Mental Benefits of Green Tea Extract

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140407101545.htm

Green tea can be advantageous to our health, but new studies show that it can also improve cognitive* functions, especially working memory*. Green tea extract also expands the brain's effective connectivity, or “the casual influence that one brain area exerts over another.” To test this concept, men volunteered to solve working memory challenges after drinking fluids with green tea extract in them. During these challenges, scientists used an MRI* to assess brain activity. The study showed that green tea extract may actually intellectually benefit us, even possibly going so far as to treat cognitive disabilities in neuropsychiatric* disorders, like dementia.

*Cognitive- of or relating to the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses

*Working memory- the part of short-term memory that is concerned with immediate conscious perceptual and linguistic processing

*MRI- magnetic resonance imaging

*Neuropsychiatric- psychiatry relating mental or emotional disturbance to disordered brain function

NOS Themes:

• Science is collaborative; Professor Christoph Beglinger (from the University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland) and Professor Stefan Borgwardt (from the Psychiatric University Clinics) teamed up for this research
• Role of motivation and curiosity; people who drink green tea will be glad they read this article

Artificial Blood for Transfusions

Original Article: Artificial Blood is Patient Ready
Article Source: www.the-scientist.com
Published: April 16, 2014
Written by: Jef Akst

Creative Commons Photo of
Red Blood Cells

Summary: Researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) have developed artificial red blood cells. They have done this by reprogramming the red blood cells grown from fibroblasts into mature red blood cells. This blood would be Type O blood, which is known as the universal donor and is relatively rare. This is the first time anybody has been able to create blood that fits within safety and quality standards to be transfused into a human being, which could happen as early as 2016. 

N.O.S. Themes:

• Science is collaborative - many researchers worked together to develop this blood
• Role of credibility - the researchers were from a well-established university
• Role of change - as technology and knowledge progressed, scientists were able to figure out how to create blood
• Role of motivation/curiosity - the scientists wanted to discover a more efficient source to get blood for blood transfusion patients which led them to conduct research

Thoughts: This could be a great new innovation in the medical society. Although currently it may be expensive, in the future maybe this technology could take over and no more blood donations would have to be made. How could this change modern medicine? What could be some implications? The article discusses how in 2016 this new process might already be used on patients with thalassaemia (when frequent transfusions are needed). I am curious to see what positives or negative could come out of this new technology.


Post Published: April 24, 2014 (11:45pm)
By: Julia Garbuz (hour 2)

The Beloved Blue-Footed Booby

Even though the name might seem a bit ridiculous, the blue-footed booby is a well known species of bird that inhabits the Galapagos Islands. There is a large decrease in numbers of these animals due to a lack of breeding.

Blue-footed boobies are clearly named after their vibrantly colored feet, which males show off during mating season. The brighter the color, the more attractive they are considered. Their blue webbed feet  are also used to cover their young and to keep them warm. In addition to the bright feet, blue-footed boobies are well known for their mating dance. Their current population is estimated to be 6,400 birds. 

Why the decrease in breeding? It may correlate with the reduction of the amount of sardines in blue-footed boobies diets. Scientists say sardines are the most cost efficient way to raise their young. Since sardines are oily and energy-dense, they are a good resource for the birds to eat. What is happening to the sardines is unknown, but is dramatically affecting the population of blue-footed booby birds.

NOS Themes:

• Science is based on evidence: we need to see why the bird population is decreasing
• Science is collaborative: many scientists and biologists have to work together to increase the number of blue-footed boobies 

How does the decrease of blue-footed boobies tie in with evolution/what we are learning currently? How will the possible extinction of the blue-footed booby affect other species?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/science/earth/blue-footed-boobies-a-galapagos-treasure-under-threat.html?ref=science&_r=0

Some corals adjusting to rising ocean temperatures

Most sea creatures are dying due to the rising sea temperatures, including coral. In an innovative experiment, scientists from Stanford University have figured out that some coral can quickly adapt to tolerating hot water up to 50 times faster then they would through evolutionary change. Coral reefs are crucial to sustaining ocean life, and even a few degrees increase in water temperature can kill miles of coral. Researchers transfered colonies from a cold pool to a warm pool and vice versa. The colonies the transfered to the hot pool switched on their adaptive gene and were relatively quickly able to withstand the hot water. While the coral does have a limit on how drastic it can change, this evidence certainly shows more about how coral has survived.

NOS Themes:

Role of motivation and curiosity: scientist were curious as to how coral was able to survive the hotter waters.

Based on evidence: The coral activated their adaptive gene to survive the heat.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424143737.htm

Female Insects with Penises.

Link to Story.

