chromosomes had been rearranged altering the gene.  Tospeak RNA is an important for the development of the larynx. GDF6 is the neighboring gene. And this gene has to do with bone and eye development. The family had diffused bones on their ankles and wrists, and in their spinal column so scientist believe that this has something to do with the speech problem. Tospeak first appeared in primates. And when it was found in humans scientists noticed that part of the control panel that controls Tospeak was overlapping, there for making the GDF6 gene altered and causing the problems with the vocal cords. Then they thought that the brain had something to do with it. That you had to have a brain to speak, but even if you have a brain, you might not be able to talk.

This is an article called A Gene Critical for Speech by Tina Hesman Saey.

Web Edition: Friday, October 23rd, 2009

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/48680/title/a_gene_critical_for_speech

If the scientists wouldn’t have looked further into the past at other primates do you think they would have figured out that the gene is critical for speech?

If they wouldn’t have found this family with speech problems would we know about the genes GDF6 or Tospeak?

Do you believe that its not just the diffusion of the genes? But maybe something else too?

Bartonella Bacteria Outbreak

   Bartonella Bacteria Outbreak http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081123222844.htm#

    After recent studies done at multiple locations scientists have been answering the question do rats carry the disease causing fleas that harm us. The fleas carry a kind of bacteria that cause heart disease and other illnesses in humans. This kind of flea has been found in brown rats that are located in Europe.

   Scientists have been carrying out several studies concerning the outbreak. One of the studies included taking a sample of several different kinds of rodents and the bacteria they were possibly carrying. The results showed that the rodents were not for sure carrying  Bartonella rochimalimae but were definitely passing unfriendly bacteria along.

   After a patient had been positive for having the Bartonella rochimalimae it gave scientists something to look for in their studies. The patient had an enlarged spleen which is an effect of the bacteria. By researching the effects of the bacteria and the bacteria itself,  scientists can have a better understanding of how to prevent further illnesses from spreading.

Should the U.S be involved in finding a cure for the bacteria? Should we help with the investigation of the bacteria? Do you think that a bacteria like this could become a plague? Why would this particular bacteria raise concern about our health?

The Oldest Underwater Town Ever Found

A recent discovery  of 5,000-year-old pottery shards have scientists thinking again of when a sunken coastal town, called Pavlopetri, was really inhabited.  Before this discovery scievtists believed that this town was inhabited about 3,000 years ago but this recent discovery has them questioning this belief.  9,000 square meters of  buildings, streets, graves and a large ceremonial building have scientists thinking that this city was also an important trading port.  And since the new discovery of the pottery shards proves that the town is older than previously believed we can learn about the culture of neolithic peoples.  And because this town is underwater things like food and wood may have been preserved better than towns on land from the same time period that are still on land.

Article:Underwater Town Breaks Antiquity Record

Author:Linda Geddes

Posted:October 29, 2009

What do you think about the discovery of the true age of this town?

Do you think that the town should be excavated and studied?  Or do you think that it should be left alone?  Why?

Can you believe estrogen can help make fat cells healthier?

When I read this article I couldn’t believe that estrogen can help make fat healthy?  Did you know that hormone is one reason that men and women carry weight differently. When some scientists did tests on both a female and male rats they found out that estrogen helps their fat cells stay healthier.

Deborah Clegg of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas did a research that concluded that estrogen helps fat cells. They took a female rat and removed there ovaries and redistributed their fat from under there skin to their bellies and  found out when they gave them estrogen injections they stayed healthier and that both male and female rats have the same fat distribution patterns as humans.  Her earlier studies of human fat cells from men and pre- and post-menopausal women suggested that when estrogen binds to ER-alpha, the cell is more able to break down fat. Another molecule, ER-beta, makes the cell hold fat more tightly. Women have more ER-alpha in their bellies than men do.  Clegg produced both female and  male rats that lacked the gene for a molecule called estrogen receptor alpha that grabs on to estrogen and and tested the rats again and found that the rats could end up having diabetes.

 In the end Clegg found out that molecules that hold estrogen can help or make the growth of the fat cells smaller and keep them from have disease like diabetes and things.

Do you believe that it is really the estrogen keeping the fat cells smaller?
Should they  be doing the tests and rats?
Do you think it is hormones that make men and women carry weight differently?