In a ground-breaking study, researchers have found cave insects in Brazil from the genus Neotrolga that are the first recorded case of sex-reversed genitalia. This means that the female of this species has the penis. During copulation, which can last up to 70 hours, the female inserts a penis-like organ in to the males much reduced vagina-like opening. Scientists believe that this trait was developed due to the resource-poor environment of the cave. They believe that, in addition to sperm, the male gives the female nutritious seminal gifts making it advantageous for the female to reproduce at a higher rate. Researchers also found that while inside the male, the female will anchor itself to the male, and take the nutrients.

This is important in our further understanding of evolution. We can see that evolution is not just small changes, and something that no longer happens. We can see it happening before our eyes. It is very cool.

NOS Themes:

1. Role of credibility: Published in Current Biology.

The Devious Baby Plot

David Haig, a Harvard scientist, has recently proposed a new explanation as to why babies cry at night. He thinks that babies demand breastfeeding in the middle of the night in order to prevent new siblings. He says that more than one baby means having to share the parents, so babies do everything in their power to prevent more children.

They do this by crying in the middle of the night because they want to be breastfed. This not only interrupts potential copulation, but frequent night nursing also delays fertility. When a baby breastfeeds, it causes hormone changes that can affect ovulation. Haig also says that certain genes inherited from the mother cause babies to sleep more soundly, but certain genes inherited from the father cause them to wake up more. Haig attributes this to fathers having no guarantee the baby will be theirs, so it is in their best interest to delay ovulation.

James McKenna, an anthropologist from the University of Notre Dame, disagrees. He believes that babies wake up in the middle of the night for all sorts of reasons. They could be hot, hungry, want cuddles from their mom, or just be awoken by a parent moving in their sleep.

Source

NOS Themes:
Science is subject to debate and tentative
Role of skepticism
Conflicts within the scientific community

Genome of Golden Eagle

Researchers at West Virginia University are the first to make a sequence of the genome of the golden eagle.They identified  eagle features that could lead to more effective conservation strategies. In their studies they questioned the  golden eagle's vison and sense of smell. The genome provides genetic markers that will help researchers keep track of population and eagle mortality. Golden eagles are threatened mainly do to poaching, shrinking habitats and collusions with turbines. An analysis of the genome have revealed that golden eagles have many more genes associated with smell than prior knowledge suggested. Doyle used the genome to identify genetic markers that could function as DNA which would allow researches to distinguish between different birds.The researchers obtained the genome by extracting DNA form a golden eagle's blood, and then they placed a tracking device on the bird before they set it free. This research could lead to an improvement in the preservation of the golden eagle.

NOS Themes:

• Science is collaborative
• Science is Credible
• Science is supported by evidence

Link:

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/24/genome_yields_insights_into_golden_eagle_vision_smell.html

Ancient Fish Found with 'Modern' Heart and Blood Vessels

Original Article

Related Article

Researches and geologists have discovered the oldest know cardiovascular system as well as the most complex system of the heart and blood vessels of its time. Because we were just learning and watching videos about this in clase, I thought this would be a great article to share a write a blog about.

Not only is this the oldest vascular system found in a fossilized creature, it is the only one ever found. The animal, named Fuxianhuia protensa, is a 3 inch long anthropod found on the coast of southern China. The article talks in detail about how and why this ancient crustacean came to evolve into this cardiovascular system.

One main area of further research that I would be very interested in looking into is looking for other first showing of human body systems in ancient animals. In the video Your Inner Fish, we saw the first example of an animal living on land. But what about our complex nervous system, looking for the first creatures with skin like we have, and other functioning systems of our body. What can you readers find?

NOS Themes:

The Role of Collaboration - Researches and Geologists from 3 separate countries all collaborated to make this study successful.

Science is based on evidence - This study focused on an actual fossil recently found and examined.

-Ben Johnson

Memories Stick Together

This research by scientists provides a clearer explanation of how memory works. It can also inform research into disorders liked Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, post-traumatic stress and learning disabilities.

Over the past few decades, scientists have revealed a lot about long term memory storage. For significant events, being bit by a cat—a number of proteins are quickly made in activated brain cells and create new memories. This series of biochemical events allow us to remember important details about that event.

While much is still unknown about sleep, research suggests that important memories from the day are often transported through the brain, it is moved from temporary storage to more long-term storage. Researchers observed most of this memory formation in non-dreaming sleep. Not much is known about if and how memory packaging is done during dreams.

Scientist O'Donnell states "During sleep there's a reorganizing of memory—you strengthen some memories and lose ones you don't need anymore.”

NOS THEMES:

Science is collaborative: Terry Seinowski and Howard Hughes worked together to research memory and it's correlation with sleep.  

Role of motivation and curiosity: Scientists are interested in finding out more about the components of memory. 

LINK

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/16/scientists_explain_how_memories_stick_together.html

Why Have the Blue-Footed Boobies Stopped Breeding?

The blue-footed boobies, native to the Galapagos Islands, have suddenly stopped breeding.  There has been more than a fifty percent population decrease in the past two decades.  So, why have these beautiful birds stopped breeding?

Some scientists believe that this dramatic decrease mirrors the decrease of the sardine population in the area.  The blue-footed boobies eat sardines almost exclusively.  Because of the sardine decrease, the birds have not been able to get the nutrition that they need which directly affects the breeding rate.  The cause of the sardine population decrease may be due to over fishing and climate change in the area.

The blue-footed boobies that currently inhabit the Galapagos, are growing older and will soon be too old to breed.  The race is on for scientists to solve this issue to keep the blue-footed boobies off the endangered species list.

NOS Themes:

• Role of motivation and curiosity
• Science is based on evidence
• Science is subject to debate and is tentative

Read More at:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2014/04/23/blue-footed-boobies-breeding/

Researchers Sequence Golden Eagle Genome

Scientists at Purdue and West Virginia University have recently sequenced the genome of the golden eagle. This has provided them with copious amounts of information that we did not know about the golden eagle  before. Information from this sequencing will help immensely in preserving the golden eagle.



One example of this information helping preserve the golden eagle relates to wind turbine related deaths. A suggestion to reduce the number of wind turbine related deaths of golden eagles was to paint the wind turbines with a coat of ultraviolet paint. This was suggested because we thought the eagles' sight was in the ultraviolet range, but it is actually in the violet range, like us humans.

The researches also found that golden eagles have more genes relating to smell than we previously knew. This indicates that the eagles might use smell to catch their prey more than we thought. Scientists used this genome sequencing to put together a sort of fingerprint for the eagles, allowing them to track specific eagles and determine population size and flux.

NOS Themes:
     Science is collaborative - scientists from Purdue and West Virginia University work on this.
     Science is based on evidence - the researchers used the sequenced genome to figure out the role of smell in the eagles' hunting.

Link: http://thrumyeye.deviantart.com/art/The-Gosling-the-Daisy-and-New-Blog-449741096
Sebastian Deibel

A Cure for Cocaine Addiction

Jun-Xu Li has lead scientists at the University of Buffalo's Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology to discovering a way to combat cocaine addiction as well as relapse. One in four adults between the ages of 24 and 36 have tried cocaine at least once. Seventy-five percent of those people became addicted to it. As of now, no medicine exists for cocaine addiction. A compound that goes by RO5263397 was found to strongly diminish the effects of cocaine addiction. In an animal trial on mice, trace amine associated receptor 1 (TAAR 1), a receptor in the brain that dampens dopamine activity, was stimulated in an effort to counteract cocaine addiction. The subjected mice were much less persistent in returning to the location from which they got their cocaine. In addition, the mice were found to relapse less often because they became less willing to work for and earn their cocaine. This is a large breakthrough in the field of addiction medicine as it is the first of its kind and could possibly lead to addiction medicine that is more effective towards other drugs or addictive behaviors.

NoS
Collaborative- Li lead a team of scientists to this discovery

Based on evidence- Li and his team at the University of Buffalo ran trials on mice

Motivation and curiosity- This could be the first possible cure for cocaine addiction and it was funded by the National Institutes of Health

Link

Growing Skin to Potentially Replace Animals in Drug/Cosmetic Testing

An international team led by SFVAMC developed the first lab-grown epidermis. The new epidermis, grown from human pluripotent stem cells, offers a cost-effective alternative lab model for testing drugs and cosmetics. It could also help to develop new therapies for skin disorders.  

A new study, published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, describes the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells to produce an unlimited supply of pure keratinocytes. It is the cell type in the outermost layer of skin. According to the study, They closely match keratinocytes generated from human embryonic stem cells and primary keratinocytes from skin biopsies.

SFVAMC and their team used these keratinocytes to manufacture 3D epidermal equivalents in a high-to-low humidity environment to build a functional permeability barrier. Basically the permeability barrier protects the skin from losing toxins, and functioning like live skin.

With further research, there is a possibility that human epidermis samples be available for testing in a range of skin conditions and sensitivities in different populations. Additionally, according to to the Humane Society International this discovery could possibly be able to replace animals that are used in drug and cosmetic testing.

NOS Themes:

1. Science is Collaborative: The discovery was made by an international team of researchers, and supported by the SFVAMC

2. Role of Credibility: The discovery is verified by the SFVAMC, and the Humane Society International.

3. Science is based on evidence: The lab-grown epidermis and its permeability factor was supported by a study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports.

Link to article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424125245.htm
Additional Info: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27129861

Genome Yields Insights into Golden Eagle Vision and Smell

        Researchers from Purdue and the University of West Virginia have finally completed the genome sequence of the golden eagle. This extremely important for identifying unknown characteristics of the species, and it will help promote new conservation strategies. Scientists have already learned that golden eagles are not as sensitive to ultraviolet light as what was recently believed. They also found that golden eagles have a much keener sense of smell than we thought. They learned that the golden eagle may use its sense of smell to locate prey as well as their vision. The DNA used for the sequencing was obtained from the blood of a golden eagle. The team placed a gps tracker on the eagle before releasing it. Using the gps, they can now relate the bird's movements and behavior to its genome.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424141015.htm

Scientific Themes

1. Science is collaborative- Researchers from Purdue and West Virginia University worked together to sequence the genome.
2. Role of Motivation- The scientists were hoping to find more information about conserving this particular species while they were identifying the genome.
3. Repeatability- Anyone can look for the genome code of the golden eagle.

Brain circuits involved in emotion discovered by neuroscientists

Neuroscientists have recently discovered a brain pathway that sets the foundation for the emotional behaviors critical for survival.  The University of Bristol has discovered a chain of neuron connections which connects survival circuits to the spinal cord.  The brain pathway travels from the periaqueductal grey to the pyramis.  The pyramis is involved in triggering the fight or flight reaction in an unnerving situation.  This is a resounding discovering for scientists because they can now, more accurately, create effective treatments for mental disorders such as paranoia or panic attacks.

Themes of Nature of Science

• Role of Credibility- research was done at University of Bristol
• Role of Motivation/Curiosity- scientists were curious about this reaction in the brain

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140422202313.htm

Earlier Spring and Global Warming

In recent years, spring has been coming earlier.  Biologist Richard Primack has been observing and recording the various dates of the coming of spring.  He has done this by keeping track of an assortment of factors, such as the first blooming and the bloomings of different species of flowers.  He conducts his research at Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts.
Primack compared his data with the data recorded by Henry David Thoreau.  Thoreau did his documenting during the 1850's.  The amount of time that spring has moved forward is astonishing.  In only approximately 150 years spring is now coming a full 3 weeks earlier, or almost a month.  Scientists have said that this is a direct result of global warming, as proven by new satellite images.  It's definitely not just Massachusetts either, flowerings are coming faster all around the world.
New studies are discovering that global warming may not be the only thing affecting the faster blooms. A significant rise in CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) levels may also influence the flowers.  With an increase in global CO2 plants may begin to start growing earlier, and increasingly longer.  CO2 is directly needed for plants to grow; along with an abundance of water and heat.  Surprisingly, this CO2 could actually be a curse for many parts of the world.  The increase in the length of the growing season will actually dry out areas surrounding the vegetation, as water is taken out of the earth while the plants are growing.  We don't know exactly what, but we know that global warming will drastically change many of our familiar ecosystems.

Themes of NOS:
1. Science is collaborative - many scientists from different ages have been recording the dates of first blooms.
2. Science is based on evidence - all research is based on dates.
4. Role of credibility - researchers include biologists from Harvard and Boston University.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/science/springing-forward-and-its-consequences.html?ref=science&_r=0

How do Memories Stick Together?

In the article, “Scientists Explain How Memories Stick Together,” I found out that recently Scientists at the Salk Institute have been looking into how people’s memories form and what causes you to lose memories. Scientists have been looking at the proteins and cells in the brain to try and figure it out. What they are continuing to research right now is why people only remember certain parts of memories that would otherwise last one to two hours. They have looked into dreaming and what causes certain things to happen in dreams. So far they have figured out that memories from that day trigger some parts of dreams, but there are also made up parts of a person’s dream. Cian O'Donnell and Terry Sejnowski have been working on models of memories, Sejnowski a Howard Hughes Medical Institue Investigator said: "Our new model of memory makes it possible to integrate experiences over hours rather than moments."

With this new information scientists hope to find ways to attack disorders like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, post-traumatic stress, and learning disabilities. That is why this research is so important. Many of these disorders and diseases cause death, and they don’t allow people to live to their full potential. If they can look into these diseases and come up with a cure for them, they could extend lives and make them better.

Cian O'Donnel and Terry Sejnowski

NOS Themes:

Science is Collaborative: A group of scientists at Salk Institute have worked together to find this information.

Role of Motivation and Curiosity: Scientists want to be able to trigger memories and find ways to cure disorders and diseases.

Article Link:
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/16/scientists_explain_how_memories_stick_together.html

Singing Birds

       According to this article, male Savannah Sparrows are changing their tune. The songs that they sing have changed from 30 years ago. Some scientist collaborated with each other and compared to song they sang about 30 years ago and a recent one and found they are different. The changes in the birds singing somewhat resembles the changing of human language over time. The sparrows added new clicks in the middle of their song and the ending trill is shorter. The researchers think that the shorter trill at the end is because females prefer it when they found out males with shorter trills had a higher reproductive rate.

http://www.macroevolution.net/cultural-evolution.html#.Uv2YBWTrWic

Nature of science themes: Science is collaborative, science is based on evidence, person's view and experience can influence data

Why are some kids bigger than others?

It's well known that kids vary in height. "The influence of genetic factors on differences between children's Body Mass Index increases from 43 percent at age four to 82 percent at age 10, reports a new study. The researchers studied 2,556 pairs of twins from the Twins Early Development Study. Data were collected in England and Wales in 1999 and 2005 when the twins were four and 10 years old respectively"(Science Daily 1). The twin analysis confirmed previous studies with a doubling of genetic influence, called 'heritability', showing that the reasons that some boys and girls are bigger than others are 43% genetic at age 4 and 82% genetic at age 10. This is caused by gene-environment correlation  A child's environment can trigger genes that cause kids to be tall. Kids may have a tall gene, but if they live in an environment where being shorter is preferred the gene may never activate.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140423221418.htm

Nature of Science Themes :

Science is collaborative and Science is based on evidence

Sloths Are Built to Hang Upside Down

           A recent study by Rebecca Cliffe of the Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement has discovered that sloths were anatomically built to be able to hang upside down. For example, if a human tried to hang upside down for a long period of time, the weight of the intestines, liver, stomach, and other innards would put a substantial amount of weight on the lungs, making it very hard to breathe.

          Sloths, however, have a series of adhesions that attach their innards to anchor the organs in place and prevent them from resting on their lungs. This especially important for the sloth because their stomach and intestines take up a considerable amount of their body mass. Also, with the sloth's slow metabolism it is even more critical for the sloth to conserve its energy whenever possible.

NoS Themes

Science is collaborative
Science is based on evidence
Role of motivation and curiosity

Link: http://phys.org/news/2014-04-sloth-guts-upside.html

Less Sugar Sweetened Beverages, Less Obesity

There's no surprise that there are high rates of obesity in America, but most people are unaware of the unhealthy factors of sugar-sweetened beverages. In general, the public is ignorant of the fact that sugary drinks are a leading cause of obesity. The Obesity Society (TOS) says sodas, sports drinks, and other beverages primarily made of water and added sugar contribute to 6-7% of American's calorie intake. Researchers have faced challenges with isolating the negative impact of foods and drinks on body weight, but studies conducted on sugar drinks have showed important data leading to their conclusion. The researchers' evidence shows that humans with a higher body max index consume more sugary beverages than thinner people. They present the idea of decreasing sugar drink intake to reduce overall calories consumed, which would help with weight loss. This is an accurate idea because weight gain happens when an individual's calorie intake is greater than the calories burned in a period of time, so less calorie intake will reduce obesity. TOS highly suggests replacing unhealthy drinks like soda and sports drinks with the calorie-free and much more beneficial drink: water. More research of this topic is to come from The Obesity Society, and they encourage scientists, clinicians, etc. to further explore the caloric density of foods and drinks. This science based information is sure to help improve America's health and reduce obesity. 

NOS Themes:

• Science is collaborative
• Science is based on evidence
• Role of credibility
• Role of motivation and curiosity

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140423132427.htm

Squids and other invertebrates can probably feel pain

New research suggests that animals without backbones such as squids, crabs, and lobsters feel pain. Robyn Crook along with help from other researchers at the University of Texas have found that cephalopods possess nociceptors. These nerve cell endings transmit stimuli to the Central Nervous System. These animals also react when touched near a wound by retreating and squirting ink. One difference in the way they feel pain is that they feel pain all over and are unable to pinpoint the origin of the pain. Another researcher who has worked on this topic is Robert Elwood from Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

1 Science is Collaborative
2 Role of Credibility

http://www.popsci.com/article/science/squids-and-other-invertebrates-can-probably-feel-pain?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=4&con=squids-and-other-invertebrates-can-probably-feel-pain-

Protein May be Part of Memory Development

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a protein that plays a critical role in learning and memory formation. This protein is known as RGS7, is made primarily in the Hippocampus of the brain. The Hippocampus is used for short and long term memory. RGS7 works with R7BP to regulate a signal cascade critical to development. They regulate the creation of GABA, a naturally produced neuroinhibitor that slows down neuron firings. Mice found to be lacking in RGS7 showed extreme difficulty in learning and memorizing tasks. Treating deficiencies in RGS7 could alleviate some of the symptoms of Down Syndrome, and potentially a treatment for any kind of addiction.

NOS themes:

Science is collaborative-A team of scientists worked to discover this protein

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/22/scientists_identify_critical_new_protein_complex_involved_in_learning_and_memory.html

Golden eagle

Genome yields insights into golden eagle vision, smell

Researchers at Purdue university have been the first to sequence the genome of the golden eagle. This helps researches learn more about the eagles features such as sight and smell. This research showed that golden eagles are less sensitive to ultraviolet light and that they have a batter sense of smell than previously thought. Also this research helps conservation efforts for this endangered bird by finding ways to protect it from poachers, habitat loss, and wind turbines. The genome was taken for DNA that was extracted from the blood of an eagle that was captured and later released back into the wild with a GPS. 

NOS: Science is based on evidence
science is subject to debate and is tentative

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424141015.htm

Deleting a Single Gene Reduces Fat Mass and Extends Lifespan of Mice by 20%

Deleting a Single Gene Reduces Fat Mass and Extends Lifespan of Mice by 20%

By deleting a single gene, FAT10, researchers could reduce fat mass of mice and expand their lifespan by 20 percent. FAT10 belongs to a family of genes that act as recyclers of cellular proteins and was found to be induced by inflammation. The immune system response that produces inflammation is crucial to protect organisms from infections. If you reduce inflammation (the damaging inflammation associated with obesity), this may reduce the growth of fat tissues or age-related weight gain and increase longevity. 
Mice without the FAT10 gene was used to study its role in sepsis, a devastating and sometimes fatal inflammatory response to infection. Mice lacking the FAT10 gene aged more slowly than normal mice and were fifty percent leaner. Mice that lacks FAT10 also has a higher metabolic rate, burned fat as fuel, and reduced glucose and insulin levels. The DNA and protein sequences of the FAT10 gene are highly conserved between man and mouse. This study could possible lead to new medications and therapies. 

Deleting a single gene can reduce fat mass and extend lifespan of mice by 20 percent. 

The research was headed by scientists at Yale and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University Tufts University. For more information, visit http://scitechdaily.com/deleting-single-gene-reduces-fat-mass-extends-lifespan-mice-20/ 

Nature of Science

Science is collaborative: Many researchers from numerous universities conducted this experiment together. 

Science is based on evidence: The scientists provided many evidence to support their findings. 

Role of credibility: providing evidence ensures reliability and reason to trust the ideas. 

Importance of repeatability: Repeating the experiments and getting a similar results ensures that the experimenter did not make any mistake and the results are not obtained just by chance.  

Role of motivation and curiosity: Researchers' passion and desire to experiment will lead to new findings; in this case, new therapies. 

The Y Chromosome

 

When people think about the function if the Y Chromosome they think that it is only used to determine gender in organisms. The Y chromosome also includes the genes that are required for the genome to function properly.  The reason that the Y chromosome is so much smaller that its counterpart, the X chromosome, is that it has shed hundreds of genes over time.

So why hasn't the Y chromosome lost all of its genes, maybe even become extinct, by now? No one know for sure but a recent study in 2012, conducted by Daniel W. Bellott and David C. Page of the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass., found that humans have the same number of Y chromosomes as the rhesus monkey. This suggests that for the last 25 million years the Y chromosome stabilized. Scientist figured that it was 25 million years ago because that was the last time that the rhesus and humans had a common ancestor. Since the Y chromosome is so small it is extremely difficult to decode it. However this has not stopped Dr. Page and her group from decoding the DNA sequence of the Y chromosome in eight mammals.

Other research has be done on the Y chromosome by, Diego Cortez and Henrik Kaessmann of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Together they realized that they could find the Y chromosome's genes by simply comparing the X and Y DNA of other species and assuming that if the genetic sequences did not match to the X must come from the Y.

Go to the link below to find out more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/science/researchers-see-new-importance-for-y-chromosome.html?ref=science&_r=0

NOS Themes:
Science is based on evidence- the y chromosome determines the gender.
Importance of repeatability- they have done multiple trials on their research.
Role of motivation and curiosity- the scientists are interested in finding out more about the y chromosome.

A nanodevice invisible to our bodies immune system

Nano microbots have been a theoretical concept that was thought to have been able to monitor the human body. Some researchers also speculated that micro nanobots could potentially fight off viruses. For example, in 2012 a nanorobot was made to target leukemia or lymphoma cells. The only problem is that the bodies immune system will react and try to attack the the nanobot. Scientists at Harvard have found a way to code nanobots in phospholipids making the nanobot invisible to the bodies immune system. This is promising for future nanobot technologies. However, this topic is a bit controversial as the phospholipid technology can be used to make deadly pathogens invisible to our immune system. In a sense, scientists have found a promising cure for the future, or the deadliest disease.

Credit: Steven Perrault/Harvard's Wyss Institute

Nature of science:
Conflicts within the scientific community - These nanobots with the coating technology could cure cancer/viruses, but this technology also potential to deliver deadly disease.



link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140422100021.htm

further readings: http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/75/

CO2 Makes Growing Seasons Longer

The increase of the growing season of grass and plants is due to the rising levels of CO2.

Adding CO2 to an enviroment can increase plant growth. As the levels of CO2 in an area rise, the stomatas in the leaves close. Stomatas are the small pores that plants use for "breathing". When the stomatas close up, water loss is prevented. The increase of CO2 levels help to conserve the water and increase the growth of the plant later into the season. Although the increase in CO2 helps some plants, it is not good for all species. Flowering plants might become out of sync with the life cycle of the pollinators. CO2 is not the only cause of longer seasons. The warmer temperatures have also contributed to the shifts in the seasons. In an experiment, the amount of growing days more than doubled when there was an increase of temperature, and CO2 compared to when there was just an increase in temperature. Scientists have found that an increase in CO2 can increase plant growth temporarily.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/co2-makes-growing-seasons-longer1/

NOS Themes:
-Science is based on evidence
-Role of skepticism
-Role of motivation and curiosity

Scientists identify critical new protein complex involved in learning and memory

Link:http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/22/scientists_identify_critical_new_protein_complex_involved_in_learning_and_memory.html

Summary: Researchers at the Florida campus in the Scripps Research Institute have discovered the function of a protein that is related to changing short term to long term memory. The protein is RGS7 and it works with R7BP in the hippocampus. The researchers think that it could have medical uses because people with addiction or with Down Syndrome have an inproportionate increase in neural inhibition which might be controlled by the RGS7 protein. They still have to research other parts of the brain but they are hoping that they can use it in the future.

NOS Themes:
Role of Curiosity: Researchers are curious of how the protein affects peoples memories
Science is based on evidence : The scientists are still researching how the protein works.

CO2 Makes Growing Seasons Longer

Link to Story

The length of the growing season may be lengthening due to rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The growing season has grown by two weeks in the United States and about one week in Europe over that last 100 years. Ecologist Heidi Steltzer says that it is not due to rising temperatures, but to the CO2 levels themselves. Heidi and her colleagues exposed plots of Wyoming grassland to CO2 or heat. The data shows that the CO2 lengthened the season by 2 weeks while the heat grew by 1 week. The ecologists agree that CO2 also conserves water in agriculture by allowing leaves to close their stomata. Richard Nordby has repeated these results on gum forests of Tennessee.

NOS Themes: 

Science is collaberative - This experiment was a team effort by Heidi Stelzer and her team.

Importance of repeatability - Results were repeated in Tennessee.

Specific Defense Immune Cells

Scientists have found that some immune cells only fight infections in a single organ. This finding could help us fight organ-specific illnesses. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have found evidence that says that the liver, skin, and uterus all have these specific immune cells and it would not be surprising to find this true for other organs as well. Many doctors believe that if we are able create medication to activate these cells, it would have powerful effects against infections. In the past, we believed that immune cells stay in the liver, and when they are needed leave the liver to go to whatever part of the body that has the problem. This theory is only partially true, there are some cells that do this but there are also some that just stay in the liver and these cells have been observed in the skin and the uterus as mentioned above. Dorothy K. Sojka has been running experiments to see if they are able to control productions of the cell. This could heavily aid in infection and disease fighting.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/17/some_immune_cells_defend_only_1_organ.html
NOS Themes:
Science is Collaborative: There were many scientists studying these cells
Based on Evidence: There were actual organ specific immune cells found in the liver, skin, and uterus
Role of Motivation and Curiosity: Further research of this could lead to disease cures

Less Green in the Congo

Is the Congo rainforest losing it's photosynthetic capacity. That is the question posed by lead researcher Liming Zhou. He was the one analyzing how green the Congo rainforest is when he discovered that it is in fact less green over all. Now he admits this is only a preliminary step but it could lead to the discovery that the Congo, and other rainforests, are losing their ability to be photosynthetic. One of the theories behind this is that climate change may be effecting the vegetations greenness. The forest has been experiencing long periods of drought and as you can imagine this has caused some hard times for the local plant life. This could cause some major issues in the ecosystem that is the rainforest. Zhou was sure to mention that this is only a preliminary step and that much more research was necessary.

NOS:

1. Science is based on evidence: The scientist accept that they need more evidence to make a final analysis.
2. Role of motivation and curiosity: The scientist explored an idea more in depth because they were motivated to learn and help the enviroment.

Specialized defense cells

Article link: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/04/17/some_immune_cells_defend_only_1_organ.html

It has been recently discovered that some specialized cells are dedicated to defending a single organ. This is goes against the long held belief that all cells dedicated to defense of the body roamed around looking to fight off infection. Scientists at Washington University of medicine found these cells in the liver, skin, and uterus, and other organs show signs of having them too. The cells are also controlled by  molecular switches. These switches control how much of these cells are created or if they are created at all. This is important because of the implications it could have. If someone were to have a cancer, doctors can use the switches to stop and isolate the spread of the cancer by stopping the spread to other organs.

I chose this topic because I find medical advancement interesting. With this discovery the way we treat diseases and infections can be completely changed to be more efficient. As this research continues i will be eager to watch for updates.

Nos Themes

Science is collaborative

Science is based on evidence. Changing the molecular switches was tested on mice  

How Memories Are Stored

How Memories Are Stored

This article explained how short term memories are stored. Past researchers have come up with models for how quick activity memories are stored for a long period of time. After an event, proteins are made in brain cells to create the memory. Some proteins stick to specific neurons in the brain, and some stick to neurons until they break down. This process allows us to remember important details of an event. Although, scientist are not sure why only certain memories are kept, while others aren't.

Recently, scientists at Salk Institute have come up with a new model for how neurons keep memories that occur over a period of 1-2 hours. To explain this model, researchers linked findings of molecular and system observations of memory. They explain that memories are recalled when events relating to the original memory activate the neurons of the original memory. Scientists have also found that they can predict which memories are stored based on the position of the protein on the neuron and the position of the neuron itself. Scientists are allowed to predict which memories are stored based on a mathematical function. This model could help research in diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It can also lead to further study on how memories are collected in dreams.

NOS Themes:

Science is collaborative

Role of curiosity

Role of credibility

Article

Genetically Modified Mosquitos?

Link: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25457-brazil-approves-use-of-genetically-modified-mosquitoes.html#.U1hybmQjqic

Brazil has recently approved the usage of genetically modified mosquitos to help control the spread of dengue fever. Dengue fever affects over 50 million people each year and can kill people. It is transfered by mosquitos to humans has has recently shown up in the United States. A biotech company called Oxitec based out of Oxford, UK can up with the new technology that has caused the population of mosquitoes to drop 79 percent in a city in Brazil in only 7 months.
Oxitec released genetically engineered males (Aedes aegypti) that produce offspring that die before reaching maturity, and if these males mate with enough females the population will drop. The drop in population will decrease the chance of passing along the dengue virus. In the United States the use of these mosquitoes are up for approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

NOS Themes:
Science is collaborative- Oxitec is sharing their information with others
Conflicts within the scientific community- How are different groups of scientist going to react to the loss of mosquitoes

Cool Cat in a Hot Zone

Summary:

You would think that Ventura, California and the Front Range of Colorado's Rocky Mountains wouldn't have much in common, except for the fact people both live there, but there's something else linking these two urban areas. It's fury, fierce, and looks similar to a typical house cat. Unfortunately, this feline also shares something with the people it lives alongside: gastrointestinal diseases. We, humans, have passes it on to the Bobcat. Pathogen spillover, which is when a epidemics in a population are transmitted not to other members of the population but to a different population, is the cause of many diseases in both people and wildlife. When animals, such as the bobcat can be found not to far from an urban setting is more likely to pick up parasites. A team of scientist including Sue VandeWoude, Kevin Crooks, Mike Lappin, Andrea Scorza, Scott Carver, Sarah Bevins, and Seth Riley took notice to the diseases effect on bobcats. They gathered samples from bobcats from the urban areas of Ventura and Denver and compared them to samples from rural areas of Colorado. The studies showed that cats nearby cities were more likely to carry disease than ones from rural areas because of human exposer. Bobcats are widespread in North America, which would make it easy for them to transmit pathogens to another species. But how was it spread in the first place if humans and bobcats are hardly ever  in close contact? The answer is in the water. Humans and bobcats both have access to bodies of water. According to Scott Carver, "Our result sugest that humans transmitted these pathogens to bobcats, likely through contaminated water or other environmental sources." During the test, there was no evidence of the bobcats being ill, but that does not mean they weren't. Even if bobcats are not affected, that does not mean they can't pass it on to a different species that could be greatly affected. 

NOS Themes:

Science is collaborative: A team of scientist including Sue VandeWoude, Kevin Crooks, Mike Lappin and Andrea Scorza of Colorado State University; Scott Carver of the University of Tasmania; Sarah Bevins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Seth Riley of the U.S. National Park Service.
Science is based on evidence: Because there was not evidence of the bobcats being sick while carrying the pathogen, the scientist could not concluded that it was harmful to the cats.

Link:

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=125924&org=NSF